The 384th Air Expeditionary Wing is an inactive unit of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
. Its last assignment was with the
United States Central Command Air Forces, being stationed at
Shaikh Isa Air Base
, image =
, IATA =
, ICAO = OBBS
, type = Military
, owner =
, operator = Royal Bahraini Air Force
, city-served =
, location = Bahrain
, elevation-f = 136
, elevation-m = 41
, coordin ...
,
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. It was inactivated in 2004. The wing's mission is largely undisclosed. However, it is known that one of its missions was aerial refueling of combat aircraft.
History
: ''For additional history and lineage, see
384th Air Expeditionary Group
The 384th Air Expeditionary Group (384 AEG) is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command. The 384 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time.
Its last assignment was with to the United States Central Co ...
''
Cold War
The 384th Bombardment Wing of the United States Air Force
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
was established at
Little Rock Air Force Base
Little Rock Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Little Rock AFB is the primary C-130 Hercules training base for the Department of Defense, training C-130 pilots, naviga ...
,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
1 August 1955. With its establishment, the 384th Bomb Group was activated as the operational group of the wing, bestowing its World War II honors, heritage and colors to the new Wing. Operational squadrons of the wing were the 544th, 545th, and 546th Bomb Squadrons. It was equipped with the
Boeing B-47E Stratojet.
The 384 BW accomplished a truly remarkable feat by being certified combat ready just nine months after receiving its first aircraft. Stringent SAC requirements called for a specified percentage of the crews to be certified in order for the wing to be considered combat ready. Since aircrew members were fresh out of student status, beginning to arrive about the same times the aircraft did, preparing the group to become fully combat ready was a tremendous task. The culture of the organization would accept nothing less than full effort, and when the newly formed wing was mission capable by September 1956, it became the first such SAC wing to do so in such a short time.
The 384 BW handled bomber alert duties, spending countless days and nights on alert status with their aircraft armed, fueled, and ready to go at a moment's notice. The 384th aircrews also commonly participated in REFLEX operations, spending short but continually recurring periods of time at forward locations around the world.
The era of the Stratojet ended on 1 September 1964 when the 384 BW inactivated with the phaseout of the B-47 from the USAF inventory.
Aerial Refueling
The 384th was reactivated on 1 December 1972 as the 384th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy at
McConnell Air Force Base,
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
with
Boeing KC-135A Stratotankers and took command of the
91st Air Refueling Squadron
The 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions.
The squadron was first activated in January 1941 ...
(ARS). It was assigned to the 12th Strategic Missile Division, Fifteenth Air Force,
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
.
From McConnell, the wing deployed aircraft and crews on a worldwide basis, engaging in actual and simulated tactical and strategic operations, including air refueling support for the
evacuation of
South Vietnamese
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
and Americans from
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
in 1975. The wing maintained proficiency in air refueling in support of SAC units and other units as directed.
The wing was reassigned to Second Air Force, 19th Air Division on 1 July 1973. On 30 September 1973, a second KC-135A refueling squadron, the 384th ARS was activated on the base, making McConnell an air refueling hub for SAC. The wing was again reassigned to Eighth Air Force, 19th Air Division on 1 January 1975.
In early 1983, the 384 ARW's leadership learned that it would be the first wing to receive the new
Boeing KC-135R model tanker. The 91st and 384th ARW were both upgraded to the new model in 1984. The "R" model had upgraded engines which produce much greater fuel efficiency than the older models, as well as having a higher on-board fuel storage capacity. The initial aircraft marking for both squadrons was a light blue/navy blue diamond checkerboard fin flash.
B-1B Era
On 2 October 1981,
President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
announced a Strategic Modernization Program (SMP), a key feature of which would be the procurement of 100
North American–Rockwell B-1B bombers. The first production models entered the USAF inventory in March 1985. It was announced by the Air Force that McConnell would be equipped with the B-1B in 1987. The 384th was redesignated as the 384th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 July 1987, and the 28th Bombardment Squadron was activated that date to fly the 25 bombers assigned to the wing. Aircrews for the initial cadre that formed the 28th BMS arrived for training at Dyess AFB, TX in October 1987, with the first crews arriving for duty at McConnell AFB, KS in March – June 1988. With the arrival of the B-1s, the 91st ARS was inactivated, leaving the wing with one KC-135 tanker squadron. The 91st was later reactivated in July 1988 with the new 301st ARW at
Malmstrom AFB, Montana with KC-135R aircraft.
Throughout 1988–1989, the Wing continued to train to the full capabilities of the B-1B Bomber. The big push through 1989 was certifying all bomber crews in night terrain-following (TF) flying and for the Wing to become Mission Ready to perform its SIOP mission. These efforts paid-off with the 384 Bomb Wing winning the "BEST ORI IN SAC" award for 1989. In addition, that year, the Wing achieved the "BEST B-1B CREW" while performing in the 15th Air Force Bombing Competition. In 1990, the Bomb Wing again won top honors in SAC. That year it recorded the highest score during an ORI by any Bomb Wing in the history of SAC and its B-1B crews were rated OUTSTANDING in war fighting capability.
In August 1990, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait. McConnell tanker personnel and aircraft were deployed throughout the Middle East, performing refueling missions of Coalition aircraft in support of
Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
to help eject the invaders from the small kingdom of
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
. The wing's B-1B aircraft, however, were not used in Desert Storm, the official reason being that the B-1Bs were all needed to stand nuclear alert – which they did. However, at that time the B-1B had been encountering a rash of turbofan blade failures that caused the aircraft to be grounded through most of Desert Storm. At the same time, required weapons testing for the safe release of conventional bomb delivery had encountered test problems, and the aircraft was not certified to drop conventional weapons until after the war ended.
From 1991
With the end of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, the Air Force went through many changes. One of these changes was the Objective Wing concept, with created "Operations Groups" (OG) to place all operational aircraft squadrons under one organization. The 384th engaged this change on 1 September 1991 and was re-designated as the 384th Wing (384 WG), with the 28th Bomb Squadron (B-1B) and the 384th Air Refueling Squadron (KC-135R) as its operational units.
On 1 June 1992, Strategic Air Command (SAC) was inactivated as part of a massive realignment of the Air Force command structure. The 384th was assigned to the newly established
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
(ACC), a new command which replaced SAC, TAC and elements of
Military Airlift Command (MAC). The wing was again redesignated as the 384th Bomb Wing, and the 28 BS aircraft were assigned the tail code "OZ". The 384 ARS was relieved from assignment to McConnell, and was reassigned to the 19th Operations Group of the 19th Air Refueling Wing at
Robins AFB
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast ...
, Georgia.
As a result of a
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end o ...
(BRAC) Commission related realignment,
March AFB
March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...
, California was taken off active duty status and reassigned to the
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...
as an air reserve base. As part of a program to keep historically significant wings active, its
22d Air Refueling Wing
The 22d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and also functions as the host wing for McConnell.
Its primary mission ...
was reassigned to McConnell without personnel or equipment on 1 January 1994. As a result, on 1 January, the 384th was re-designated as the 384th Bomb Group as a unit under the 22 ARW.
The USAF planned to return McConnell AFB to being an air refueling hub, and as a result the B-1 equipped 28th Bomb Squadron was reassigned without equipment or personnel to the 7 OG at
Dyess AFB
Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located about southwest of downtown Abilene, Texas, and west of Fort Worth, Texas.
The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing assigned to the Global Strike Command Eig ...
, Texas on 1 October 1994 and the 384 BG was inactivated on 30 September 1994.
Global War on Terror
The 384th AEW was in existence at an unidentified Middle Eastern location in June 2002.
From February–May 2003, the 384 AEW was in existence at Sheik Isa Air Base, Bahrain.
On 4 June, the 319th Air Expeditionary Group operating from Shaik Isa Airbase, Bahrain, was redesignated as the 384th Air Expeditionary Group, which was redesignated as the 384th Air Expeditionary Wing on 3 September.
The Wing was inactivated in 2004.
Other reports have suggested that the 319th AEG was operating from 'Base X' in Oman, which other sources labelled
Masirah Air Base.
Lineage, assignments, etc
* Established as 384th Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 23 March 1953
: Activated on 1 August 1955
: Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 September 1964
: Redesignated 384th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, on 15 November 1972
: Activated on 1 December 1972
: Redesignated 384th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 July 1987
: Redesignated 384th Wing, 1 September 1991
: Redesignated 384th Bomb Wing, 1 June 1992
: Inactivated with personnel and equipment being absorbed by
384th Bomb Group, 1 January 1994
* Redesignated 384th Air Expeditionary Wing on 3 September 2003.
: Activated by redesignation of
384th Air Expeditionary Group
The 384th Air Expeditionary Group (384 AEG) is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command. The 384 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time.
Its last assignment was with to the United States Central Co ...
on 3 September 2003
: Inactivated in 2004 (Date TBD)
Assignments
*
825th Air (later, 825th Strategic Aerospace) Division, 1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964
: Attached to
7th Air Division
The 7th Air Division (7 AD) served the United States Air Force with distinction from early 1944 through early 1992, earning an outstanding unit decoration and a service streamer along the way.
History
Hawaii
As the 7th Fighter Wing, the divis ...
, 3 January-5 April 1957
*
12th Strategic Missile (later, 12th Air) Division, 1 December 1972
*
19th Air Division
The 19th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force formation. Its last assignment was with Eighth Air Force at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1988.
During World War II, the unit was designated ...
, 1 July 1973
*
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
, 1 July 1987
*
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...
, 1 June 1992 – 1 January 1994
*
United States Central Command Air Forces, 3 September 2003 – 2004
Components
* 28th Bombardment Squadron, (1 July 1987 – 1 October 1994)
70th Bombardment Squadron (1 August 1961 – 1 September 1964)
*
91st Air Refueling Squadron
The 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions.
The squadron was first activated in January 1941 ...
(1 December 1972 – 1987)
*
384th Air Refueling Squadron
The 384th Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it is assigned to the 92d Operations Group and operates the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air r ...
(30 September 1973 – 1994)
*
544th Bombardment Squadron
The 544th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, where it was inactivated on 1 September 1964.
The squadron was first activa ...
(1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964)
*
545th Bombardment Squadron
The 545th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, where it was inactivated on 1 September 1964.
The squadron was first activa ...
(1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964)
*
546th Bombardment Squadron
The 546th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, where it was inactivated on 1 September 1964.
The squadron was first activa ...
(1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964)
*
547th Bombardment Squadron
The 547th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated during World War II as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress unit. After training in the United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operation ...
(1 September 1958 – 1 January 1962)
* 27th Munitions Maintenance Squadron (1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964)
Stations
*
Little Rock AFB
Little Rock Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Little Rock AFB is the primary C-130 Hercules training base for the Department of Defense, training C-130 pilots, navigat ...
, Arkansas, 1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964
*
McConnell AFB, Kansas, 1 December 1972 – 1 October 1994
*
Shaikh Isa Air Base
, image =
, IATA =
, ICAO = OBBS
, type = Military
, owner =
, operator = Royal Bahraini Air Force
, city-served =
, location = Bahrain
, elevation-f = 136
, elevation-m = 41
, coordin ...
,
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
(2003–2004)
Aircraft
*
KC-135
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpo ...
(2003–2004)
*
B-1B
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...
(1988–1994)
[Jenkins, D. (2000). B-1 Lancer: The Most Complicated Warplane Ever Developed. Mc-Graw Hill Books. ]
*
KC-135
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpo ...
(1964; 1972–1994)
*
KC-97 (1961–1963)
*
B-47
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircr ...
(1956–1964)
See also
*
List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was operational with the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command beginning in May 1951 with the first operational B-47Bs to the 306th Bombardment Wing, Medium, based at MacDill AFB, Florida.
In March 1961, Preside ...
References
* Mueller, Robert. ''Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982''. USAF Reference Series, Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1989. .
* Ravenstein, Charles A. ''Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories, 1947–1977''. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1984. .
* Rogers, Brian. ''United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978''. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications, 2005. .
*
External links
* http://www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/McConnell_AFB.htm
{{USAF air refueling units
Military units and formations established in 1953
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