Organization of United States Air Force Units in the Gulf War
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Emblem of the United States Central Command Air Forces, 1990
The 1990–1991 Gulf War was the last major United States Air Force combat operation of the 20th Century. The command and control of allied forces deployed to the Middle East initially as part of Operation Desert Shield, later engaging in combat operations during Operation Desert Storm, were assigned to United States Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF), the USAF component of the Joint United States Central Command.
United States Air Force units were initially deployed to Saudi Arabia in August 1990, being assigned directly to CENTAF with a mission to defend the kingdom. In November 1990, the decision was made to enhance the force into an offensive-capable one, and additional units were ordered deployed to CENTAF. As a result, CENTAF set up a table of organization which established provisional Air Divisions to prevent too many units reporting directly to CENTAF headquarters. These were as follows:[1]
The 14th Air Division (Provisional) commanded deployed primarily Tactical Air Command and United States Air Forces in Europe units with the mission of destroying enemy air, missile and ground forces, as well as enemy infrastructure targets. To accomplish this mission, the 14th-controlled A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft; F-15C Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters; F-111 light tactical bombers; EF-111 Raven electronic combat aircraft and the F-117 stealth attack aircraft. The division also provided electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and in-theater attached Strategic Air Command refueling support.
The 15th Air Division (Provisional) commanded deployed Tactical Air Command units with a reconnaissance and electronic warfare mission focused on defeating enemy ground base air defenses and increasing the effectiveness of friendly formations. Aircraft deployed included RF-4C Phantom II tactical reconnaissance; F-4G Phantom II anti-radar; EC-130H Compass Call electronic warfare and two prototype E-8A Joint Stars battle management and command and control aircraft.
The 17th Air Division (Provisional) commanded primarily provisional air refueling wings created from active-duty KC-135/KC-10 units of the Strategic Air Command's Fifteenth Air Force and SAC Air National Guard KC-135 units deployed within the CENTAF AOR.
The SAC 7th Air Division commanded deployed Air Refueling and B-52 Stratofortress Bombardment Wings located outside of the CENTAF AOR.
The 7440th Composite Wing was a United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) Provisional Wing under Joint Task Force Proven Force that flew combat missions over Northern and Central Iraq from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.
After the end of combat operations, most of the combat forces of CENTAF returned to their home stations. The provisional organizations established were inactivated; their temporary nature meaning that no official lineage or history was retained by the USAF. On 13 March 1991 Headquarters Tactical Air Command activated the 4404th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) at Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Kharj, to replace the provisional Air Divisions. The original assets of the 4404th TFW came from the 4th TFW (Provisional), which had operated during the Gulf War.
The long-term effect of the deployment and organization of Air Force Wings and Groups to CENTAF for the Gulf War eventually led to an Air Force-Wide reorganization of its Cold War command structure; the result being the modern Air Force organization structure which exists today. Air Force Expeditionary units, which are activated and inactivated as needed to support deployments were developed, replacing the "Provisional" units of the Gulf War.
14th Air Division (Provisional)[]
Brigadier General Buster Glosson served as commander, 14th Air Division (Provisional), and director of campaign plans for U.S. Central Command Air Forces, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Deployed: 27 December 1990 – 24 June 1991 (24 Aircraft)
336th Tactical Fighter Squadron
SJ
F-15E Strike Eagle
Deployed: *18 December 1990- 13 March 1991 (24 Aircraft)*Redeployed from Thumrait, Oman 8 Aug 1990-18 December 1990
53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron
BT
F-15C Eagle
Deployed: 20 December 1990 – 1 July 1991 (24 Aircraft) *from Bitburg AB, Germany with additional aircraft and personnel from the 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, also from Bitburg.
Deployed from 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, 8–28 January 1991. Located at King Fahd International Airport, 29 January - 4 March 1991
8 Aircraft Composed of elements of West Virginia ANG 130th Tactical Airlift Squadron (4 aircraft) and 4 aircraft of Texas ANG 181st Tactical Airlift Squadron. Deployed: October 1990-24 June 1991
1632d Tactical Airlift Squadron (P)
C-130H Hercules
8 aircraft Composed of elements of Missouri ANG 180th Tactical Airlift Squadron. Deployed: 28 December 1990 – 24 June 1991
Apparently included "all aircraft and numerous aircrews and support personnel" from 914th Tactical Airlift Group, Niagara Falls International Airport, NY (AFRES) (source 914 AW article)
Composed of elements from 1st SOW, Hurlburt Field, Florida; 919th SOG, Duke Field, Florida, 193d SOG, Harrisburg International Airport, Pennsylvania Air National Guard
1675th Tactical Airlift Squadron (P)
C-130 Hercules
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
MH-60, MH-47
United States Army unit, located at King Khalid International Airport
Deployed from the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Offutt AFB, Nebraska (4 Aircraft)
1704th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (P)
U2/TR-1
Deployed from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB, Ca and 95th Reconnaissance Squadron, 17th Reconnaissance Wing, RAF Alconbury, UK. On 21 September 1990 Operating Location-Crested Harvest (OL-CH, often known to USAF personnel as "Camel Hump") was designated the 1704th Reconnaissance Squadron (Provisional).[2]
1700th Air Refueling Squadron (P)
KC-135 Stratotanker
10 Aircraft Assigned
69th Bombardment Squadron (P)
B-52G Stratofortresses
Deployed from 42d Bombardment Wing, Loring AFB, Maine (7 Aircraft)
1701st Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Squadron
Aircraft Type
Notes
1709th Air Refueling Squadron (P)
KC-135E/A Stratotanker
Deployed from 336th Air Refueling Squadron, 452d Air Refueling Wing, March AFB, California (6 Aircraft, 31 December 1990, 5 January 1991-March 1991) Deployed from 68th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, (3 Aircraft, 31 December 1990-March 1991) Deployed from 72d Air Refueling Squadron, 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom AFB, Indiana (4 Aircraft, 5 January 1991-March 1991)
1710th Air Refueling Squadron (P)
KC-10 Extender
Deployed from 336th Air Refueling Squadron, 452d Air Refueling Wing, March AFB, California (6 Aircraft, 31 December 1990, 5 January 1991-March 1991) Deployed from 68th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, (3 Aircraft, 31 December 1990-March 1991)
1701st Strategic Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Deployed from 905th Air Refueling Squadron, 319th Bombardment Wing, Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, 28 September 1990 - March 1991 (3 Aircraft) Deployed from 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB, California, 9 October 1990 - March 1991
Headquarters: King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
20 B-52G Stratofortresses. The lead unit within the 1708th BW (P) was the 524th BS/379th BW from Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan. Aircraft and crews were also drawn from the 62d and 596th BS/2d BW Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; 69th BS/42d BW at Loring AFB, Maine; 328th BS/93d BW, Castle AFB, California, and the 668th BS/416 BW at Griffiss AFB, New York. B-52 operations at Jeddah were not possible prior to the initiation of combat so the wing gained its aircraft when the conflict began. Six aircraft from the 42d BW were moved to Jeddah from Diego Garcia on 17 January, and 10 more flew in from Wurthsmith, attacking targets en route. Although launched from Wurtsmith and flown by 379th BW crews, three of the aircraft came from the 93d BW at Castle and two from the 42d BW at Loring.
Headquarters: King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Squadron
Aircraft Type
Notes
KC-135A/E Stratotanker
Composed of 13 Air National Guard tanker unit elements. First tankers to arrive at Jeddah in August 1990-March 1991 (76 Aircraft) Known units that deployed aircraft were:
The 801st BW (P) consisted of 28 B-52G Stratofortresses and was formed around a nucleus provided by he 2d Bombardment Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and drew aircraft from the crews of the 524th BS/379th BW, Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan; the 668th BS/416th BW at Griffiss AFB, New York and from 69th BS/42d BW at Loring AFB, Maine. One B-52G (52-6503) was sent from the 340th BS/97th BW at Eaker AFB, Arkansas.
The 806th BW (P) was formed around a cadre of air and ground crews provided by the 97th Bombardment Wing, Eaker AFB, Arkansas. It consisted of a total of 11 B-52G Stratofortresses, also being drawn from the 668th BS/416th BW at Griffiss AFB, New York; 596th BS/2d BW, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, and the 328th BS/93d BW at Castle AFB, California.
The lead unit for the 4300th BW (P) was the 69th BS/42d BW from Loring AFB, Maine.[3] Aircraft were also drawn from the 328th BS/93d BW at Castle AFB, California. Six aircraft were transferred to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 17 January 1991 and they were replaced by six B-52Gs from the 1500th SW (P) at Andersen AFB, Guam.
Smallwood, 2005, 'Warthog: Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War, Potomac Books Inc, ISBN1-57488-886-2
Mixer, Ronald E., Genealogy of the Strategic Air Command, Battermix Publishing Company, 1999 and Mixer, Ronald E., Strategic Air Command, An Organizational History, Battermix Publishing Company, 2006.
Steijger, Cees 1991, A History of USAFE', Airlife Publishing Limited, ISBN1-85310-075-7