55th Wing

The 55th Wing (55 WG) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. The wing is primarily stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, but maintains one of its groups and associated squadrons at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona as a geographically separated unit (GSU).

The 55 WG is the only Air Force wing with continuous operations, maintenance, and aircraft presence in the United States Central Command area of responsibility since Operation Desert Storm.

Overview
The 55 WG mission is to provide worldwide reconnaissance, real-time intelligence, command and control, information warfare and combat support to U.S. leaders and commanders. One of the wing's units, the 55th Operations Group, operates 46 aircraft, including 13 models of seven different types. It is the largest wing in Air Combat Command and flies the most diverse number of aircraft.

Units

 * 55th Communications Group
 * Provides worldwide command, control, communications and computer (C4) systems, information management and combat support to warfighting and national leadership. It also provides communications technology and support to the 55th Wing and 44 tenant units.


 * 55th Electronic Combat Group
 * Provides combat-ready EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, crews, maintenance and operational support to combatant commanders. Stationed at: Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona


 * 55th Maintenance Group
 * Provides centralized direction of all maintenance staff functions providing support to world-wide aircraft reconnaissance missions.


 * 55th Medical Group
 * Serves 50K beneficiaries with extensive outpatient clinic capabilities, in-patient wards, and ancillary support.


 * 55th Mission Support Group
 * Provides vital mission support for Offutt Air Force Base through engineering, security, mission support, services, supply, transportation, contracting and deployment readiness programs.


 * 55th Operations Group
 * ACC's largest group, has operational control over 12 squadrons and two detachments worldwide. It employs 46 aircraft, including 13 models of seven different types.


 * 55th Wing Staff

Flying units and assigned aircraft
1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron -        E-4B 38th Reconnaissance Squadron -                     RC-135 45th Reconnaissance Squadron -                     OC-135, RC-135, TC-135, WC-135 82d Reconnaissance Squadron (Kadena AB, ROK) - RC-135 95th Reconnaissance Squadron (RAF Mildenhall, UK) -  RC-135 338th Combat Training Squadron - aircrew training 343d Reconnaissance Squadron - OC-135, RC-135, WC-135
 * 55th Electronic Combat Group (Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona)

41st Electronic Combat Squadron -                   EC-130H 43d Electronic Combat Squadron -                    EC-130H

History

 * For additional history and lineage, see 55th Operations Group

The "Fightin’ Fifty-Fifth" has made significant contributions to the defense of the United States of America for more than 50 years. Having won honor and distinction for its combat record since World War II with two Distinguished Unit Citations, the wing has since compiled an admirable record of achievements. Since its inception, the unit has operated around the world, flying a wide variety of aircraft.

Cold War
On November 1, 1950, the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (55 SRW) activated and was bestowed with the awards and honors of the 55th Reconnaissance Group at Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico. From 1950 to 1954 the Wing's task was to perform strategic reconnaissance, charting photography, precise electronic geodetic mapping, and electronic reconnaissance missions. In 1952, the wing returned to Forbes AFB, Kansas and converted to RB-50s. The wing formally assumed a global strategic reconnaissance mission in 1954 and transited to the RB-47E "Stratojet." The Wing was deployed at Ben Guerir Air Base, in what was then French Morocco, between May and August 1955.

When the mapping and charting functions originally assigned to the 55th Reconnaissance Group were transferred on May 1, 1954, the wing assumed the mission of global strategic reconnaissance, including electronic reconnaissance. It also carried out weather reconnaissance operations until June 1963, and photographic reconnaissance missions until May 1964.

The 55 SRW moved to Offutt AFB, Nebraska, in August 1966. That same year the 55th’s 38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron assumed responsibility for SAC’s airborne command and control system. The 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron inherited this mission after activation on April 1, 1970. The 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron, flying E-4A aircraft, transferred to the 55th on November 1, 1975, bringing with it the National Emergency Airborne Command Post, now called the National Airborne Operations Center. The Wing flew reconnaissance operations during the U.S. military operations in Grenada in 1983 and Libya in 1986. On March 1, 1986, the 55 SRW became the host unit at Offutt after the inactivation of the 3902d Air Base Wing.

The Wing ended nearly twenty-five years of continuous Airborne Command Post ('Looking Glass') operations in 1990, assumed a modified alert posture, and continued worldwide reconnaissance. In October 1998, the wing transferred control of the EC-135 LOOKING GLASS mission to the United States Navy's TACAMO aircraft and the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, which flew the EC-135 LOOKING GLASS aircraft, inactivated.

The wing deployed to the Persian Gulf on August 8, 1990, and began 24-hour-a-day reconnaissance of the region for Central Command Commander Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, under Operation DESERT SHIELD. At the start of Operation DESERT STORM, January 18, 1991, the wing continued to provide real-time information to theater commanders and remains there yet today.

Modern era
The 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing became the 55th Wing on September 1, 1991, to reflect the wing’s performance of a diversity of missions. When SAC disestablished and Air Combat Command (ACC) established, the wing transferred to ACC and gained its fifth operational location.

The 55th SRW and the 55th Wing has been awarded the USAF's P. T. Cullen Award five times since 1971 for its contributions to photo and signal intelligence collection.

Lineage

 * Established as 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 29 June 1948
 * Activated on 19 July 1948
 * Inactivated on 14 October 1949


 * Redesignated 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium, on 27 October 1950
 * Activated on 1 November 1950
 * Redesignated: 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 16 August 1966
 * Redesignated: 55th Wing on 1 September 1991.

Assignments

 * 311th Air Division, 19 July 1948-14 October 1949
 * Second Air Force, 1 November 1950
 * 21 Air (later, 21 Strategic Aerospace) Division, 1 October 1952
 * Attached to 5th Air Division, 18 May-16 August 1955


 * 810th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 September 1964
 * 12th Strategic Aerospace Division, 2 July 1966
 * 14 Strategic Aerospace (later, 14 Air) Division, 30 June 1971


 * 4th Air Division, 1 October 1976
 * 57th Air Division, 1 April 1980
 * 12th Air Division, 1 October 1982
 * 14th Air Division, 1 October 1985
 * Second Air Force, 1 September 1991
 * Twelfth Air Force, 1 July 1993
 * Eighth Air Force, 1 October 2002
 * Twelfth Air Force, 1 October 2009–present

Components
Groups
 * 55th Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 55th Operations): 19 July 1948- 14 October 1949; 1 November 1950-16 June 1952; 1 September 1991–present
 * 55th Electronic Combat Group: 3 February 2003-present

Squadrons
 * 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron: 1 November 1975-present
 * 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Provisional): attached 1 September-9 October 1948
 * 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 10-26 October 1948; attached 14 January-1 June 1949
 * 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron: 1 April 1970-19 July 1994
 * 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron: 19 July 1994-1 October 1998
 * 23d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 1-17 June 1949
 * 38th Reconnaissance: attached 6 January 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-1 April 1970; assigned 1 April 1979 - Present.
 * 24th Reconnaissance Squadron, 7 July 1992 - 30 June 1994
 * 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, 1 July 1994 - Present
 * 55th Air Refueling Squadron: attached 8 January 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-18 February 1954; assigned 1 October 1955-15 March 1963 (detached 31 October-27 December 1956)
 * 55th Mobile Command and Control Squadron: 1984-29 September 2006
 * 82d Reconnaissance Squadron: 2 October 1991-present
 * 97th Intelligence Squadron: ?-Present
 * 323d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 19 September-10 October 1949
 * 338th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 25 November 1950-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-15 June 1963; assigned 25 March-25 December 1967
 * 343d Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 19 July-26 October 1948; attached 4 January 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 - Present.
 * 390th Intelligence Squadron ?-Present
 * 488th Intelligence Squadron?-Present
 * 548th Strategic Missile Squadron: attached 1-31 August 1964, assigned 1 September 1964-25 March 1965
 * 922d Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 June 1992-30 June 1994

Stations

 * Topeka (later, Forbes) AFB, Kansas, 19 July 1948-14 October 1949
 * Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico, 1 November 1950
 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, 5 October 1952
 * Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 16 August 1966–present

Aircraft and missiles

 * B/RB-17 Flying Fortress, 1948–1949
 * B/RB-29 Superfortress, 1948–1949; 1950-1951
 * RC-54 Skymaster, 1948
 * RB-50 Superfortress, 1950–1954
 * EB/RB-47 Stratojet, 1954–1967
 * KC-97 Stratotanker, 1956-?
 * SM-65 Atlas, 1964–1965
 * EC-135, 1966–1998
 * KC-135 Stratotanker, 1966–1998
 * RC-135, 1967–present


 * Boeing E-4, 1975–present
 * C-135, 1977–1994
 * NKC-135, 1983–1994
 * TC-135, 1988–present
 * T-38, 1992–1995
 * WC-135, 1992–present
 * C-21: 1993-1997
 * OC-135: 1994–present
 * EC-130 Hercules, 2002–present