53d Electronic Warfare Group
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The 53rd Electronic Warfare Group was a component of the 53rd Wing of the
Air Force Warfare Center The United States Air Force Warfare Center (USAFWC) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, reports directly to Air Combat Command. The center was founded on September 1, 1966, as the U.S. Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center. It was renamed ...
,
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 ...
, headquartered at
Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...
, Florida. The
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
was responsible for providing operational, technical and maintenance
electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...
(EW) expertise for the combat air forces and for systems engineering, testing, evaluation, tactics development, employment, capability and technology assessment. This includes the wartime responsibility for emergency reprogramming and dissemination of EW system mission data software for combat aircraft. The group managed the Combat Shield Electronic Warfare Assessment Program for combat aircraft EW systems. Combat Shield provides operational units a system-specific capability assessment for their radar warning receivers, electronic attack pods, and integrated EW systems. Established in 1941, the unit traces its lineage and heritage the 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Group; the 68th Air Refueling Group; the 68th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, and the 68th Electronic Combat Group.


History


World War II

The group was first established as the 68th Observation Group in 1941 at Brownwood Army Air Field, Texas, on 1 September 1941. Its primary mission was observation aircraft training and antisubmarine patrols. The group moved to several different U.S. locations in preparation for overseas deployment in 1942. It moved to the
Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army forc ...
(MTO), October–November 1942, and became part of
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 ...
. Shortly after the group began operations most of its squadrons were detached for separate duty in order to carry out diverse activities over a wide area. Operating from bases in North Africa until November 1943, the group, or elements of the group, engaged in patrolling the Mediterranean; strafing trucks, tanks, gun positions, and supply dumps to support ground troops in Tunisia; training fighter pilots and replacement crews; and flying photographic and visual reconnaissance missions in Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy to provide information needed to adjust artillery fire. The group moved to Italy and became part of
Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Force ...
in November 1943. It continued visual and photographic reconnaissance and began flying weather reconnaissance missions in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the
Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
. Also engaged in electronic-countermeasure activities, investigating radar equipment captured from the enemy, flying ferret missions along the coasts of Italy and southern France, and accompanying bomber formations to detect approaching enemy fighters. Inactivated in 1944,


Strategic reconnaissance

The
unit Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * ''Unit'' (alb ...
trained in the Reserve as the 68th Reconnaissance Group at Hamilton Field (later Hamilton AFB), California between, 1947–1949, when it was inactivated as a result of
Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...
's reorganization of its flying units under the Wing Base ( Hobson) plan and its personnel transferred to units of the 349th Troop Carrier Wing. The 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was activated by
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 ...
(SAC) on 10 October 1951, with an initial cadre of 16 people from the 44th Bombardment Wing. The group was assigned as a subordinate unit to the new wing at
Lake Charles Air Force Base Chennault International Airport  ( IATA: CWF, ICAO: KCWF, FAA LID: CWF) is a center of aerospace activity based in Lake Charles, Louisiana, serves the needs of civilian and military aircraft from around the world with world-class infrastructu ...
, Louisiana. The wing was assigned to the
37th Air Division The 37th Air Division (37th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Goose Air Force Base, Labrador, Canada It was inactivated on 30 June 1970. History Strategic Air Command Es ...
of
Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
. The group was activated as the 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, but it was a paper unit, with token personnel assigned on additional duty to keep it active and with its flying squadrons controlled by 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 ...
. Support organizations for the wing were also activated, but they were located at
Lockbourne AFB Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation located near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker. It is the home of t ...
, Ohio and were not controlled by the wing. It was not until May 1952 that the wing received
Boeing RB-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a WWII era long range, strategic heavy bomber that was produced in many experimental and production models. XB-29 : ''Section source: Baugher'' The XB-29, Boeing Model 345, was the first accepted prototype or e ...
aircraft. Its primary mission was gathering intelligence on the Soviet Union. In June the group was discontinued entirely. Under SAC's new Dual Deputate organization,Under this plan flying nd missilesquadrons reported to the wing Deputy Commander for Operations and maintenance squadrons reported to the wing Deputy Commander for Maintenance squadrons all flying and maintenance squadrons were directly assigned to the wing, so no operational group element was needed. It added a
Boeing KC-97 The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Design and developme ...
refueling mission in November 1953.


Strategic bombardment


Medium Bomber era

The wing replaced its propeller-driven RB-29s with new
Boeing B-47E 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. ...
swept-wing medium bombers in October 1953 and was redesignated as the 68th Bombardment Wing. The B-47 was capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of 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 ...
. Becoming operationally ready with the B-47 in May 1954, the wing conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling to meet SAC's global commitments. The wing performed Reflex deployments to
RAF Fairford Royal Air Force Fairford or more simply RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Gloucestershire, England which is currently a standby airfield and therefore not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an ...
, England from 14 June to 7 August 1954 and to
RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the village of Brize Norton, and the towns of Carterton and Witney. The station ...
, England from 27 September 1957 to 8 January 1958. The B-47s were reaching the end of their operational lifetime in the late 1950s, and the wing's aircraft were sent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in April 1963 with the closure of Chennault AFB. With the closing of Chennault, and in order to retain the lineage of 379th, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to move the 68th without personnel or equipment to
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for U.S. Navy Lt. Seymour A. Johnson, a test pilot from Goldsboro who died in an airplane crash near Norbeck, Maryland, ...
, North Carolina on 15 April where it replaced the 4241st Strategic Wing, which could not carry a permanent history or lineage


Heavy Bombardment era

4241st Strategic Wing SAC had organized the 4241st Strategic Wing at Seymour Johnson on 1 October 1958Mueller, pp. 521–526 and assigned it to Second Air Force as part of SAC's plan to disperse its
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for 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 ...
to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing remained a
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 ...
only until 1 December 1959 when the
911th Air Refueling Squadron The 911th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. The squadron is the Air Force's very first active duty squadron that is under the command of a reserve wing. In October 2016, th ...
, flying
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker 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 transpor ...
s, three maintenance squadrons, and a squadron to provide security for special weapons were activated and assigned to the wing. On 5 January 1959 the 73rd Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
es moved to Seymour Johnson from
Ramey Air Force Base Ramey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It was named after United States Army Air Forces Brigadier General Howard Knox Ramey. Following its closure, it was redeveloped into Rafael Hernandez Airpo ...
, Puerto Rico where it had been one of the three squadrons of the
72nd Bombardment 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, ...
and the wing was transferred from Second Air Force to the
822nd Air Division The 822d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, where it was inactivated on 2 September 1966. The division was formed to c ...
. The wing was fully organized at the start of May when the 53rd Aviation Depot Squadron' moved from
Barksdale Air Force Base Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB ...
, Louisiana to oversee the wing's special weapons. Starting in 1960, one third of the squadron's aircraft were maintained on fifteen-minute alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. This was increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962. The 4241st (and later the 68th) continued to maintain an alert commitment until 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 ...
. In 1962, the wing's
bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...
s began to be equipped with the GAM-77 Hound Dog and the
GAM-72 Quail The McDonnell ADM-20 Quail was a Subsonic aircraft, subsonic, Jet engine, jet powered, Air-launched cruise missile, air-launched decoy cruise missile built by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. The Quail was designed to be launched by the Boeing B-5 ...
air-launched
cruise missiles A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead ...
, The 4134th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron was activated in November to maintain these missiles. 68th Bombardment Wing, Heavy When the 68th replaced the 4341stThe 68th Wing continued, through temporary bestowal, the history, and honors of the World War II 68th Reconnaissance Group. It was also entitled to retain the honors (but not the history or lineage) of the 4341st Strategic Wing. This temporary bestowal ended when the wing and group were consolidated into a single unit. the 53rd Munitions Maintenance Squadron and the 911th Air Refueling Squadron were reassigned to the 68th. The 4241st's maintenance and security squadrons were replaced by ones with the 68th numerical designation. Each of the new units assumed the personnel, equipment, and mission of its predecessor. The wing continued to conduct strategic bombardment training and global refueling operations to meet SAC commitments. Wing aircraft, most aircrews and maintenance personnel, and other support personnel were loaned to other SAC units for combat operations in Southeast Asia, 27 May 1972 – 15 July 1973.


Air refueling

In 1982 the B-52Gs of the wing were retired and the 68th Wing became the 68th Air Refueling Group. Elevated back to wing status in 1986, the 68th Air Refueling Wing participated in combat operations in Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury) in October 1983, in Libya (
Operation Eldorado Canyon The 1986 United States bombing of Libya, code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon, consisted of air strikes by the United States against Libya on Tuesday 15 April 1986. The attack was carried out by the U.S. Air Force (USAF), U.S. Navy and U.S. Mar ...
) in April 1986, and in Panama (
Operation Just Cause Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
) in December 1989. It deployed to Spain to provide airlift and air refueling during Operation
Desert Shield The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
/
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: ...
from August 1990 to March 1991. The 68th Air Refueling Wing was inactivated on 22 April 1991 as part of the objective wing reorganization of the Air Force, which called for one wing on a base. Its 911th Air Refueling Squadron was reassigned to the 4th Wing. Its support organizations were inactivated and their personnel and equipment assigned to elements of the 4th Wing or transferred,


The 1990s and twenty-first century

The group was activated again on 15 April 1993 as the 68th Electronic Combat Group. It provided operational and technical electronic combat expertise for US combat air forces from 1993 to 1998 when it was inactivated and replaced by the 53rd Electronic Warfare Group due to USAF policy that groups carry the same number as their parent wing. Two years later the 68th was consolidated with the 53rd that had replaced it. The group performed
electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...
technology assessments; tested, developed, managed, and maintained electronic warfare systems hardware and software to meet Combat Air Force mission requirements. In June 2021, the group was inactivated and its assets were used to form the
350th Spectrum Warfare Wing The 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing is an active United States Air Force organization. It was activated in 2021 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing is responsible for delivering electromagnetic spectrum capabilities to 69 United States and ...
.


Lineage

68th Electronic Combat Group * Constituted as 68th Observation Group on 21 August 1941 : Activated on 1 September 1941 : Redesignated 68th Reconnaissance Group on 31 May 1943 : Redesignated 68th Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 13 November 1943 : Disbanded on 15 June 1944 * Reconstituted and redesignated 68th Reconnaissance Group, on 10 March 1947 : Activated in the Reserve on 9 April 1947 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949 * Redesignated 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, Medium on 4 October 1951 : Activated on 10 October 1951 : Inactivated on 16 June 1952 * Redesignated 68th Air Refueling Group, Heavy on 17 March 1982 : Activated on 30 September 1982 * Consolidated with the 68th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 October 1982 : Redesignated 68th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy on 1 October 1986 : Inactivated on 22 April 1991 * Redesignated 68th Electronic Combat Group on 9 April 1993 : Activated on 15 April 1993 : Inactivated on 20 November 1998 * Consolidated with the 53rd Electronic Warfare Group on 25 July 2000 as the 53rd Electronic Warfare Group 68th Bombardment Wing * Constituted as 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium on 4 October 1951 : Activated on 10 October 1951 : Redesignated 68th Bombardment Wing, Medium on 16 June 1952 : Redesignated: 68th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 15 April 1963 : Organized on 15 April 1963 : Inactivated on 30 September 1982 * Consolidated with the 68th Air Refueling Group on 1 October 1982 as the 68th Air Refueling Group 53rd Electronic Warfare Group * Constituted on 1 November 1998 as 53rd Electronic Warfare Group : Activated on 20 November 1998 * Consolidated with the 68th Electronic Warfare Group on 25 July 2000 : Inactivated c. 25 June 2021


Assignments

68th Group, 1941–1952 * 3rd Air Support Command, 1 September 1941 *
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 ...
, 17 March 1942 * III Ground Air Support Command, 19 May 1942 : Attached to 3rd Demonstration Air Task Force rovisional c. 12 June 1942 – unknown : VIII Ground Air Support Command, c. 18–22 June 1942 * VIII Ground Air Support Command, 23 June 1942 * III Ground Air Support Command, c. 4 June 1942 *
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 ...
, 21 August 1942 * III Ground Air Support Command, 24 August 1942 * XII Air Support Command, c. 18 October 1942 (attached to 5th Bombardment Wing after 31 October 1942) * Northwest African Tactical Air Force, c. 18 June 1943 (attached to 5th Bombardment Wing) * XII Training Command, c. March 1943 (attached to 5th Bombardment Wing) *
XII Bomber Command XII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based in Corsica, France. It was constituted on 26 February 1942, activated on 13 March 1942, and inactivated on 10 J ...
, 18 October 1943 (attached to 5th Bombardment Wing) *
Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Force ...
, 1 November 1943 – 15 June 1944 (attached to 5th Bombardment Wing to 4 December 1943, attached to
47th Bombardment Wing The 47th Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force pilot training wing based at Laughlin Air Force Base, near Del Rio, Texas. It is one of five pilot training units in the Air Force's Air Education and Training Command which conducts ...
, 4 December 1943 – 24 May 1944) * 325th Reconnaissance Wing (later, 325th Air Division), 10 March 1947 – 27 June 1949 * 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 68th Wing, 1951–1982 *
37th Air Division The 37th Air Division (37th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Goose Air Force Base, Labrador, Canada It was inactivated on 30 June 1970. History Strategic Air Command Es ...
, 10 October 1951 (attached to
21st Air Division The 21st Air Division (21st AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, being stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on 23 September 1983. History World W ...
until c. 15 May 1952) *
Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
, 28 May 1952 *
806th Air Division The 806th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to Second Air Force of Strategic Air Command at Chennault Air Force Base, Louisiana. where it was inactivated on 15 June 1960. The division was activate ...
, 16 June 1952 (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 ...
), 14 June – 7 August 1954; 27 September 1957 – 8 January 1958) * 825th Air (later, 825th Strategic Aerospace) Division), 15 June 1960 *
822nd Air Division The 822d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, where it was inactivated on 2 September 1966. The division was formed to c ...
, 15 April 1963 *
57th Air Division The 57th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Fifteenth Air Force, based at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. It was inactivated on 24 June 1991. History "Established as the 8th Pursuit W ...
, 1 July 1964 * 822nd Air Division, 1 July 1965 * 57th Air Division, 2 September 1966 *
823rd Air Division The 823d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command (SAC)'s Second Air Force at McCoy Air Force Base, Florida, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1971. The division was f ...
, 2 July 1969 *
42nd Air Division The 42nd Air Division was a unit of the United States Air Force. It was established as the 42 Bombardment Wing (Dive) on 8 February 1943. The wing first saw combat in September 1943. It was inactivated in 1991. History Activated in 1943 as the 4 ...
, 30 June 1971 – 30 September 1982 Consolidated Organization *
42nd Air Division The 42nd Air Division was a unit of the United States Air Force. It was established as the 42 Bombardment Wing (Dive) on 8 February 1943. The wing first saw combat in September 1943. It was inactivated in 1991. History Activated in 1943 as the 4 ...
, from consolidation in 1982 *
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 ...
, 16 June 1988 – 22 April 1991 * USAF Air Warfare Center (later, 53rd Wing), 15 April 1993 – 20 November 1998 * 53rd Wing, 20 November 1998 - c. 25 June 2021


Components

68th Group, 1941–1952 * 15th Observation Squadron: 12 December 1941 – 2 February 1942 * 16th Observation (later, 16th Reconnaissance) Squadron: attached February–March 1942, assigned 29 March 1942 – 26 May 1944 (detached 25 September 1943 – 26 May 1944) * 24th Reconnaissance, Very Long Range (Photographic) (later, 24th Strategic Reconnaissance, Medium (Photographic) Squadron): 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952) * 51st Reconnaissance, Weather (later, 51st Strategic Reconnaissance, Photographic) Squadron: 1 August 1947 – 27 June 1949; 10 August 1951 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952) * 52nd Reconnaissance, Weather Scouting (later, 52nd Strategic Reconnaissance, Photographic) Squadron: 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952) *
68th Air Refueling Squadron The 68th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 305th Bombardment Wing at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana, where it was inactivated on 25 March 1965. The earliest predecessor of the ...
: 8 April – 28 May 1952 * 111th Observation (later, 111th Reconnaissance, Fighter; 111th Tactical Reconnaissance): attached February–March 1942, assigned 29 March 1942 – 26 May 1944 (detached 12 March 1943 – 26 May 1944) * 122nd Observation (later, 122nd Liaison; 885th Bombardment): 1 October 1941 – 15 June 1944 * 125th Observation: 15 September 1941 – 12 March 1942 * 127th Observation: 6 October 1941 – 12 March 1942 * 154th Observation (later, 154th Reconnaissance; 154th Tactical Reconnaissance; 154th Weather Reconnaissance): 1 September 1941 – 15 June 1944 (detached 12 March 1943 – 15 June 1944) 68th Wing, 1951–1982 * 68th Air Base Group (later 68th Combat Support Group): 14 February 1952 – 28 May 1952, 15 June 1960 – 15 April 1963 * 68th Maintenance & Supply Group: 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 * 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Group: 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 * 24th Strategic Reconnaissance, Photographic (later, 24th Bombardment) Squadron: attached 10 October 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 16 January 1953 * 51st Strategic Reconnaissance, Photographic (later, 51st Bombardment) Squadron: attached 10 October 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 30 September 1982 * 52nd Strategic Reconnaissance, Photographic (later, 52nd Bombardment) Squadron: attached 10 October 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 15 April 1963 * 68th Air Refueling Squadron: attached 8 April – 28 May 1952; assigned 25 November 1953 – 3 September 1957 * 656th Bombardment Squadron: 16 January 1953 – 15 April 1963 * 657th Bombardment Squadron: 1 December 1958 – 1 January 1962 *
911th Air Refueling Squadron The 911th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. The squadron is the Air Force's very first active duty squadron that is under the command of a reserve wing. In October 2016, th ...
: 15 April 1963 – 30 September 1982 * 32nd Munitions Maintenance Squadron: 1 July 1960 – 15 April 1963 * 53rd Munitions Maintenance Squadron: 15 April 1963 – 30 September 1972 * 68th Medical Squadron (later 68th Medical Group, 68th Tactical Hospital): 10 October 1951 – 15 February 1952, 16 June 1952 – 1 December 1958 * 68th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron: 1 February 1963 – 30 June 1974 * 68th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron (later 68th Avionics Maintenance Squadron): 16 June 1952 – 30 September 1982 * 68th Maintenance Squadron (later 68th Field Maintenance Squadron, 68th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron): 16 June 1952 – 1 April 1991 * 68th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, 1 October 1972 – 30 September 1982 * 68th Periodic Maintenance Squadron (later 68th Organizational Maintenance Squadron): 16 June 1952 – 30 September 1982 * 4068th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron: 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 * 4068th Organizational Maintenance Squadron: 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 Consolidated organization * 16th Test (later, 16th Electronic Warfare) Squadron: 15 April 1993 – 20 November 1998, 20 November 1998 – c. 25 June 2021 * 36th Engineering and Test (later, 36th Electronic Warfare) Squadron: 15 April 1993 – 20 November 1998, 20 November 1998 – c. 25 June 2021 * 39th Electronic Warfare Squadron: c. 23 July 2020 – c. 25 June 2021 *
51st Bombardment Squadron The 51st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 68th Bombardment Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1982. The squadron was ...
: 30 September – 1 October 1982 * 53rd Computer Systems Squadron: 13 September 1999 – 1 October 2002 * 68th Test Support Squadron (later 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron): 15 April 1993 – 20 November 1998, 20 November 1998 – c. 25 June 2021 * 84th Test Squadron: 1 December 1991 – 15 April 1993 * 87th Electronic Warfare Aggressor Squadron (later 87th Electronic Warfare Squadron): 15 April 1993 – 1 July 1997, c. 17 May 2019 – c. 25 June 2021 * 344th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 October 1986 – 22 April 1991 * 453rd Electronic Warfare Squadron: Unknown – c. 25 June 2021 * 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron: 1 April 2010 – c. 25 June 2021 *
911th Air Refueling Squadron The 911th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. The squadron is the Air Force's very first active duty squadron that is under the command of a reserve wing. In October 2016, th ...
: 30 September 1982 – 22 April 1991


Stations

* Brownwood Army Air Field, Texas, 1 September 1941 * New Orleans Army Air Base, Louisiana, 17 December 1941 *
Daniel Field Daniel Field is a public use airport located one nautical mile (2  km) west of the central business district of Augusta, a city in Richmond County, Georgia, United States. It is owned by the City of Augusta and operated by the General ...
, Georgia, 8 February 1942 *
Smith Reynolds Airport Smith Reynolds Airport is a public airport 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Winston-Salem in Forsyth County, North Carolina. The airport has two runways, and is used for general aviation and flight training as there is now no scheduled passenger ...
, North Carolina, 9 July 1942 *
Morris Field Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles west ...
, North Carolina, c. 17 August – 18 October 1942 *
Casablanca Airfield Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
, French Morocco November 1942 *
Oujda Airfield Oujda Angads Airport () is an airport serving Oujda, a city in the Oriental region in Morocco. it is located about north of Oujda and about northeast of Casablanca, near the Algerian border. History During World War II, the airport was used ...
, French Morocco c. November 1942 * Berrechid Airfield, French Morocco 24 March 1943 *
Berteaux Airfield Berteaux Airfield is an abandoned World War II United States Army Air Forces military airfield in Algeria, which was located approximately 9 km east of Telerghma; 35 km southwest of Constantine. The airfield was constructed as a semi ...
, Algeria 5 September 1943 *
Massicault Airfield Borj El Amri Airport is a small airport near Borj El Amri, a city in the Manouba Governorate of Tunisia. The airport is located southwest of Tunis and has a functional asphalt runway. The airport is used as a training site of the ''Aviation Scho ...
, Tunisia October 1943 *
Manduria Airfield Manduria Airfield is a World War II airfield in Italy, located approximately 5 km north of Manduria, and about 390 km east-southeast of Naples. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force and later Fifteenth Air F ...
, Italy November 1943 *
Blida Airfield Blida Airport is an airport in Blida, Algeria . It undertook a repavement project in 2012. On 8 November 1942, during World War II, the airport was taken by the 11th Infantry Brigade British Army. The event was part of the Operation Torch of th ...
, Algeria, November 1943-15 June 1944 * Hamilton Field (later, Air Force Base), California, 9 April 1947 – 27 June 1949 * Lake Charles (later, Chennault) Air Force Base, Louisiana, 10 October 1951 *
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for U.S. Navy Lt. Seymour A. Johnson, a test pilot from Goldsboro who died in an airplane crash near Norbeck, Maryland, ...
, North Carolina, 15 April 1963 – 30 September 1982; 30 September 1982 – 22 April 1991 *
Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...
, Florida, 15 April 1993 – 20 November 1998, 20 November 1998 – c. 25 June 2021


Aircraft

68th Group 1941–1952: O-38, 1941–1942; O-46, 1941–1942; O-47, 1941–1942; O-49, 1941–1942; YO-50, 1941–1942; O-52, 1941–1942; O-57, 1941–1942; O-58, 1941–1942; O-59, 1941–1942; A-20, 1942–1943; DB-7, 1942; L-4, 1942; O-43, 1942; P-39, 1942–1943; P-40, 1942–1943; P-43, 1942; A-36, 1943; B-17, 1943–1944; P-38, 1943; P-38/F-4, 1943; P-51, 1943; P-51/F-6, 1943; Spitfire, 1943. A-6, 1947–1949; A-7, 1947–1949; A-11, 1947–1949. 68th Wing 1951–1982: B-29, 1952–1953; B-47, 1953–1963; KC-97, 1953–1957; B-52, 1963–1972, 1973–1982; KC-135, 1963–1972; 1973–1985. Consolidated organization: KC-10, 1982–1991; KC-135, 1982–1991. None, 1993–1998


See also

*
List of B-29 units of the United States Air Force This is a list of Boeing B-29 Superfortress units consisting of nations, their air forces, and the unit assignments that used the B-29 during World War II, Korean War, and post war periods, including variants and other historical information Del ...
*
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 ...
*
List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been operational with the United States Air Force since 5 June, 1955. This list is of the units it was assigned to, and the bases it was stationed. In addition to the USAF, A single RB-52B (52-008) was flown ...
*
List of MAJCOM wings of the United States Air Force This is a list of Major Air Command (MAJCOM) Wings of the United States Air Force (USAF), a designation system in use from the summer of 1948 to the mid-1990s. From 1948 to 1991 MAJCOMs had the authority to form wings using manpower authorizati ...


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * * * {{Navboxes , list = {{Strategic Air Command {{USAAF 15th Air Force World War II {{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II {{USAAF 3rd Air Force World War II {{USAF air refueling units 53 Military units and formations established in 1998