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The '''456th Bombardment Wing''' is an inactive [[United States Air Force]] unit. It was last assigned to the [[14th Air Division]] of [[Strategic Air Command]] at [[Beale Air Force Base]], California, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1975. The [[wing (military aviation unit)|wing]]'s predecessor was the [[456th Bombardment Group]], a [[World War II]] [[United States Army Air Forces]] combat organization that flew from Italy while assigned to [[Fifteenth Air Force]]. It earned two [[Distinguished Unit Citation]]s for valor in combat and participated in the strategic bombing campaign against [[oil refinery|oil production targets]] including those near [[Ploiești]], Romania, attacks that resulted in high bomber losses. The group also served as a troop carrier unit in the [[Air Force Reserve]] from 1947 to 1949 and as the flying element of the wing from 1952 to 1955.
The wing was activated in 1952 as the '''456th Troop Carrier Wing''', Medium, operating [[Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar]] transports. In the fall of 1955 the wing deployed to Japan, where it supported [[aerial reconnaissance|reconnaissance]] operations by recovering capsules carried across the Soviet
The wing was redesignated the '''456th Strategic Aerospace Wing''' and was activated at [[Beale Air Force Base]], California in February 1963. It flew [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress]] bombers and [[Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker]] air refueling aircraft, and also commanded a [[HGM-25A Titan I]] squadron until 1965. Although it operated no [[intercontinental ballistic missile]]s after then, it was not until July 1972 that the wing was redesignated the '''456th Bombardment Wing'''. The wing was inactivated in September 1975 and its personnel, equipment, and mission transferred to the [[17th Bombardment Wing]], which moved to Beale on paper from [[Wright-Patterson Air Force Base]], Ohio.
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The '''456th Troop Carrier Wing''', Medium was activated in October 1952 and assigned to [[Tactical Air Command]]. It was stationed at [[Miami International Airport]], Florida,<ref name=Ravenstein>Ravenstein, ''Combat Wings'', pp. 251–252</ref> where it replaced the [[435th Troop Carrier Wing]], which was an [[Air Force Reserve]] unit called to active duty for the [[Korean War]], assuming the 435th's mission, personnel, and equipment.<ref group=note>The 435th Wing returned to the reserves and took over the mission, personnel and equipment of the reserve [[482d Troop Carrier Wing]] at Miami. Ravenstein, ''Combat Wings'', pp. 231–231.</ref> The wing flew [[Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar]] troop carrier transports. The wing moved to [[Charleston Air Force Base]], South Carolina on 25 July 1953. Until 1955 It participated in numerous tactical exercise in the United States and overseas, mostly in conjunction with Army airborne forces. The wing was reorganized on 1 March 1955 when its tactical group and all support components were inactivated.<ref name=Ravenstein/>
When reorganized the wing assumed control over three tactical squadrons plus three squadron-size detachments manned for self-sufficient operations and having eight specially modified C-119s.<ref name=Ravenstein/> The wing [[headquarters]] moved to [[Shimofusa Air Base|Shiroi Air Base]], Japan while its components were located in other areas of Japan, Okinawa, the Aleutian Islands and mainland Alaska. Under the control of the [[1st Air Division]] it participated in Project Drag Net, part of Weapons System WS119L. The wing’s task was to perform aerial recovery of high-altitude balloon-borne instrument packages.<ref name=Ravenstein/> A mobile radio squadron from [[United States Air Force Security Service]] was attached to the wing for this mission.<ref name=RavensteinLHH>Ravenstein, ''Lineage and Honors Histories'', p. 17</ref> WS119L payloads consisted of an AN/DMQ-1, which was a gondola containing two cameras. Between January and February 1956, 448 balloons were launched under this program from locations in Scotland, Norway, Germany and Turkey. Most came down prematurely, but about 80 reached the recovery zones after overflying the Soviet Union. 44 successful midair recoveries were made of the camera-bearing gondolas.
The wing returned to the US and [[Ardmore Air Force Base]], Oklahoma on 25 May 1956, where it was attached to the [[463d Troop Carrier Wing]] until it was inactivated on 9 July and its personnel used to form the [[419th Troop Carrier Group]], which was simultaneously activated.<ref name=Ravenstein/><ref>Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 301–302</ref>
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In the same way the [[744th Bombardment Squadron]], one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons, replaced the 31st BS. The 856th Medical Group, 63d Munitions Maintenance Squadron and the 903d Air Refueling Squadron were reassigned to the 456th. Component support units were replaced by units with numerical designation of the newly established wing. Under the Dual Deputate organization,<ref group=note>Under this plan flying and missile squadrons reported to the wing Deputy Commander for Operations and maintenance squadrons reported to the wing Deputy Commander for Maintenance</ref> all flying and maintenance squadrons were directly assigned to the wing, so no operational group element was activated. The 4126th's support group and maintenance squadrons were replaced by ones with the 456th numerical designation of the newly established wing. Each of the new units assumed the personnel, equipment, and mission of its predecessor.
The 456th Wing continued the mission of strategic bombardment and missile readiness training. The wing’s bombardment and air refueling squadrons frequently deployed aircraft and crews to meet USAF requirements, often having nearly all of the resources of the wing scattered around the world at various operating locations.<ref name=Ravenstein/> In 1963 the 456th Strategic Aerospace Wing was featured as the fictional 904th Strategic Aerospace Wing in the Hollywood film production
In 1964, the 903d was taken off its alert commitment to devote all its resourced to a "higher priority mission" which it had been performing for some months. Its performance of this mission earned it an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period 1 July 1963 to 30 June 1964.<ref>AF Pamphlet 900-2, p. 476</ref><ref group=note>Although the wing itself received no awards while stationed at Beale, its 903d Air Refueling Squadron earned a second AFOUA for the period 1 July 1966 – 30 June 1967 and the subordinate 456th Combat Support Group, its assigned squadrons, and the 856th Medical Group earned one for 1 January 1966 – 30 June 1967. AF Pamphlet 900-2, p. 476.</ref> It became apparent that the wing was once again to be associated with [[aerial reconnaissance|reconnaissance]] missions when the [[4200th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing]], flying [[SR-71]]s was organized at Beale at the start of 1965.
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'''456th Bombardment Wing'''
In July 1972 the wing was redesignated the '''456th Bombardment Wing
==Lineage==
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* {{cite book|last=Ravenstein|first=Charles A.|title=Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977|url=https://archive.org/details/airforcecombatwi0000rave|year=1984|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-12-9|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Ravenstein|first=Charles A.|title=Lineage and Honors Histories: Their Parts and Problems in Preparing|year=1975|publisher=Albert F. Simpson Historical Research Center|location=Maxwell AFB, AL}}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/AFP900-2Vol1Bk2.pdf |title= AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits |date= 15 June 1971 |publisher= Department of the Air Force |location= Washington, DC |access-date= 11 August 2016 |archive-date= 4 August 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150804134008/http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/AFP900-2Vol1Bk2.pdf |url-status= dead }}
; Further reading
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{{Tactical Air Command}}
[[Category:Units and formations of Strategic Air Command
[[Category:Bombardment wings of the United States Air Force]]
[[Category:1952 establishments in Florida]]
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