410th Air Expeditionary Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 410th Air Expeditionary Wing


caption= 410th Bombardment Wing emblem
dates= 1943-Present
country= USA
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
type= Air Expeditionary
role= Combat Support
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison= Azraq, Jordan/H-5 2003
ceremonial_chief=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
anniversaries=The United States Air Force's 410th Air Expeditionary Wing (410 AEW) is an Air Expeditionary unit located in Southwest Asia. As detailed below, one of the two bare bases the Wing operated from during the major combat operations phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom was Azraq, Jordan. [Steven Davies & Doug Dildy, 'F-16 Fighting Falcon Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom,' Osprey Publishing, Osprey Combat Aircraft 61, 2006, p.70]

History

Lineage

* 410th Bombardment Group (1943-1945)
* 410th Bombardment Wing, Heavy (1962-1991)
* 410th Wing (1991-1992)
* 410th Bomb Wing (1992-1994)
* 410th Air Expeditionary Wing (2001-Present)

Bases Assigned

* Will Rogers Field, OK 1 Jul 1943
* Muskogee AAFld, OK Oct 1943
* Laurel AAFld, MS Jan 1944
* Lakeland AAFld, FL c. 8 Feb-c. 13 Mar 1944
* RAF Birch, England c. 4 Apr 1944 149
* RAF Gosfield, England c. 16 Apr 1944 154
* Coulommiers, France Sep 1944
* Juvincourt, France Feb 1945
* Beaumont-sur-Oise, France May-Jun 1945
* Seymour Johnson Field, NC Aug 1945
* Myrtle Beach AAFld, SC c. 5 Oct-7 Nov 1945
* K. I. Sawyer AFB, MI Nov 1962-Dec 1994
* Southwest Asia 2001-Present ?

Major Weapons Sysems

* Douglas A-20 Havoc (1943-1945)
* Martin B-26 Marauder (1945)
* Douglas A-26 Invader (1945)
* KC-135A (1963-1993)
* B-52H (1963-1994)
* F-16 (2001-Present)
* A-10A (2001-Present)
* HH-60 (2001-Present)

The 410th AEW during OIF operated F-16's, B-57 Canberra Bombers(?), C-130's, UH-60's, A-10's, and AV-8B's.

Operational History

World War II

Constituted as 410th Bombardment Group (Light) on 16 Jun 1943. Activated on 1 Jul 1943. Trained with A-20's. Moved to RAF Gosfield England, Mar-Apr 1944, and assigned to Ninth Air Force. Operational squadrons of the group were:

* 644th Bombardment Squadron (5D)
* 645th Bombardment Squadron (7X)
* 646th Bombardment Squadron (8U)
* 647th Bombardment Squadron (SQ) Training of the 410th BG had been in low-level attack and this form of bombing had been abandoned as too dangerous in tire European Theater of Operations. On receipt of its aircraft from depots (A-20s cane to the UK by ship), the group commenced a hurried period of retraining in bombing from medium altitudes as was IX Bomber Command practice. Eventually, there were 64 Havocs at Gosfield, 16 per squadron. all in camouflage finish. Combat markings were applied, was an alternating black and white blocked rudder as group identification.

The 410th BG flew its first mission on 1 May 1944 and others followed thick and fast, often two per day. Targets were airfields, railways, bridges, fuel and military stores, V-weapon sites, road junctions and enemy troop positions. In the course of 20 weeks' operations from Gosfield, the 418th flew 124 missions, losing 211 A-20s. almost all to flak.

Following the Allied break-out from the Normandy beach-head in late July, and the subsequent sweep across France. the 410th, in common with other IX Bomber Command units, found range was a critical factor and by September the targets were almost beyond the range of the Havocs at Gosfield. To remedy this situation, the expected move to France was finally ordered for 18 September when the majority of personnel were moved by train to Southampton for the sea crossing. The ultimate destination was the ALG A-58 at Coulommiers.

On the continent, the 410th continued operations until V-E Day, eventually being stationed at Beaumont-sur-Oise, France. The group returned to the United States during the summer of 1945, and was inactivated at Myrtle Beach AAF, South Carolina on 7 November 1945.

Cold War

The 410th Bombardment Wing, Heavy (410 BW) was established and activated on 15 Nov 1962. It replaced the 4042d Strategic Wing on 1 Feb 1963 at K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. The 644th Bomb Squadron acquired the B-52Hs previously flown by the 526th BS/4042nd Strategic Wing when it became operational. The 46th Refueling Squadron was activated with KC-135 Stratotankers.

*Reassigned to: Second Air Force, 40th Air Division on 1 February 1963. [Mixer, Ronald E., Genealogy of the STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND , Battermix Publishing Company, 1999, and Mixer, Ronald E., STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, An Organizational History, Battermix Publishing Company, 2006]
*Reassigned to: Second Air Force, 4th Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 September 1964.
*Reassigned to: Second Air Force, 40th Air Division on 31 March 1970.
*Reassigned to: Eighth Air Force, 40th Air Division on 1 January 1975.

The wing conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations on a global scale to meet SAC commitments. From 1964 to 1975, the wing supported combat operations over Vietnam by rotating B-52 and KC-135 flight crews to Guam and Okinawa.

Having been reassigned directly to Eighth Air Force on 8 June 1988, the wing was redesignated the 410th Wing (410 WG) on 1 September 1991 or in October 1991 (two reliable sources differ) when the wing implemented the objective wing concept. On 1 June 1992, the 410th Bomb Wing was assigned to the new Air Combat Command. The wing adapted the tail code "KI" for it's aircraft.

The KC-135A equipped 46th Air Refueling Squadron was reassigned to the Air Mobility Command 305th Operations Group at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey on 1 June 1992, leaving the wing with only the 644th Bomb Squadron with B-52Hs.

The B-52s were transferred to both the 5th Bomb Wing at [Minot AFB] }, North Dakota and the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana on Nov. 21, 1994, in preparation for the wing being inactivated on 30 September 1995 when K. I. Sawyer was closed by BRAC.

War On Terror

The 410th Air Expeditionary Wing was activated as part of the Global War On Terror. It was based at Azraq, Jordan and H-5, Jordan. Fighting alongside their fully integrated special operations ground task forces, the 410 AEW's pilots, flying General Dynmics F-16 Fighting Falcon and Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, pursuing enemy equipment, personnel, and high-value targets, including regime leadership.

Given the fact that the 410th AEW was supporting special forces, and that RAF Canberras referred to below were based at Azraq, Jordan, [ [http://www.hyperscale.com/2007/reviews/kits/xtrakit004reviewbg_1.htm Canberra PR.9 by Brett Green (Xtrakit 1/72) ] ] it appears that during the major combat operation phase at least, one of the bare bases was Azraq (also a Jordanian Air Force base).

'..The definite answer was given by U.S. military personnel. The key were only a handful posts from 410th AEW personnel via their public and non-secured web and e-mail accesses - not only to family members and friends, but also to open forums, alumni websites and church websites. In all cases the main part of the related e-mail address was …@azab.aorcentaf.af.mil (azab = Azraq Air Base, aorcentaf = Area of Responsibility, Central Command Air Forces, af = Air Force, mil = Military). The related e-mail address for Prince Hassan Air Base (or H5) was …@phab.aorcentaf.af.mil.

And so, it´s finally clear: The 410th AEW and their assigned F-16s were definitely deployed to Shahid Muafaq Al-Salti Air Base near Azraq, called Azraq AB by U.S. CENTAF..' [ [http://www.f-16.net/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=55448 F-16.net - Operation Iraqi Freedom (F-16 Combat History) ] ]

In total, during 2004, the wing flew 9,651 fighter and attack hours in twenty-six days flying counter-tactical ballistic-missile missions and never left the special operations forces in western Iraq without air cover. Often flying in extremely hazardous conditions in and around Iraq, the wing's crews generated 2,547 sorties, providing around-the-clock, time-sensitive targeting, interdiction, OCA, CAS, ISR, and CSAR missions deep within enemy territory. These missions were flown from bare bases with little supporting infrastructure and necessary logistics. The wing accurately employed more than 600 precision-guided munitions and expended a total of 800,000 pounds of weapons. In addition to eliminating TBM support equipment, the wing is credited with destroying aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery pieces, surfacetoair missile systems, ammunition supply dumps, radars, and enemy troops.

The wing is also credited with the destruction of two Baath Party headquarters buildings in western and central Iraq. Although the wing was engaged in more than 200 troopsincontact scenarios, there were no fratricide events. During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, 410th personnel supplied thirty F-16s, four HH-60s, four HC-130s, eight RAF GR.7 Harriers, and two PR.9 Canberras with 130,000 gallons of fuel per day for twenty-three days.

References

* Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994. After the Battle ISBN 0900913800
* Freeman, Roger A. (1996) The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle ISBN 1854092723
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings: Lineage and Honors Histories, 1947-1977 (Washington: USGPO, 1984)
* Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0
* World Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. ISBN 1-880588-01-3

External links

* [http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/2004/articles/jan_04/jan04_oif33.html 410 AEW - Code One Magazine]