Nevada Test and Training Range (military unit)

"98th Bombardment Wing" redirects here. For the 98th Bombardment Wing of World War II, see 98th Bombardment Wing (World War II).
This article is about the organization named the Nevada Test and Training Range. For the Nevada Test and Training Range as a geographic area, see Nevada Test and Training Range (Geographic area).
Nevada Test and Training Range

Nevada Test and Training Range Emblem
Active 28 January 1942 – present
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Range Operation
Part of Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ Nellis Air Force Base
Nickname(s) Pyramidiers
Motto Force for Freedom
Engagements
World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations Korean Service Medal
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Commanders
Current
commander
Colonel Kenneth Thompson[1]

The Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Force Warfare Center of Air Combat Command. The unit is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada as a tenant unit.[2]

The NTTR is a non-flying unit that provides command and control of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). The commander coordinates, prioritizes and is the approval authority for activities involving other governmental agencies, departments and commercial activities on the NTTR. The NTTR integrates and provides support for test and training programs that have a direct effect on the war-fighting capabilities of the combat air forces.

98th Bomb Group B-24 shot down on low-level Ploesti mission

The history of the NTTR can be traced to its predecessor, the 98th Bombardment Group, a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber group that fought in North Africa and Italy during World War II. The group was last assigned to the range as the 98th Operations Group in 2011 and its history and honors have been temporarily been bestowed on the range. Two of the group's members, Colonel John R. (Killer) Kane and First Lieutenant Donald Pucket were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in combat.[3] The group flew a total of 417 missions and earning a total of 15 battle streamers as well as two Distinguished Unit Citations.

During the early years of the Cold War, the 98th Bombardment Wing(BW), Very Heavy was formed in 1947 as and assigned to Strategic Air Command. Further redesignations followed as the wing mission changed, including the 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing when it added intercontinental ballistic missiles to its bomber force in 1964, and later the 98th Strategic Wing when it moved to Spain to control deployed Strategic Air Command (SAC) assets in 1966. The 98th Strategic Wing was inactivated on 31 December 1976 with the phaseout of SAC operations at Torrejon AB, Spain and its functions transferred to the 306th Strategic Wing at Ramstein AB, West Germany.

The NTTR is commanded by Colonel Kenneth Thompson.[1]

Organization

History

See 98th Operations Group for additional history prior to 1947
Emblem of the 98th Bombardment Wing (Medium)

Organization and Korean War

During the early years of the Cold War, the 98th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, (BW) was formed 24 October 1947 as part of the Air Force's experimental wing base (Hobson Plan) reorganization and assigned to Strategic Air Command.[5] The 98th BW was discontinued on 12 July 1948, and replaced by the 98th BW, Medium the same day when the test was deemed successful and the organization made permanent.[6] From November 1947 to July 1948 and July 1948 to July 1954, the wing headquarters was often manned as a "paper" unit with most of its components attached to other establishments for long periods. The wing's tactical group was operational, but under control of other organizations from November 1947 to April 1950 and again from August 1950 through March 1951.[7]

98th Bomb Wing B-29 over Korea

On 1 April 1951, wing headquarters deployed to Japan to assume control over combat operations of the group's three tactical squadrons,[8] while the rest of the wing remained behind in Washington.[7] In 1952, the combat squadrons were joined by three maintenance squadrons. Wing combat missions in Korea included interdiction of enemy communications and support of United Nations ground forces. Its last combat mission flown 25 July 1953 and it dropped propaganda leaflets on the day of truce two days later.[7]

During the Korean War, the squadrons of the 98th flew more than 5,000 sorties and dropped more than 40,000 tons of bombs (actual total unavailable). They earned a Distinguished Unit Citation, a Korean Presidential Unit Citation and 10 battle streamers.[7] The 98th was credited with the destruction of 5 MiG 15 Jet Fighters and one propeller driven fighter. The 98th recorded 19 Boeing B-29 Superfortress losses from August 1950 to July 1954.

Cold War

B-47s on the Ramp at Lincoln AFB

The wing remained at Yokota Air Base, Japan in combat-ready status for another year. Meanwhile, wing components not deployed in Japan moved to newly reopened Lincoln AFB, Nebraska to supervise construction in preparation for movement there of the deployed wing components. The wing disposed of its B-29s at the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. In July 1954, wing components concentrated at the wing's new base,[9] but in October, the 98th gave up its host responsibilities at Lincoln to the 818th Air Division.[10] Air refueling operations were already underway by then. The wing's squadrons began receiving new Boeing B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers[7] in January 1955, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. At this point the wing began an intensive training program to convert to combat ready status as soon as possible. This was achieved in April 1955.[10]

During next decade, the wing participated in Strategic Air Command's worldwide bombardment training and air refueling commitments. The wing deployed to RAF Lakenheath, England from 11 November 1955 to 29 January 1956. Starting in 1960, the wing maintained B-47s on ground alert 24 hours a day.[10] From January 1964 to April 1965, the wing also controlled an SM-65 Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) squadron and was redesignated as the 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing.[7] In the early 1960s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Beginning in 1964, the wing began sending its aircraft to Davis-Monthan AFB. Lincoln AFB was closed and the wing inactivated in 1966.

European Mission

KC-135 on takeoff
Emblem of the 98th Strategic Wing

The wing was inactivated on 25 June 1966 at Lincoln AFB, but activated the same day at Torrejon Air Base, Spain replacing the 3970th Strategic Wing (SW). The 3970th SW had been established on 1 July 1957 at Torrejon as the 3970th Air Base Group[11] to support B-47 and KC-135 elements from SAC CONUS-based units deployed to Europe as part of REFLEX deployments and provide a refueling mission to USAFE tactical fighters. Until 1 April 1966, when SAC transferred Torrejon to USAFE, the 3970th also acted as the host base organization for all USAF units at Torrejon. The group was assigned seven support squadrons and a hospital to carry out its mission. It was redesignated the 3970th Combat Support Group on 1 June 1959 and upgraded to wing status on 1 February 1964.[11]

In 1966, SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue the 3970th SW (a MAJCON wing) and activate an AFCON wing which could continue the lineage and history of a combat wing. On 5 June 1966, the 3970th SW was replaced by the 98th Strategic Wing, which assumed the personnel, equipment, and mission of the 3970th Strategic Wing,[7] For the next decade, the 98th had no tactical aircraft components assigned to it, but rather used attached Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers and crews furnished by other SAC wings to provide air refueling support for the operational, alert exercise commitment of SAC, Tactical Air Command, United States Air Forces Europe and NATO. These aircraft were deployed on temporary duty as the Spanish Tanker Task Force. The wing’s operational area included the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, most of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.[7]

The Wing maintained a detachment at RAF Upper Heyford (relocated to RAF Mildenhall in April 1970) supporting RC-135 Reconnaissance Aircraft, and supporting KC-135 Tankers deployed from the Spanish Tanker Task Force. In October 1976, the 306th Strategic Wing, based at Ramstein AB, West Germany assumed this support task and the 98th phased down at Torrejon and was inactivated 31 December 1976.[7]

Post Cold War

98th Range Wing Emblem

In October 2001, the wing was redesignated the 98th Range Wing and began operating the range facilities of the Air Warfare Center from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.[2] It replaced the 99th Range Group and 99th Range Squadron of the host unit at Nellis, the 99th Air Base Wing. Its mission is to provide a flexible and realistic "battle space" to support training, testing, and tactics development, for which it controls the airspace over 12,000 square nautical miles, 7,000 of which are shared with civilian aircraft.[4]

The NTTR supports Department of Defense (DOD) advanced composite force training, tactics development, and electronic combat testing as well as DOD and Department of Energy testing, research, and development. It acts as the single point of contact for range customers.[4]

In June 2011, the wing was redesignated Nevada Test and Training Range and its operational groups were replaced by directorates.[2][4]

Lineage

Organized on 10 November 1947.
Discontinued on 12 July 1948.
Consolidated (1 October 1984) with the 98th Bombardment Wing, Medium[12]

Constituted as 98th Bombardment Wing, Medium on 28 May 1948

Activated on 12 July 1948.
Redesignated 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 February 1964.
Discontinued and inactivated, on 25 June 1966.
Inactivated on 31 December 1976.
Activated on 29 October 2001

Assignments

  • Fifteenth Air Force, 10 November 1947 (attached to: 92d Bombardment Wing, 17 November 1947 – 15 April 1950
  • Second Air Force, 16 May 1950 (attached to: 92d Bombardment Wing from 16 May 1950)
  • Fifteenth Air Force, 28 July 1950 (remained attached to: 92d Bombardment Wing through 31 March 1951, attached to: FEAF Bomber Command, Provisional from 1 April 1951 and rear echelon attached to 92d Air Base Group)
  • 57th Air Division, 16 April 1951 (remained attached to FEAF Bomber Command, Provisional. Rear echelon attached to 92 Air Base Group to 25 July 1952)

Stations

Components

Groups

Operational Squadrons

Support Squadrons

Detachments

RAF Upper Heyford, United Kingdom
RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom

Aircraft and missiles

Awards

Korea, 1 December 1952 - 30 April 1953
North Africa and Sicily, August 1942 - 17 August 1943[19]
Ploesti, Rumania, 1 August 1943[19]
1 July 1964 - 1 June 1965
1 January 1970 - 31 March 1971
1 July 1974 - 30 June 1976
1 April 1951 - 27 July 1953

First UN Counteroffensive
CCF Spring Offensive
UN Summer-Fall Offensive
Second Korean Winter

Korea Summer-Fall 1952
Third Korean Winger
Korea Summer-Fall 1953

Egypt-Libya
Tunisia
Sicily
Naples-Foggia
Anzio

Rome-Arno
Southern France
North Apennines
Po Valley
Air Offensive, Europe

Normandy
Northern France
Rhineland
Central Europe
Air Combat, EAME Theater

See also

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 98th Range Wing Re-Designated Channel 8 NewsNow June 21, 2011 (retrieved Jan 14, 2013)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 AFHRA Factsheet, Nevada Test and Training Range 10/3/2011 (retrieved Jan 12, 2012)
  3. Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 168–170. ISBN 0-912799-02-1.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Nellis AFB Factsheet, Nevada Test & Training Wing 7/12/2012 (retrieved Jan 13, 2013)
  5. Goss, William A (1955). "The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF". In Craven, Wesley F & Cate, James L. The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. p. 59. LCCN 48-3657.
  6. Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 10. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ravenstein, Combat Wings, pp. 138-141
  8. Ironically, at this time it was the group that became a paper unit
  9. This was the first time since 1947 that all wing components were under the wing's control at the same base
  10. 1 2 3 The Lincoln AFB Online Museum - History (retrieved Jan 14, 2013)
  11. 1 2 Fletcher, Harry R (1993). Air Force Bases , Vol. II, Air Bases Outside the United States of America (PDF). Washington, DC: Center for Air Force History. pp. 187–190. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
  12. The wing remained equipped with B-29s, but with the advent of the Convair B-36 Peacemaker, the B-29 was reclassified from a Very Heavy bomber to a Medium bomber
  13. 1 2 3 See Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 171–177. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
  14. Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 425–426. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.
  15. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 426-427
  16. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 428-429
  17. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 507-508
  18. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 655
  19. 1 2 3 Earned by 98th Bombardment Group. Temporarily bestowed on Nevada Test and Training Range

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

Additional Reading

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External links

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