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72nd Strategic
Recon Wing
72nd Bombardment Wing
No known
motto |
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Based at: Ramey
AFB, Puerto Rico
Aircraft: RB-36, KC-135, B-52
Status: Inactivated June 1971
Bomb Squadrons: 60BS, 73BS, 301BS, 915ARS |
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Activation
Established as the 72nd Strategic
Reconnaissance Wing, Heavy, on June 4, 1952. Activated June 16 at
Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico. Not operation until it absorbed the
residual resources of the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing in
October.
B-36 Peacemaker
Conducted global strategic reconnaissance from 1953 to
1955, flying the RB-36. Gradually shifting to bombardment training
mission beginning in 1954. Redesigned 72nd Bombardment Wing, Heavy
on October 1, 1955.
The Jet Age
Acquired KC-135 jet tankers in 1958 and the
B-52 Stratofortress the following year. In 1959, two of it's three
B-52 squadrons were assigned to strategic wings.
the 72nd then had only one B-52 squadron of fifteen aircraft and one
squadron of tankers. It was, in effect, a strategic wing, but not redesignated
as such.
Status
Inactivated Jun 30, 1971.
Components
Squadrons
60 BS: Attached June 16, 1952 - June 30, 1971 (Not
operational June 16 - Oct 4, 1952 and
Nov.18, 1958 - Aug 13,1959
73 BS: Attached June 16, 1965 - Jan 5,1959 (Not operational
June 16, 1952 - Jan 7, 1953 and
Sept 1, 1958 - Jan 5, 1959.
Transferred to the
4241st
Strategic Wing
301 BS: Attached June 15, 1952 - June 17,1959 (Not operational
June 15, 1952 - March 15, 1953 and
Sept 11, 1958 - June 17, 1959.
On April 1, 1958, planes and personnel were transferred to
the newly formed 4135th
Strategic Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida.
915 AR: Attached: Sept 1, 1958 - June 30 ,1971 |
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