307th Strategic Wing

307th Strategic Wing
Emblem of the 307th Strategic Wing
Active	1942–1975
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Part of	Strategic Air Command
Garrison/HQ	U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield

The 307th Strategic Wing (307th SW) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command, 3d Air Division, being stationed at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand. It was inactivated on 30 September 1975.

The 307th SW was the only active-duty regular SAC unit assigned to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. It was activated to perpetuate the lineage of inactive World War II bombardment units with illustrious records. It performed host station responsibilities at U-Tapao RTNAF for SAC B-52 Stratofortress and KC-135 Stratotanker elements deployed from wings in the United States engaged in combat operations. It was inactivated on 30 September 1975 after the end of United States military involvement in the Vietnam War.

The units origins start in 1942 with the activation of the 307th Bombardment Group. This highly-decorated unit was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations for its combat actions in the Pacific Theater of World War II while assigned to the VII Bomber Command as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group. It later was assigned to the newly-established Strategic Air Command in August 1946 and trained with B-29 Superfortresses.

During the Korean War, the SAC 307th Bombardment Wing received a Presidential Unit Citation for their extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy of the United 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 the North Korean Simanju Airfield, where, despite severe airframe icing, intense enemy anti-aircraft fire and co-ordinated searchlight and fighter opposition ,it rendered the airfield unserviceable.

The 307th also flew the last B-29 Superfortress combat mission on 23 July 1953.

The 307th BW was assigned B-47 Stratojets after its return from the Korean War in 1955, and inactivated as Lincoln AFB, Nebraska was being closed and the B-47s were retired in 1965.

For additional lineage and history, see 307th Bombardment Group

• Established as 307th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, on 28 July 1947

Organized on 15 August 1947

Discontinued on 12 July 1948

• Redesignated 307th Bombardment Wing, Medium, and activated on 12 July 1948

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 March 1965

• Redesignated 307th Strategic Wing on 21 January 1970

Scheduled to replace the 4258th Strategic Wing on 1 April 1970

Activated on 1 April 1970 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4258th Strategic Wing.

Inactivated on 30 September 1975

Wing

• 82d Fighter: attached 15 August 1947-12 July 1948; attached 12 July-15 December 1948

Groups

• 306th: attached 1 August 1948-31 August 1950 (not operational, 1–12 August 1948)
• 307th: 15 August 1947-12 July 1948; 12 July 1948-16 June 1952 (detached 16 July-3 November 1948 and 8 August 1950-9 February 1951; not operational, 10 February 1951-16 June 1952.)

Components

• 99th Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 1 January-30 September 1975
• 307th Air Refueling Squadron: attached c. 1 August-15 September 1950 (not operational); assigned 16 June 1952-1 July 1953 (detached); assigned 8 November 1954-1 June 1960 (detached 8 November 1954-31 January 1955, 8 April-21 May 1955, 2 July-3 October 1957, c. 1 October 1958-9 January 1959, and c. 4 July-5 October 1969)
• 364th Bombardment Squadron Provisional*: attached 1 July 1972-30 June 1975 (not operational, 1 July 1972-c. 29 January 1973 and 9–30 June 1975)
• 365th Bombardment Squadron Provisional*: attached 1 July 1972-1 July 1974 (not operational, 1 July 1972-c. 29 January 1973)
• 370th Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-25 March 1965
• 371st Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-25 March 1965
• 372d Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-25 March 1965
• 424th Bombardment Squadron: 1 September 1958-1 January 1962
• 4180th: 1 October 1970-31 December 1971 (not operational)
• 4181st: 1 April 1970-31 March 1972 (not operational)
• 4362d Support (later, 4362d Post Attack Command Control): attached 20 July 1962-24 December 1964 (not operational, 20-c. 31 July 1962)
• Young Tiger Tanker Task Force: 1 April 1970- 1 June 1972 (Detached: l June 1972 - 1 July 1974; 1 July 1974 - 30 September 1975
  • Air Refueling Squadron Provisional, 901*: attached 1 July 1974-30 September 1975

.* Composed of aircraft deployed from multiple CONUS-based wings

• MacDill AFB, Florida, 15 August 1947-12 July 1948; 12 July 1948-14 August 1953

Operational components operated from: Kadena AB, Okinawa, 8 August 1950-9 February 1951

Operated from: Kadena AB, Okinawa, 10 February 1951-14 August 1953

• Kadena AB, Okinawa, 15 August 1953-19 November 1954;
• Lincoln AFB, Nebraska, 20 November 1954-25 March 1965
• U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand, 1 April 1970-30 September 1975.

• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1947–1950
• Boeing B-50 Superfortress, 1950
• Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1955-1965 (EB-47, 1962–1964)
• Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker, 1955–1960
• Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1972-1972, 1974-1975 (RC-135, 1975)
• Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1970–1975

The 307th replaced the 94th Combat Bombardment Wing VHB (Provisional) and other organizations in August 1947. From then until December 15, 1948 the 307th Wing controlled, in addition to its own units, the 82d Fighter Wing at Grenier Field, NH. In September 1947 it began training other SAC combat units in anti-submarine warfare. In February, it began operating a B-29 transition training school and standardized combat training for all SAC units.

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 AB, where it absorbed resources of the 307th Bomb Group and began flying combat missions.

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 in combat ready status and on August 15, 1953 Kadena AB, Okinawa became its permanent base.

The 307th returned to the United States in November 1954 and disposed of its B-29's at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. It proceeded to its new base, Lincoln AFB, Nebraska. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new 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 meet SAC's global commitments. 4362d Support Squadron later the 4352d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron was attached July 20, 1962 - December 24, 1964. of SAC's strategic arsenal. In January 1965 the wing began phasing down as Lincoln AFB was being closed and the wing's B-47s were retired. Discontinued and inactivated on March 25, 1965.

See also: U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield

The origins of the 307th Strategic Wing come from the establishment of the 4258th Strategic Wing at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand on 1 June 1966. The 4258th SW was a provisional SAC MAJCOM unit established by SAC with the responsibility of supporting deployed B-52 and KC-135 elements from SAC CONUS-based units engaged in combat operations over Southeast Asia from U-Tapao on a daily basis during the Vietnam War.

In 1970, in order to retain the lineage of its provisional wing at U-Tapao, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM wing and activate a regular AFCON wing which was inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history of the mission at U-Tapao. On 1 April 1970, the 4258th SW was redesignated as the 307th Strategic Wing. The 307th was the only regular Air Force SAC Wing stationed in Southeast Asia.

Using aircraft and crews deployed from CONUS-based SAC wings, 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 August 14, 1973 as a result of the Congressionally-mandated end of US Combat activities over Laos and Cambodia.

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 September 30, 1975 as part of the USAF withdraw from its Thailand bases.

• List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
• List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Futrell, Robert Frank (1983) The United States Air Force In Korea, 1950–1953, Maxwell AFB, Alabama Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0912799714
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.

• 307th Bomb Group Association [1]