| 307th Bomb Wing | |
|---|---|
 307th Bomb Wing – Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 61-0017 | |
| Active | 1947–1948; 1948–1965; 1970–1975; 2011 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Bombardment |
| Part of |  Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana |
| Tail Code | "BD" |
| Decorations | Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Col. David M. Martinez |
| Vice commander | N/A |
| Command Chief | N/A |
| Insignia | |
| 307th Bomb Wing emblem |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Bomber | B-52H Stratofortress andB-1B Lancer |
The307th Bomb Wing (307 BW) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of theUnited States Air Force. It is assigned to theTenth Air Force ofAir Force Reserve Command, stationed atBarksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. If mobilized, the wing is gained byAir Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC).
The wing was first activated in 1947 as part of the test of theWing Base Organization system as the307th Bombardment Wing as the headquarters for the307th Bombardment Group and its supporting organizations. It served in the Korean War, where it earned aPresidential Unit Citation. It served as a strategicbomber organization until inactivated in 1945.
The wing was again activated as the307th Strategic Wing in 1970 atU-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand. It managed deployedStrategic Air Command tankers and bombers participating in combat operations in Southeast Asia until it was inactivated on 30 September 1975.
With the divestiture ofA-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from AFRC's composite917th Wing (917 WG) at Barksdale AFB and reassignment to an AFRC fighter wing, the 917 WG was inactivated and itsB-52 Stratofortress aircraft transferred to the reactivated 307th Bomb Wing on 8 January 2011.
On 17 October 2015 the 307 BW reactivated the 489th Bomb Group under its Wing. The 489 BW is a classic association at Dyess AFB, Texas flying the B-1B Lancer.
The wing is diverse, flying and maintaining 20Boeing B-52H Stratofortress. The 307th Operations Group oversees three squadrons: the 93rd Bomb Squadron, which operates the B-52 Formal Training Unit and qualifies aircrew to operate the B-52 in active association with the 11th Bomb Squadron, the 343rd Bomb Squadron, which performs the nuclear enterprise and global strike missions in classic association with the2nd Operations Group, the 307th Operations Support Squadron, which provides intelligence, aircrew life support and range operations services to the wing's full range of B-52 missions. The 489th Bomb Group, a geographically separated unit, operates in classic association with the 7th Operations Group at Dyess AFB, Texas flying the B-1 Lancer. In addition, the wing produces sorties for the 340th Weapons Squadron and the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron to accomplish their mission.[1]
The 307th Bomb Wing consists of the following major units:
The 307th replaced the 94th Combat Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy Bomber (Provisional) and other organizations in August 1947. From then until 15 December 1948 the 307th Wing controlled, in addition to its own units, the82d Fighter Wing at Grenier Field, NH. In September 1947 it began training other SAC combat units inanti-submarine warfare. In February, it began operating aBoeing B-29 Superfortress transition training school and standardized combat training for all SAC units.
In August 1950, the 307th deployed toOkinawa. Detached fromStrategic Air Command (SAC), it began operations under Far East Air Forces Bomber Command, Provisional. The attached306th Bombardment Group transferred to its parent wing on 1 September 1950 and until 10 February 1951 the 307th had no tactical mission. On that date, wing resources were used to form the6th Air Division at MacDill and the wing deployed without personnel toKadena Air Base, where it absorbed resources of the 307th Bomb Group and began flying combat missions.
During the Korean War, the 307th Bomb Wing received aPresidential Unit Citation for its extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy of theUnited Nations during the period of 11 to 27 July 1953. During this time it flew 93 sorties and dropped 860 tons of bombs on targets at theNorth Korean Simanju Airfield, where, despite severe airframe icing, intense enemyanti-aircraft fire and co-ordinated searchlight andfighter opposition, it rendered the airfield unserviceable. The 307th also flew the last B-29 Superfortress combat mission on 23 July 1953.
By the end of the hostilities, the wing (including its tactical group) had flown 5,810 combat sorties in 573 combat missions. The wing remained in the Far East, required to maintain combat readiness, and on 15 August 1953 Kadena became its permanent base.
The 307th returned to the United States in November 1954 and left its B-29s atDavis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It proceeded to its new base,Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska. It replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with newBoeing B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1955, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union.
It conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations to prepare, if necessary, fornuclear war. The 4362d Support Squadron (later the 4352d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron) was attached to the wing from 20 July 1962 until 24 December 1964. In January 1965 the wing began phasing down as Lincoln AFB was being closed and the wing's B-47s were retired. It was inactivated on 25 March 1965.
The wing was again activated in 1970 as the307th Strategic Wing when it replaced the4258th Strategic Wing atU-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand. SAC organized the 4258th at U-Tapao on 2 June 1966 and assigned it to the3d Air Division[2] to supporting deployedBoeing KC-135 Stratotankers that engaged incombat operations overSoutheast Asia during theVietnam War. The wing was assigned three maintenance squadrons and received administrative andlogistics support from the 635th Combat Support Group ofPacific Air Forces. The wing was detached from the 3d Air Division from organization until 25 October 1965.[2] The following year, the wing added the 4258th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, which enabled it to supportBoeing B-52 Stratofortress operations as well.
In 1970, in order to perpetuate the lineage of inactive bombardment units with illustriousWorld War II records, SAC received authority from Headquarters, USAF to discontinue its two Major Command controlled (MAJCON) strategic wings in the Pacific and replace them with Air Force controlled (AFCON) units, which could carry a lineage and history.[3] On 1 April 1970, the 4258th SW was discontinued and replaced by the307th Strategic Wing which assumed its mission, personnel, and equipment on 1 February 1963.[4] The 4258th's maintenance squadrons were replaced by ones with the 307th numerical designation of the newly established wing. Each of the new units assumed the personnel, equipment, and mission of its predecessor. The 307th was the only regular Air Force SAC Wing stationed in Southeast Asia.
Using aircraft and crews deployed from the United States, the 307th conducted conventional bombardment operations and provided KC-135 aerial refueling (Young Tiger Tanker Task Force) of U.S. aircraft in Southeast Asia as directed through the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. It ended all combat operations on 14 August 1973 as a result of the Congressionally mandated end of US Combat activities overLaos andCambodia.
The final B-52 returned to its home unit in June 1975, but the wing continued some KC-135 and refueling operations supporting the USAF tactical units in Thailand until inactivated on 30 September 1975 as part of the USAF withdrawal from its Thai bases.
The 307th Bomb Wing was reactivated at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana on 1 January 2011 with the 93rd and 343rd Bomb Squadrons. The Wing is assigned 18 B-52H Stratofortress aircraft.[1]
On 9 July 2011 the 707th Maintenance Squadron was activated to support the 343rd Bomb Squadron atBarksdale AFB.[1]
During the Air Force Global Strike Challenge in November 2011, the 307th Bomb Wing was awarded the General Curtis LeMay Trophy for best bomber operations Wing in the Air Force.[1]
On 4 June 2012 the 707th Maintenance Squadron reached a milestone with the certification of their first nuclear and conventional load crew on the B-52H Stratofortress. This certification made the 343rd Bomb Squadron and the 707th Maintenance Squadron the first Air Force Reserve Nuclear Squadron.[1]
The 489th Bombardment Group was reactivated and redesignated the 489th Bomb Group at Dyess AFB, Texas on 17 October 2015 with the 345th Bomb Squadron, 489th Maintenance Squadron and the 489th Aerospace Medicine Flight under the 307th Bomb Wing flying the B-1 Lancer as a classic association with the 7th Bomb Wing.[1]
In April 2016, the 343rd Bomb Squadron deployed personnel to Al Udeid Air Base in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in support of the war on ISIS.[1]
In August and September 2016, the 307th Bomb Wing supported and participated in NATO Exercise AMPLE STRIKE. The exercise was under the auspices of Operation Atlantic Resolve which is the United States' assurance and deterrence operation in the European Command.[1]
In September 2016 the 307th Bomb Wing also participated in a multi-national community event called NATO Days. This event provided a forum for outreach with civilian and military leadership from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and populations from surrounding nations.[1]
The 307th continued to support the war against terrorism in 2017 with aircrew and maintainer deployed supporting the B-52 mission inAl Udeid Air Base forOperation Inherent Resolve and Operation Freedom's Sentinel.[1]
In August and September 2017, the 307th Bomb Wing supported and participated in Exercise AMPLE STRIKE, which was Czech Republic led with two B-52s and two B-1s. This was a critical, annual exercise meant to increase proficiency levels of all forward air controllers and joint terminal air controllers, as well as to improve standardization and interoperability across NATO Allies and partners that included multiple European countries.
In March 2018, the 489th Bomb Group again led an integrated team that operated and maintained three B-1 Lancers in support of the Joint Interagency Task Force-South's Operation Titian. This operation led to the seizure of $270 million in narcotics.
In May and June 2018, the 489 BG led an integrated Bomber Task Force in support of the joint, multinational maritime-focused ExerciseBALTOPS in theBaltic Sea. The exercise enhances flexibility and interoperability, and demonstrate resolve among allied and partner forces in defending the Baltic region.
In mid-2018 the 307 BW deployed over 200 civil engineers, security forces, services, support, and logistics readiness personnel in support ofOperation Spartan Shield and Freedom Sentinel to various locations in southwest Asia for a period of approximately six months.
In September 2018 the 307th Bomb Wing's 93rd Bomb Squadron and 343rd Bomb Squadron again supported the Czech Republic led exercise with one B-52. At the same time the Wing supported the Bomber Task Force in Europe with a B-52 flying missions over Romania, the Arctic Circle and other European locations.
From September 2018 to March 2019 the 489 BG deployed members from their 345th Bomb Squadron and 489th Maintenance Squadron in support of the 7 BW's active duty CENTCOM deployment.[1]
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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