384th Air Expeditionary Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=384th Air Expeditionary Wing


caption= 384th Air Expeditionary Wing emblem
dates= 1942 - 2004
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
type=
role= Aerial Refueling
size=
command_structure= CENTAF/9th Air Force
current_commander=
garrison= Shaikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto= Keep the Show on the Road
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders= Charles T. Robertson, Jr.
anniversaries=

The United States Air Force's 384th Air Expeditionary Wing was an Air Expeditionary unit located at Shaikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain, until 2004.

One of the wing's missions was aerial refueling of combat aircrat.

History

Lineage

* Constituted as 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 25 Nov 1942.
** Activated on 1 Dec 1942
** Inactivated at Istres France on 28 February 1946
* Redesignated 384th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy)
** Allotted to the reserve and activated on 16 Jul 1947.
** Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949.
* Established as 384th Bombardment Wing, Medium, 23 Mar 1953
** Activated 1 August 1955
** Discontinued and Inactivated, 1 August 1964
* Redesignated 384th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, 15 November 1972
** Activated 1 December 1972
* Redsesignated 384th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, 1987
** Inactivated 1 October 1994.

Stations Assigned

* Gowen Field, Idaho, 1 Dec 1942 - 2 Jan 1943
* Wendover Field, Utah, 2 Jan - 3 Apr 1943
* Sioux City AAB, Iowa, 3 Apr - 3 May 1943
* RAF Grafton Underwood, England, Jun 1943 - Jun 1945
* Istres AB, France, Jun 1945 - 28 Feb 1946.
* Nashville Mun Airport, Tenn, 16 Jul 1947 - 27 Jun 1949
* Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, 1 Aug 1955 - 1 Sep 1964
* McConnell AFB, Kansas, 1 Dec 1972 - 1 Oct 1994
*Shaikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain (2003-2004) [http://www.ngb.army.mil/ngbgomo/library/bio/1155.htm Brig Gen Timothy W. Scott Biography]

quadrons assigned

*70th Bombardment Squadron (1 Aug 1961-1 Sep 1964)
*91st Air Refueling Squadron (1 Dec 1972-1987)
*384th Air Refueling Squadron (30 Sep 1973-1994)
*544th Bombardment Squadron (1 Aug 1955-1 Sep 1964)
*545th Bombardment Squadron (1 Aug 1955-1 Sep 1964)
*546th Bombardment Squadron (1 Aug 1955-1 Sep 1964)
*547th Bombardment Squadron (1 Sep 1958-1 Jan 1962)

Aircraft flown

*KC-135 (2003-2004)
*B-1B (1988-1994)Jenkins, D. (2000). B-1 Lancer: The Most Complicated Warplane Ever Developed. Mc-Graw Hill Books. ISBN 0071346945
*KC-135 (1964; 1972-1994)
*KC-97 (1961-1963)
*B-47 (1956-1964)
*B-17 (1942-1946)

World War II

The 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was "activated" (brought into existence by the assignment of personnel) on 1 December 1942 at Gowen Field, Idaho. Comprised of the 544th, 545th, 546th, and 547th Bombardment Squadrons, the 384th was assigned to Wendover Field, Utah, on 2 January 1943 to begin training in B-17 Flying Fortresses for combat in the European Theatre of Operations.

The thirty-six aircraft of the 384th Bomb Group were assigned to the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division of the Eighth Air Force. The group arrived at USAAF Station 106 near the village of Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, England, in May 1943. The tail of each of the unit's B-17 aircraft was emblazoned with the "triangle-P" insignia, that letter chosen to honor the first 384th commander, Colonel Budd J. Peaslee.

The unit's primary function was the strategic bombardment of airfields and industries in France, Germany, and surrounding Nazi-occupied areas. They flew their first combat mission as a group on 22 June 1943, bombing automobile parts warehouses in Antwerp. This first mission claimed two of the unit's B-17s and their aircrews.

By the time their sixth mission was completed the 384th had lost thirty-five of its original thirty-six aircraft. Replacement crews and aircraft constantly arrived to take the vacancies, but the losses kept mounting. On a mission to bomb the port at Hamburg the 384th first experienced the terrible reality of a "ghost squadron" -- all seven ships and crews of the 544th Squadron failed to return from the mission. The entire squadron was lost.

During their tenure in England the B-17s of the 384th Bombardment Group undertook bombing missions to the airdromes at Orleans, Bricy, and Nancy, the motor works at Cologne, an aircraft component factory in Halberstadt, the steel works at Magdeburg, oil storage facilities at Leipzig and Berlin, railroad marshalling yards at Duren and Mannheim, the ports of Hamburg and Emden, and ball bearing plants in Schweinfurt. They received a Distinguished Unit Citation for their raid on aircraft factories in central Germany on 11 January 1944 and took part in the heavy bombing campaign against the German aircraft industry during "Big Week" the following month. On 24 April 1944 the unit received its second Distinguished Unit Citation when, although crippled by heavy losses of aircraft and men due to almost overwhelming enemy opposition, the group led the attack on an aircraft factory and airfield at Oberpfaffenhofen.

In June 1944 the 384th supported the Normandy invasion with attacks along the French coast, then bombed airfields and communications lines beyond the Allied beachhead. The unit supported ground troops during the breakthrough at St. Lo in July 1944 and assisted the airborne assault on Holland in September of that year. During that winter it struck enemy communications lines and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge. The following spring the 384th aided the Allied assault across the Rhine by cutting enemy supply lines.

The 384th Bombardment Group flew 9,348 combat sorties in 316 missions, dropping 22,416 tons of bombs on enemy targets. The unit lost 159 aircraft and 1,625 men in combat, while destroying 165 enemy airplanes (with 34 more "probables") and seriously damaging 116 others. Through it all, the members of the 384th lived up to their motto "Keep the Show on the Road." Today, surviving members of the unit proudly recall that they "always flew the missions as briefed."

Following the surrender of the Axis powers the 384th Bombardment Group remained in Europe as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe, ferrying Allied troops into Germany, Greek soldiers back to their homeland, and American troops to Casablanca for their return to the United States. The unit was inactivated Istres France on 28 February 1946.

Cold War

B-47 Era

The 384th Bombardment Wing of the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command was established at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas on 1 August 1955. With its establishment, the 384th Bomb Group was activated as the operational group of the wing, bestowing it's World War II honors, heritage and colors to the new Wing. Operational squeadrons 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. 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.

KC-135 Era

The 384th was reactivated on 1 December 1972 as the 384th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas with Boeing KC-135A Stratotankers and took command of the 91st Air Refueling Squadron (ARS)

From McConnell, the wing deployed aircraft and crews on a world-wide basis, engaging in actual and simulated tactical and strategic operations, including air refueling support for theevacuation of South Vietnamese and Americans from South Vietnam in 1975. The wing maintained proficiency in air refueling in support of SAC units and other units as directed.

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.

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 October 2, 1981, President Ronald Reagan 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 redesigated 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.

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.

In August 1990, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait. McConnell personnel and aircraft were deployed throughout the Middle East, performing refueling missions of Coalition aircraft in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm to help eject the invaders from the small kingdom of Kuwait. 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. However, at that time the B-1B had been encountering a rash of turbofan blade failures and was experiencing other problems, and the real reason might have been that the plane really wasn't yet combat ready. Nevertheless, at that time the B-1B had not yet undergone the conversions that would have made it capable of delivering conventional weapons.

With the end of the Cold War, the Air Force went though many changes. One of these changes was the Objective Wing concept, with created "Operation Groups" (OG) to place operational aircraft squadrons under organizationally. The 38tth engaged this change on 1 September 1991 and was redesignated simply as the 384th Wing, with the 28th Bomb Squadron (B-1B) and the 384th Air Refueling Squadorn (KC-135R) as its operational units.

On 1 June Strategic Air Command was inactivated as part of a massive re-alignment of the Air Force command structure. The 384th was assigned to the newly-established Air Combat Command (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 28th BS aircraft were assigned the tail code "OZ". The 384th ARS was relieved from assignment to McConnell, and was reassigned to the 19th OG (19th Air Refueling Wing) at Robins AFB, Georgia.

As a result of a BRAC related realignment, March AFB, California was taken off active-duty status and assigned to the Air Force Reserve. As part of a program to keep historically significant wings active, its 22d Air Refueling Wing was reassigned to McConnell without personnel or equipment on 1 January 1994. As a result, on 1 January, the 384th was redesignated as the 384th Bomb Group, as a unit under the 22d ARW.

The USAF planned to return McConnell 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 7th OG at Dyess AFB, Texas on 1 October 1994 and the 384th BG was inactivated on 30 September 1994.

Global War on Terror

The 384th AEW was in existence in an unidentified Middle Eastern location in June 2002. [ [http://www.defendamerica.mil/profiles/jun2002/pr060702a.html Defend America News - Profile ] ]

From Feb-May 2003, the 384 AEW was in existence at Sheik Isa Air Base, Bahrain.

In Jun 04, 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 in Sep 03.

The Wing was deactivated in 2004.

Other reports have the 319th AEG operating from 'Base X' in Oman, [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/319arw.htm] which other sources labelled Masirah Air Base. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/oef_orbat_021118.htm]

See also

* Eighth Air Force
* Strategic Air Command
* War on Terrorism

References

* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* Mueller, Robert (1989). 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. ISBN 0-912799-53-6
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
* Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.

External links

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/agency/384bw.htm Globalsecurity.org - 384th Bomb Wing]
* [http://www.384thbombgroup.com/ 384th Bomb Group, Inc.] , a history-preservation organization of the group's WWII veterans (and, more recently, their descendants)
* http://www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/McConnell_AFB.htm