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2d Bomb Wing

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Lineage

Established as 2d Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, on 15 Oct 1947. Organized on 5 Nov 1947. Redesignated: 2d Bombardment Wing, Medium on 12 Jul 1948; 2d Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 1 Apr 1963; 2d Wing on 1 Sep 1991; 2d Bomb Wing on 1 Oct 1993.

Assignments

Eighth Air Force, 5 Nov 1947 (attached to 43d Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, 17 Nov 1947?31 Dec 1948); Second Air Force, 1 Apr 1950 (attached to 7th Air Division, 4 May?31 Aug 1951); 38th Air Division, 10 Oct 1951 (attached to 7th Air Division, 10 Sep?4 Dec 1952; 5th Air Division, 4 Aug? 20 Sep 1954 and 6 Jul?26 Aug 1956); 6th Air Division, 1 Nov 1959; 823d Air Division, 1 Apr 1961; 4th Air Division, 1 Apr 1963; 19th Air Division, 1 Sep 1964; 42d Air Division, 1 Jul 1965; 19th Air Division, 2 Jul 1969; 42 Air Division, 1 Dec 1982; Eighth Air Force, 16 Jun 1988?.

Components

Group. 2d Bombardment (later, 2d Operations): 5 Nov 1947?16 Jun 1952 (detached 17 Nov 1947?31 Dec 1948 and 18 Feb?16 May 1950); 1 Sep 1991?.

Squadrons. 2d Air Refueling: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?1 Apr 1963; assigned 3 Jan 1989?1 Sep 1991. 20th Bombardment: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?25 Jun 1965. 32d Air Refueling: 1 Nov 1981?1 Sep 1991. 49th Bombardment: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?1 Apr 1963. 62d Bombardment: 25 Jun 1965?1 Sep 1991. 71st Air Refueling: 15 Apr 1968?1 Sep 1991. 96th Bombardment: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?1 Apr 1963. 308th Air Refueling: 1 Jul 1959?1 Mar 1960. 429th Bombardment: 1 Oct 1958?1 Jan 1962. 596th Bombardment: 15 Apr 1968?1 Sep 1991. 913th Air Refueling: 1 Apr 1963? 1 Nov 1981.

Stations

Davis-Monthan Field (later, AFB), AZ, 5 Nov 1947; Chatham AFB, GA, 1 Apr 1949; Hunter AFB, GA, 22 Sep 1950; Barksdale AFB, LA, 1 Apr 1963?.

Commanders

None (not manned), 5 Nov 1947?31 Dec 1948; Col William E. Eubank, Jr., 1 Jan 1949; Brig Gen Frederic E. Glantzberg, 4 Apr 1949; Brig Gen John M. Reynolds, c. 31 Jan 1952; Col Rollin M. Winingham, 12 Aug 1953; Col Osce V. Jones, 5 Oct 1953; Col Austin J. Russell, 26 Oct 1953; Col Arthur J. Walker, 14 Jul 1955; Col Robert M. Tuttle, 10 Sep 1956; Col Seth J. McKee, 15 Dec 1956; Col Robert C. Whipple, 26 Aug 1958; Brig Gen William B. Kieffer, 1 Jun 1959; Col Brooks A. Lawhon, 13 Jun 1960; Col John W. Kline,19 Jun 1961; Col Harrison R. Christy, Jr., 7 Mar 1963; Col Frank B. Elliott, 1 Apr 1963; Col Louis M. Sowers, 15 May 1964; Col Melvin R. Schultz, 16 May 1966; Col Arthur W. Holderness, Jr., 17 Dec 1966; Col Edmund A. Rafalko, 13 Oct 1967; Brig Gen Edward O. Martin, 11 Nov 1968; Col Samuel E. Dyke, 5 May 1970; Col Harold R. Jewell, 16 Jun 1972; Col Stanley C. Beck, 2 Apr 1973; Col Jerome R. Barnes, Jr., 10 Jun 1974; Col Kelly H. Burke, 1 Jul 1974; Col Jerome E. Wechter, 2 Jun 1975; Col Jerome R. Barnes, Jr., 1 Jun 1976; Col George A. Dugard, 2 Feb 1977; Col Jerome R. Barnes, Jr., c. 20 Mar 1977; Col George R. Dugard, 18 Apr 1977; Col Jerome R. Barnes, Jr., 8 May 1977; Col Kenneth M. Patterson, 27 May 1977; Col Jack K. Farris, 15 Mar 1979; Col Alfred D. Herring, 23 Feb 1981; Col Loring R. Astorino, 16 Feb 1982; Col Larry D. Fortner, 13 Jun 1983; Col James W. Evatt, 22 May 1984; Col Frederick A. Fiedler, 20 May 1985; Col Eugene E. Habiger, 14 Jan 1986; Col Brett M. Dula, 28 Jan 1987; Col Charles T. Robertson, Jr., 14 Jan 1988; Col Joseph F. Mudd, 17 Jan 1989; Col Ronald C. Marcotte, 30 Jul 1990; Col Albert W. Perez, II, 20 Feb 1992; Brig Gen George P. Cole, Jr., 23 Apr 1992?.

Aircraft

B?29, 1949?1950; B?50, 1949?1953; KB?29, 1950?1953; KC?97, 1953? 1963; B?47, 1954?1963; B?52, 1963?1965, 1965?1977, 1977?; KC?135, 1963?; EC?135, 1966?1970; RC?135, 1977?1979; KC?10, 1981?1992.

Operations

Wing Headquarters not operational, 5 Nov 1947?31 Dec 1948. The 2d Bombardment Group, except for a short period it spent in England in 1948, was attached to the 43d Bombardment Group, 17 Nov 1947?31 Dec 1948. Entire wing moved from Arizona to Georgia on 1 Jan 1949 and manned from resources of other organizations. Converted from B?29 to B?50 bombers in 1949?1950 and trained in global bombardment operations from Jan 1949. Added air refueling mission in Dec 1950. Deployed at RAF Mildenhall, England, May?Aug 1951, RAF Upper Heyford, England, Sep?Dec 1952, and Sidi Slimane AB, French Morocco, Aug?Sep 1954 and Jul?Aug 1956. Converted to B?47 jet bombers in 1954. Service-tested a "super wing" concept with 70 B?47s, Jul 1959?Apr 1961. Moved to Barksdale AFB, LA, on 1 Apr 1963, replacing 4238th Strategic Wing and absorbing that wing?s B?52 and K?135 resources. Supported Second Air Force?s post-attack command and control system, Apr 1963?Mar 1970. Conducted bombardment training and air refueling operations, Apr 1963 to date except for periods when all aircraft and crews were on loan to SAC organizations involved in combat operations in Southeast Asia. Began supporting SAC operations in Southeast Asia with aircraft and personnel in 1965, and increasingly supported these operations in 1966 and 1967. On 15 Apr 1968, gained a second B?52 and a second KC?135 squadron, again becoming a SAC "super" wing. From late May 1972 until 26 Oct 1973, loaned all wing B?52 resources to SAC organizations in the Far East and Southeast Asia; from May 1972 to early Nov 1972, loaned all but four of the wing?s KC?135s and a few aircrews to other SAC units. After the return of combat resources, the wing continued supporting SAC operations in Southeast Asia into 1975, on a reduced scale. Gained KC?10 tankers in Nov 1981 to augment refueling operations for the USAF, AFRES, and ANG. Provided air refueling for rescue efforts in Grenada, Oct?Nov 1983, the attack on Libya, Apr 1986, and the invasion of Panama, Dec 1989?Jan 1990. Presented the Omaha Trophy for "the Outstanding Wing in the Strategic Air Command" for 1988 and 1992. Deployed B?52, KC?135, and KC?10 aircraft, aircrews, and support personnel to several locations in support of operations in Southwest Asia, 7 Aug 1990?17 Apr 1991. On the opening day of the war, launched seven B-52s from Barksdale AFB against enemy targets in Iraq, resulting in the longest combat mission in aviation history and the first combat launching of conventional Air Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM). Gave up the 2d and 32d Air Refueling Squadrons and all KC?10s to Air Mobility Command on 1 Jun 1992.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Grenada, 1983.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Nov 1956?1 Apr 1957; 1 Jul 1986? 30 Jun 1987; 1 Jul 1987?30 Jun 1989.

Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 2d Operations Group prior to 5 Nov 1947.

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War I: St. Mihiel; Lorraine; Meuse-Argonne. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Steyr, Austria, 24 Feb 1944; Germany, 25 Feb 1944.

Emblem

Or, in fess four aerial bombs descending bendwise sinister Azure garnished Argent on a chief engrailed Vert a fleur-de-lis White between two pallets Sable, all within a diminished bordure of the first. Approved for the 2d Group on 19 Jan 1924 and for the 2d Wing on 10 Aug 1951 (KE 30504). Motto: LIBERTATEM DEFENDIMUS ? Liberty We Defend. Approved for the 2d Group on 15 Apr 1940 and for the 2d Wing on 10 Aug 1951.
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