Provisional Wings were United States Air ForceStrategic Air Command wings that were established on paper to allow other Wings to provide support, both aircraft and personnel, at temporary locations outside the continental United States for periods of time such as during the Gulf War.
Provisional wings were created to provide air support to whatever operation was going on at the time. Real wings in the continental United States ('stateside') would supply aircraft and individuals to the provisional wing on a Temporary Duty (TDY) basis, with the aircraft and personnel returned to their home unit after the TDY period was over.
During the Vietnam War, starting in 1965, SAC would deploy over two complete Bombardment Wings including Bombardment Squadrons, Air Refueling Squadrons, including the Maintenance & Support Squadrons and their personnel to Andersen AFB, Guam (B-52 Bomber and a few supporting tanker aircraft), Kadena AB, Okinawa, (B-52 Bomber & the Primary Tanker Aircraft Base) & Kung Kuan (Later renamed:) / Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan (A forward base for Tanker Operations) leaving a small caretaker force at the home base. The deployments were called Arc Light deployments.
The first units deployed flew B-52F models that could carry 27 internal 500 lb bombs and 24 external 500 or 750 lb bombs for a total of 51 bombs, These were later replaced with the B-52D as they completed the Conventional Stores and weapons release modifications referred to as the "Big Belly" Modification. The "Big Belly aircraft were modified that 3 Internal Conventional Weapons Racks could be carried & released, increasing the weapons capability of 108 internal & external 500 lb bombs, depending on the targets requirements a mixture of 750 & 500 lb bombs were also carried, but there were too many configurations to list. The mission was considered so important that the wing on Guam at the time had to be manned 110% aircraft and personnel. Since no stateside wing was ever manned to 100% of its personnel, SAC HQ drew upon other stateside wings to send their personnel to augment the wing on Guam. A third B-52 base was added in 1966 at U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield, Thailand, using rotational aircraft and aircrews from Andersen AFB and Kadena AB. B-52's were withdrawn from Kadena in Sep 1970; and Andersen AFB reduced B-52 Operations to Maintenance and Alert Operations. The B-52D force were moved PCS to U-Tapao and the crew force was now shared by all Stateside B-52 Units (B-52G/H crews were required to attend a B-52D crew Replacement Training Course at Castle AFB, while en route to Thailand. This was standard operations until Jan 1972 when Linebacker I began and Guam became active in B-52 Combat Operations.
When the primary wing on Guam came home, another wing was sent, with the second wing deploying about 14 days later, and because they were not at 100% some personnel might be tapped to augment that wing for another 179 days Temporary Duty. The 179 days was critical because any stay on excess of 179 days was considered a Permanent Change of Station. This policy at times was waivered with the approval of the Secretary of Defence mostly in 1972 with the requirement the PCS assignment would not be issued.
B-52F Wings Deployed
2nd Bombardment Wing (H) Barksdale AFB,LA.(Deployed under Project "Air Mail" B52 Deployed Alert Force); Feb 65 – Apr 65.
320th Bombardment Wing (H) Mather AFB,CA. Feb 65 – Jul 65; Dec 65 – Mar 66
Established as the Strategic Wing, Provisional,72 on 1 June 1972 at Andersen AFB, Guam. The SW,P 72 flew 8,010 sorties over Cambodia and flew the last U.S. sorties of the Vietnam War on 15 August 1973.[citation needed]
The wing was Established on 1 June 1972, and maintained all U-Tapao RTAFB Based B-52D/ KC-135 Aircraft
It was assigned to the Air Division, Provisional, 17.
The wing was formed on 19 December 1990 at Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was equipped with KC-135Es. The aircraft and crew were provided by the 134th Air Refueling Wing, McGee Tyson ANGB, TN; 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pittsburgh ANG Base, PA; & 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker ANG Base, Columbus, OH. It was commanded by Colonel Frederick H. Forster of the 134th ARW.
^Brig Gen. James R McCarthy, Lt Col. George B. Allison, Linebacker II A View from the Rock, USAF Southeast Asia Monograph Series, Vol VI Monograph 6, ISBN0-912799-31-5
Mixer, Ronald E., Genealogy of the STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, Battermix Publishing Company, 1999
Mixer, Ronald E., STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, An Organizational History, Battermix Publishing Company, 2006
