| Unit Name: | 72nd Air Base Wing |
| Dates: | 1941–1943; 1947–1949; 1952–1971; 1994–present |
| Role: | Air Base Support |
| Command Structure: | Air Force Materiel Command |
| Commander1: | Colonel Paul G. Filcek |
| Commander4: | Chief Master Sergeant Keith M. Scott |
| Garrison: | Tinker Air Force Base |
| Decorations: | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Identification Symbol Label: | 72nd Air Base Wing emblem (approved 13 October 1995)[1] |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | 72nd Strategic Reconnaissance Wing emblem (approved 29 June 1954) |
The 72nd Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It has been the host unit at Tinker since activating there on 1 October 1994.
The first predecessor of the wing was organized in 1941 as the 72nd Observation Group during the Louisiana Maneuvers. After the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the group moved to the Panama Canal Zone, where it performed aerial reconnaissance and antisubmarine missions until disbanding in 1943. The group was reconstituted and served in the reserve from 1947 until 1949, when it was inactivated as the military budget was reduced.
The wing's second predecessor was organized in June 1952 as the 72nd Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, operating Convair RB-36 Peacemaker aircraft from Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico. The wing converted to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in 1959 on acted in the strategic deterrent role with bombers and tankers until inactivating in June 1971.
The 72nd Air Base Wing is the host organization for Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It provides base installation and support services for the Air Force Sustainment Center, the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex and more than 45 associate units, including two operational flying wings of Air Combat Command and Air Force Reserve Command, the United States Navy Strategic Communications Wing One and several Defense agencies. The wing provides support services for nearly 27,000 civilian and military personnel at Tinker. It also provides services to approximately 18,000 dependents and more than 36,000 military retirees and their family members in the surrounding area and supports almost 2,400 contractors.[2]
The wing provides base functions including security, fire protection, medical services, civil engineering, communications and supply, transportation and airfield operations. It also offers a variety of recreational and leisure activities.[2]
Organizations assigned to the Wing include the 72nd Medical Group, 72nd Mission Support Group, 72nd Operations Support Squadron and 72nd Logistics Readiness Squadron.[2]
The wing's first predecessor was organized during the Louisiana Maneuvers at Shreveport Municipal Airport, Louisiana as the 72nd Observation Group on 26 September 1941 as part of the United States Army's buildup prior to the country's entry into World War II. It drew its cadre from its three original squadrons. These were the 108th and 124th Observation Squadrons, two National Guard units that had been mobilized earlier that year, and the 1st Observation Squadron, a regular army unit.[3] [4] [5] However, none of its assigned squadrons were located with group headquarters. The two National Guard squadrons remained at their prewar state stations, while the 1st Squadron was at Marshall Field, Kansas.[6] A few days after activating, the group headquarters moved to Adams Field, Arkansas. The group's primary mission aircraft was the North American O-47, although it also flew the Stinson O-49 Vigilant.[1]
While the group was still organizing, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The group joined the 1st Squadron at Marshall Field, and at the end of the month, both departed for Howard Field in the Canal Zone, arriving there along with the 108th Squadron on 18 January 1942.[1] [3] [5] Although the 124th Squadron remained assigned to the group, it remained in the United States until being reassigned in March 1942.[4] Its place was taken by the 4th and 39th Observation Squadrons, which were assigned to the group the same month.[7] However the group acted only as an administrative headquarters for these units, as the 4th was located at Losey Field, Puerto Rico and operated under the Puerto Rican Department for nearly the entire time it was assigned.[7] The 39th was initially stationed in Panama, but moved to Waller Field, Trinidad in August 1942 and was controlled by the Trinidad Sector and Base Command after its move.[8] The group added Piper L-4 Grasshoppers, Douglas B-18 Bolos and Bell P-39 Airacobras to its inventory in the Caribbean.[1]
The group performed antisubmarine patrols and search and rescue missions. It performed aerial reconnaissance for ground units and flew some photographic charting missions. It also provided forces in the Caribbean with mail service.[1] On 1 June 1943, the two squadrons located in the eastern Caribbean were reassigned to the Antilles Air Command.[7] [8] Later that month, the group and its remaining squadrons were renamed from observation to reconnaissance units. The group disbanded in November 1943 as the 108th Squadron inactivated and the 1st Squadron was reassigned directly to Sixth Air Force.[1] [5]
The group was reactivated as a reserve unit under Air Defense Command (ADC) at Hamilton Field, California in July 1947, where its training was supervised by the 415 AAF Base Unit (later the 2346th Air Force Reserve Training Center).[9] Upon activation, it was assigned the newly constituted 60th Reconnaissance Squadron. The following month, it added the 73d Fighter Squadron.[1] In 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.[10] However, it does not appear that the group was fully manned or equipped with operational aircraft during this period.[11] The 72nd was inactivated in June 1949 when ConAC reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system.[1] President Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget also required reductions in the number of groups in the Air Force to 48.[12] The group's personnel and equipment were transferred to elements of the 349th Troop Carrier Wing, which was simultaneously activated to replace reserve elements at Hamilton.[13]
The second predecessor of the wing was the 72nd Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, which was activated in June 1952 at Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico as a long range reconnaissance unit. It was assigned the 60th and 73rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadrons, which had been elements of the 72nd Group while a reserve unit, and the new 301st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron as its operational units. The combat squadrons reported directly to the wing, eliminating the intermediate group structures under the "dual deputy" organization.[14] However, until the end of September, the wing existed only on paper, and was commanded by the commander of the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing as an additional duty. In October 1952, the 55th Wing moved to Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas without personnel or equipment, and the 72nd absorbed its remaining resources at Ramey.[1] [15]
Although the 55th Wing had primarily operated Boeing RB-50 Superfortresses at Ramey, the 72nd Wing began to equip with the Convair RB-36 Peacemaker.[1] [15] The wing conducted global strategic reconnaissance from 1953. On 16 June 1954 the wing, along with SAC's other B-36 reconnaissance wings, was assigned bombing as its primary mission. However, it retained its designation as a reconnaissance wing until 1955.[1] [16]
In 1958, the wing prepared for transition to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Its Peacemakers were gone by the end of the year, with the 73rd Squadron becoming nonoperational on 1 September 1958, followed by the 301st Squadron on 11 September and the 60th Squadron on 18 November. The 915th Air Refueling Squadron, operating Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers activated on 1 September 1958. The first B-52s arrived the following year. However, starting in 1957 Strategic Air Command (SAC) had developed plans to disperse its B-52 force to reduce its vulnerability to Soviet missile attack.[17] SAC bases with large concentrations of bombers made attractive targets. SAC's response was to break up its wings and scatter their aircraft over a larger number of bases.[18] Under this program, the wing's 73d Bombardment Squadron moved to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina on 5 January as the strike unit for the 4241st Strategic Wing,[19] while the 301st Bombardment Squadron moved to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida on 17 June 1959 to perform a similar role with the 4135th Strategic Wing,[20] leaving the 60th as the wing's only bomber unit. The two transferred squadrons remained nonoperational until they were reassigned, while the 60th became operational with the B-52 on 13 August 1959.[1]
Starting in 1960, one third of the wing's aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. This was increased to half the wing's aircraft in 1962.[21]
Soon after detection of Soviet missiles in Cuba, on 20 October, the wing was directed to put two additional planes on alert. On 22 October 1/8 of SAC B-52s had been placed on airborne alert.[22] Additional KC-135s were placed on alert to replace KC-135s devoted to maintaining the B-52 bomber force on airborne alert.[23] On 24 October SAC went to DEFCON 2, placing all the wing's aircraft on alert.[24] On 21 November SAC returned to normal airborne alert posture.[25] The same day, SAC went to DEFCON 3 and on 27 November SAC returned to the wing normal alert posture.[26] The wing continued to stand nuclear alert until shortly before inactivating in June 1971.[1] The 915th Air Refueling Squadron inactivated with the wing and its personnel and planes were assigned to other units.[27] While the 60th Bombardment Squadron's resources were also dispersed, the squadron moved on paper to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, where it would resume operating B-52s.[28]
In addition to its combat mission the wing hosted the annual United States Air Force Commander's Conferences, code named Corona South. While these began on an irregular basis in 1955, by the 1960s, they had been a regular annual event at Ramey. They continued until the wing was inactivated. Military Airlift Command continued them until Ramey closed and they were transferred to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida.[29]
In January 1984, the 72nd Reconnaissance Group and the 72nd Bombardment Wing were consolidated into a single unit. The consolidated unit was redesignated the 72nd Air Base Wing and activated at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma on 1 October 1994. The wing replaced the 654th Air Base Group, which had served as the host for Tinker since 1953 under various designations.[30] [31]
Activated on 26 September 1941
Redesignated 72nd Reconnaissance Group (Special) on 25 June 1943
Disbanded on 1 November 1943
Activated in the reserve on 12 June 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949[32]
Activated on 16 June 1952
Redesignated 72nd Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 October 1955
Inactivated on 30 June 1971[34]
Activated on 1 October 1994[1]