| 93d Air-Ground Operations Wing | |
|---|---|
| Active | 20 November 1940 – 30 September 2002; since 25 January 2008 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Moody Air Force Base |
| Decorations | DUC AFOUA |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Col John P. Horner |
| Notable commanders |
John K. Gerhart Brig Gen Michael A. Longoria |
The 93d Air-Ground Operations Wing (93 AGOW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed as a tenant unit at Moody AFB, Georgia.
The 93 AGOW provides highly trained ground combat forces capable of integrating air and space power into the ground scheme of fire and maneuver. The wing also conducts offensive and defensive ground combat operations worldwide to protect expeditionary aerospace forces anywhere, anytime. The 93rd AGOW provides the joint force commander airborne, air-mobile, air-land and over-land insertion capability, and remains the joint expert on integration of air power and combat weather support to ground forces.
Its 93d Operations Group is a successor organization to the World War II 93d Bombardment Group. It was the first VIII Bomber Command B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group to carry out strategic bombardment operations against targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany from RAF Alconbury, England on 9 October 1942. Active for over 60 years, the 93d Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force during the Cold War, as a strategic bombardment wing.
The 93d Air-Ground Operations Wing is commanded by Colonel John P. Horner. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Thomas N. Vallely.
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A non-flying wing, the 93d AGOW brings together and provides a new level of support to battlefield Airmen from the 3rd Air Support Operations Group at Fort Hood, Texas, the 18th ASOG at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., and the specialized force protection capabilities of the 820th Base Defense Group at Moody.
Operating under the 93d AGOW, the 820th Base Defense Group is a Force Protection unit of 12 Air Force Specialty Codes with an airborne capability. At a moment's notice, the group can provide worldwide deployable, "first-in", fully integrated, multidisciplined capabilities.
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Groups
Squadrons
On 28 July 1947, the 93d Bombardment Wing, (Very Heavy) was established and maintained combat readiness for global strategic bombardment.
In 1948, the entire wing deployed to Okinawa, making it the first SAC bomb wing to deploy to the Far East in full strength. The B-36 Peacemaker entered SAC's inventory in 1948 but was not assigned to the 93d. The huge plane dwarfed the earlier B-29 (and also B-50) bombers. As only the B-36 groups were "Heavy", the 93d, was redesignated the 93d Bombardment Wing (Medium)
In 1949, the wing received its first B-50 Superfortress aircraft, an improved version of the B-29. It struck up operations overseas with the deployment of its tactical force to RAF Mildenhall, England (July 1950 – January 1951) in response to communist aggression on the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, the 93d Air Refueling Squadron was activated on 1 March 1949, equipped with the KB-29P (a B-29 bomber modified with a refueling boom).
The 93d continued to move forward throughout the 1950s, replacing the propeller-driven B-50s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1954, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union.
Flew numerous training missions and participated in various SAC exercises and deployments with the Stratojet until 29 June 1955, when the wing received SAC’s first Boeing B-52B Stratofortress in June 1955 and the Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker in January 1957. making it the first SAC bomb wing to receive the new aircraft. It became SAC’s primary B-52 aircrew training organization in 1956. The wing was redesignated the 93d Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 1 February 1955. The 93d retained some of its B-47s until 1956 for crew training purposes. It was one of the few wings to have operated both jet bombers simultaneously.
In 1956, the wings three bombardment squadrons – 328th, 329th and 330th began receiving the new B-52D. The following year, they began receiving the B-52E model, while some B-52Bs remained with the 93 BW until well into the 1960s.
On 24 and 25 November 1956, in a spectacular operation known as Quick Kick, four B-52Bs of the 93 BW joined four B-52Cs of the 42 BW for a nonstop flight around the perimeter of North America. Four in-flight refuelings by KC-97 tankers were required for the 13,500-nautical-mile (25,000 km) journey.
Three 93d B-52Bs flew the first non-stop jet (B-52s) around-the-world flight in January 1957. They flew via Newfoundland, Casablanca, Dhahran, Ceylon, the Malay Peninsula, Manila and Guam. Upon landing at March AFB, California, General Curtis LeMay, SAC Commander-in-Chief greeted the crews and presented them with the Distinguished Flying Cross.
As SAC’s alert commitment grew during the late 1950s and early 1960s, the 93d provided a strong and capable force for deterrence. Cold War tensions reached new heights during this time period with events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
Throughout the height of the Vietnam War (1968–1974) the wing operated a special B-52 aircrew replacement training unit to support SAC’s B-52 operations in Southeast Asia .
The 93d recorded another first on 10 June 1982 when the first all female KC-135 crew, “Fair Force One,” flew a five-hour training sortie.
Finally in August 1990 the 93d found itself back at war. At home its support units operated an aerial port of embarkation for personnel and equipment deploying to Southwest Asia (SWA). Overseas its KC-135s refueled planes and ferried personnel and equipment to the region, while its B-52s bombed the Iraqi Republican Guard and targeted Iraqi infrastructure throughout January and February 1991.
The Air Force underwent major restructuring after the Cold War ended. On 1 September 1991, the 93d lost its air refueling commitment, (924th ARS), and its KC-135 aircrew training missions (329th CCTS). It also implemented the objective wing organization and was redesignated as the 93d Wing.
On 1 June 1992 the 93d was relieved from assignment to SAC and was reassigned to the newly-formed Air Combat Command (ACC). It was then redesignated as the 93d Bomb Wing.
Shortly afterwards nationwide base closures (BRAC) targeted Castle AFB. The 322d Bomb Squadron was inactivated 3 May 1994, and the wing was placed on non-operational status. However, the 93d continued to supervise the closure of Castle AFB. It was inactivated on 30 September 1995 with the closure of the base.
This was not the end of the 93d however. Just four months later it was redesignated as the 93d Air Control Wing (93 ACW) and was reactivated at Robins AFB, Georgia on 29 January 1996. It was to be equipped with the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) and it accepted its first production aircraft on 11 June 1996.
From late October through December 1996, the wing deployed to Rhein-Main AB, Germany for operations JOINT ENDEAVOR and JOINT GUARD in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It provided “top cover” for United Nations (UN) peacekeeping forces and monitored the warring factions for violations of UN resolutions.
Marking an historic event for the wing, Air Combat Command declared the 93d ACW "Initial Operational Capable" on 18 December 1997.
As tensions mounted between Iraq and the UN in 1998, the 93d deployed an element to SWA to monitor Iraqi military movements. In February 1999 it deployed an aircraft to Europe to support NATO's monitoring of tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. The new wing saw its first combat during operations in Kosovo, playing a major role in the destruction of enemy targets and compiling over 1,000 combat hours.
In November 2001 through April 2002 the wing deployed in response to the 11 September terrorist attacks against the United States in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
The 93 ACW inactivated at Robins AFB on 30 September 2002. Its mission and resources became a part of Air Force history on that day as the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Bomb Wing (now redesignated the 116th Air Control Wing (116th ACW)) assumed command responsibility for the Joint STARS mission and the first ever “blended wing,” combining active-duty and Air National Guard personnel, aircraft, and facilities under one commander under the newly-activated 116th ACW.
The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing (93 AGOW) is a non-flying active support wing activated on 25 January 2008. The 93d's mission is to manage and providing combat-ready tactical air control party personnel, battlefield weather, and force protection assets for joint forces commanders. The wing is based at Moody AFB, Georgia.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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