Strategic Air Command

History of the Strategic Air Command
Page 3 - 1947 


The U.S. Air Force is Established

     On September 16, 1947, the United States Air Force was established a separate and equal element of the United States armed forces.  The fledging Air Force quickly established it's own identity.  Army Air Fields were renamed Air Force Bases and personnel were soon being issued a sassy new uniform.  The "brown shoe days," were over.
     Organization remained pretty much the same as the Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command and Air Defense Command were still it's combat arms.  The group organization carried over from World War II remained in place.  
     During the Spring, SAC headquarters became ambitious and began a large expansion.  On July 1, 1947, seven new Bomb Groups were activated at Andrews Field.   That is, they were established on paper.  But there were not enough  aircraft and personnel for them to become operational.  Only two of the groups received B-29s.  On September 24, 1947, the 2nd Bomb Group moved to Davis-Monthan in Arizona and the 98th Bombardment Group to Spokane, Washington.  The other five groups were nothing more than "paper tigers."  They were the 44th, 90th, 303rd, 305 and 306th.  They remained at Andrews - unmanned and unequipped until September 6, 1948, when they were deactivated.  The only group to survive this fate was the 306th Bombardment Group which moved to MacDill in August of 1948.  It soon received the B-29 Superfortress..

Hobson Reorganization Plan

     Shortly after the Air Force was formed, it was completely reorganized under the Hobson Plan.
See: SAC Organization

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