379th Air Expeditionary Wing

379th Air Expeditionary Wing. It is a prominent United States Air Force unit currently operating from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, providing critical airpower and support for operations across the United States Central Command area of responsibility. The wing's history traces back to its activation as the 379th Bombardment Group during World War II, where it earned a distinguished reputation for its B-17 Flying Fortress operations from RAF Kimbolton in England. Throughout its service, it has participated in major conflicts including the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the post-9/11 campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

History

Activated in late 1943, the unit deployed to the European Theater of Operations as part of the Eighth Air Force, conducting strategic bombing missions against Nazi Germany. Flying the iconic B-17 Flying Fortress, its crews targeted key industrial sites such as Berlin, Schweinfurt, and Regensburg, and provided crucial support for the D-Day landings during the Normandy campaign. Following Victory in Europe Day, the group returned to the United States and was inactivated. It was briefly reactivated in the United States Air Force Reserve before being redesignated as a Heavy bomber wing during the Cold War, operating B-52 Stratofortress and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft from Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan. During the Vietnam War, its B-52 Stratofortress crews flew numerous Arc Light missions over Southeast Asia. The wing was inactivated in 1994 following the Base Realignment and Closure process. It was revived in its current expeditionary form in 2002 at Al Udeid Air Base, becoming a central hub for Air mobility, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and Command and control operations supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later, the intervention against the Islamic State.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 379th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 October 1942. * Activated on 3 November 1942. * Redesignated 379th Bombardment Group, Heavy on 20 August 1943. * Inactivated on 25 July 1945. * Redesignated 379th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy and allotted to the Air Reserve on 24 August 1945. * Activated in the United States Air Force Reserve on 12 April 1947. * Inactivated on 27 June 1949. * Redesignated 379th Bombardment Wing, Heavy and activated on 15 November 1962. * Organized on 1 February 1963. * Redesignated 379th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 February 1963. * Redesignated 379th Wing on 1 September 1991. * Inactivated on 30 September 1994. * Redesignated 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and converted to provisional status on 4 February 2002. * Activated on 1 March 2002.

Assignments

* II Bomber Command, 3 November 1942 * 1st Bombardment Wing, c. 12 May 1943 * 41st Combat Bombardment Wing, 13 September 1943 – 25 July 1945 * First Air Force, 12 April 1947 – 27 June 1949 * Strategic Air Command, 15 November 1962 * 40th Air Division, 1 February 1963 * 45th Air Division, 31 March 1970 * 4th Strategic Aerospace Division, 30 June 1971 * 40th Air Division, 1 January 1973 * 45th Air Division, 15 January 1973 * Strategic Air Command, 23 January 1987 – 30 September 1994 * Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed (2002–present) * United States Air Forces Central Command, 1 March 2002 – present

Components

Groups * 379th Expeditionary Operations Group * 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group * 379th Expeditionary Mission Support Group * 379th Expeditionary Medical Group Squadrons (Historical) * 524th Bombardment Squadron * 525th Bombardment Squadron * 526th Bombardment Squadron * 527th Bombardment Squadron * 920th Air Refueling Squadron * 46th Reconnaissance Squadron

Stations

* Gowen Field, Idaho, 3 November 1942 * Wendover Field, Utah, 2 December 1942 * Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, c. 2 February – c. 9 April 1943 * RAF Kimbolton (Station 117), England, c. 25 May 1943 – c. 12 June 1945 * Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, c. 24–25 July 1945 * MacDill Field, Florida, 12 April 1947 – 27 June 1949 * Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1994 * Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, 1 March 2002 – present

Aircraft

* B-17 Flying Fortress (1943–1945) * B-29 Superfortress (1947–1949) * B-52 Stratofortress (1963–1977, 1990–1994) * KC-135 Stratotanker (1963–1994) * RC-135 (Various models, 1970–1994) * E-8 Joint STARS (Expeditionary) * C-17 Globemaster III (Expeditionary) * C-130 Hercules (Expeditionary) * KC-10 Extender (Expeditionary) * MQ-1 Predator / MQ-9 Reaper (Expeditionary) * Various ISR and Special Operations Support Aircraft (Expeditionary platforms.

Campaigns and decorations

* World War == * World War in Afghanistan ==

Campaigns and decorations

== == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==

● Campaigns

== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==

Campaigns and decorations

== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==

● Campaigns and decorations

== == == == == ==

● Campaigns

== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==

Campaigns and decorations

● Campaigns

● Campaigns

● Campaigns

● Campaigns

==

Campaigns and decorations

== == == == == == == ==

Campaigns and decorations

== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==

== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==

Campaigns and decorations

== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==