307th Strategic Wing

The 307th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to Strategic Air Command in 1975.

History

Lineage

Established as the 307th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on July 28, 1947. Organized on Aug. 15, 1947. Discontinued July 12, 1948. Redesignated 307th Bombardment Wing, Medium and activated on July 12, 1948 at MacDill Field (later AFB), Florida.

Korean War

In August 1950, the 307th deployed to Okinawa. Detached from SAC, it began operations under Far East Air Forces (FEAF) Bomber Command, provisional. The attached 306th Bomb Group transferred to its parent wing on September 1, 1950 and until February 10, 1951, the 307th had no tactical mission. On that date, wing resources were used to train the 6th Air Division at MacDill and the wing deployed without personnel to Kadena, where it absorbed resources of the 307th Bomb Group and began flying combat missions. By the end of the hostilities, the wing (including it's tactical group) had flown 5,810 combat sorties in 573 combat missions. The wing remained in the Far East in combat ready status and on August 15, 1953, Kadena AB, Okinawa became it's permanent base.

Cold War

The 307th returned to the United States in November 1954 and disposed of it's B-29's at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. It proceeded to it's new base, Lincoln AFB, Nebraska. There it began flying the new B-47 Stratojet and the KC-97 tanker. It conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC's global commitments. 4362 Support Squadron (later the 4352nd Post Attack Command and Control Squadron was attached July 20, 1962 - Dec. 24, 1964. In January 1965 the wing began phasing down. Discontinued and inactivated on March 25, 1965.

Vietnam War

Redesignated the 307th Strategic Wing and reactivated at U-Tapao Air Base, Thailand on January 21, 1970, replacing the 4258th Strategic Wing. The 307th was the only regular Air Force SAC Wing stationed in Southeast Asia. Using aircraft and crews loaned from other SAC wings, the 307th conducted conventional bombardment operations and provided KC-135 aerial refueling of U.S. aircraft in Southeast Asia as directed through the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. It ended all combat operations on August 14, 1973. The final B-52 left the wing in June 1975, but the wing continued some KC-135 and refueling and RC-135 reconnaissance operations until inactivated on September 30, 1975.

See Also

• Strategic Air Command

References

• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.