Lineage. Established as 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 1 Jul 1949. Activated on 16 Jul 1949. Redesignated as: 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Heavy on 14 Nov 1950; 5 Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 Oct 1955; 5 Wing on 1 Sep 1991; 5 Bomb Wing on 1 Jun 1992.
Assignments. 311 Air Division, 16 Jul 1949; Second Air Force, 1 Nov 1949 (attached to 9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 12 Nov 1949-); Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Apr 1950 (remained attached to 9 Bombardment Wing to 10 Feb 1951); 14 Air (later, 14 Strategic Aerospace) Division, 10 Feb 1951 (attached to 3 Air Division, 14 Jan-12 Apr 1955); 810 Strategic Aerospace Division, 25 Jul 1968; 47 Air Division, 30 Jun 1971; Fifteenth Air Force, 30 Nov 1972 (attached to Air Division Provisional, 810, 30 Nov 1972-14 Jan 1973); 47 Air Division, 15 Jan 1973; 57 Air Division, 22 Jan 1975; Fifteenth Air Force, 14 Jun 1991; Eighth Air Force (later, Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), 1 Sep 1991–.
Operational Components. Group. 5 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 5 Operations): 16 Jul 1949-16 Jun 1952 (detached 12 Nov 1949-10 Feb 1951); 1 Sep 1991–. Squadrons. 23 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 23 Bombardment): attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Sep 1991. 31 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 31 Bombardment): attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Oct 1959, attached 2 Oct 1959-18 Jan 1960. 72 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 72 Bombardment): attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Jul 1958. 129 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 14 Oct 1952-1 Jan 1953. 347 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 1 Jan-12 Sep 1953. 906 Air Refueling: 25 Jul 1968-1 Sep 1991. 916 Air Refueling: 1 Sep 1959-25 Jul 1968.
Stations. Mountain Home AFB, ID, 16 Jul 1949; Fairfield-Suisun (later, Travis) AFB, CA, 12 Nov 1949; Minot AFB, ND, 25 Jul 1968–.
Commanders. Col Waldine W. Messmore, 16 Jul 1949; Col Horace M. Wade, 12 Nov 1949; Col John H. Davis, 26 Nov 1949; Brig Gen Robert F. Travis, 1 Feb 1950; Col Carlos J. Cochrane, 6 Aug 1950; Col Joe W. Kelly, 10 Aug 1950; Col Walter E. Arnold, 10 Feb 1951; Col Willis E. Beightol, 27 Sep 1953; Brig Gen Edwin B. Broadhurst, 1 Oct 1953; Col Albert F. Fahy Jr., 14 Jan 1955; Col Edwin G. Simenson, 9 Mar 1955; Col Albert F. Fahy Jr., 3 Mar 1956; Col Lucion N. Powell, 23 Mar 1956; Col Charles J. Beck, 17 Apr 1960; Col Martin E. Plocher, 2 Jun 1962; Col William R. Smith, 4 Jun 1962; Col Robert E. Blauw, 21 Apr 1964; Col Rodger L. Howard, 7 Jul 1964; Col Richard M. Hoban, 27 Jun 1966; Col Robert E. Blauw, 10 Jun 1967; Col George E. Burch, 2 Jul 1968; Col William W. Culbertson, 25 Jul 1968; Col Bob M. Garner, 18 Jul 1970; Col William G. MacLaren Jr., 10 May 1972;Col William A. Eveland, 24 Jul 1974; Col Kenneth L. Peek Jr., 28 Jul 1975; Col James D. Gormley, 31 Jan 1977; Col Pintard M. Dyer III, c. 8 Oct 1978; Col Alfred D. Herring, 5 May 1980; Col Fredrick B. Jaicks, 12 Feb 1981; Col Allan C. Blaisdell, 5 Mar 1982; Col Alan V. Rogers, 2 Feb 1983; Col Robert M. Marquette, Jr., 13 Jun 1984; Col Benard W. Gann, 23 May 1986; Col John Wiley III, 16 Mar 1988; Col Kenneth S. Boykin, 24 Apr 1989; Col David L. Young, 25 May 1989; Brig Gen William R. Hodges, 31 Oct 1991; Brig Gen Ralph Pasini, 23 Aug 1993; Col Regner C. Rider, 8 Aug 1995; Col Robert J. Elder Jr., 1 Aug 1996; Col Gregory H. Power, 15 Jul 1998; Col Richard Y. Newton III, 1 Feb 2000; Col Kevin J. Kennedy, 10 Dec 2001; Col Gregory A. Biscone, 11 Jul 2003; Col Eldon A. Woodie, 6 Jun 2005; Col Bruce C. Emig, 5 Jun 2007; Col Paul G. Bell, 18 Oct 2007; Col Joel S. Westa, 1 Nov 2007; Col Douglas A. Cox, 30 Oct 2009; Col Alexis Mezynski, 14 Jan 2013; Col Jason R. Armagost, 14 Jul 2014; Col Matthew R. Brooks, 3 Jun 2016-.
Aircraft. B-29, 1949; RB-29, 1949, 1951; RB-36, 1951-1958; B-36, 1955-1958; B-52, 1959-1968, 1968–; KC-135, 1959-1968, 1968-1992; EC-135, 1968-1969; T-38, 1994-1995.
Operations. Performed long-range strategic reconnaissance, Jul 1949-Oct 1955, with some limited reconnaissance to Sep 1958. Fully integrated with the 9 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 9 Bombardment) Wing, 12 Nov 1949-10 Feb 1951; maintained a manned headquarters, but had no operational control over assigned units, and from 1 Feb 1950 to 10 Feb 1951 shared a commander in common with the 9 Wing. Began maintaining proficiency in strategic bombardment in Jul 1953 but was not redesignated as a bombardment wing until Oct 1955. Added air refueling to other missions in Dec 1959. Phased down at Travis AFB, CA, in 1968 and moved without personnel or equipment to Minot AFB, ND, absorbing resources of the 450 Bombardment Wing. Supported the post-attack command and control system (PACCS), Jul 1968-Dec 1969. Continued global strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations, including loan of KC-135 aircraft and crews and B-52 crews to Strategic Air Command (SAC) organizations involved in combat operations in Southeast Asia, 1968-1975. Won the Omaha Trophy as the outstanding wing in SAC for 1985. Won the SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition and the Fairchild Trophy in 1988. Personnel and KC–135 aircraft deployed in support of operations in Southwest Asia, 1990-1991. In 1991, the wing’s B-52 bombers were taken off alert status for the first time in 25 years. The wing was relieved of its air refueling mission in Jun 1992. In the late 1990s, the wing deployed B-52s and aircrews to Southwest Asia to support enforcement of the no-fly zones over Iraq. In 1999, aircraft and crews deployed to England in support of NATO operations over Serbia. Received the Omaha Trophy from U.S. Strategic Command as the best strategic aircraft unit for 2000. After 11 Sep 2001, involved in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and the fight against terrorism. Provided full-spectrum, expeditionary, bomber global strike and combat support to combatant commanders and mission support to 91 Space (later, 91 Missile) Wing, 2006-.
Service Streamers. Global War on Terrorism, (GWOT-S).
Campaign Streamers. None.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V” Device: 1 Jun 1999-31 May 2001. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1983–30
Jun 1984; 1 Jul 1985–30 Jun 1986; 1 Jul 1991-30 Jun 1993; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2004; 1 Jun 2004-31 May 2006; 1 Jan 2011-31 Dec 2012; 1 Jan-31 Dec 2013.
Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 5 Operations Group prior to 16 Jul 1949. Service Streamers. None. Campaign Streamers. World War II: Central Pacific; Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Eastern Mandates; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines. Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Woleai Island, 18 Apr-15 May 1944; Borneo, 30 Sep 1944. Presidential Unit Citation (Navy): South Pacific, [1-9 Dec] 1942. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII).
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 23 Apr 2018.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 23 Apr 2018.
Supersedes statement prepared on Sep 2013.
Emblem. Approved for 5 Group on 21 Jun 1924 and for 5 Wing on 12 Aug 1954.
Prepared by Carl E. Bailey