A non-flying wing, the organization oversees the daily base operations and mission support functions of Nellis AFB such as personnel, finance, civil engineering, security and supply.
The 99 ABW is the successor organization to the World War II 99th Bombardment Group. The group moved to
B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft distinguished themselves while flying bombing missions against targets in Italy, Sardinia and Sicily. In August 1943, aircrews moved to Oudna, Tunisia and then, in December 1943, moved to Italy and conducted missions throughout Europe. Active for over 60 years, the 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was part of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force during the Cold War
, as a strategic reconnaissance wing.
The 99th Air Base Wing is commanded by Col. Todd Dyer. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Morgan III.
Components
The wing has two groups: the 99th Medical Group and the 99th Mission Support Group. The 99th Comptroller Squadron is assigned directly to the wing.[1]
99th Comptroller Squadron – The mission of the 99th Comptroller Squadron is to provide professional financial management services to the organizations and individuals at Nellis.
99th Medical Group – Provides medical care for the military community to ensure maximum wartime readiness and combat capability. The group's functions include flight medicine, surgical services, maternal and childcare, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, dental care, medical benefits and information and diagnostic and therapeutic services.
99th Medical Support Squadron
99th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron
99th Healthcare Operations Squadron
99th Dental Squadron
99th Inpatient Squadron
99th Surgical Squadron
99th Mission Support Group – Provides civil engineer, communications, contracting, logistics readiness, personnel and services support for Nellis and Creech AFB
A crash tender of the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron.99th Civil Engineer Squadron – Provides maintenance, repair, design and construction support for facilities and infrastructure, fire protection and crash rescue, disaster preparedness, military family housing, environmental compliance and explosive ordnance disposal.
99th Communications Squadron – Programs, operates and maintains the base computer networks and telecommunications systems.
99th Contracting Squadron – Executes the base central acquisition and contract performance management program.
99th Logistics Readiness Squadron – Provides motor vehicle operations and maintenance, traffic management and supply orders.
99th Force Support Squadron – Includes military and civilian personnel, education services, enlisted professional education and family support. The squadron also provides services for lodging, food services, club management, laundry, mortuary affairs, base honor guard, base library and recreational activities.
99th Security Forces Squadron – Provides security, law enforcement services and force protection for Nellis and Creech AFB.[2]
On 25 September 1942, the 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Gowan Field AAF near Boise, Idaho. The 99th consisted of the 346th, 347th, 348th, and 416th Bomb squadrons. Due to congestion at Gowan Field, the 99th was relocated to Walla Walla AAF, in Washington.
During October, the 99th received twelve flight leaders with crews, and four
After completion of training, the 99th departed the United States at
Marrakech
, Morocco. The ground and support personnel and equipment made the journey by ship.
Upon arrival in North Africa, the 99th was assigned to was attached to the 5th Bombardment Wing of Twelfth Air Force, and was stationed at Navarin, located near Constantine, Algeria. The group came to be referred to as the Diamondbacks, due to a diamond insignia painted on the vertical stabilizer of their B-17s.
The 99th flew its first combat mission on 31 March against an enemy airdrome at Villacidro, Sardinia. As Allied ground forces forced the German Afrika Korps to retreat into Tunisia, the 99th flew missions to cut off German supplies coming from Italy and Sicily. For the rest of 1943, the 99th flew missions primarily across the Mediterranean to bomb targets in Sicily and Italy. In June, news of a possible Arab uprising had the men of the 99th nervous and wearing side arms at all times. Although a major uprising never occurred, there were acts of sabotage; including a small night time German paratrooper drop over Oudna Field, Tunisia that resulted in the capture of three Germans.
Summer dust storms made life miserable. On 5 July the group bombed an airfield at Gerbini, Sicily. An estimated one hundred enemy fighters made repetitive and fierce attacks, trying to turn the 99th back. The group however penetrated enemy defenses, and destroyed the airfield. For this mission, the 99th received its first
Allied invasion of Sicily. The first Allied air attack on Rome took place on 14 July. Great care was taken by the 99th to avoid dropping any bombs on the Vatican City
.
On 1 November 1943, the four B-17 groups of the 5th Wing and two B-24 groups of the Ninth Air Force were combined with two fighter groups to form the new Fifteenth Air Force. On its first day of existence, the 15th flew a 1,600-mile round trip to bomb the Messerschmitt aircraft factory at Wiener Neustadt, Austria. With the Allied advancement up the boot of Italy, it was decided to relocate the 5th Wing there in order to bring more Axis targets within reach of the bombers. Each group was assigned a base on the Foggia plains, the 99th being stationed at Tortorella Airfield. The planes arrived at their new base in December 1943. Living conditions at Tortorella were very harsh. The summers were hot and dusty, the winters cold and wet. Buildings were few, and airplane maintenance crews worked out in the open. The men lived in tents using homemade gasoline stoves for heat. The men constantly had to struggle through mud and water, snow and ice, or choking dust, depending on the season.
Throughout 1944, the 99th bombed targets in German-occupied Italy, Germany, Austria, Greece, Bulgaria, France, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia. Two more B-17 groups, the 463rd and 483rd, would be added to the 5th Wing in March 1944. On 23 April the group bombed an aircraft factory at Weiner Neustadt, Austria. The 99th was the lead group on this mission. The flak was intense, and aggressive fighter opposition was encountered but no planes were lost. Despite the heavy opposition, the 99th made a highly successful bomb run. Thirty-one of the group's airplanes returned to base, riddled with flak and bullet holes. For this mission, the 99th received its second Distinguished Unit Citation.
During the last half of May, rumors were going around that "something big" was in the works. The rumors became fact at 2:00 am on the morning of 2 June, when it was made known that the group was going to bomb a railroad yard at
Focşani
, Romania. They continued on to land back at Tortorella. The first shuttle mission to Russia was deemed to be a success.
Toulon, France
. The mission of the 15th, was in direct support of Allied invasion forces. The invasion of Southern France got little media attention because it had been overshadowed by the Normandy invasion on 6 June.
In April 1945, the 99th supported the Allied offensive in the Po Valley. It flew its 395th, and last, combat mission on 26 April 1945. Heavy clouds prevented the target from being sighted so no bombs were dropped.
The group flew a total of 10,855 combat sorties in eighteen months of operation. The group was inactivated in Italy on 8 November 1945. It flew 395 combat missions; 69 aircraft were lost.
Strategic Reconnaissance from 1953
Cold War Emblem of the 99th Bombardment WingFICON testing, 1952Close-up of modified FICON F-84
The unit was reactivated as the 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (99th SRW) in January 1953, replacing the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's
RB-29
aircraft of the departing 111th.
Beginning in the last quarter 1952, the wing began receiving the RB-36 reconnaissance version of the
B-36 Peacemaker
intercontinental bomber at Fairchild AFB in Spokane Washington. The wing performed worldwide photographic, electronic, and visual day and night strategic reconnaissance as its primary mission until late 1954, and until September 1956 as a secondary mission.
From January 1955 to February 1956, the wing participated in the FICON (FIghter CONveyor) project, which was a project to extend the range of reconnaissance jets by having them operate as parasites from B-36 bombers. Starting in 1955, the wing began to receive ten GRB-36Ds, which had been modified with equipment to stow, service, release, and retrieve
71st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at nearby Larson Air Force Base, Washington.[4][5][6] Carrier aircraft retained their electronic reconnaissance equipment, but this was relocated aft of the bomb bays to accommodate the parasite jets. Within two years, SAC phased out all its fighter type aircraft and FICON ended.[4]
On 16 June 1954 the wing, along with SAC's other B-36 reconnaissance wings were assigned bombing as their primary mission. However, they retained their designations as reconnaissance wings until 1956.[7] The wing deployed its B-36s to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, January–April 1956. The wing was reassigned to the Eighth Air Force's 57th Air Division on 4 September 1956.
Bombardment 1956–74
B-52D on a mission over Southeast Asia
On 4 September 1956, the wing moved to
B-52C Stratofortress. The wing flew the B-52Cs until the latter half of the 1960s when their B-52Cs were redistributed among a number of different B-52D units and operated primarily as crew trainers. The 99th was upgraded to the B-52D in 1966, while still keeping several B-52Cs until they were retired in 1971. During the Vietnam War, the B-52Ds of the 99th were routinely deployed in rotations to combat duty in Southeast Asia, finally returning to Westover in 1973. During the Christmas 1972 "Linebacker II" bombing of Hanoi, two 99th Bombardment Wing crews were shot down, several crew members were killed in action and the remaining crew members were returned from POW status, with the exception of USAF Chief Master Sergeant Arthur Vincent McLaughlin, Jr., gunner. CMSgt McLaughlin was tail gunner on a B-52D, (tail number 56-0622, call sign "Orange 03"). His body nor any DNA has to date been recovered and he is still officially listed as UNACCOUNTED FOR/MIA, and under Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is listed as Active Pursuit. (REFERENCES: https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000001UbgEAE
, Massachusetts. Beginning in 1967, all wing tactical and maintenance assets, and some support resources, were rotated for various periods to USAF units engaged in Southeast Asian combat operations; these deployments continued until the wing inactivated on 31 March 1974.
Training and air base wing from 1995
The 99th was redesignated the 99th Strategic Weapons Wing and activated at
Major reorganizations and name changes occurred until September 1995, when the 99th Wing inactivated and was reactivated at Nellis as the 99th Air Base Wing on 1 October 1995.
A July 2009 inspection conducted by the Air Force Audit Agency found the wing had improperly stored 52 classified nuclear-related items in a 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron hangar. The wing has since corrected the deficiency.[9]
Lineage
99th Bombardment Group
Constituted as the 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
Activated on 1 June 1942
Constituted as the 99th Bombardment Group, Heavy on 29 September 1944
Inactivated on 8 November 1945
Redesignated 99th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947
Activated in the Reserve on 29 May 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
Consolidated with the 99th Bombardment Wing as the 99th Bombardment Wing on 31 January 1984[10]
99th Air Base Wing
Constituted as the 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Heavy and activated on 1 January 1953
Redesignated 99th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 October 1955
Inactivated on 31 March 1974
Consolidated with the 99th Bombardment Group on 31 January 1984[10]
Redesignated 99th Strategic Weapons Wing on 22 June 1989
Activated on 10 August 1989
Redesignated 99th Tactics and Training Wing on 1 September 1991
^Mixer, Ronald E., Genealogy of the STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, Battermix Publishing Company, 1999 and Mixer, Ronald E., STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, An Organizational History, Battermix Publishing Company, 2006
Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Vol. 2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
United States
United States Air Force
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