Country United States | ||
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Active 1948–1949; 1953-1966; 1973-1975; 1985-1990; 1994-2000; 2004-2007 Branch United States Air Force Role Central support of dispersed units Part of United States Air Forces Europe Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | ||
The 38th Combat Support Wing is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force at Ramstein Air Base, Germany from 2004 until 2007. The mission of the wing was to enhance support to Third Air Force's geographically separated units.
Contents
- History
- Far East Air Forces
- United States Air Forces in Europe
- First theater missile operations
- Pilot training
- Return to theater missile operations
- Electronics engineering
- Base support services
- Lineage
- Components
- Dispersed missile locations
- References
The Wing was first activated in Japan in 1948 as the 38th Bombardment Wing. The wing served as a light bomber unit in Japan until 1949, when it was inactivated. It was activated again in Europe in 1953.
In 1958, the wing became the 38th Tactical Missile Wing and controlled Martin TM-61 Matador and Martin MGM-13 Mace missile units in Germany until it was inactivated in 1966.
Between 1972 and 1975 the wing was twice active as a flying training unit. It returned to the tactical missile mission in Europe until its missiles were withdrawn following the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. From 1990 to 1994, as the 38th Engineering Installation Wing it was responsible for the Air Force's in house design and installation of electronic equipment.
History
For related history and lineage, see 38th Bombardment GroupFar East Air Forces
The unit was first established at Itami Airfield, Japan as the 38th Bombardment Wing, Light on 10 August 1948 when Far East Air Forces reorganized its units uner the wing base reorganization, in which combat groups and all supporting units on a base were assigned to a single wing. The 38th Bombardment Group, flying Douglas B-26 Invaders became its operational component. The wing assisted in the air defense of Japan and participated in tactical exercises. However, President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of combat units in the Air Force to 48, and the 38th was inactivated on 1 April 1949.
United States Air Forces in Europe
The wing was reactivated on 1 January 1953 at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, where it assumed the mission, personnel and equipment of the 126th Bombardment Wing, an Illinois Air National Guard unit that had been mobilized during the Korean War and was being returned to state control. Once again, the wing flew the Douglas B-26 Invader as its operational aircraft. The wing received its first Martin B-57B Canberra in June 1955, and began to replace its aging Douglas B-26 Invaders. With the B-57's arrival, the B-26s were returned to the United States. A total of 49 B-57B and eight dual control B-57C models were deployed to Laon.
The mission of the B-57 was to provide a nuclear deterrent for NATO and to deliver nuclear weapons against pre-selected targets, day or night. The aircraft at Laon were painted a gloss black. The B-57 delivery was by the low altitude bombing system, in which the plane performed a vertical Immelmann turn, releasing the weapon when it was nearly vertical. An acrobatic team was organized and named the Black Knights using five B-57s. The Black Knights performed at several air shows around Western Europe, including the 1957 Paris Air Show. The Black Knights were the only tactical bomber show team in the world. In 1958, President de Gaulle announced that all nuclear weapons and delivery aircraft had to be removed from French soil by July 1958. This meant all tactical fighter and bombing wings had to depart France.
First theater missile operations
Although the wing's bombers departed Europe, the 38th did not go with them. Instead, it became the 38th Tactical Missile Wing and moved on paper to Hahn Air Base West Germany, where it replaced the 701st Tactical Missile Wing, which had been at Hahn since the fall of 1956. The wing assumed the operation of the 701st's Martin TM-61 Matador missiles, located on three bases in Germany. A little more than a year later, the wing moved its headquarters to Sembach Air Base, Germay. The wing later upgraded to the improved version of the Matador, the Martin TM-76 Mace. When the Mace was phased out of the inventory, te wing was inactivated in September 1966.
Pilot training
In 1972, Air Training Command (ATC) replaced its Major Command controlled flying training units with Air Force controlled units. As part of this program, The 38th was reactivated as the 38th Flying Training Wing and replaced the 3640th Pilot Training Wing at Laredo Air Force Base, Texas on 1 August 1972. Its operational squadrons were the 70th and 71st Flying Training Squadrons. However, Laredo was marked for closure as Air Force pilot training requirements were reduced with the winding down of the War in Vietnam. The wing ended its pilot training in 28 August 1973, when it was inactivated.
ATC's unit replacement program was continuing, however, and on 1 December 1973, the wing replaced another Major Command wing, the 3550th Pilot Training Wing, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The 38th performed pilot training until 21 November 1975, when preparations to transfer Moody to Tactical Air Command were completed. On 1 December 1975 the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Moody from Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand and the mission of the base changed from pilot training to an tactical fighter operations. The 38th FTW was inactivated on 1 December 1975, with the personnel and equipment of its support units transferring to the 347th Wing.
Return to theater missile operations
In April 1985, the 38th Tactical Missile Wing, was activated at Wüschheim Air Station, West Germany. The wing was assigned to tactical missile operations, equipped with Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCM) to counter Soviet intermediate-range ballistic missiles from 1986–1990. The GLCMs (and their strategic cousins, the Pershing IIs) were deployed, in part, to balance/counter the deployment of the Soviet RSD-10 'Pioner' (SS-20) IRBM.
It was this realization that led to the opening of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) talks and an INF treaty that eventually removed an entire class of nuclear arms from the superpower arsenals. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with the Soviet Union which went into effect on 1 June 1988, led to inactivation of the wing on 22 August 1990.
Electronics engineering
The 38th was activated again at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma in November 1994 as the 38th Engineering Installation Wing to provide the Air Force with centralized management of worldwide electronics engineering and installation resources. The wing replaced the Communications Systems Center and absorbed its personnel and equipment. The wing was inactivated in February 2000 and its functions were transferred to its subordinate 38th Engineering Installation Group at Tinker.
Base support services
The wing was again activated as the 38th Combat Support Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany in May 2004 to support over 70 USAFE geographically separated units cross Europe. But a review found the wing actually created an extra layer of bureaucracy and isolated units would be better served without it. Also studies showed that larger, neighboring bases could offer better support for airmen scattered across the continent. The wing was inactivated on 30 September 2007.
Lineage
Components
Dispersed missile locations
Between 1958–1966, the 38th TMW maintained eight separate launch facilities.