Lineage

Established as 22d Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 28 Jul 1948. Activated on 1 Aug 1948. Redesignated: 22d Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 15 Mar 1963; 22d Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, on 1 Oct 1982; 22d Air Refueling Wing on 1 Sep 1991.

Assignments

Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Aug 1948 (attached to 301st Bombardment Wing, Medium, 1 Aug 1948?9 May 1949; 1st Fighter Wing, 10 May?30 Jun 1949); 12th Air Division, 10 Feb 1951 (attached to 7th Air Division, 5 Sep?4 Dec 1951 and 7 Dec 1953?5 Mar 1954; 3d Air Division, 1 Apr?5 Jul 1957); 47th Air (later, 47th Strategic Aerospace; 47th Air) Division, 1 Jan 1962; 14th Strategic Aerospace Division, 31 Mar 1970; 47th Air Division, 30 Jun 1971; 12th Strategic Missile (later, 12th Air) Division, 1 Aug 1972; 47th Air Division, 1 Oct 1985; 14th Air Division, 23 Jan 1987; Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Jul 1988?.

Components

Wings. 1st Fighter: attached 1 Jul 1949?1 Apr 1950. 330th Bombardment: attached 27 Jun 1949?30 Apr 1951.

Groups. 22d Bombardment (later, 22d Operations): 1 Aug 1948?16 Jun 1952 (detached 1 Aug 1948?30 Jun 1949, 14 Nov 1949?20 Feb 1950, 4 Jul?c. 31 Oct 1950); 1 Sep 1991?. 458th Operations: 1 Jun 1992?1 Jul 1993.

Squadrons. 2d: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952? 15 Mar 1963; assigned 15 Sep 1963?1 Oct 1982. 6th: 3 Jan 1989?1 Sep 1991. 9th: 1 Aug 1982?1 Sep 1991. 19th: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?15 Mar 1963. 22d Air Refueling: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?15 Jun 1960; assigned 1 Jul 1963? 1 Dec 1989. 33d: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952? 15 Mar 1963. 320th Air Refueling: 16 Jun 1960?15 Sep 1962. 352d: attached 20 Sep?c. Nov 1951. 408th: 1 Jan 1959?1 Jan 1962. 486th: 2 Oct 1966?1 Jul 1971. 909th Air Refueling: 25 Jun 1966?1 Jul 1971.

Stations

Smoky Hill AFB, KS, 1 Aug 1948; March AFB, CA, 10 May 1949; McConnell AFB, KS, 1 Jan 1994?.

Commanders

Col Leslie G. Mulzer, 1 Aug 1948; Col Joe W. Kelly, 3 Jan 1949; Col Joseph H. Davidson, 10 May 1949; Col George McCoy, Jr., 14 Jun 1949; Col William L. Lee, 19 Aug 1949; Col Wiley D. Ganey, 4 Jan 1950; Col Howell M. Estes, Jr., 5 Jul 1950; Col Wiley D. Ganey, 10 Nov 1950; Col James V. Edmundsen, 10 Feb 1951; Col John B. Henry, Jr., 14 Mar 1952; Col Ernest C. Eddy, c. 17 Dec 1952; Col Selmon W. Wells, 8 Jan 1953; Col John B. Henry, Jr., c. 16 Mar 1953; Col William F. Coleman, 9 Jul 1954; Col Lloyd H. Dalton, Jr., (by 20) Oct 1954; Col Pinkham Smith, 11 Feb 1956; Col Leon Stann, 20 Aug 1957; Col Edward W. Scott, Jr., 30 Aug 1957; Col William F. Savois, 29 Apr 1960; Col George Pfeiffer, Jr., Nov 1961; Col John F. Harvey, 15 Jun 1965; Col Mitchell A. Cobeaga, 3 Jan 1967; Col Robert L. Bennett, c. 10 Mar 1967; Col Edward G. Butler, c. May 1967; Col Mitchell A. Cobeaga, c. 1 Oct 1967; Col Lester E. Gunter, 31 Jul 1968; Col Lawrence W. Steinkraus, 28 Apr 1969; Col Glenn R. Sullivan, 16 Jan 1970; Col Michael Perrone, 31 May 1972; Lt Col Samuel Tyson, 13 Jun 1972; Col Donald A. Jensen, 3 Jul 1972; Col Michael Perrone, 16 Dec 1972; Col Jerome F. O?Malley, 1 Jun 1973; Col Ernest J. Stirman, 25 Sep 1973; Col Guy D. Perham, 1 Apr 1974; Col Harry L. Brown, 28 Feb 1975; Col Stanford E. Brown, 4 Aug 1975; Col Lawrence E. Pennington, 12 Jan 1977; Brig Gen Hansford T. Johnson, 26 Apr 1979; Col Charles C. McDonald, 23 Feb 1981; Col Donald L. Ashley, 26 Jul 1982; Col Terry D. Murphy, 22 May 1984; Col Ronald J. Tribo, 19 Jul 1985; Col James R. Brown, 30 Jan 1987; Col James S. Savarda, 27 Aug 1987; Col Paul F. Gill, 5 Dec 1988; Col William P. Cobb, 29 Mar 1991; Brig Gen Albert D. Jensen, 30 Mar 1992?.

Aircraft

B?29, 1949, 1950, 1950?1953; F?86, 1949?1950; KC?97, 1952?1962; B?47, 1953?1963; B?52, 1963?1966, 1966?1967, 1967?1972, 1973?1982; EC?135, 1963?1970; KC?135, 1963?1967, 1967?1972, 1972?1989; KC?10, 1982?.

Operations

From 1 Aug 1948 to 9 May 1949, while based at Smoky Hill AFB, KS, shared a commander in common with the 301st Bombardment Wing. The 22d Wing?s headquarters was at the time non-operational and its components detached. From 10 May 1949 to 16 Feb 1950, after moving to March AFB, CA, shared a commander in common with the 1st Fighter Wing. Until 30 Jun 1949, the 22d Wing was non-operational, attached to the 1st Wing, but on 1 Jul 1949 the 22d was made operational and assumed host status, with the 1st Wing attached to it for control until 1 Apr 1950. The 22d Bombardment Group was detached from 14 Nov 1949 to 20 Feb 1950, during which time the wing controlled only the attached fighters of the 1st Wing. The bomb group was detached again for combat in Korea, 4 Jul?c. 31 Oct 1950, and during this period the wing controlled no aircraft. When operational, the wing trained to maintain proficiency in global strategic bombardment, adding air refueling to its mission in 1952. The wing deployed at Mildenhall RAF Station, England, Sep?Dec 1951, and at Upper Heyford RAF Station, England, Dec 1953?Mar 1954. From Apr to Jul 1957, it deployed at Andersen AFB, Guam. The wing was not tactically operational 11 Mar? 15 Sep 1963, while converting to B?52 bombers and KC?135 tankers. Supported Fifteenth Air Force?s post-attack command and control system with EC?135s, Sep 1964?Mar 1970. The 22d was a "super" wing, 1966? 1971, with two bombardment and two tanker squadrons. From 10 Mar to c. 1 Oct 1967 the wing was reduced to a small "rear-echelon" non-tactical organization with all tactical resources and most support resources loaned to SAC organizations involved in combat operations in Southeast Asia. The wing continued to support SAC operations in the Far East and Southeast Asia through 1975, and from 10 Apr 1972 to 29 Oct 1973 again had all of its bomber resources loaned to other organizations for combat and contingency operations. KC?135 resources were also on loan from 10 Apr to Sep 1972; afterwards a few tankers returned to wing control. The wing maintained a strategic bombardment alert posture, 1973?1982, and in 1978 it assumed additional conventional warfare missions, including mine-laying and sea reconnaissance/surveillance. Lost bombardment mission in 1982 and equipped with KC?135 and KC?10 aircraft. Thereafter, provided strategic air refueling and airlift in support of worldwide USAF and other DOD operations and training exercises. Moved personnel and cargo in support of Chadian resistance to Libyan incursions in 1983 and conducted airlift and refueling missions during rescue of US nationals in Grenada, 1983. Provided specialized refueling support to SR?71 aircraft reconnaissance operations worldwide, c. 1985?1990, and to the F?117 stealth aircraft program, c. 1987? . Supported F?117 deployments to Saudi Arabia and contributed aircraft and personnel to logistics efforts in support of the liberation of Kuwait, 1990? 1991. At the end of 1992, the 22d began flying humanitarian airlift missions to Somalia.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. None.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Grenada, 1983.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Apr?1 Oct 1967 and 1 Feb?1 Mar 1968; 25 Mar?1 May 1968; 1 Jul 1969?30 Jun 1970; 1 Sep 1970?30 Jun 1972; 1 Jul 1978?30 Jun 1980; 1 Jul 1981?30 Jun 1983; 1 Jul 1987?30 Jun 1989; 1 Jul 1989?30 Jun 1991.

Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 22d Operations Group prior to 1 Aug 1948.

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; East Indies; Papua; Bismarck Archipelago; New Guinea; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; Western Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; China Offensive; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, 23 Jul 1942?23 Jan 1943; New Guinea, 5 Nov 1943. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

Emblem

Azure, a cougar?s paw affronte? erased Or armed Gules, all within a diminished bordure of the second. Motto: DUCEMUS ? We lead. Approved for 22d Group on 19 Jun 1941 and for 22d Wing on 28 Jun 1951 (K?2651).