91st Missile Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 91st Missile Wing


caption= 91st Missile Wing emblem
dates= 1968-Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
type= Missile Wing
role= Strategic Deterrence
size= 150 Minutemen III missiles
290 officers, 1,500 enlisted members and 25 civilian employees
command_structure= Twentieth Air Force
Air Force Space Command
United States Strategic Command
current_commander= Colonel Christopher B. Ayres
garrison= Minot Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= Rough Riders
patron=
motto= Poised For Peace
colors=
march=
mascot= Theodore Roosevelt
battles=
anniversaries=
decorations=

The 91st Missile Wing (91 MW) is a Minuteman III unit of the United States Air Force, based at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. Until 1 July 2008, it was designated as the 91st Space Wing.

History

Previously the wing was a strategic reconnaissance wing (1948-1957) and a B-52 bomb wing (1963-1968). It is also bestowed with the lineage, honors, and history of the World War II 91st Bomb Group.

The "91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing" was established October 11 1948 and activated November 10 at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. It moved to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, in 1949. RB-29J [ [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2557 National Museum Fact Sheet RB-29J] Official National Museum Website] bombers were assigned to the wing and its primary mission was global strategic reconnaissance. In 1950 it began receiving aerial refueling aircraft, first the KB-29, then the KC-97. On July 6 1950, it was redesignated the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium. At Barksdale, its wing headquarters was integrated with that of the 301st Bomb Wing. Although each wing conducted independent tactical operations, both were commanded by the same headquarters. The wing detached components for up to three months, primarily to England, and maintained detachments from other units, to provide ongoing reconnaissance of overseas areas.

On September 11 1951, the 91st SRW moved to Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, with detachments operating from Japan, providing photo intelligence of North Korea. In April 1953 the wing received the photo-reconnaissance version of the B-47 Stratojet, the RB-47. Units were detached to England, 1952-1954, to North Africa and Newfoundland in 1956, and to Greenland in 1957. The 91st SRW was inactivated on November 8 1957.

It was redesignated the "91st Bombardment Wing, Heavy" on November 15 1962, and activated at Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana, on February 1 1963, operating B-52 and KC-135 aircraft. On September 11 1966, the entire wing, except for a small rear echelon, was integrated into the Arc Light Force at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for combat in Southeast Asia, and returned on March 31, 1967. From February 5 to April 15 1968, it was deployed to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, in response to the Pueblo Incident. A month after returning home, it became non-operational. Its aircraft departed and its primary job was closing Glasgow AFB.

On June 25 1968, the wing was officially moved to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. There it was redesignated the "91st Strategic Missile Wing" and absorbed the units, personnel, and Minuteman III missiles of the inactivated 455th SMW. On 1 October 1997, it was redesignated as the 91st Space Wing. In June 2008, it was once again renamed the 91st Missile Wing.

Major Command

*Air Force Space Command (1 Jul 1993 - Present)
*Air Combat Command (1 July 1992 - 1 July 1993)
*Strategic Air Command (15 November 1962 - 1 July 1992)
*Strategic Air Command (11 October 1948 - 8 November 1957)

Numbered Air Force

*Twentieth Air Force (31 May 1992 - Present)
*Fifteenth Air Force (22 January 1975 - 31 May 1992)

Air Division

*57th Air Division
*47th Air Division (15 January 1973 - ????)
*810th Air Division (Provisional) (30 November 1972 - 14 January 1973)
*810th Strategic Aerospace Division (????)
*4th Strategic Missile Division (30 June 1971 - ????)

Previous designations

*91st Missile Wing (2008-present)
*91st Space Wing (1996-2008)
*(Downgraded to group status 1994-1996)
*91st Missile Wing (1991-1994)
*91st Strategic Missile Wing (1968-1991)
*91st Bombardment Wing, Heavy (1962-1968)
*91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium (1950-1957)
*91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (1948-1950)

ubordinate units

* 91st Operations Group (Colonel Robert D. Critchlow, current Commander)
** 740th Missile Squadron
** 741st Missile Squadron
** 742d Missile Squadron
** 91st Operations Support Squadron
** 54th Helicopter Squadron
* 91st Maintenance Group (Colonel Lyman A. Faith, current Commander)
** 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron
** 91st Maintenance Operations Squadron
* 91st Security Forces Group (Colonel Myron L. Freeman, current Commander)
** 791st Missile Security Forces Squadron
** 91st Missile Security Forces Squadron
** 91st Security Support Squadron
* 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
** 322d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
** 323d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
** 324th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
** 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
** 91st Air Refueling Squadron

Locations

*Minot AFB, North Dakota (25 June 1968 - Present)
*Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana (February 1 1963 - 25 June 1968)
*Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio (11 September 1951 - 8 November 1957)
*Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (1949 - 10 September 1951)
*McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey (10 November 1948 - 1949)

Aircraft and missiles operated

*LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM (1972-Present)
*UH-1 (???-Present)
*LGM-30A Minuteman I ICBM (1968-1972)
*KC-135 (1963-1968)
*B-52 (1963-1968)
*KC-97 (1952-1957)
*KB-29 (1950-1953)
*RB-47 (1953-1957)
*B-47 (1953)
*RB-45 (1950-1953)
*B-45 (1950-1953)
*RB-50 (1950-1951)
*B-50 (1949-1950)
*RC-54 (1948-1949)
*TRB-29 (1949)
*TB-29 (1948-1949)
*RB-29 (1948-1951)
*B-29 (1948-1950)
*TRB-17 (1949)
*RB-17 (1948-1950)
*B-17 (1948-1950)

Recognition

Trophies

*Blanchard Trophy: 1978, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2004
*Lee R. Williams Memorial Missile Trophy: 1978, 1980
*SAC Bombing and Navigation: 1956

Medals/ribbons

*
**Air Force Space Command Units (24 Feb 2005 - TBD)

*
**91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (8/8/1953 - 11/8/1957)
**91st Bombardment Wing, Heavy (7/1/1965 - 6/30/1966)
**91st Bombardment Wing, Heavy (7/1/1966 - 6/30/1967)
**91st Bombardment Wing, Heavy (2/1/1968 - 3/1/1968)
**91st Bombardment Wing, Heavy (2/2/1968 - 4/15/1968)
**91st Strategic Missile Wing (7/1/1972 - 6/30/1973)
**91st Strategic Missile Wing (7/1/1976 - 6/30/1978)
**91st Strategic Missile Wing (7/1/1978 - 6/30/1980)
**91st Missile Group (9/1/1993 - 8/31/1995)
**91st Space Wing (9/1/1995 - 8/31/1997)
**91st Space Wing (10/1/1998 - 9/30/2000)
**91st Space Wing (10/1/2000 - 10/1/2001)
**91st Space Wing (1/1/2002 - 12/31/2002)

Images

References

* [http://www.minot.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3899 91st Space Wing fact sheet]

External links