451st Air Expeditionary Wing

The 451st Air Expeditionary Wing (451 AEW) is a provisional United States Air Force Air Combat Command unit. It is one of three AEWs in Afghanistan, presently assigned to Kandahar Airfield and is also the host unit at Kandahar.

The 451 AEW provides an airpower presence in the Afghanistan area of operations. 451st AEW Airmen provide Tactical Airlift, Close Air Support, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Command and Control, Airborne Datalink, Combat Search and Rescue, Casualty Evacuation and Aeromedical Evacuation capabilities.

During the Cold War, the Strategic Air Command 451st Strategic Missile Wing was the first fully operational HGM-25A Titan I ICBM wing in 1962. During World War II, the wing's predecessor unit, the 451st Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment organization, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in Italy.

Units
Groups
 * 451st Expeditionary Operations Group
 * 62d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron (launch and recovery for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper)
 * 73d Expeditionary Air Control Squadron
 * 303d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
 * 361st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron
 * 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron
 * 451st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron
 * 702d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (C-27J Spartan, 31 July 2011 - 18 June 2012)
 * 772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron


 * 451st Expeditionary Maintenance Group
 * 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
 * 451st Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron


 * 451st Expeditionary Mission Support Group
 * 451st Expeditionary Communications Squadron
 * 451st Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron
 * 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron
 * 451st Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron
 * 451st Expeditionary Force Support Flight


 * 651st Air Expeditionary Group
 * 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron
 * 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron
 * 651st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron

Tenant Units
 * 466th Air Expeditionary Squadron
 * 809th RED HORSE Squadron
 * 777th Expeditionary Prime BEEF Squadron
 * 807th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron

Assigned aircraft

 * A-10C Thunderbolt II
 * C-130J Hercules
 * C-27J Spartan
 * E-11A BACN
 * U-21
 * HH-60G Pave Hawk
 * MC-12
 * MQ-1 Predator RPA
 * MQ-9 Reaper RPA

World War II
Constituted as 451st Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 April 1943. Activated on 1 May 1943. Activated as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment unit; assigned to II Bomber Command for training. Primarily trained in the midwest. Received deployment orders for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in November 1943.

Deployed to Southern Italy in January 1944; entered combat in January 1944, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force. Air echelon training in Algeria for several weeks before joining the remainder of the group in Italy. Engaged in very long range strategic bombing missions to enemy military, industrial and transportation targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Attacked such targets as oil refineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories, bridges, and airfields in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and Greece.

Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for each of three missions: to an aircraft factory at Regensburg on 25 February 1944, to oil refineries and marshalling yards at Ploesti on 5 April 1944, and to an airdrome at Vienna on 23 August 1944; although encountering large numbers of enemy fighters and severe antiaircraft fire during each of these missions, the group fought its way through the opposition, destroyed many interceptors, and inflicted serious damage on the assigned targets.

Infamously responsible for the bombing of a primary school in Milan's neighborhood of Gorla on October 20th, 1944 which caused the death of 184 children and their teachers.

At times the group also flew support and interdictory missions. Helped to prepare the way for and participated in the invasion of Southern France in August 1944. Transported supplies to troops in Italy during September 1944. Supported the final advances of Allied armies in northern Italy in April 1945.

Returned to the US in June 1945, forming at Dow Field, Maine. Unit personnel were demobilized throughout the summer of 1945. Inactivated on 26 September 1945.

Cold War
Established as the 451st Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM-Titan) at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado and activated on 1 July 1961. The 451st SMW was the first operational HGM-25A Titan I missile wing. Construction on all 18 silos at the six launch complexes was completed by 4 August 1961. On 18 April 1962, Headquarters SAC declared the 724th SMS operational, and 2 days later the first Titan Is went on alert status. A month later, the sister 725th SMS (initially designated the 849th SMS) declared it had placed all nine of its Titan Is on alert status, which marked a SAC first.

On 19 November 1964, Defense Secretary McNamara announced the phase-out of remaining first-generation SM-65 Atlas and Titan I missiles by the end of June 1965. This objective was met. All wing missiles went off alert status on 26 March 1965 and the wing phased down for inactivation. On 25 June 1965, the 724th SMS and 725th SMS were inactivated. SAC removed the last missile from Lowry on 14 April 1965.

Global War on Terrorism
The 451st Air Expeditionary Group was activated in 2002 as part of the Global War on Terrorism, conducting operations from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. The group was responsible for air control of the southern region of Afghanistan, launch and recovery operations for the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft, the employment of combat search and rescue forces throughout the entire country and ground security and defense of the airfield. Included in the group are safety, logistics, communications, civil engineer.

Due to the growth in size and requirements of the USAF mission at Kandahar, the 451 AEG was enlarged to a wing-level organization, redesignated as the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing (451 AEW) and activated as such on 2 July 2009.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 451st Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 April 1943.
 * Activated on 1 May 1943
 * Inactivated on 26 September 1945


 * Established as the 451st Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM-Titan) July 1, 1961
 * Activated on July 1, 1961
 * Bestowed history, honors, and heraldry of 451st Bombardment Group passed to wing by HQ USAF upon activation.
 * Organized 1 July 1961, assuming missiles, personnel and equipment of the 703d Strategic Missile Wing (Inactivated)
 * Discontinued and inactivated 25 June 1965


 * Converted to provisional status and allocated to Air Combat Command
 * Redesignated 451st Air Expeditionary Group 2002 (exact date uncertain)
 * Activated 2002 (exact date uncertain)


 * Redesignated 451st Air Expeditionary Wing 2 July 2009

Note: Reference for unit lineage. As with most public information about Air Expeditionary Units activated during the Global War on Terrorism, the status of the bestowed Honors, and Heraldry of the unit is unclear.

Assignments

 * Fourth Air Force, 1 May 1943
 * Third Air Force, 3 June 1943
 * Second Air Force, 18 July – November 1943
 * Fifteenth Air Force,
 * 47th Bombardment Wing, 11 December 1943 – 6 April 1944
 * 49th Bombardment Wing, 6 April 1944 – 19 June 1945


 * Continental Air Forces
 * First Air Force, 19 June – 16 September 1945


 * Strategic Air Command
 * 13th Air Division, 1 July 1961 – 25 June 1965


 * Air Combat Command
 * 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, ?? ??? 2002 – 2 July 2009
 * Ninth Air Force, since 2 July 2009

Components

 * 724th Bombardment (later Strategic Missile) Squadron, 1 May 1943 – 26 Sep 1945; 1 July 1961 – 25 June 1965
 * 725th Bombardment (later Strategic Missile) Squadron, 1 May 1943 – 26 Sep 1945; 1 July 1961 – 25 June 1965
 * 726th Bombardment Squadron, 1 May 1943 – 26 Sep 1945
 * 727th Bombardment Squadron, 1 May 1943 – 26 Sep 1945

Stations

 * Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 1 May 1943 – 5 June 1943
 * Dyersburg Army Air Base, Tennessee, 3 June 1943
 * Wendover Field, Utah c. 18 July 1943
 * Fairmont AAFld, Nebraska 9 September – 16 November 1943
 * Gioia del Colle Airfield, Italy c. 10 January 1944


 * San Pancrazio Airfield, Italy c. 5 March 1944
 * Castelltuccio Airfield, Italy c. 6 April 1944 – June 1945
 * Dow Field, Maine c. 19 June – 16 September 1945
 * Lowry AFB, Colorado 26 April 1961 – 25 June 1965
 * Kandahar/Qandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, since 2002

Aircraft assigned

 * B-24 Liberator 1943–1945
 * Titan I ICBM 1961–1965