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Activation
The 99th Bomb Group activated in the Reserve at Birmingham,
Alabama on May 29, 1947 and inactivated on Jun 27th the following year. Activated as the 99th Strategic Reconnaissance
Wing on January 1, 1953 at Fairchild AFB, Washington, where it replaced the 111th Strategic
Reconnaissance Wing. The wing was initially equipped with RB–29 aircraft, and then with RB–36
aircraft, beginning in 1954.
Reconnaissance Mission
It performed worldwide photographic, electronic, and
visual day and night strategic reconnaissance as its primary mission until late
1954, and as a secondary mission until September,1956. From January 1955 to February 1956,
it participated in Project FICON, in which one squadron’s GRB–36D bombers were
modified to carry RF–84K reconnaissance fighters on long-range flights.
Strategic bombing became the Wing’s primary mission in late 1954, but it was
not redesignated a bombardment wing until October 1, 1955. Deployed to Andersen AFB,
Guam, from January to April of 1956. The Wing continued to use fly RB–36s until Aug
1956.
B-52 and Beyond
On September 4, 1956, the wing moved to Westover AFB,
Massachusetts, and was redesignated the 99th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on October
1st. It soon began receiving the new B-52C. In the latter half of the 1960s their B-52Cs were redistributed among a
number of different B-52D
units and operated primarily as crew trainers until 1971.
In 1956, the 99th received the new
KC-135 Stratotanker and began it's refueling mission.
The tanker squadron also operated EC–135s in a Post-Attack Command
Control System role until 1970.
Beginning in 1967, all wing tactical and
maintenance assets, and some support resources, were rotated for various periods
to USAF units engaged in Southeast Asian combat operations; these deployments
continued until the Wing inactivated.
Status
Inactivated March 31, 1974. Redesignated the 99th Strategic Weapons Wing and activated at Ellsworth AFB, SD, in Aug 1989.
Redesignated
the 99th Tactics and
Training Wing on September 1, 1991. Moved to Nellis AFB and redesignated
the 99th Wing on June 15, 1993.
Components
Squadrons:
The first three squadrons listed
below were reconnaissance squadrons from Jan 1, 1953
until October 1956. During this
time they flew the RB-29 and RB-36. In 1956, they were
redesignated Bombardment Squadrons
and began flying B-52s.
346 RS / BS: Assigned Jan 1, 1953 - March 31, 1974 (Not operational Sept 4 - Dec
7, 1956;
Oct 1967-April 1, 1968; Sept 22, 1968
- March 21, 1969; March 15 - June 22, 1970 and
Apr 30, 1972 - March 31,1974.
Received the B-52C in December 1956 and flew in varying
quantities until 1971. Flew
B-52D 1957 - 1961 and 1965 -1972, as well as some B-52Bs
in 1958-59.
Non-operational from April 30, 1972 until inactivated March 31, 1974.
347 RS / BS: Assigned Jan 1, 1953 - Sept 1, 1961 (Detached Jan 1 - Sept 12,
1953; (Not operational
Aug 20 - Oct 13, 1953 and Sep 4
- Dec 9, 1956; Detached Aug 15 - 31, 1961). Flew B-52C from
Dec 1957 until 1961. Also flew
B-52B in 1958 - 1959 and B-52D from 1957 to Jan 9, 1961, when
the squadron was reassigned to the 4047th
Strategic Wing at McCoy AFB, Florida.
348 RS /
BS: Assigned Jan 1, 1953 - Sept 30, 1973 (Not operational July 31, Dec 11, 1956;
Oct 1, 1967 -
April 1, 1968; Sept 22, 1968 - March
21, 1969; March 15 - June 22, 1970 and Apr 30, 1972 -
Sept 30, 1973. Flew B-52C from
Dec 1956 until 1961. Also flew B-52D in 1957- 1961 and
1966 - 1972 and B-2B in 1958 -
1959. Non operational from April 30, 1972 until inactivated
on Sept. 30, 1972
99
AR: Assigned Jan 1, 1966 - Sept 30, 1973 (Not operational Oct 1, 1967 - April 1,
1968,
Sept 22, 1968 - March 21, 1969; March 15 -
June 22, 1970; Aug 1972 - Feb 1973
and July 30 - Sept 1973
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