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|unit_name= 456th Bombardment Wing, Heavy
|image=[[File:456th Bombardment Wing Boeing B-52G Stratofortress.jpg|300px]]
|caption= 456th Bombardment Wing Boeing B-52G-85-BW Stratofortress 57-6491 , Beale AFB, California, 1965. Note GAM-77 Hound Dog under
|dates=1952–1956, 1963-1975
|country={{flag|United States|23px}}
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<!-- Insignia -->
|identification_symbol=[[File:456th Bombardment Wing.PNG|125px]]
|identification_symbol_label=4126th Strategic Wing and<br />456th Bombardment Wing emblem<ref>The 456th Strategic Aerospace Wing continued to use the 4126th Strategic Wing emblem as part of its bestowed honors, but did not obtain official approval of the emblem until 23 August 1972 after it had been redesignated the 456th Bombardment Wing. {{cite book|last=Ravenstein|first=Charles A.|title=Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977|url= http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_wings.pdf |year=1984|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-12-9|pages=
}}
The '''456th Bombardment Wing''' is an inactive [[United States Air Force]] unit. It was last assigned to the [[14th Air Division]] iof [[Strategic Air Command]] at [[Beale Air Force Base]], California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1975.
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The [[wing (military aviation unit)|wing]]'s predecessor unit, the [[456th Bombardment Group]] was a [[World War II]] [[United States Army Air Forces]] combat organization. The highly-decorated [[military organization|unit]] flew 249 bombing missions from Italy while assigned to the [[Fifteenth Air Force]]. It earned two [[Distinguished Unit Citation]]s for valor in combat and participated extensively in the strategic bombing campaign against oil production targets including Ploieşti, Romania, that resulted in high bomber losses. The group also served as a troop carrier unit in the [[Air Force Reserve]] from 1947 to 1949.
The wing was activated as the '''456th Troop Carrier Wing''', Medium, operating [[Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar]] transports during the 1950s. Toward the end of its active period the wing supported reconnaissance operations from deployed locations in the Pacific.
In November 1962 the wing was redesignated the '''456th Strategic Aerospace Wing''' and was stationed at [[Beale Air Force Base]], California, flying [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress]] bombers and [[Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker]] air refueling aircraft, and also operating a [[HGM-25A Titan I]] squadron until 1965. In July 1972 the wing was redesignated the '''456th Bombardment Wing''', Heavy and continued to fly the B-52 and KC-135. 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 AFB]], Ohio.
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[[File:456troopcarrierwing-patch.gif|thumb|125px|left|456th Troop Carrier Wing Patch]]
[[File:456troopcarrier-haiti-Oct-1954.gif|thumb|C-119 Flying Boxcars from the 456th Troop Carrier Group deployed to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, October 1954]]
The '''456th Troop Carrier Wing''', Medium (456 TCW) was activated in October 1952 and assigned to [[Tactical Air Command]]. It was stationed at [[Miami International Airport]], Florida,<ref name=Ravenstein>{{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|pages=
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 Shiroi AB, 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 Project 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>{{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|page=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 program was terminated because of the low success rate.<ref>Parsch, Andreas (2006) [http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/ws-119l.html Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 4: Undesignated Vehicles WS-119L/461L] (retrieved March 12, 2013)</ref> The 456th TCW was awarded an [[Air Force Outstanding Unit Award]] for its participation in this program,
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'''4126th Strategic Wing'''
The origins of the '''4126 Strategic Wing''' began on 1 July 1956 when [[Continental Air Command]] transferred [[Beale AFB]] California to [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC) which put Beale under the control of the '''4126th Air Base Squadron'''<ref name=Mueller>{{cite book|last=Mueller|first=Robert|title=Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982|url= http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100921-026.pdf |year=1989|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-53-6|pages=
The wing became fully organized on 26 October 1959 when the [[31st Bombardment Squadron]] (BS), consisting of 15 [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress]]es moved to Beale from [[Travis AFB]], California where it had been one of the three squadrons of the [[5th Bombardment Wing]]<ref>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 152-153</ref> along with the '''63d Aviation Depot Squadron'''<ref name=Mueller/> whose mission was to oversee the wing's special weapons. Half of the wing's aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. The 4126th (and later the 456th) continued to maintain an alert commitment until inactivation. The wing's parent 14th Air Division also moved to Beale and the 4126th became responsible to provide support to the division as well as the [[San Francisco Air Defense Sector]] of [[Air Defense Command]], which activated at Beale in 1959.<ref name=Mueller/> The wing added the [[Intercontinental ballistic missile]] mission on 1 February 1961, when the [[851st Strategic Missile Squadron]] equipped with [[HGM-25A Titan I]] missiles was activated and assigned to the wing.<ref name=Maurer781>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 781-782</ref> In 1962, the wing's [[bomber]]s began to be equipped with the [[GAM-77 Hound Dog]] and the [[GAM-72 Quail]] air-launched [[cruise missiles]], The 4126th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron was activated in November to maintain these missiles
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In 1962, in order to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious [[World War II]] records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its Major Command controlled (MAJCON) strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate Air Force controlled (AFCON) units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.<ref>MAJCON units could not carry a permanent history or lineage. {{cite book|last=Ravenstein|first=Charles A.|title=A Guide to Air Force Lineage and Honors|edition=2d, Revised|year=1984|publisher=USAF Historical Research Center|location=Maxwell AFB, AL|page=12}}</ref>
As a result the 4126th SW was replaced by the newly redesignated '''456th Strategic Aerospace Wing''' (456th SAW),<ref name=Ravenstein/> which assumed its mission, personnel, and equipment on 1 February 1963.
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>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.
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===Components===
'''Groups'''
* 456th Air Base Group (later 456th Combat Support Group), 1 December 1952 - 1 March 1955, 1 February 1963
* 456th Maintenance & Supply Group, 1 December 1952 - 1 March 1955<ref name=RavensteinLHH/>
* 456th Medical Group (later 456th Tactical Infirmary), 1 December 1952 - 1 March 1955<ref name=RavensteinLHH/>
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'''Squadrons'''
* [[9th Air Refueling Squadron]]: 1 January 1970 – 30 September 1975<ref name=Ravenstein/>
* [[744th Bombardment Squadron|744th Troop Carrier Squadron (later 744th Bombardment Squadron)]]: 1 March 1955 – 9 July 1956; 1 February 1963
* 745th Troop Carrier Squadron: 1 March 1955 – 9 July 1956<ref name=Maurer732733>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 732-733</ref>
* 746th Troop Carrier Squadron: 1 March 1955 – 9 July 1956<ref name=Maurer733734>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 733-734</ref>
* [[851st Strategic Missile Squadron]]: 1 February 1963 – 25 March 1965<ref name=
* [[903d Air Refueling Squadron]]: 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1975<ref name=Ravenstein/>
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* [[Boeing B-52G Stratofortress]], 15 November 1962 – 30 September 1975
* [[Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker]], 15 November 1962 – 30 September 1975
* [[HGM-25A Titan I]], 15 November
===Awards===
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==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}
===Bibliography===
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Air Force Combat Units of World War II|origyear= 1961|url= http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/af_combat_units_wwii.pdf |edition=reprint|year=1983|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-02-1|lccn=61060979|page= }}
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|origyear=1969|url= http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf |edition= reprint|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402|pages= }}
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