Description
Computer made/mounted on velcro 3.0 inch-77mm
96th TEST WING
Lineage. Established as 96 Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 15 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 21 Dec 1945. Redesignated as 96 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 13 May 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 29 May 1947. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949. Consolidated (31 Jan 1984) with the 96 Bombardment Wing, Heavy, which was established on 23 Mar 1953. Redesignated as 96 Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 6 Nov 1953. Activated on 18 Nov 1953. Redesignated as: 96 Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 Apr 1962; 96 Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 31 Mar 1972; 96 Wing on 1 Sep 1991. Inactivated on 1 Oct 1993. Redesignated as 96 Air Base Wing on 10 Mar 1994. Activated on 15 Mar 1994. Redesignated as 96 Test Wing on 18 Jul 2012.
Assignments. Second Air Force, 15 Jul 1942–c. 4 Apr 1943; 4 Bombardment Wing (later, 4 Combat Bombardment Wing), c. 14 Apr 1943 (attached to: 401 Provisional Combat Wing, 6–19 Jun 1943; 403 Provisional Combat Wing, 20 Jun–13 Sep 1943); 45 Combat Bombardment Wing, 14 Sep 1943; 3 Air Division, 18 Jun 1945; 1 Air Division, 12 Aug 1945; 3 Air Division, 28 Sep–12 Dec 1945; New York Port of Embarkation, 20–21 Dec 1945. 19 Bombardment Wing (later, 19 Air Division, Bombardment), 29 May 1947–27 Jun 1949. Eighth Air Force, 18 Nov 1953; Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Apr 1955 (attached to 3 Air Division, 10 Jan–7 Apr 1957); 819 Air (later, 819 Strategic Aerospace) Division, 3 Sep 1957; 19 Air Division, 2 Jul 1966; 12 Air Division, 1 Jul 1973; Fifteenth Air Force, 15 Jul 1988; Eighth Air Force, 1 Sep 1991–1 Oct 1993. Air Force Development Test Center (later, Air Armament Center), 15 Mar 1994 (attached to Air Force Test Center, 18 Jul 2012); Air Force Test Center, 1 Oct 2012–.
Operational Components. Group. 96 Operations: 1 Sep 1991–1 Oct 1993. 1 Oct 2012-. 96 Test: 1 Oct 2012-. Squadrons. 4 Strategic Support: 1 Sep 1959–15 Mar 1961. 11 Air Refueling: attached 16 Dec 1957–Mar 1958. 96 Air Refueling: 18 Nov 1953–3 Dec 1957 (detached 5 Oct–20 Nov 1954, 1 Aug–14 Sep 1955, 18–31 Jan 1956, 25 Jun–9 Oct 1956, and 10 Jan–7 Apr 1957). 321 Air Refueling: attached 3 Jul–8 Nov 1954. 337 Bombardment: 15 Jul 1942–29 Nov 1945; 29 May 1947–27 Jun 1949; 18 Nov 1953–15 Mar 1963; 15 Sep 1963–1 Sep 1991. 338 Bombardment (later, 338 Strategic Bombardment Training; 338 Combat Crew Training): 15 Jul 1942–15 Dec 1945; 29 May–8 Oct 1947; 18 Nov 1953–15 Mar 1963; 1 Jul 1986–1 Sep 1991. 339 Bombardment: 15 Jul 1942–29 Nov 1945; 29 May–8 Oct 1947; 18 Nov 1953–15 Mar 1963. 380 Air Refueling: attached 8 Nov 1954–1 Apr 1955. 413 Bombardment: 15 Jul 1942–19 Dec 1945; 17 Jul 1947–27 Jun 1949; 1 Nov 1958–1 Jan 1962. 546 Bombardment: 16 Jul 1947–27 Jun 1949. 547 Bombardment: 16 Jul 1947–27 Jun 1949. 578 Strategic Missile: 1 Jul 1961–25 Mar 1965. 917 Air Refueling: attached 1–14 Jan 1965, assigned 15 Jan 1965–1 Sep 1991. 4018 Combat Crew Training: 15 Mar 1985–1 Jul 1986.
Stations. Salt Lake City AAB, UT, 15 Jul 1942; Gowen Field, ID, 6 Aug 1942; Walla Walla AAB, WA, 14 Aug 1942 (ground echelon), 1 Sep 1942 (air echelon); Rapid City AAB, SD, 30 Sep 1942; Pocatello AAB, ID, 1 Nov 1942; Pyote AAB, TX, 3 Jan–Mar 1943; Great Saling, England, May 1943; Snetterton Heath, England, 12 Jun 1943–12 Dec 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 20–21 Dec 1945. Gunter Field (later, AFB), AL, 29 May 1947–27 Jun 1949. Altus AFB, OK, 18 Nov 1953; Dyess AFB, TX, 8 Sep 1957–1 Oct 1993. Eglin AFB, FL, 15 Mar 1994–.
Aircraft/Missiles. B–17, 1942–1945. AT–6, 1947–1949; AT–11, 1947–1949. KC–97, 1954–1956, 1956–1958; B–47, 1955–1963; C–124, 1959–1961; Atlas, 1962–1965; B–52, 1963–1970, 1970–1972, 1973–1985; KC–135, 1965–1970, 1970–1972, 1973–1993; B–1B, 1985–1993. A-10, 2012-; F-15, 2012-; F-16, 2012-; CV-22, 2012-; UH-1N, 2012-.
Operations. Activated in Jul 1942 and manned in early Aug, the 96 Bombardment Group spent the next six months training with B–17s and as an operational training unit. Entered combat in May 1943 and functioned primarily as a strategic bombardment organization throughout the war. Attacked shipyards, harbors, railroad yards, airdromes, oil refineries, aircraft factories, and other industrial targets in Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for withstanding severe assault by enemy fighters to bomb the vital aircraft factories at Regensburg on 17 Aug 1943. Received another DUC for leading components of the 45 Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy, a great distance through heavy clouds and intense antiaircraft fire to raid important aircraft component factories in Poland on 9 Apr 1944. In addition to strategic operations, missions included bombing coastal defenses, railway bridges, gun emplacements, and field batteries in the battle area prior to and during the invasion of Normandy in Jun 1944; attacked enemy positions in support of the breakthrough at St. Lo in Jul 1944; aided the campaign in France in Aug by striking roads and road junctions and dropping supplies to French resistance members; and attacked, during the early months of 1945, the transport centers supplying German armies on the western front. After V–E Day, flew food to Holland and redeployed personnel to French Morocco, Ireland, France, and Germany. Briefly active in the Reserve from May 1947-Jun 1949; conducted routine training activities. Although the wing was established in Nov 1953, its headquarters and components were not manned until Mar 1954; the 96 Air Base Group, whose commander served additional duty as wing commander, controlled the few manned units. Began air refueling operations in Mar 1954 and bombardment training in Apr 1955 in support of SAC’s global commitments. Deployed to Guam, Jan–Apr 1957. Controlled a strategic airlift squadron, Sep 1959–Mar 1961, and an Atlas missile squadron, Jul 1961–Mar 1965. The first Atlas missile went on alert in Apr 1962. During several months in 1970 and in 1972–1973, all wing aircraft, crews, and most support personnel were loaned to other SAC organizations in the Far East or Southeast Asia for combat operations. From 1980, the wing’s KC–135A aircraft regularly deployed to Europe, Alaska, and the Pacific to support SAC tanker task force requirements. Became the first wing to operate the B–1B, after the arrival of the first aircraft in Jun 1985. In Oct 1986, B–1Bs assumed SAC alert duties for the first time. Wing KC–135 tankers provided refueling support to units involved in the invasion of Panama, Dec 1989. Ferried personnel and equipment to Guam for further movement to Southwest Asia, in Aug 1990. Single KC–135s provided refueling support throughout Southwest Asia, Aug 1990–Mar 1991. Ended bombardment mission and inactivated in Oct 1993. Provided services and support for the Air Force Development Test Center (later, Air Armament Center) and its tenant organizations, Mar 1994; assigned to Air Force Test Center in 2012, and absorbed the aircraft resources of another wing.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 17 Aug 1943; Poznan, Poland, 9 Apr 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1959–31 Dec 1960; 1 Jul 1974–30 Jun 1975; 30 May 1990–29 May 1992; 1 Dec 1994-30 Nov 1995; 1 Jan 2001-31 Dec 2002; 1 Jan 2011-1 May 2012; 1 Jan 2014-31 Dec 2015.
Emblem. Approved on 18 Feb 1943; newest rendition 20 Feb 2013.