98th Bombardment Wing (Medium) / 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing

  • Establishment: January 28 1942 (As 98th Bomb Group)
  • Establishment at Lincoln Air Force Base: July 25 1954
  • Attachment to 818th Air Division: October 11 1954
  • Establishment as 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing: February 1 1964
  • Detachment from 818th Strategic Aerospace Division (to 810th SAD, Minot AFB): March 25 1965
  • Lincoln AFB deactivation: June 25 1966
  • After Lincoln: 98th Strategic Wing Torrejon AB Spain 1966-1976
  • 98th Range Wing at Nellis AFB 2001
  • Nevada Test and Training Range at Nellis AFB (decedent as of 2011)


History: The 98th Bomb Group activated early during World War II and found itself deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of operations. Equipped with the B-24 Liberator bomber, the unit received two Distinguished Unit Citations for their missions over Libya, Italy, and notably over the Ploiesti Oil Fields in Romania. By summer 1944, the group had participated in the invasion of southern France and supported partisans in Yugoslavia. As the war in Europe ended, the group re-deployed to the United States and began training in B-29 Superfortresses. Scheduled for the Pacific, the war ended before the group deployed.

Reactivating a Spokane Army Airfield (Later Fairchild Air Force Base in 1947) the unit was equipped with B-29s. During the Korean conflict it was deployed to Kadena Air Base in Japan and, along with the 307th Bomb Wing, participated in bombing campaigns against communist forces.

By July 1954, the wing was disposing of it's B-29s and arriving at Lincoln Air Force Base Nebraska. Soon equipped with the B-47 bomber, the wing would deploy to Lakenheath England during a TDY overseas deployment in early 1956.

In addition to its compliment of B-47 bombers, the 98th Air-Refueling Squadron was attached to the wing. It's KC-97 force served at Lincoln until 1963.

Continuing Cold War operations, the attachment of the 551st Strategic Missile Squadron in 1964 caused the 98th Bomb Wing to become the 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing. The 551st deactivated in June 1965, but the wing remained the 98th SAW until it too deactivated on June 25, 1966.

The same day, the 98th Strategic Wing activated in Spain and was primarily concerned with SAC tanker operations in Europe. The wing was deactivated at Torrejon, Spain on December 31, 1976.

A 98th Air Refueling Group activated Barksdale AFB Louisiana on October 1, 1987. The unit flew the KC-10 Extender and participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama during 1989 and the Gulf War in 1991. The unit deactivated once more on September 30, 1994

The unit was activated again in October 2001 as the 98th Range Wing, supporting operations at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. While still active, the organization is no longer referred to as the 98th but instead the Nevada Test and Training Range. It retains the awesome lineage of the 98th Bomb Wing.

Links:

Units:

98th Air-Refueling Squadron

98th Field Maintenance Squadron

98th Organizational Maintenance Squadron

98th Air Base Squadron

98th Armament and Electronics Squadron

Operational Bomb Squadrons
(4) in total - Special Thanks to Terry Horstead for patches


343th Bomb Squadron

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344th Bomb Squadron

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345th Bomb Squadron
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415th Bomb Squadron (1959-1961)

No Known Insignia
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