The 3973d Strategic Wing (3973d SW) is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, 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 ...

unit, discontinued at

Moron Air Base Moron or Morón may refer to: * Moron (psychology), disused term for a person with a mental age between 7 and 10 People * Edgar Moron (born 1941), German politician * Morón (surname), various people so named Places * Moron (ancient city), ...

, Spain in 1966. It was established in 1957 to support forward deployed elements of Strategic Air Command (SAC) (REFLEX) and added support of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress CHROME DOME missions, which continued after REFLEX operations ended. It was discontinued when its parent

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was transferred to

United States Air Forces 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 f ...

(USAFE) after the CHROME DOME mission ended in Spain.

History

The 3973d SW was a support element for the SAC originally for SAC

Boeing B-47 Stratojet 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 aircraft ...

wing and support elements deployed to Moron AB from United States bases (REFLEX) and later CHROME DOME operations between 1 June 1957 and 15 April 1966. When activated as the 3973d Air Base Squadron, it assumed the resources (Manpower, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 7605th Air Base Squadron, a USAFE unit that had opened Moron. Throughout its existence it was controlled by SAC at Moron AB. NAM---Palomares-bombs

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 e ...

originated as the 3973d Air Base Squadron on 1 January 1957, replacing the 7605th Air Base Squadron of

, which had opened Moron AB for

use. The wing trained and equipped personnel at Moron as well as supported CHROME DOME operations with Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling B-52 Stratofortress aircraft. On 4 February 1965 REFLEX operations for

aircraft ended and the wing focused on other missions. CHROME DOME operations terminated on 23 January 1966 at the request of the Spanish government, following the crash of a B-52 near PalomaresAbstract, History 3973d Strategic Wing Oct 1965 – Apr 1966
(retrieved 24 January 2013)

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aircraft deployed from the

43d Bombardment Wing The 43rd Airlift Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit last stationed at Pope Field, part of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where it was inactivated in March 2011. The wing performed en route operations support at Pope Field to include ...

Carswell AFB Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military a ...

, Texas arrived at Moron 22 July 1964 for ALARM BELL operational training, remaining on station until September. The wing inactivated on 15 April 1966 when Moron AB transferred from SAC to

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 f ...

. The unit was replaced by the 7473d Combat Support Group under USAFE. SAC retained a tanker presence at Moron, but its mission was refueling USAFE fighter aircraft.

Lineage

* Designated as the 3973d Air Base Squadron and organized on 1 June 1957 * Redesignated 3973d Air Base Group on 1 April 1958 * Redesignated 3973d Combat Support Group on 1 May 1959 * Redesignated 3973d Strategic Wing on 1 February 1964 * Discontinued on 15 April 1966

Assignment

* Sixteenth Air Force, 1 June 1957 – 15 April 1966

Station

* Moron Air Base, Spain, 1 June 1957 – 15 April 1966

Components

* 870th Medical Group, 1 April 1958 – 15 April 1966 * 15th Aviation Depot Squadron, 17 June 1958 – 30 April 1965AFHRA Factsheet, 15th Munitions Squadron
8 December 2010 (retrieved 24 January 2013) * 3973d USAF Dispensary, 1 June 1957 – 1 April 1958 * 3973d Air Police Squadron (later 3973d Combat Defense Squadron), 1 April 1958 – 15 April 1966 * 3973d Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (later 3973d Field Maintenance Squadron), 1 April 1958 – 15 April 1966 * 3973d Installations Squadron (later 3973d Civil Engineering Squadron), 1 April 1958 – 15 April 1966 * 3973d Materiel Squadron, 1 April 1958 – 1 February 1964 * 3973d Operations Squadron, 1 January 1959 – 1 February 1964 * 3973d Supply Squadron, 1 April 1958 – 15 April 1966 * 3973d Transportation Squadron, 1 April 1958 – 15 April 1966

Notes

References

{{Strategic Air Command Strategic wings of the United States Air Force Four Digit Wings of the United States Air Force Military units and formations established in 1957 Military units and formations disestablished in 1966