Lineage. Established as 341 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 14 Aug 1942. Activated on 15 Sep 1942. Redesignated as 341 Bombardment Group, Medium, on 1 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 2 Nov 1945. Redesignated as 341 Bombardment Group, Light, and activated in the Reserve, on 27 Dec 1946. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949. Consolidated (31 Jan 1984) with the 341 Bombardment Wing, Medium, which was established on 23 Mar 1953. Activated on 1 Sep 1955. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1961. Redesignated as 341 Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM-Minuteman), and activated, on 1 Jul 1961. Organized on 15 Jul 1961. Redesignated as: 341 Missile Wing on 1 Sep 1991; 341 Space Wing on 1 Oct 1997; 341 Missile Wing on 1 Jul 2008.
Assignments. Tenth Air Force, 15 Sep 1942; India Air Task Force, 3 Oct 1942; Tenth Air Force, 16 Oct 1943; Fourteenth Air Force, 25 Oct 1943 (attached to Tenth Air Force, 25 Oct–14 Dec 1943; Strategic Air Force, 15 Dec 1943–); 69 Composite Wing, 26 Dec 1943 (continued attachment to Strategic Air Force until c. 7 Jan 1944); XIV Air Force Tactical Air Command (Provisional) (attached to 69 Composite Wing), 21 Jun 1945; 69 Composite Wing, 1 Aug 1945; Fourteenth Air Force, 25 Aug–c. Sep 1945. First Air Force, 27 Dec 1946; 3 Bombardment Wing (later, 3 Air Division), 17 Oct 1947–27 Jun 1949. Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Sep 1955; 819 Air Division, 1 Feb 1956–25 Jun 1961 (attached to 3 Air Division, 9 Jan–c. 4 Apr 1958). Strategic Air Command, 1 Jul 1961; 22 Air Division, 15 Jul 1961; 821 Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Jul 1962; 813 Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Jul 1964; 18 Strategic Aerospace Division, 2 Jul 1966; 810 Strategic Aerospace Division, 2 Jul 1968; 4 Strategic Missile (later, 4 Air) Division, 30 Jun 1971; 47 Air Division, 15 Jan 1973; 4 Air Division, 23 Jan 1987; Fifteenth Air Force, 23 Aug 1988; 40 Air Division, 7 Jul 1989; Fifteenth Air Force, 14 Jun 1991; Twentieth Air Force, 1 Sep 1991–.
Operational Components. Group. 341 Operations: 1 Sep 1991–. Squadrons. 10 Bombardment (10 Strategic Missile): 18 Jun 1947–27 Jun 1949; 1 Sep 1955–25 Jun 1961; 1 Dec 1961–1 Sep 1991. 11 Air Refueling: 1 Dec 1955–1 Jun 1960 (detached 19 Dec 1956–10 Apr 1957, 9 Jan–c. 4 Apr 1958, and 10 Jul–26 Sep 1958). 11 Bombardment: 15 Sep 1942–10 Mar 1943 (detached 15 Sep 1942–10 Mar 1943); 25 Oct 1943–2 Nov 1945 (detached 25 Oct 1943–c. 6 Jan 1944, 13 Mar– c. Dec 1944, and 16 Mar–1 Aug 1945). 12 Bombardment (later, 12 Strategic Missile): 24 Jul 1947–27 Jun 1949; 1 Sep 1955–25 Jun 1961; 1 Mar 1962–1 Sep 1991. 22 Bombardment: 15 Sep 1942–2 Nov 1945. 490 Bombardment (later, 490 Strategic Missile): assigned 15 Sep 1942–25 Oct 1943, attached 26 Oct 1943–c. 7 Jan 1944; assigned 7 May–2 Nov 1945 (detached 7 May–c. 25 Aug 1945); 4 Apr 1947–27 Jun 1949; 1 Sep 1955–25 Jun 1961; 1 May 1962–1 Sep 1991. 491 Bombardment: 15 Sep 1942–2 Nov 1945; 5 Jun 1947–27 Jun 1949; 1 Nov 1958– 25 Jun 1961. 564 Strategic Missile: 1 Apr 1966–1 Sep 1991.
Stations. Camp Malir, Karachi, India, 15 Sep 1942; Chakulia, India, 30 Dec 1942; Kurmitola, India, Jun 1943; Kunming, China, 7 Jan 1944; Yangkai, China, 13 Dec 1944–c. Sep 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 1–2 Nov 1945. Westover Field (later, AFB), MA, 27 Dec 1946–27 Jun 1949. Abilene (later, Dyess) AFB, TX, 1 Sep 1955–25 Jun 1961. Malmstrom AFB, MT, 15 Jul 1961–.
Commanders. Col Torgils G. Wold, 15 Sep 1942; Lt Col James A. Philpott, 21 Sep 1943; Col Torgils G. Wold, 2 Nov 1943; Col Morris F. Taber, 23 Nov 1943; Maj Loren S. Nickels, 2 Feb 1944; Col Morris F. Taber, 17 Mar 1944; Col Joseph B. Wells, 11 Apr 1944; Col Donald L. Clark, 1 Dec 1944; Col James W. Newsome, 16 Apr 1945; Unkn, Sep-Nov 1945. None (not manned), 27 Dec 1946–Feb 1947; Lt Col Ralph P. Warriner, by Mar 1947; Unkn, Jan-Jun 1949. Col Anthony J. Perna, 1 Sep 1955; Col Frank P. Sturdivant, 3 Dec 1955; Col Calvin E. Peeler, 31 Oct 1957; Col Anthony J. Perna, 1 Nov 1957; Col Jack W. Hayes, Jr., 9 Jun 1959; Col Ralph T. Holland, 3 Feb–25 Jun 1961. None (not manned), 1–14 Jul 1961; Col Burton C. Andrus, Jr., 15 Jul 1961; Brig Gen Lawrence S. Lightner, 20 Feb 1963; Col Rex Dowtin, 1 Jul 1964; Col Thomas F. Doyle, 3 Jun 1966; Col John W. Carroll, 5 Jul 1966; Col Eugene J. Crahen, 13 Mar 1968; Brig Gen Gerald G. Fall, Jr., 27 May 1970; Brig Gen Kermit C. Kaericher, 7 Jun 1972; Col Ralph D. Scott, 7 Jun 1973; Col William R. Brooksher, 18 Jun 1975; Col Gerald E. McIlmoyle, 23 Jul 1976; Col Allen K. Rachel, 23 Mar 1978; Col James L. Crouch, 25 May 1979; Col Dennis M. Heitkamp, 5 Jun 1981; Col James B. Knight, 20 Jun 1983; Col Robert W. Parker, 3 Aug 1984; Col Teddy E. Rinebarger, 13 Dec 1985; Col Richard O. Keen, 10 Jul 1987; Col Edward L. Burchfield, 20 Sep 1988; Col William R. Smith, 27 Aug 1990; Brig Gen Thomas H. Neary, 15 Jan 1992; Col Donald P. Pettit, 29 Jul 1993; Brig Gen Robert E. Larned, 14 Jul 1994; Brig Gen Timothy J. McMahon, 19 Jul 1995; Brig Gen Glenn C. Waltman, 20 Feb 1997; Col J. Gregory Pavlovich, 18 Nov 1998; Col Thomas F. Deppe, 9 Jun 2000; Col C. Donald Alston, 11 Jul 2002; Col Everett H. Thomas, 7 Jul 2004; Col Geoffrey A. Frazier (interim), 5 Apr 2006; Col Sandra E. Finan, 7 Jul 2006; Col Michael E. Fortney, 21 May 2008; Col Anthony J. Cotton, 26 May 2010; Col Heraldo B. Brual, 22 Aug 2011; Col Robert W. Stanley II, 19 Jan 2013-.
Aircraft and Missiles. B–25, 1942–1945; A–26, 1945. AT–6, 1947–1949; AT–11, 1947–1949. B–47, 1956–1961; KC–97, 1956–1960. Minuteman I, 1962–1969; Minuteman II, 1967–1995; Minuteman III, 1975–; UH-1, 1993–.
Operations. Received personnel and equipment and conducted training during late 1942. Entered combat early in 1943, chiefly against enemy transportation in central Burma by bombing bridges, locomotives, rail yards, and other targets to delay movement of supplies to the Japanese troops fighting in northern Burma. After moving to China in Jan 1944, engaged primarily in sea sweeps and attacks against inland shipping. Also struck rail and transportation targets in French Indochina and the Canton-Hong Kong area of China. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for developing and employing the special “glip” bombing technique against enemy bridges in French Indochina. Briefly active in the Reserve from Dec 1946-Jun 1949; conducted routine training activities. Upon returning to active service, performed strategic bombardment training operations on a global scale, Jan 1956–May 1961, and air refueling, Feb 1956–May 1960. Deployed at Andersen AFB, Guam, Jan–Apr 1958. Became USAF’s first Minuteman ICBM wing. Supervised missile training and coordinated silo construction, Jul 1961–Jul 1963 and Oct 1964–May 1967. First Minuteman I missile arrived and emplaced in its silo at Malmstrom in Jul 1962, with first missile going on alert in Oct 1962. Wing’s three missile squadrons became fully operational by early Jul 1963. Replaced Minuteman Is with Minuteman IIs, 1967–1969 and added Minuteman IIIs in Jan 1975. Received the Strategic Air Command (SAC) Commander’s Missile Wing of the Year Award for 1969. Won the SAC missile combat competition and the Blanchard Trophy in 1976, 1986, 1990, 1991, and the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) and the Blanchard Trophy in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2008. Won the Lee R. Williams Trophy as SAC’s (after 1991, AFSPC’s) outstanding missile wing for 1963, 1975, 1976, 1986, 1987, 1991, and 2008. In accordance with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), in Sep 1991, the 341st Missile Wing began taking its Minuteman II’s off alert and completed their deactivation in Aug 1995. Since Aug 1995, maintains launch control and missile alert facilities for assigned Minuteman IIIs.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. None
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. World War II: India-Burma; China Defensive; China Offensive.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: French Indo–China, 11 Dec 1944–12 Mar 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 22 Oct 1962–31 Dec 1963; 1 Jul 1975– 30 Jun 1976; 1 Jul 1976–30 Jun 1977; 1 Jul 1979–30 Jun 1981; 1 Jul 1988–30 Jun 1990; 1 Jul 1990–30 Jun 1991; 1 Sep 1991–31 Aug 1993; 1 Sep 1993–31 Aug 1994; 1 Sep 1994–31 Aug 1995; 1 Oct 1995–30 Sep 1996; 1 Oct 1997–30 Sep 1999; 1 Oct 1998–30 Sep 1999; 1 Oct 2000–30 Sep 2002; 1 Oct 2002–1 Oct 2003; 1 Jan 2003-31 Dec 2003; 1 Oct 2004-30 Sep 2006; 1 Oct 2006-30 Sep 2008; 1 Oct 2008-30 Sep 2009; 1 Jan 2010-31 Dec 2011.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, Commanders, Aircraft, Operations, and Honors through 7 Mar 2013.
Supersedes statement prepared on 23 Oct 2012.
Emblem. Approved on 5 Jun 1957, latest rendering, 20 Aug 2019.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson
Reviewed by Daniel L. Haulman