| 484th Air Expeditionary Wing | |
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Combat Air Controllers of the 484 AEW |
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| Active | World War II, Cold War, 2003 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Air Expeditionary |
| Role | Combat Support |
| Part of | Air Combat Command/US Central Command |
| Engagements |
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The 484th Air Expeditionary Wing (484 AEW) is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time.
It was activated and attached to United States Air Forces Central for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 (Operation Iraqi Freedom). It was headquartered at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.
Originally activated in 1943 as the 484th Bombardment Group as a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. The highly-decorated unit served primarily in the Mediterranean, African, and The Middle East Theatres of World War II.
in November 1962 the wing was designated the 484th Bombardment Wing and was stationed at Turner AFB, Georgia. In 1966 all wing aircraft, crews, all wing HQ personnel and most wing support personnel were deployed as part of the 3d Air Division for combat operations over Vietnam. The wing was deactivated on 25 March 1967 as part of the inactivation of Turner AFB.
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The 484th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was constituted on 14 September 1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb group and activated on 20 September at Harvard Army Airfield, Nebraska. It comprised the 824th, 825th, 826th and 827th Bombardment Squadrons and service support units.
Completed training at Harvard AAF in February 1944, being ordered for deployment to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in Southern Italy. Departed the United States in early March and arriving in April at Torretto Airfield, Italy, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force. Redesignated 484th Bombardment Group (Pathfinder) in May 1944 but did not perform pathfinder functions. Redesignated 484th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in November 1944. Operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, April 1944 – April 1945. Attacked such targets as oil refineries, oil storage plants, aircraft factories, heavy industry, and communications in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania, and Yugoslavia.
On 9 June 1944 a heavy smoke screen prevented the group from bombing railroad marshalling yards at Munich; however, in spite of severe damage from flak and interceptors, and despite heavy gunfire encountered and received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for its persistent action. Received a second DUC for performance on 22 August 1944 when, unescorted, the organization fought its way through intense opposition to attack underground oil storage installations in Vienna, Austria.
In addition to strategic missions, the 484th participated in the drive toward Rome by bombing bridges, supply dumps, viaducts, and marshalling yards, April–June 1944; ferried gasoline and oil to Allied forces in southern France, September 1944; and supported the final advance by Fifth Army through northern Italy, April 1945.
After V-E Day, was assigned to Green Project which was the movement of troops from Europe to the United States via the South Atlantic Transport Route. B-24s were modified with sealed bomb bays, removal of all defensive armament and internal fuselage equipped with seating to carry approximately 30 personnel. Was assigned to Air Transport Command at Casablanca Airfield, French Morocco. Moved personnel from staging areas in France and Italy to Casablanca and also south to Dakar in French West Africa where personnel were transported across the South Atlantic to Brazil and eventually to Morrison Field, Florida. Provided air transport until the end of July when the unit was inactivated .
On 1 July 1959, Strategic Air Command established the 4138th Strategic Wing at Turner AFB, Georgia as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 336th Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52GD, and the KC-135-equipped 919th Air Refueling Squadron. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
The 4138th SW was redesignated as the 484th Bombardment Wing (397th BW) on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Eighth Air Force, 822d Air Division. The 336th BS was also redesignated as the 824th Bombardment Squadron, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 919th ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 484th numerical designation of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated. With the activation, the history, lineage and honors of the 484th Bombardment Group were bestowed upon the newly established wing upon activation.
The 484th BW trained for strategic bombardment and undertook air refueling operations to meet the operational commitments of SAC. On 13 January 1964, a B-52D bomber attached to the wing crashed near Cumberland, Maryland. From 1 April 1966 to c. 29 September 1966, all wing aircraft, crews, all wing HQ personnel and most wing support personnel were deployed as part of the 3d Air Division for combat operations over Vietnam. It was reassigned back to the Eighth Air Force, 823rd Air Division on 2 September 1966, while it was returning from Guam.
By 1967, Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) had been deployed and become operational as part of the United States' strategic triad, and the need for B-52s had been reduced. In addition, funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in Indochina. The 484th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 25 March 1967 and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. As part of the inactivation, Turner AFB was closed; the property was transferred to the United States Navy and being redesignated as Naval Air Station Albany.
Activated as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF) in 2003, the role of the 484th AEW was to provide A CENTRALIZED COMMAND AND CONTROL ELEMENT DEDICATED TO THE SUPPORT OF ALL Tactical Air Control Parties and Combat Weather Teams operating in the Southwest Asia theatre of operations.(Birch, 2005, p. 72) It provided combat enabling, contingency response, terminal attack and combat weather support to the coalition air forces and special forces and Army maneuver units on the battlefield. It was headquartered at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia (24 January 2003 – later in 2003).[1]
The wing consisted of six groups (the 3rd, 4th and 18th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Groups, a Mission Support Group, a Maintenance Group, and a Medical Group) and about 3,400 personnel.(Birch, 2005, p. 74) Operations during OEF included a joint airborne assault with the 86th Contingency Response Group from Ramstein Air Base, Germany that included twenty airmen from the wing parachuting into northern Iraq with more than 1,000 soldiers of the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade. Their skills helped prepare and open an airfield for C-17 Globemaster IIIs that delivered more than 1 million pounds of people and cargo every night into the operations area
Approximately 500 forward air controllers were provided by the wing's air support operations groups to Army ground forces during OEF, and airmen from the 484th accompanied U.S. forces when they entered the streets of Baghdad in March 2003.
Comments by Major Birch in his Air University paper strongly suggest that the 484th AEW was a temporary organization created specifically for the Iraq campaign and that the wing was deactivated after the invasion had been successful.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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