Lineage

Established as 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 15 Jun 1942. Redesignated 95th Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945. Redesignated 95th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 13 May 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 29 May 1947. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949. Consolidated (31 Jan 1984) with the 95th Bombardment Wing, Medium, which was established on 4 Jun 1952. Activated on 16 Jun 1952. Redesignated 95th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 8 Nov 1952. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1966. Redesignated 95th Strategic Wing, and activated, on 8 Aug 1966. Organized on 2 Oct 1966. Inactivated on 30 Sep 1976. Redesignated 95th Air Base Wing on 16 Sep 1994. Activated on 1 Oct 1994.

Assignments

III Bomber Command, 15 Jun 1942; II Bomber Command, 26 Jun 1942; Eighth Air Force, 11 May 1943; VIII Bomber Command, 19 May 1943; 4th Bombardment Wing, 25 May 1943 (attached to 402d Provisional Combat Wing Bombardment [Heavy], 6 Jun?12 Sep 1943); 3d Bombardment Division, 13 Sep 1943; 13th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) (later, 13th Bombardment Wing, Heavy), 14 Sep 1943?Aug 1945. 21st Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy (later, 21st Air Division, Bombardment), 29 May 1947?27 Jun 1949. 810th Air Division, 16 Jun 1952 (attached to 3d Air Division, 26 Jul?4 Nov 1955); 819th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Jul 1962; 12th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Jul 1964?25 Jun 1966. Strategic Air Command, 8 Aug 1966; 45th Air Division, 2 Oct 1966? 30 Sep 1976. Air Force Flight Test Center, 1 Oct 1994?.

Components

Squadrons. 334th: 15 Jun 1942?28 Aug 1945; 29 May 1947?27 Jun 1949; 16 Jun 1952?25 Jun 1966. 335th: 15 Jun 1942?28 Aug 1945; 17 Jul 1947? 27 Jun 1949; 16 Jun 1952?15 Jan 1959. 336th: 15 Jun 1942?28 Aug 1945; 16 Jul 1947?27 Jun 1949; 16 Jun 1952?1 Jul 1959. 412th: 15 Jun 1942? 28 Aug 1945; 16 Jul 1947?27 Jun 1949. 917th Air Refueling: 1 May 1959? 15 Jan 1965.

Stations

Barksdale Field, LA, 15 Jun 1942; Pendleton Field, OR, 26 Jun 1942; Geiger Field, WA, 28 Aug 1942; Ephrata AAB, WA, 31 Oct 1942; Geiger Field, WA, 24 Nov 1942; Rapid City AAB, SD, 17 Dec 1942?11 Mar 1943; Framlingham, England, May 1943; Horham, England, 15 Jun 1943?19 Jun 1945; Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, c. 14?28 Aug 1945; Memphis Muni Aprt, TN, 29 May 1947?27 Jun 1949. Biggs AFB, TX, 16 Jun 1952?25 Jun 1966. Goose AB (later, Aprt), Canada, 2 Oct 1966?30 Sep 1976. Edwards AFB, CA, 1 Oct 1994?.

Commanders

None (not manned), 15 Jun?Oct 1942; Col Alfred A. Kessler, Jr., 23 Oct 1942; Col John K. Gerhart, 22 Jun 1943; Col Chester P. Gilger, c. 29 Jan 1944; Col Karl Truesdell, Jr., c. 10 May 1944; Col Jack E. Shuck, c. 15 Dec 1944; Lt Col Robert H. Stuart, 28 Apr 1945?unkn. Unkn, 29 May 1947? 27 Jun 1949. Brig Gen John D. Ryan, 16 Jun 1952 (additional duty); Col Bertram C. Harrison, Nov 1952?Mar 1953; unkn, Mar?23 Aug 1953; Col Edward W. Scott, Jr., 24 Aug 1953; Col Gerald G. Robinson, 3 Nov 1956;Col Thomas G. Netcher, 5 Nov 1960; Col Douglas M. Conlan, Nov 1963; Col Gerald W. Johnson, 1 Dec 1963; Col Douglas M. Conlan, 4 Jun 1965; Col George P. Cole, 26 Jul 1965?25 Jun 1966. None (not manned), 8 Aug? 1 Oct 1966; Col Donald G. McPherson, 2 Oct 1966; Col James O. Britt, 28 Aug 1967; Col Lawrence F. McGuire, 14 Aug 1969; Col James B. Penrod, 27 Apr 1970; Col Duard Y. Jackson, 30 Mar 1971; Col John H. Moore, Jr., 28 Mar 1973; Col John R. Shipe, 14 Aug 1974; Col Caleb G. Pendley, 10 Jul 1975; Lt Col Milo L. Carlson, 14 Jul?30 Sep 1976.

Aircraft

B?17, 1942?1945. Unkn, 1947?1949. B?36, 1953?1959; B?52, 1959?1966; KC?135, 1959?1965. KC?135 (attached), 1966?1975.

Operations

Activated in Jun 1942 but not manned until Oct 1942 at Geiger Field, WA. Trained with B?17s in preparation for duty overseas. Moved to England, Mar?May 1943. Entered combat for Eighth Air Force on 13 May 1943. During the next two months, repeatedly attacked V?weapon sites and airfields in France. Began bombing strategic objectives in Germany in Jul 1943 and engaged primarily in such operations until V?E Day. Targets included harbors, industries, marshalling yards, and cities. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for maintaining a tight defensive formation in spite of severe assault by enemy fighters and bombing the aircraft assembly plant at Regensburg, Germany, on 17 Aug 1943. Withstanding concentrated attacks by fighters during the approach to the target and intense antiaircraft fire directly over the objective, the group effectively bombarded marshalling yards at Munster on 10 Oct 1943, earning a second DUC. Participated in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week, 20?25 Feb 1944. Received another DUC for action during an attack by AAF bombers on Berlin on 4 Mar 1944; while many participating organizations, because of weather conditions, either abandoned the operation or struck other targets, the 95th proceeded to Berlin and successfully bombed a suburb of the German capital despite snowstorms, dense clouds, and severe enemy attack. The group interrupted its strategic operations to strike coastal defenses and communications during the invasion of Normandy in Jun 1944; hit enemy troop concentrations and thus assist the Allied breakthrough at St Lo in Jul 1944; drop ammunition, food, and medical supplies to Polish resistance in Warsaw on 18 Sep 1944; attack enemy transportation during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944?Jan 1945; and bomb airdromes in support of the Allied assault across the Rhine in Mar 1945. Flew its last combat mission, an attack on marshalling yards at Oranienburg, Germany, on 20 Apr 1945. Dropped food to the Dutch during the first week in May. After V?E Day, transported liberated prisoners and displaced persons from Austria to France and England. Returned to the US for inactivation on 28 Aug 1945. Activated as a very heavy bombardment group on May 1947, at Memphis, TN. Trained as a reserve unit until inactivation in Jun 1949. The Wing activated at Biggs AFB, TX, on 15 Jun 1952, but was not manned until Jul 1953, and only minimally manned until it began strategic bombardment training with B?36 aircraft in Sep 1953. Operated in support of SAC?s global commitments, Apr 1954? Feb 1966. Wing deployed to Andersen AB, Guam, and operated under control of 3d Air Division, Jul?Nov 1955. Lost B?36s by Feb 1959 and received first B?52s in Jun. Added air refueling mission, Aug 1959?Jan 1965. Phased down Jan?Jun 1966, and inactivated on 25 Jun 1966. Activated as a strategic wing, the 95th supported SAC?s KC?135 alert tanker forces in eastern Canada and North Atlantic, Oct 1966?Dec 1975. Phased down for inactivation, closing most USAF operations at Goose Bay, Jan?Sep 1976. Inactivated on 30 Sep 1976.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 17 Aug 1943; Munster, Germany, 10 Oct 1943; Berlin, Germany, 4 Mar 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1970?30 Jun 1971; 27?30 Jun 1974.

Emblem

Azure, a Justin Cross throughout Or, all within a dminished bordure of the same. Approved on 11 Oct 1995; replaced emblem approved on 26 Feb 1943 (K 9965). Motto: JUSTICE WITH VICTORY. Approved on 26 Feb 1943.