The 38th Combat Support Wing is an inactive
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
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
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
at
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
, Germany from 2004 until 2007. The mission of the wing was to enhance support to Third Air Force's geographically separated units.
The Wing was first activated in Japan in 1948 as the 38th Bombardment Wing, carrying on the history of the
38th Bombardment Group
The 38th Bombardment Group is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was most recently assigned as the operational (flying) component of the 38th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, where it was inactivated ...
, which was one of the first
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
units to operate in the
Pacific Theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
after
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
. The wing served as a
light bomber
A light bomber is a relatively small and fast type of military bomber aircraft that was primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance.
The earliest light bombers were intended to dro ...
unit in Japan until 1949, when it was inactivated. It was activated again in Europe in 1953.
In 1958, the wing became the 38th Tactical Missile Wing and controlled
Martin TM-61 Matador
The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile designed and built by the United States. It was developed after World War II, drawing upon their wartime experience with creating the Republic-Ford JB-2, a ...
and
Martin MGM-13 Mace missile units in Germany until it was inactivated in 1966.
Between 1972 and 1975 the wing was twice active as a flying training unit. It returned to the tactical missile mission in Europe until its missiles were withdrawn following the signing of the
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty, formally the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles; / ДРСМ ...
. From 1990 to 1994, as the 38th Engineering Installation Wing it was responsible for the Air Force's in house design and installation of electronic equipment.
History
The
38th Bombardment Group
The 38th Bombardment Group is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was most recently assigned as the operational (flying) component of the 38th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, where it was inactivated ...
was first established in 1940. It was one of the first
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
units to operate in the
South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area (SWPA) was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific War. SWPA included the Philippines, Borneo, the D ...
after
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
. Its first aircraft arrived in
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
in June 1942, but two of the group's aircraft had already taken part in the
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under Adm ...
. When the 38th Bombardment Wing was established in 1948, the wing was temporarily authorized to display the honors earned by the group prior to 14 August 1948.
Light bomber operations
Far East Air Forces
![Bor-b26b-180lbs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Bor-b26b-180lbs.jpg)
The unit was first established at
Itami Airfield
, often referred to as is the primary regional airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Classified as a first class airport, it is the airport closest to Kyoto, southwest of Kyoto Station. ...
, Japan as the 38th Bombardment Wing, Light on 10 August 1948
[ when ]Far East Air Forces
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...
reorganized its units under the "Hobson Plan
The Hobson Plan was an organizational structure established by the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1948, following experimental organization in 1947. Known as the "Wing-Base Organization," it replaced the organization used by the United States A ...
" wing base reorganization, in which combat groups and all supporting units on a base were assigned to a single wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
. The 38th Bombardment Group
The 38th Bombardment Group is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was most recently assigned as the operational (flying) component of the 38th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, where it was inactivated ...
, flying Douglas B-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major Col ...
s became its operational component. The wing assisted in the air defense
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
of Japan and participated in tactical exercises. However, President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of combat units in the Air Force to 48, and the 38th was inactivated on 1 April 1949.[
]
United States Air Forces in Europe
The wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
was reactivated on 1 January 1953 at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France,[ where it assumed the mission, personnel and equipment of the 126th Bombardment Wing, an ]Illinois Air National Guard
The Illinois Air National Guard (IL ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Illinois, United States of America. It is, along with the Illinois Army National Guard, an element of the Illinois National Guard.
As state militia units, the units ...
unit that had been mobilized during the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
and was being returned to state control. Once again, the wing flew the Douglas B-26 Invader as its operational aircraft. The wing received its first Martin B-57B Canberra
The Martin B-57 Canberra is an American-built, twin-engined tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1953. The B-57 is a license-built version of the British English Electric C ...
in June 1955, and began to replace its aging Douglas B-26 Invaders. With the B-57's arrival, the B-26s were returned to the United States. A total of 49 B-57B and eight dual control B-57C models were deployed to Laon.
The mission of the B-57 was to provide a nuclear deterrent for NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
and to deliver nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
s against pre-selected targets, day or night. The aircraft at Laon were painted a gloss black. The B-57 delivery was by the low altitude bombing system
Toss bombing (sometimes known as loft bombing, and by the U.S. Air Force as the Low Altitude Bombing System, LABS) is a method of bombing where the attacking aircraft pulls upward when releasing its bomb load, giving the bomb additional time of fl ...
, in which the plane performed a vertical Immelmann turn
The term Immelmann turn, named after German World War I Eindecker fighter ace Lieutnant Max Immelmann, refers to two different aircraft maneuvers. In World War I aerial combat, an Immelmann turn was a maneuver used after an attack on another a ...
, releasing the weapon when it was nearly vertical. An acrobatic team was organized and named the Black Knights using five B-57s. The Black Knights performed at several air shows around Western Europe, including the 1957 Paris Air Show
The Paris Air Show (french: Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace de Paris-Le Bourget, Salon du Bourget) is a trade fair and air show held in odd years at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France. Organized by the French ...
. The Black Knights were the only tactical bomber show team in the world. In 1958, President de Gaulle announced that all nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
s and delivery aircraft had to be removed from French soil by July 1958. This meant all tactical fighter and bombing wings had to depart France.
First theater missile operations
Although the wing's bombers departed Europe, the 38th did not go with them. Instead, it became the 38th Tactical Missile Wing and moved on paper to Hahn Air Base
Hahn Air Base was a United States Air Force installation near Lautzenhausen in Germany for over 40 years. The major unit was the United States Air Force's 50th Tactical Fighter Wing during most of the years it was active.
It was originally buil ...
West Germany, where it replaced the 701st Tactical Missile Wing
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, ...
,[ which had been at Hahn since the fall of 1956. The wing assumed the operation of the 701st's ]Martin TM-61 Matador
The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile designed and built by the United States. It was developed after World War II, drawing upon their wartime experience with creating the Republic-Ford JB-2, a ...
missiles, located on three bases in Germany. A little more than a year later, the wing moved its headquarters to Sembach Air Base
Sembach Kaserne is a United States Army post in Donnersbergkreis, Germany, near Kaiserslautern, and is about 19 miles (30 km) east of Ramstein Air Base. Prior to 2010, the installation was a United States Air Force installation and prior t ...
, Germany. The wing later upgraded to the improved version of the Matador, the Martin TM-76 Mace. When the Mace was phased out of the inventory, te wing was inactivated in September 1966.[
]
Pilot training
In 1972, Air Training Command
Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as Ai ...
(ATC) replaced its Major Command controlled flying training units with Air Force controlled units. As part of this program, The 38th was reactivated as the 38th Flying Training Wing and replaced the 3640th Pilot Training Wing at Laredo Air Force Base
Laredo Air Force Base, is a since-deactivated Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) installation of the Air Training Command (ATC) in Laredo, Texas. The facility was originally established as Laredo Army Air Field, a World War II U.S. Army Air For ...
, Texas on 1 August 1972. Its operational squadrons were the 70th and 71st Flying Training Squadrons. However, Laredo was marked for closure as Air Force pilot training requirements were reduced with the winding down of the War in Vietnam
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
. The wing ended its pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
training in 28 August 1973, when it was inactivated.[
ATC's unit replacement program was continuing, however, and on 1 December 1973, the wing replaced another Major Command wing, the 3550th Pilot Training Wing, at ]Moody Air Force Base
Moody Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation near Valdosta, Georgia.
Geography
The base is in northeastern Lowndes County, Georgia, with the eastern border of the base following the Lanier County line. Georgia State Rout ...
, Georgia. The 38th performed pilot training until 21 November 1975, when preparations to transfer Moody to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
were completed. On 1 December 1975 the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing
The 347th Rescue Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It was inactivated on 1 October 2006.
History
: ''For additional ...
moved to Moody from Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base is a base of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in northeast Thailand, approximately 200 km (125 mi) northeast of Bangkok and about 4 km (2.5 mi) south of the centre of the city of Nakhon Ratchasi ...
, Thailand and the mission of the base changed from pilot training to a tactical fighter operations. The 38th FTW was inactivated on 1 December 1975,[ with the personnel and equipment of its support units transferring to the 347th Wing.
]
Return to theater missile operations
In April 1985, the 38th Tactical Missile Wing, was activated at Wüschheim Air Station, West Germany. The wing was assigned to tactical missile operations, equipped with Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCM) to counter Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
intermediate-range ballistic missiles
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...
from 1986–1990. The GLCMs (and their strategic cousins, the Pershing IIs) were deployed, in part, to balance/counter the deployment of the Soviet RSD-10
The RSD-10 ''Pioneer'' (russian: ракета средней дальности (РСД) «Пионер» tr.: ''raketa sredney dalnosti (RSD) "Pioner"''; en, Medium-Range Missile "Pioneer") was an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a ...
'Pioner' (SS-20) IRBM.
It was this realization that led to the opening of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) talks and an INF treaty that eventually removed an entire class of nuclear arms from the superpower arsenals. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty, formally the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles; / ДРСМ ...
with the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
which went into effect on 1 June 1988, led to inactivation of the wing on 22 August 1990.
During its time at Wüschheim Air Station, the 38 TMW was not configured as a separate, self-sustaining wing. It consisted of missile operations, missile maintenance and missile security but it did not have its own support units, such as finance, personnel, civil engineering, etc. Instead, support units within the nearby 50th Tactical Fighter Wing
The 50th Space Wing was the United States Space Force's space and cyber warfare wing. The 50th Space Wing was assigned to Space Operations Command and headquartered at Schriever Air Force Base.
It was activated in 1949 as the 50th Fighter Win ...
at Hahn Air Base
Hahn Air Base was a United States Air Force installation near Lautzenhausen in Germany for over 40 years. The major unit was the United States Air Force's 50th Tactical Fighter Wing during most of the years it was active.
It was originally buil ...
were augmented with additional personnel to provide support to the 38th.
Electronics engineering
The 38th was activated again at Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, surrounded by Del City, Oklahoma City, and Midwest City.
The base, origina ...
, Oklahoma in November 1994 as the 38th Engineering Installation Wing','' to provide the Air Force with centralized management of worldwide electronics engineering and installation resources. The wing replaced the Communications Systems Center and absorbed its personnel and equipment, and reported to the Electronic Systems Center
The Electronic Systems Center was a product center of Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. Its mission was to develop and acquire command and control, communications, computer, and intelligenc ...
. The wing was inactivated in February 2000 and its functions were transferred to its subordinate 38th Engineering Installation Group at Tinker.[
]
Base support services
The wing was again activated as the 38th Combat Support Wing at Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
, Germany in May 2004 to support over 70 USAFE geographically separated units cross Europe. But a review found the wing actually created an extra layer of bureaucracy and isolated units would be better served without it. Also studies showed that larger, neighboring bases could offer better support for airmen scattered across the continent. The wing was inactivated on 30 September 2007.[
]
Lineage
* Constituted as the 38th Bombardment Wing, Light on 10 August 1948
: Activated on 18 August 1948
: Inactivated on 1 April 1949
* Activated on 1 January 1953
: Redesignated 38th Bombardment Wing, Tactical on 1 October 1955
: Redesignated 38th Tactical Missile Wing on 18 June 1958
: Discontinued and inactivated on 25 September 1966
* Redesignated 38th Flying Training Wing on 22 March 1972
: Activated on 1 August 1972
: Inactivated on 30 September 1973
* Activated on 1 December 1973
: Inactivated on 1 December 1975
* Redesignated 38th Tactical Missile Wing on 4 December 1984
: Activated on 1 April 1985
: Inactivated on 22 August 1990
* Redesignated 38th Engineering Installation Wing on 1 November 1994
: Activated on 8 November 1994
: Inactivated on 3 February 2000
* Redesignated 38th Combat Support Wing on 19 April 2004
: Activated on 25 May 2004
: Inactivated on 1 May 2007[
]
Assignments
* 315th Air Division
The 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force formation. Originally designated the 315th Bombardment Wing, it was activated in July 1944 at Peterson Field, Colorado as a command and control organization for four very heavy B-29 Su ...
, 10 August 1948 – 1 April 1949
* Twelfth Air Force
The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
The command is the air component to U ...
, 1 January 1953
* United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
, 1 January 1958
* Seventeenth Air Force
The Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force (17 EAF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during (1953–1996) and AFAFRICA, United Sta ...
, 15 November 1959 – 25 September 1966
* Air Training Command
Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as Ai ...
, 1 August 1972 – 30 September 1973; 1 December 1973 – 1 December 1975
* Seventeenth Air Force, 1 April 1985 – 22 August 1990
* Electronic Systems Center
The Electronic Systems Center was a product center of Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. Its mission was to develop and acquire command and control, communications, computer, and intelligenc ...
, 8 November 1994 – 3 February 2000
* Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
, 25 May 2004
* United States Air Forces in Europe, 1 November 2005
* Air Command Europe, 18 November 2005
* Third Air Force, 1 December 2006 – 11 September 2007[
]
Components
; Groups[Components stationed with wing ]headquarters
Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...
, except as noted.
* 38th Bombardment Group
The 38th Bombardment Group is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was most recently assigned as the operational (flying) component of the 38th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, where it was inactivated ...
, 18 August 1948 – 1 April 1949; 1 January 1953 – 8 December 1957
* 585th Tactical Missile Group, 18 June 1958 – 25 September 1962
:: Bitburg Air Base
Bitburg (; french: Bitbourg; lb, Béibreg) is a city in Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate approximately 25 km (16 mi.) northwest of Trier and 50 km (31 mi.) northeast of Luxembourg city. The American Spangdahlem A ...
, West Germany
* 586th Tactical Missile Group, 18 June 1958 – 25 September 1962
:: Hahn Air Base
Hahn Air Base was a United States Air Force installation near Lautzenhausen in Germany for over 40 years. The major unit was the United States Air Force's 50th Tactical Fighter Wing during most of the years it was active.
It was originally buil ...
, West Germany
* 587th Tactical Missile Group, 18 June 1958 – 25 September 1962[
:: ]Sembach Air Base
Sembach Kaserne is a United States Army post in Donnersbergkreis, Germany, near Kaiserslautern, and is about 19 miles (30 km) east of Ramstein Air Base. Prior to 2010, the installation was a United States Air Force installation and prior t ...
, West Germany
; Squadrons
* 38th Tactical Missile Maintenance Squadron: 1 April 1985 – 22 August 1990
* 70th Flying Training Squadron: 1 August 1972 – 30 September 1973; 1 December 1973 – 1 December 1975
* 71st Bombardment Squadron (later 71st Tactical Missile Squadron, 71st Flying Training Squadron): 18 August 1948 – 1 April 1949; 1 January 1953 – 18 June 1958; 25 September 1962 – 1 October 1965; 1 August 1972 – 30 September 1973; 1 December 1973 – 1 December 1975
* 89th Bombardment Squadron (later 89th Tactical Missile Squadron):18 August 1948 – 1 April 1949; 25 September 1962 – 25 September 1966; 1 April 1985 – 22 August 1990
* 405th Bombardment Squadron
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
(Later Tactical Missile Squadron): 18 August 1948 – 1 April 1949; 1 January 1953 – 18 June 1958; 25 September 1962 – 25 September 1966
* 822d Bombardment Squadron (Later 822d Tactical Missile) Squadron: 1 January 1953 – 18 June 1958; 25 September 1962 – 25 September 1966
* 823d Bombardment Squadron
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
(Later 823d Tactical Missile Squadron): 25 September 1962 – 25 September 1966
* 887th Tactical Missile Squadron: 25 September 1962 – 25 September 1966[
]
Stations
* Itami Airfield, 18 August 1948 – 1 April 1949
* Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, 1 January 1953
* Hahn Air Base, Germany, 18 June 1958
* Sembach Air Base, Germany, 20 August 1959 – 25 September 1966
* Laredo Air Force Base, Texas, 1 August 1972 – 30 September 1973
* Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 December 1973 – 1 December 1975
* Wüschheim Air Station, West Germany, 1 April 1985 – 22 August 1990
* Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 8 November 1994 – 3 February 2000
* Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 25 May 2004 – 11 September 2007[
]
Dispersed missile locations
Between 1958–1966, the 38th TMW maintained eight separate launch facilities.
* Site I "Chargirl" – SSW of Sembach Air Base (822d TMS/587th TMG)
: Closed 1966. Redeveloped into a training facility of the local Kaiserslautern soccer club. The launch pads have been completely overbuilt with soccer fields
* Site II "Invent" – SSE of Sembach Air Base (823d TMS/587th TMG)
: Closed 1966, Abandoned state, buildings in various states of deterioration, missile shelters removed, concrete pads remain.
* Site III "Hacksaw" – ENE of Sembach Air Base (887th TMS/587th TMG)
: 1975–1985 The site was used by Detachnent B, 502nd Army Security Agency Battalion for the Guardrail I, II, and IIa Integrated Processing Facility. In 1979 the site was upgraded to the Guardrail V, and in the fall of 1985 moved to Echterdingen Army Airfield. It was later used by deployed communications units before being closed and turned over to German government.
* Site IV "Veronica" – ENE of Hahn Air Base (89th TMS/586th TMG)
: Closed since 1967. Missile shelters torn down, in very dilapidated state, appears to be used as a storage yard.
* Site V "Pot Fuse" – ESE of Hahn Air Base (405th TMS/586th TMG)
: Abandoned since 1961. Shelters torn down, site very obscured by trees and other vegetation in thick woodland area.
* Site VI "Heroin" – NE of Hahn Air Base (405th TMS/586th TMG)
: Transferred to US Army and converted into a Nike-Hercules
The Nike Hercules, initially designated SAM-A-25 and later MIM-14, was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) used by U.S. and NATO armed forces for medium- and high-altitude long-range air defense. It was normally armed with the W31 nuclear warhead, but ...
Air Defense missile site; operational 1970–1979. The area was transferred back to USAF in 1982 as Wueschheim Air Station.
* Site VII "B" Pad – NW of Bitburg Air Base (1st/71st TMS/585th TMG)
: Underground concrete launch facility, closed 1960. Largely overgrown abandoned condition.
* Site VIII "C" Pad – SSW of Bitburg Air Base (1st/71st TMS/585th TMG)
: Underground concrete launch facility. After closure the site was transferred to the Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
and converted into a Patriot missile site; closed 2001 now abandoned and overgrown with vegetation.
* Missile Support Area – SSW of Bitburg Air Base
: BGM-109G Missile site located at: Site VI Heroin NE of Hahn Air Base
Aircraft and missiles
* Douglas A-26 (later B-26) Invader (1948–1949, 1953–1955)
* Martin B-57 Canberra (1955–1958)
* Martin TM-61 (later MGM-1) Matador (1958–1962)
* Marin TM-76 (later MGM-130 Mace (1960–1966)
* T-37 (1972–1975)
* T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first, and the most produced, supersonic trainer. The T-38 remains in service in several air forces.
The United States Air Force (USAF) operates the most ...
(1972–1975)
* BGM-109G Gryphon
The Ground Launched Cruise Missile, or GLCM, (officially designated BGM-109G Gryphon) was a ground-launched cruise missile developed by the United States Air Force in the last decade of the Cold War and disarmed under the INF Treaty.
Overview
T ...
(1986–1990)
See also
* List of BGM-109G GLCM Units
References
; Notes
; Citations
Bibliography
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; Further reading
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External links
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* {{cite web , url= http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html , last1=Baugher, first1=Joe, title=USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers 1908 to present, date=29 January 2004, publisher=Air Force Magazine, url-status=dead, archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040207231202/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html , archive-date=7 February 2004, access-date=25 January 2017
History of Laredo, Texas
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Military units and formations in Texas