42nd Air Base Wing | |
|---|---|
 Lt. Gen. Stephen Lorenz,Air University commander, and Col. Paul McGillicuddy, 42nd Air Base Wing commander greet Defense SecretaryRobert M. Gates, at Maxwell Air Force Base in 2008 | |
| Active | 1940–1946; 1953–1994; 1994–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Base support |
| Part of | Air Education and Training Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Maxwell Air Force Base |
| Nickname | Crusaders (World War II) |
| Motto | Latin:Aethera Nobis "The Skies for Us" |
| Engagements | Southwest Pacific Theater,First Gulf War |
| Decorations |  Presidential Unit Citation  Air Force Outstanding Unit Award .jpg) French Croix de Guerre with Palm _Streamer.png) Philippine Presidential Unit Citation |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Shamekia N. Toliver |
| Vice Commander | Colonel Abigail Frander |
| Command Chief | Chief Master Sergeant Caleb Vaden |
| Insignia | |
| 42nd Air Base Wing emblem(approved 16 April 1954)[1][note 1] |  |
| 42nd Bombardment Group emblem(approved on 11 March 1942)[2] |  |
The42nd Air Base Wing is aUnited States Air Force unit assigned toAir University ofAir Education and Training Command. It is stationed atMaxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama and is the host unit for Maxwell-Gunter. Thewing's primary mission is to support all activities of Air University, the908th Airlift Wing and other tenant units stationed at Maxwell-Gunter.
The wing was first activated shortly before the beginning ofWorld War II as the42nd Bombardment Group, amedium bomber unit. It conductedantisubmarine patrols off the Pacific coast following theJapanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The group provided units to reinforce the defenses of Alaska and to conduct patrols against GermanU-boats in the Caribbean Sea. It was brought up to strength by the transfer of veteran squadrons in 1943 when it moved to theSouthwest Pacific Theater as part ofThirteenth Air Force. The 42nd saw combat in theSolomon Islands,Russell Islands,New Guinea and thePhilippines. The group was awarded aDistinguished Unit Citation for its pre-invasion bombing ofBalikpapan from 23 to 30 June 1945. Its missions during the campaign in the Philippines earned it aPhilippine Presidential Unit Citation. The 42nd was inactivated in Japan in the spring of 1946 after serving as part of theoccupation forces there.
The42nd Bombardment Wing was initially activated in 1953 withConvair B-36 Peacemakers as a component ofStrategic Air Command'sheavy bomber force. After two years flying the Peacemaker, it became the second wing to fly theBoeing B-52 Stratofortress, and the first to convert to the B-52 from propeller-driven bombers. The wing maintained half of its planes onalert throughout theCold War, and increased its alert commitment for theLebanon crisis of 1958 and theCuban Missile Crisis. The wing also provided aircraft andcrews for theVietnam War andFirst Gulf War. The wing was consolidated with the group into a single unit in 1985. The consolidated unit was inactivated when its home station,Loring Air Force Base, closed in 1994.
The wing was activated several months later as 42nd Air Base Wing, replacing the502nd Air Base Wing as the host organization for Maxwell Air Force Base (now Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base), Alabama. It has supported all Air Force units in theMontgomery, Alabama region since that time.
The 42nd Air Base Wing is commanded by Col Shamekia N. Toliver. Its Vice Commander is Col Abigail Frander. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Caleb Vaden. The wing is the host unit forMaxwell-Gunter Air Force Base. It provides the foundation forAir University, the intellectual and leadership center of the Air Force; the908th Airlift Wing; the Business and Enterprise Systems Directorate; and more than 30 tenant units.[3]
The wing ensures airmen are ready to deploy in support of U.S. military operations worldwide and promotes their professional and personal growth. The wing is also responsible for the safety and security of the base, which it accomplishes through force protection, maintaining and modernizing facilities and infrastructure, and seeking efficient new ways of conducting operations. It supports more than 12,500 active duty, reserve, civilian and contractor personnel.[3]
The 42nd Mission Support Group consists of over 2,200 military and civilian employees organized into seven squadrons. The group provides contracting, security, civil engineering, operations/airfield support, personnel, communications, transportation, supply, fuels and services for 45,000 personnel. In addition, the group is responsible for maintaining a $2.2 billion physical plant including 4,106 acres, 859 buildings, 2,300 lodging rooms, utilities and communications. The group oversees a large support contract, which provides base operating support services through a multi-year contract.[4]
The 42nd Medical Group manages an ambulatory healthcare facility offering family health, pediatrics, internal medicine, physical therapy, flight medicine, chiropractic, trainee health, optometry, mental health and dental services to eligible beneficiaries. Ancillary services include pharmacy, radiology, a referral management center and a laboratory.[5]
The42nd Bombardment Group was first activated atFort Douglas, Utah on 15 January 1941, drawing itscadre from the7th Bombardment Group.[6][7] Its original squadrons were the75th,76th and77th Bombardment Squadrons and the16th Reconnaissance Squadron, which was attached to the group.[6][8][9][10][11] During its time at Fort Douglas, thegroup was without aircraft and spent its time in ground training and adding personnel to bring it up to strength. Shortages of equipment in the pre-warArmy meant that even drill was performed with broomsticks taking the place of rifles.[7]
In May the group began its move to Army Air Base, Boise (later namedGowen Field). Gowen was not ready for occupancy when the advance echelon arrived, so they were initially quartered at aNational Guard armory nearBoise, Idaho, named Camp Bonneville. By 4 June the group was assembled at Gowen Field. By August the group received its first sixDouglas B-18 Bolos and was able to begin flying training. The group was notified in October that it would be equipped with theMartin B-26 Marauder. Several crews were sent toPatterson Field, Ohio, where they participated in the service testing of the Marauder. Once the testing was complete, the group began to pick up brand-new B-26s at the Martin plant.[7]
Following theJapanese attack on Pearl Harbor the group initially moved most of its available B-26s toMuroc Army Air Base, California. However, soon priority was given to bringing the 77th squadron up to full strength when it was alerted for immediate movement to Alaska. On 19 December the squadron departed forElmendorf Field and by February it had been reassigned out of the group.[7][2] At the beginning of the new year the remainder of the group dispersed to thePacific Northwest, with group headquarters and the 76th Bombardment Squadron atMcChord Field, Washington, the 75th atPortland Army Air Base, Oregon and the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron atPaine Field, Washington. To provide greater coverage forantisubmarine patrols,detachments were organized to fly out of smaller fields. The group primarily usedLockheed A-29 Hudsons for its antisubmarine work, but also flew several other types.[12]
Meanwhile, a number of the senior officers of the group headquarters moved toSeattle, where they formed an advanced echelon forIV Bomber Command, which was taking over all Pacific coast antisubmarine operations, including those along the northern coast, which had been controlled bySecond Air Force. In March, the place of the departed 77th was taken by the newly activated390th Bombardment Squadron.[13] Most of the initial personnel of the 390th were drawn from the group's headquarters squadron. At the same time, the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron was formally assigned to the group, changing its name to the 406th Bombardment Squadron. However, in May group strength was again reduced to three squadrons, when the air echelon of the 76th squadron departed forMiami, Florida and was attached to the45th Bombardment Group as antisubmarine efforts focused on the GermanU-boat threat in the Caribbean Sea.[9][12] The group shrank again the following month as the 406th's air echelon was dispatched to join the 77th in Alaska, where it was attached to the28th Composite Group.[12][14]
While antisubmarine patrols continued, the group trainedNorth American B-25 Mitchell combat crews for the Alaskan Defense Command.[12] The group's 390th squadron also testedincendiary bombs and bombing techniques at the ranges ofLas Vegas Army Air Field.[12] In February 1943 the group was alerted for overseas movement.[15] Reorganizing for shipment overseas, the 76th and 406th squadrons, which had been on detached service since the previous spring were formally reassigned, while the69th and70th Bombardment Squadrons, which were already in theSouthwest Pacific Theater with the38th Bombardment Group, were transferred to the group.[9][11][16][17] Crews from the group's 75th and 390th squadrons trained with B-25s atHammer Field andMcClellan Field in California before the air echelon departed for its new assignment on 6 March. One aircraft was lost en route toHickam Field on the first leg of this shipment.[15]
The group's ground echelon assembled atCamp Stoneman for overseas shipment aboard theSS Catalina and theUSAT Maui, departing forNoumea on 27 and 28 March.[15]
The air echelon arrived atNandi Airfield in late April 1943, where it joined its 69th and 70th Bombardment Squadrons, which were already there.[15] After additional training and the conversion of the 70th squadron to the B-25, the air echelon of the group headquarters and two squadrons moved toCarney Field,Guadalcanal in June and joined the ground echelon which had arrived the previous month. Although assigned toThirteenth Air Force upon arrival, operational control of the group was vested inCommander, Air Solomons, or ComAirSols.[18] The group launched its first attack on 14 June, when eighteen bombers of the 69th squadron withNavyChance Vought F4U Corsairs flying top cover, struck the support areas ofVila Airfield, onKolombangara.[19]
The 42nd attacked Japaneseairfields, personnel areas, gun positions, and shipping. Shipping attacks relied on what were referred to as "snooper" missions,armed reconnaissance sorties, flown at night, searching for Japanese shipping to attack. On 20 July, the group made a successful attack on Japanese combatant ships:
"[E]ight Mitchells of the 69th Squadron ... on all night shipping alert were dispatched to intercept theTokyo Express making its way downthe Slot . . . The force, sighted by [a NavyConsolidated PBY Catalina ] Black Cat patrol plane earlier in the evening, was estimated to consist of four destroyers, one light cruiser, and an unknown number of transports. . . [U]nder a bright tropical moon which adequately illuminated the target, [the B-25s] launched their attacks. Repeated skip-bombing attacks, with quarter-ton bombs driven into the face of a terrific barrage of automatic weapons fire from the warships, were observed by the Mitchell crews and the naval crews aboard the patrol plane to have accomplished the following results: Enemy losses-onelight cruiser left burning and dead in the water; two direct hits scored on adestroyer, causing large explosions and certain destruction; damaging hits or near misses on a 300-foot freighter. Our losses: one Mitchell shot down by antiaircraft." At 0720 eight Mitchells of the 390th Squadron found the cruiser damaged in the previous night's action creeping to friendly waters at a speed of 2 knots. Although sorely wounded, her defense was still vicious, pouring anti-aircraft fire from at least 30 stations. Feints at various quarters divided the fire and allowed individual planes to launch masthead attacks. Lieut. Schauffler ended the fray when one of his bombs exploded in the ship's magazine. Two minutes later she slipped into the depths, carrying with her at least 75% of her crew."[20]
During most of this period, the group could maintain only two squadrons in the Solomons at a time, and at the end of July 1943, the 70th and 75th squadrons moved forward, while the 69th and 390th moved to rear areas to refit.[20] In October,Munda was taken from the Japanese and the Crusaders could now stage through that base, extending their range and the number of targets they could attack. On 6 October, the group made an attack against the Japanese field atKahili. Because of the critical need to avoid detection, this involved flying over 300 miles at minimum altitude over a route designed to avoid islands along the way from which the group's Mitchells could be spotted. The successfulstrafing and parafrag[note 2] attack shut down all enemy air forces in the area for the next two days, enabling the Navy to withdraw two crippled destroyers and continue rescue operations and permitting cargo ships to offload troops and supplies at Barakoma airfield without air opposition. The group moved forward to theRussell Islands in October, locating atRenard Field.[21] Russell Islands. Shortly thereafter, the 75th squadron moved to Renard as well.[21]
In December 1943, a shipment of 440 enlisted men and ten officers arrived from advanced B-25 training, mostly atGreenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. These replacements permitted most of the ground echelon of the 69th and 70th squadrons, which had been engaged in combat since before the group arrived in the theater, to rotate back to the United States.[22] At the beginning of 1944, the group added a fifth squadron, the106th Reconnaissance Squadron (soon renamed the 100th Bombardment Squadron).[23] It began using the new airfield onStirling Island as a staging point for strikes in early January and relocated there before the end of the month.[24] Until July 1944, the group engaged primarily in the neutralization of enemy airfields and harbor facilities onNew Britain, but also supported ground forces onBougainville Island and attacked shipping in the northern Solomons and theBismarck Archipelago.[6]
In July 1944, the group air echelon began moving to New Guinea and theCyclops Airstrip and Sentani Airstrip nearHollandia.[25] It was early September before the entire air echelon of the group arrived, with the latecomers practicingskip bombing and participating in mock invasionexercises in the Russell Islands andAdmiralty Islands.[26] Through January 1945, it bombed airfields and installations onNew Guinea,Celebes, andHalmahera, and flew reconnaissance missions.[6] The group also detached Mitchells to act as navigation ships forDouglas A-20 Havocs of the312th Bombardment Group attacking targets in southwestern New Guinea. The A-20s were not equipped withbombsights and could only make medium altitude attacks by "dropping on leader" (flying in formation and releasing their bombload at the same time as the lead aircraft, equipped with a bombsight). Group aircraft also dropped food and supplies to isolated parties in the interior of the island. Little more than a week after the last elements of the air echelon arrived in the Hollandia area, the group air echelon departed for the Mar Airstrip nearSansapor, linking up with its ground echelon, which had been there since late August, having arrived by ship from the Russell Islands. However, Mar was not ready for the group's planes and it operated from Middleburg Island for a few days until thepierced steel planking runway at Mar was ready.[2][26] From its arrival at Sansapor until after the end of the war, the group was attached to a series of headquarters which acted astask force headquarters forFar East Air Forces to accomplish different operations.[2]
The group moved to thePhilippines in February and March 1945. By the time it had settled in atPuerto Princesa Airfield, its original flying cadre from the Solomons campaign had rotated back to the United States after flying the required number of missions. However, few of the ground crews were returned to the States, although many had expected to be relieved when rotation policies were announced, only to be cancelled.[27] From this base onPalawan the group attacked shipping along the China coast, struck targets inFrench Indochina, bombed airfields and installations in the Philippines, and supported ground operations onMindanao.[6] Ground support including air deliveringDDT over the landing beaches to suppress disease-bearing insects.[27] Its missions during the campaign in the Philippines earned it aPhilippine Presidential Unit Citation.[2]
The 42nd was awarded aDistinguished Unit Citation for its pre-invasion bombing ofBalikpapan between 23 and 30 June 1945. Balikpapan was a center for oil refining onBorneo held by the Japanese. These attacks included bombing and strafing enemy shore installations. The round trip to the target was over 1700 miles and was among the longest flown bymedium bombers during the war. Pre-mission experiments determined that the group's bombers could carry a bomb load over this distance with fuel tanks installed in their radio compartments despite having to take off from a runway damaged by enemy action. Four of the missions encountered severe tropical weather fronts. Despite intense and accurateflak, the group destroyed gun positions, warehouses, roadblocks, fuel and ammunition dumps, a radar station as well as huge stores of gasoline and oil which the enemy had placed in position to be released into shallow pits on the beach and ignited when the Australian ground troops made their assaults. The group attacked the beach while navalunderwater demolition teams operated offshore without losing a man. The attacks were so effective that theAustralian Seventh Division was able to come ashore without enemy opposition.[28] The group continued to support Australian forces in Borneo after this mission, augmented by the B-25s of the 38th Bombardment Group ofFifth Air Force.[29]
The group's final combat action of World War II was attacking isolated Japanese units onLuzon during July and August 1945. In August the group was alerted for a move toOkinawa. However, with the end of the war, the move was cancelled. During the war the group had flown 1461 missions (a total of 14,442 sorties).[30] The group ferried troops and equipment toManila after thesurrender of Japan. At the end of 1945, the 100th squadron returned to the United States for inactivation and the 390th was inactivated in the Philippines.[13][23] The remainder of the group moved toItami Air Base, Japan as part of theoccupation forces at the start of 1946. At Itami, the unit began preparations to convert toDouglas A-26 Invaders, but it was inactivated there on 10 May 1946.[6][31]
The42nd Bombardment Wing was first activated on 25 February 1953 atLimestone Air Force Base, Maine and was assigned toEighth Air Force as part ofStrategic Air Command (SAC).[1] Limestone was a new installation and thewing was organized with the help of resources and temporary duty personnel on loan from the7th Bombardment Wing atCarswell Air Force Base, Texas and of the 4215th Air Base Squadron, which had overseen the construction of Loring as a heavy bomber base since 1950.[1][32] The wing was assigned the 69th, 70th, and 75th Bombardment Squadrons, which had been assigned to the 42nd Bombardment Group at the end of World War II, although initially only the 69th could be manned.[1][8][16][17]
The 69th began training with theConvair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft in April, followed by the 70th, which received manning in May and commenced flying in July. By 13 August all three operational squadrons were flying the Peacemaker.[1][33] The wing was declared combat ready on 7 January 1954.[34] Once combat ready, elements of the wing deployed toRAF Upper Heyford andRAF Burtonwood in England. The entire wing deployed to Upper Heyford from 18 October to 18 November 1955.[2]
The 42nd continued to grow in manpower during the next few years.[35] In January 1955, the42nd Air Refueling Squadron was activated and assigned to the wing. This assignment was unusual, since the wing's B-36s were incapable ofair refueling. However, the forward location of Loring made it an ideal for the squadron's slow propeller-drivenBoeing KC-97G Stratotankers to rendezvous with fasterBoeing B-47 Stratojets crossing the Atlantic.[2][36] On 14 August 1954, the last B-36J accepted by SAC was delivered to the wing.[37] The wing's experience with the B-36 was short, however, as it became the first wing to convert from the B-36 to theBoeing B-52 Stratofortress.[38][note 3]
Although a B-52 had arrived at Loring in January 1956 for cold weather testing, the first B-52C assigned to the wing landed at Loring on 16 June 1956 and was christened "The State of Maine"[39] with a bottle containing water from both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as a symbol of the aircraft's range.[34][40] The last C model had been accepted by December. All 35 B-52Cs in the Air Force inventory were initially delivered to the 42nd. By the end of the year, the wing replaced the older B-36s and was combat ready with the Stratofortresses.[40] On 24 and 25 November 1956, in an operation known as Quick Kick, four B-52Cs of the 42nd joined four B-52Bs of the 93rd Bombardment Wing for a nonstop flight around the perimeter of North America. Four in-flight refuelings byBoeing KC-97 Stratofreighters were required for the 13,500-nautical-mile (25,000 km) journey.[41]
In the fall, the wing began to receive B-52Ds to replace its C series aircraft. However, crew training lagged behind the delivery of new bombers and at the end of the year the wing had only sixteen combat ready crews.[42] WhenBoeing KC-135A Stratotankers were assigned to the 42nd Air Refueling Squadron in 1957, the wing became an all-jet force.[2] The first Stratotanker, which arrived on 16 October, was dubbed the "Aroostook Queen."[34] In July 1958, wing aircrews were placed on alert because of the1958 Lebanon crisis.[34] Although tensions subsided and the wing returned to its previous alert status, it upgraded its capabilities as B-52Gs replaced the wing's older B-52Ds, bringing with them increased range and payload capabilities, in May 1959. Shortly after this upgrade, the wing moved its bombers to another B-52G base,Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico from July through October 1959 while major repairs were made to Loring's runway. Its tankers flew fromGoose Air Base, Labrador during this period.[2]
In the late 1950s SAC began a program to disperse its Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.[43] SAC bases with large concentrations of bombers made attractive targets. SAC's response was to break up its wings and scatter their aircraft.[44] The wing's 75th Bombardment Squadron moved toGriffiss Air Force Base, New York, where it was assigned to the4039th Strategic Wing in October 1959.[8]
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.[45] The strike capability of the wing increased starting in December 1960, whenAGM-28 Hound Dog andADM-20 Quail missiles were added to the wing inventory.[46]
In January 1962, the wing began to participate inOperation Chrome Dome. In Chrome Dome, the 42nd flew fully combat-configured bombers along routes across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. In Operation Hard Head VI, the wing flew similar missions to monitor communications with theThule, GreenlandBallistic Missile Early Warning System site. Tasking to support these two operations typically lasted from thirty to sixty days during which the wing maintained two B-52s airborne at all times. The wing's 42nd Air Refueling Squadron provided air refueling for aircraft flying Chrome Dome missions.[47]
Cold War tensions between the United States and Russia came to a head in October 1962. PresidentJohn F. Kennedy informed the American public that the Soviet Union had installed missile sites in Cuba from which it could strike the United States. As a result, SAC canceled flying training and increased the size of its ground and airborne alert forces.[46] The wing launched four B-52s on Chrome Dome and Hard Head VI missions, established the Loring Tanker Task Force, and aircraft not supporting airborne alert were put on ground alert. During theCuban Missile Crisis, wing bombers flew 132 airborne alert missions and its tankers flew 214 air refueling missions, transferring almost 24 million pounds of fuel to the B-52s.[47]
In February 1965, wing involvement in theVietnam War began as the 42nd Air Refueling Squadron sent aircraft to the Young Tiger Task Force, which supported tactical operations in Southeast Asia.[47] The wing was reduced to a single bombardment squadron when the 70th was inactivated in June 1966.[1] However, in July 1968 the wing returned to a strength of three tactical squadrons when the407th Air Refueling Squadron moved to Loring fromHomestead Air Force Base, Florida asTactical Air Command took over Homestead from SAC.[48] The 407th joined the 42nd to support Young Tiger Task Force missions. In the same period, the wing deployed aircraft, aircrews, and support personnel periodically in support ofOperation Arc Light and other operations in Southeast Asia. The 42nd maintained dispersed tankers on alert atMcGuire Air Force Base, in its Detachment 1 from 1 January 1970 through early 1975.[47]
In 1972 the demand for the wing's aircraft and personnel to deploy for Operations Bullet Shot, Young Tiger, andLinebacker II increased significantly.[1] In December 1972 the wing suffered its only loss of the war when a B-52 crewed by members of the wing was hit by asurface-to-air missile over North Vietnam. The crew members flew the damaged "Buff" over Thailand before they bailed out. All were recovered within a short period. Wing personnel and equipment remained active in Southeast Asia operations until late 1973.[47] 1972 also saw the wing become the first to be equipped withAGM-69 SRAM (Short Range Attack Missiles) for the nuclear strike mission.[49]
Following the Vietnam War, the wing again participated in military exercises worldwide and providedtankers to support USAF air refueling needs.[1] In 1977 the wing won theOmaha Trophy as the outstanding wing in SAC.[2]
1983 saw the wing become the first to be equipped withBoeing AGM-84 Harpoon missiles for anti-shipping operations.[50] The 69th Bombardment Squadron in particular was assigned the minelaying, sea surveillance and anti-shipping mission.[49] On 31 January 1984, the Air Force combined the42nd Bombardment Wing with the old42nd Bombardment Group. The newly consolidated organization retained the 42nd Bombardment Wing designation.[2]
On 7 August 1990, the wing began to deploy aircraft, personnel and equipment toDiego Garcia forOperation Desert Shield.[2] Wing B-52 aircrews flew 485 combat missions and dropped over 6,000 tons of bombs on the enemy during Desert Storm. Tankers from the 42nd also deployed to Diego Garcia.[47] By March 911, the wing began returning personnel and equipment to Loring and all had returned by 12 April 1991.[2]
On 1 October 1990, the 407th Air Refueling Squadron was inactivated and seven of its aircraft transferred toGriffiss Air Force Base.[51] Two days later, PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush orderedalert crews to stand down.[52] SAC removed its remaining forces from alert in December. One year later, after a decision by theBase Realignment and Closure Commission, the wing began preparations to close Loring.[2]
On 1 September 1991, the wing was redesignated as the42nd Wing to recognize that it flew not only bombers, but tankers.[2] The renamed wing won the Crumm/Linebacker Trophy for high altitude bombing in the last SAC sponsored bombing competition.[53] Then, on 1 June 1992, Headquarters.United States Air Force inactivated SAC and transferred the wing to the newly activatedAir Combat Command as the42nd Bomb Wing when its tankers became part of the380th Air Refueling Wing ofAir Mobility Command.[2][53] The last B-52G assigned to the 42nd departed the base for theAerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center atDavis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona on 16 November 1993.[53] Loring closed on 30 September 1994, and the wing was inactivated.[2]
On 1 October 1994 the unit was activated and redesignated as the 42nd Air Base Wing and took over as the host unit atMaxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, assuming the personnel, equipment, and mission of the502nd Air Base Wing.[54][note 4] The wing has served as the host for Maxwell (now Maxwell-Gunter) since then.[2] In August 2005, afterhurricane Katrina devastatedNew Orleans, the wing managed Maxwell-Gunter as an evacuation center for over 1,000 evacuees from the Gulf Coast and as aFederal Emergency Management Agency staging area for relief convoys to affected areas.[55]
Lineage, including assignments, components, stations, aircraft, awards and campaigns in Warnock, Factsheet, 42 Air Base Wing, except as noted
42nd Bombardment Group
42nd Air Base Wing
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distinguished Unit Citation | 23 June 1945 – 30 June 1945 | Balikpapan, Borneo 42nd Bombardment Group |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1986 – 30 June 1988 | 42nd Bombardment Wing |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1994 – 30 June 1995 | 42nd Bombardment Wing (later 42nd Air Base Wing) |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1995 – 30 June 1996 | 42nd Air Base Wing |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1996 – 30 June 1997 | 42nd Air Base Wing |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1999 – 30 June 2000 | 42nd Air Base Wing |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2001 – 30 June 2002 | 42nd Air Base Wing |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2004 | 42nd Air Base Wing[64] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2004 – 30 June 2006 | 42nd Air Base Wing[64] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2006 – 30 June 2007 | 42nd Air Base Wing[64] |
| Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation | 1945 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Antisubmarine | 20 March 1942 – 15 March 1943 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
 | New Guinea | c. 7 August 1944 – 31 December 1944 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
| Northern Solomons | 15 April 1943 – 21 November 1944 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
| Bismarck Archipelago | 15 December 1943 – 27 November 1944 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
| Western Pacific | 17 April 1944 – 2 September 1945 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
| Leyte | 17 October 1944 – 1 July 1945 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
| Luzon | 15 December 1944 – 4 July 1945 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
| Southern Philippines | 27 February 1945 – 4 July 1945 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
| China Defensive | 24 February 1945 – 4 May 1945 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
| China Offensive | 5 May 1945 – 2 September 1945 | 42nd Bombardment Group |
 | World War II Army of Occupation (Japan) | 31 January 1946 – 10 May 1946 | 42nd Bombardment Group[65] |
 | Defense of Saudi Arabia | 2 August 1990 – 16 January 1991 | 42nd Bombardment Wing |
| Liberation and Defense of Kuwait | 17 January 1991 – 11 April 1991 | 42nd Bombardment Wing |
Explanatory Notes
Footnotes
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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