72nd Air Base Wing | |
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| Active | 1941–1943; 1947–1949; 1952–1971; 1994–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Base Support |
| Part of | Air Force Materiel Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Tinker Air Force Base |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Abigail L. W. Ruscetta |
| Command Sergeant Major | Chief Master Sergeant Christopher M. Gradel |
| Insignia | |
| 72nd Air Base Wing emblem(approved 13 October 1995)[1] |  |
| 72nd Strategic Reconnaissance Wing emblem(approved 29 June 1954)[1] |  |
The72nd Air Base Wing is wing of theUnited States Air Force. It is assigned to theAir Force Sustainment Center atTinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It has been the host unit at Tinker since activating there on 1 October 1994.
The first predecessor of the wing was organized in 1941 as the72nd Observation Group during theLouisiana Maneuvers. After theAttack on Pearl Harbor, the group moved to thePanama Canal Zone, where it performedaerial reconnaissance andantisubmarine missions until disbanding in 1943. The group was reconstituted and served in thereserve from 1947 until 1949, when it was inactivated as the Air Force budget was reduced.
The wing's second predecessor was organized in June 1952 as the72nd Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, operatingConvair RB-36 Peacemaker aircraft fromRamey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico. The wing converted to theBoeing B-52 Stratofortress in 1959 on acted in the strategic deterrent role with bombers and tankers until inactivating in June 1971.
The72nd Air Base Wing is the host organization forTinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It provides base installation and support services for the Air Force Sustainment Center, theOklahoma City Air Logistics Complex and more than 45 associate units, including two operational flying wings ofAir Combat Command andAir Force Reserve Command, theUnited States NavyStrategic Communications Wing One and several Defense agencies. The wing provides support services for nearly 27,000 civilian and military personnel at Tinker. It also provides services to approximately 18,000 dependents and more than 36,000 military retirees and their family members in the surrounding area and supports almost 2,400 contractors.[2]
The wing provides base functions including security, fire protection, medical services, civil engineering, communications and supply, transportation and airfield operations. It also offers a variety of recreational and leisure activities.[2]
Organizations assigned to the Wing include the 72nd Medical Group, 72nd Mission Support Group, 72nd Operations Support Squadron and 72nd Logistics Readiness Squadron.[2]
Thewing's first predecessor was organized during theLouisiana Maneuvers atShreveport Municipal Airport, Louisiana as the72nd Observation Group on 26 September 1941 as part of theUnited States Army's buildup prior to the country's entry intoWorld War II. It drew itscadre from its three original squadrons. These were the108th and124th Observation Squadrons, two National Guard units that had beenmobilized earlier that year, and the1st Observation Squadron, a regular army unit.[3][4][5] However, none of its assigned squadrons were located with groupheadquarters. The two National Guard squadrons remained at their prewar state stations, while the 1st Squadron was atMarshall Field, Kansas.[6] A few days after activating, thegroup headquarters moved toAdams Field, Arkansas. The group's primary mission aircraft was theNorth American O-47, although it also flew theStinson O-49 Vigilant.[1]
While the group was still organizing, Japanattacked Pearl Harbor. The group joined the 1st Squadron at Marshall Field, and at the end of the month, both departed forHoward Field in theCanal Zone, arriving there along with the 108th Squadron on 18 January 1942.[1][3][5] Although the 124th Squadron remained assigned to the group, it remained in the United States until being reassigned in March 1942.[4] Its place was taken by the4th and39th Observation Squadrons, which were assigned to the group the same month.[7] However the group acted only as an administrative headquarters for these units, as the 4th was located atLosey Field, Puerto Rico and operated under thePuerto Rican Department for nearly the entire time it was assigned.[7] The 39th was initially stationed in Panama, but moved toWaller Field, Trinidad in August 1942 and was controlled by theTrinidad Sector and Base Command after its move.[8] The group addedPiper L-4 Grasshoppers,Douglas B-18 Bolos andBell P-39 Airacobras to its inventory in the Caribbean.[1]
The group performedantisubmarine patrols andsearch and rescue missions. It performedaerial reconnaissance for ground units and flew some photographic charting missions. It also provided forces in the Caribbean with mail service.[1] On 1 June 1943, the two squadrons located in the eastern Caribbean were reassigned to theAntilles Air Command.[7][8] Later that month, the group and its remaining squadrons were renamed from observation to reconnaissance units. The group disbanded in November 1943 as the 108th Squadron inactivated and the 1st Squadron was reassigned directly toSixth Air Force.[1][5]
The group was reactivated as areserve unit underAir Defense Command (ADC) atHamilton Field, California in July 1947, where its training was supervised by the 415 AAF Base Unit (later the 2346th Air Force Reserve Training Center).[9] Upon activation, it was assigned the newly constituted60th Reconnaissance Squadron. The following month, it added the73d Fighter Squadron.[1] In 1948Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managingreserve andAir National Guard units from ADC.[10] However, it does not appear that the group was fully manned or equipped with operational aircraft during this period.[11]
The 72nd was inactivated in June 1949 when ConAC reorganized its reserve units under thewing base organization system.[1] PresidentTruman's reduced 1949 defense budget also required reductions in the number of groups in the Air Force to 48.[12] The group's personnel and equipment were transferred to elements of the349th Troop Carrier Wing, which was simultaneously activated to replace reserve elements at Hamilton.[13]
The second predecessor of the wing was the72nd Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, which was activated in June 1952 atRamey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico as a long range reconnaissance unit. It was assigned the 60th and 73rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadrons, which had been elements of the 72nd Group while a reserve unit, and the new301st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron as its operational units. The combat squadrons reported directly to the wing, eliminating the intermediate group structures under the "dual deputy" organization.[14] However, until the end of September, the wing existed only on paper, and was commanded by the commander of the55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing as an additional duty. In October 1952, the 55th Wing moved toForbes Air Force Base, Kansas without personnel or equipment, and the 72nd absorbed its remaining resources at Ramey.[1][15]
Although the 55th Wing had primarily operatedBoeing RB-50 Superfortresses at Ramey, the 72nd Wing began to equip with theConvair RB-36 Peacemaker.[1][15] The wing conducted global strategic reconnaissance from 1953. On 16 June 1954 the wing, along with SAC's other B-36 reconnaissance wings, was assigned bombing as its primary mission. However, it retained its designation as a reconnaissance wing until 1955.[1][16]
In 1958, the wing prepared for transition to theBoeing B-52 Stratofortress. Its Peacemakers were gone by the end of the year, with the 73rd Squadron becoming nonoperational on 1 September 1958, followed by the 301st Squadron on 11 September and the 60th Squadron on 18 November. The915th Air Refueling Squadron, operatingBoeing KC-135 Stratotankers activated on 1 September 1958. The first B-52s arrived the following year. However, starting in 1957Strategic Air Command (SAC) had developed plans to disperse its B-52 force to reduce its vulnerability to Soviet missile attack.[17] SAC bases with large concentrations of bombers made attractive targets. SAC's response was to break up its wings and scatter their aircraft over a larger number of bases.[18] Under this program, the wing's 73d Bombardment Squadron moved toSeymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina on 5 January as the strike unit for the4241st Strategic Wing,[19] while the 301st Bombardment Squadron moved toEglin Air Force Base, Florida on 17 June 1959 to perform a similar role with the4135th Strategic Wing,[20] leaving the 60th as the wing's only bomber unit. The two transferred squadrons remained nonoperational until they were reassigned, while the 60th became operational with the B-52 on 13 August 1959.[1]
Starting in 1960, one third of the wing's aircraft were maintained on fifteen minutealert, fully fueled, armed and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. This was increased to half the wing's aircraft in 1962.[21]
Soon after detection of Soviet missiles in Cuba, on 20 October, the wing was directed to put two additional planes on alert. On 22 October 1/8 of SAC B-52s had been placed onairborne alert.[22] Additional KC-135s were placed on alert to replace KC-135s devoted to maintaining the B-52 bomber force on airborne alert.[23] On 24 October SAC went toDEFCON 2, placing all the wing's aircraft on alert.[24] On 21 November SAC returned to normal airborne alert posture.[25] The same day, SAC went to DEFCON 3 and on 27 November SAC returned to the wing normal alert posture.[26] The wing continued to stand nuclear alert until shortly before inactivating in June 1971.[1] The 915th Air Refueling Squadron inactivated with the wing and its personnel and planes were assigned to other units.[27] While the 60th Bombardment Squadron's resources were also dispersed, the squadron moved on paper toAnderson Air Force Base, Guam, where it would resume operating B-52s.[28]
In addition to its combat mission the wing hosted the annual United States Air Force Commander's Conferences, code named Corona South. While these began on an irregular basis in 1955, by the 1960s, they had been a regular annual event at Ramey. They continued until the wing was inactivated.Military Airlift Command continued them until Ramey closed and they were transferred toHomestead Air Force Base, Florida.[29]
In January 1984, the 72nd Reconnaissance Group and the 72nd Bombardment Wing were consolidated into a single unit. The consolidated unit was redesignated the72nd Air Base Wing and activated atTinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma on 1 October 1994. The wing replaced the 654th Air Base Group, which had served as the host for Tinker since 1953 under various designations.[30][note 3]
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| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 1957–1 June 1958 | 72nd Bombardment Wing[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1968– 30 June 1969 | 72nd Bombardment Wing[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1995-31 December 1996 | 72nd Air Base Wing[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1997-31 December 1998 | 72nd Air Base Wing[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 2005-31 December 2006 | 72nd Air Base Wing[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2012-30 June 2014 | 72nd Air Base Wing[1] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Antisubmarine | 7 December 1941 – 1 November 1943 | 72nd Observation Group (later 72nd Reconnaissance Group)[1] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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