| 91st Missile Wing | |
|---|---|
91st Missile Wing emblem |
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| Active | since 1968 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Missile Wing |
| Role | Strategic Deterrence |
| Size | 150 Minutemen III missiles 290 officers, 1,500 enlisted members and 25 civilian employees |
| Part of | Twentieth Air Force Air Force Global Strike Command United States Strategic Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Minot Air Force Base |
| Nickname | Rough Riders |
| Motto | Poised For Peace |
| Mascot | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Decorations | DUC AFOUA |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Stephen L. Davis |
The 91st Missile Wing (91 MW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Twentieth Air Force. It is stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota as a tenant unit.
The 91 MW is one of the Air Force's three intercontinental ballistic missile wings. The missile wing, whose members are known as the Rough Riders, is responsible for defending the United States by maintaining a fleet of 150 Minuteman III missiles located in underground launch facilities scattered across the northwest part of the state. The wing's missile complex stretches over 8,500 square miles—approximately the same size as Massachusetts.
The wing's on-alert missiles remain under the operational control of the nation's strategic war-fighting command, U.S. Strategic Command, based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
The World War II 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit assigned to England, it was one of the first USAAF heavy bomb groups deployed to Europe in 1942. The 91st Bomb Group was stationed at RAF Bassingbourn and is most noted as the unit in which the bomber Memphis Belle flew, and for having suffered the greatest number of losses of any heavy bomb group in World War II.
Later, as part of Strategic Air Command, the 91st was one of SAC's longest-lasting and most versatile wings. It was a strategic reconnaissance wing (1948–1957) and a B-52 bomb wing (1963–1968). Its men flew virtually every plane in the SAC inventory. It became a missile wing in June 1968. On 1 July 2008 it was designated as the 91st Missile Wing.
The 91st Missile Wing is commanded by Colonel S.L. Davis. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant John L. Hoffman, Jr..
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The wing's major organizations include:
The wing also includes several special staff functions, such as plans and inspections, financial management and safety.
The 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was established 11 October 1948 and activated 10 November at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. It moved to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, in 1949. RB-29J[1] bombers were assigned to the wing and its primary mission was global strategic reconnaissance. In 1950 it began receiving aerial refueling aircraft, first the KB-29, then the KC-97. On 6 July 1950, it was redesignated the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium. At Barksdale, its wing headquarters was integrated with that of the 301st Bomb Wing. Although each wing conducted independent tactical operations, both were commanded by the same headquarters. The wing detached components for up to three months, primarily to England, and maintained detachments from other units, to provide ongoing reconnaissance of overseas areas.
On 11 September 1951, the Wing' was reassigned to Lockbourne from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. The mission of the 91st SRW was to provide aerial reconnaissance and mapping services. It was equipped with a myriad of aircraft fitted with cameras to perform this mission, including B/RB-45 and the B/YRB-47.
When the move of the wing was made to Lockbourne from Barksdale, a detachment of the wing was deployed to Yokota AB, Japan, performing combat reconnaissance for Far East Air Forces over the Korean Peninsula flying RB-29 Superfortresses. Over North Korea, they were being confronted daily by Chinese-piloted MiG-15s and were no longer able to perform reconnaissance, targeting, and bomb-damage assessment photography with impunity.
The RB-45C unit was attached to the 91st Squadron and began flying reconnaissance missions over northwestern Korea. The RB-45Cs were able to evade the MiGs for several months, but on 9 April 1951 one of the RB-45Cs had a close call and was barely able to escape a numerically superior enemy. At that time, it was decided that RB-45s could no longer go into northwestern Korea without fighter escort.
Another close call on 9 November 1951 caused the RB-45s to be restricted from entering northwestern Korean airspace in daylight even when fighter escort was available. In January 1952, the 91st Squadron was ordered to convert to night operations. Some RB-45Cs were painted all black so that they would not show up on enemy searchlights. However, the RB-45s were not well suited for night photography because the aircraft buffeted too badly when the forward bomb bay doors were opened to drop flash bombs. The RB-45s were withdrawn from the Korean theatre shortly thereafter, bringing the Korean experience with the RB-45 to an end.
On 29 July 1952, A 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing RB-45C (AF Serial No.48-0042) commanded by Major Louis H. Carrington made the first nonstop trans-Pacific flight from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska to Yokota AB in Japan. There were two inflight refuelings by KB-29s along the way. This feat earned the 1952 Mackay Trophy for the crew.
The 91st SRW won the SAC reconnaissance, photographic, and navigation competition and the P. T. Cullen Award in 1955 and 1956. From Aug to November 1956 most of the wing deployed overseas in detachments to North Africa, Newfoundland and Greenland and were not under the operational control of the small establishment remaining at Lockbourne.
Along with the reconnaissance mission, the 91st had an aerial refueling mission, being equipped with KB-29s and KC-97s.
The wing was inactivated in November 1957.
On 1 February 1958, Strategic Air Command established the 4141st Strategic Wing at Glasgow AFB, Montana 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 326th Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Ds. 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 4141st SW was redesignated as the 91st Bombardment Wing (397th BW) on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Fifteenth Air Force, 18th Strategic Aerospace Division. The 326th BS was also redesignated as the 322d Bombardment Squadron, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons and component support units were also redesignated to the 91st 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.
The 91st Bomb Wing continued to conduct strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet operational commitments of Strategic Air Command. On 11 September 1966, the entire wing, except for a small rear echelon, was integrated into the Arc Light Force at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for combat in Southeast Asia, and returned on 31 March 1967. From 5 February to 15 April 1968, it was deployed to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, in response to the Pueblo Incident.
By 1968, 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 91st Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 30 June 1968 and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. As part of the inactivation, Glasgow AFB was closed.
On 25 June 1968, the wing was officially moved to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. There it was redesignated the '91st Strategic Missile Wing' and absorbed the units, personnel, and Minuteman III missiles of the inactivated 455th Strategic Missile Wing.
The first LGM-30G Minuteman III missile to arrive in the field was accepted by the 91st Strategic Missile Wing on April 14, 1970. The following August, the first Minutemen IIIs were placed on alert status. By December 1971, the switchover to the new missile was completed.
On 1 October 1997, it was redesignated as the 91st Space Wing. On 1 July 2008, it was once again designated the 91st Missile Wing.
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Groups
Squadrons
The following squadrons were redesignated or reassigned from the 4141st Strategic Wing:
The following squadrons were reassigned from the 455th Strategic Missile Wing in September 1968:
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LGM-30G Minuteman III Missile Alert Facilities (MAF) (each controlling 10 missiles) are located as follows:
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
Official Minot Air Force Base Website http://www.minot.af.mil/
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