499th Air Refueling Wing
499th Air Refueling Wing | |
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Distinguished Unit Citation | |
Insignia | |
499th Air Refueling Wing emblem[note 1] | |
Group tail identification (World War II) | Square V |
The 499th Air Refueling Wing is an inactive
The wing was first activated as the 499th Bombardment Group of the
The 499th Air Refueling Wing was an air refueling and airborne command and control unit active from 1963 to 1966. In 1984 USAF consolidated the group and wing into a single unit sharing a common history.
History
World War II
The 499th Bombardment Group was established in late 1943 at
The
The 499th deployed in September 1944, and became part of the
The 499th received a
After
Cold War
The origins of the 499th Air Refueling Wing date to 1 April 1955, when
On 1 July 1957, the wing was assigned the newly activated
In 1960, the wing added the mission of commanding SAC
The following April, the wing added a squadron in the mid Atlantic, the
However, SAC Major Command Controlled (MAJCON) units could not carry a permanent history or lineage.[11] and SAC looked for a way to make its these wings permanent. In 1962, in order to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, SAC received authority from USAF to discontinue its MAJCON wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate Air Force Controlled (AFCON) units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
As a result, the 4050th was replaced by the newly constituted 499th Air Refueling Wing[12] which assumed its mission, personnel, and equipment on 1 January 1963.[note 2] The 4050th's air refueling squadrons were reassigned to the 499th. Component support units were replaced by units with numerical designation of the newly established wing.
The 499th Air Refueling Wing continued to support SAC bombardment and
As SAC phased out its KC-97 aircraft, the wing began to shrink.[12] The 303d Air Refueling Squadron inactivated in late spring 1963 and in July 1964 the three squadrons located at other bases were transferred to other SAC headquarters. In December 1965 the last KC-97 squadron assigned to the wing became non-operational, although it remained with the wing on paper. The 499th's KC-135 squadron was reassigned to the 99th Bombardment Wing the following month. The 499th Air Refueling Wing was inactivated on 25 June 1966.[12]
Lineage
499th Bombardment Group
- Constituted as 499th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 19 November 1943
- Activated on 20 November 1943
- Inactivated on 16 February 1946
- Consolidated on 31 January 1984 with 499th Air Refueling Wing as 499th Air Refueling Wing on 31 January 1984.[13] (remained inactive)
499th Air Refueling Wing
- Constituted as 499th Air Refueling Wing on 15 November 1962 and activated (not organized)
- Organized on 1 January 1963
- Discontinued and inactivated on 25 June 1966[14]
- Consolidated on 31 January 1984 with 499th Bombardment Group[13] (remained inactive)
- Redesignated 499th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status on 12 June 2002[15]
Assignments
- 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing15 April 1944 – 22 July 1944)
- Strategic Air Command, 15 November 1962 (not organized)
- 57th Air Division, 1 January 1963 – 25 June 1966[14]
- Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed[15]
Components
Operational Squadrons
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|
Maintenance Squadrons
|
Other
- 17th Photographic Laboratory (Bombardment, Very Heavy), 20 November 1943 – 16 February 1946
Stations
- Davis–Monthan Field, Arizona, 20 November 1943
- Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 1 December 1943 – 22 July 1944
- Isely Field, Saipan, Mariana Islands, 18 September 1944 – 9 November 1945
- March Field, California, c. 25 November 1945 – 16 February 1946
- Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 1 January 1963 – 25 June 1966[14]
Aircraft flown
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1943–1946
- Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, 1963–1965[14]
- Boeing EC-135, 1965[14]
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1963–1965[14]
References
Notes
- Esplanatory notes
- ^ Approved for 4050th Air Refueling Wing.
- ^ Although the 499th Wing was a new organization, it continued, through temporary bestowal, the history, and honors of the World War II 499th Bombardment Group. It was also entitled to retain the honors (but not the history or lineage) of the 4050th. The temporary bestowal of the 499th Group's honors ended in January 1984, when the 499th Wing and Group were consolidated into a single unit.
- Citations
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 794–795
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 795
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 795–796
- ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 796
- ^ a b c d Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 365–366
- ^ a b c d e See Mueller, pp. 101–102
- ^ a b c d e f Mueller, pp. 577–582
- ^ Mueller, p. 478
- ^ Mueller, pp. 353, 415
- ^ Mueller, p. 115
- ^ Ravenstein, Guide to Air Force Lineage and Honors, p. 12
- ^ a b c d Ravenstein, Combat Wings, p. 272
- ^ a b Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 539q, 31 January 1984, Subject: Consolidation of Units
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Lineage assignments, operational components, stations and aircraft through 1966 in Ravenstein, Combat Wings
- ^ a b Department of the Air Force/XPM Letter 303s, 12 June 2002, Subject: Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Units
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556.
- Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). A Guide to Air Force Lineage and Honors (2d, Revised ed.). Maxwell AFB, AL: USAF Historical Research Center.