455th Air Expeditionary Wing

455th Air Expeditionary Wing
455th Air Expeditionary Wing emblem
Active	2001 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Air Force
Type	Air Expeditionary
Role	Combat Support
Part of	U.S. Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF)
Garrison/HQ	Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
Commanders
Current commander	Brig. Gen. Christopher D. Miller[1]

The 455th Air Expeditionary Wing (455 AEW) is an air expeditionary wing of the U.S. Air Force assigned to Bagram AB in Afghanistan. Most of the wing personnel are located at the Air Force Village known as Camp Cunningham.

Mission

The wing's primary mission is to support the Global War on Terrorism by providing aerial support for U.S. and Coalition forces on the ground.

Activated in 2001, the 455th is the only Air Force wing in Afghanistan and has members deployed throughout the country supporting the Operation Enduring Freedom.

Units

The wing consists of six groups:

• 455th Expeditionary Operations Group

The operations group is responsible for all expeditionary flying and aeromedical evacuation operations for the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing. The group oversees the day-to-day operations of one active-duty F-15E fighter squadron, one active-duty A-10 squadron, one National Guard C-130 airlift squadron, and an active-duty Navy electronic attack flying squadron. The EOG also has administrative control over an active-duty EC-130 electronic combat squadron. In addition, the operations group oversees a range of support functions such as airfield management and operations for both Bagram and Kabul, air traffic control, intelligence, weather, and a medical clinic that serves the wing.

• 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group

The group provides combat-ready aircraft and munitions to the air component commander in support of coalition forces throughout Afghanistan. The group is comprised of two squadrons responsible for on- and off-aircraft maintenance and sortie generation of F-15E fighter, A-10 attack and C-130 tactical airlift aircraft, as well as launch, recovery, and servicing support for military and commercial transient aircraft.

• 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group

The group provides a wide range of services for the air component commander in support of coalition forces throughout Afghanistan. The group is comprised of four squadrons responsible for personnel accountability, manpower resources, services for laundry, billeting, morale and welfare, communications, airfield management, security for aircraft and personnel, local national force protection escorts, fuels, vehicle maintenance, logistics planning, passenger terminal operations and air terminal operations.

• 455th Expeditionary Medical Group

The group is the Air Force component for Task Force Med, which provides combat medical and combat medical support services to U.S. and coalition forces throughout Afghanistan. Along with the U.S. Army, the 455 EMDG staffs Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram.

• 755th Air Expeditionary Group

The group supports Installation Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations across Afghanistan with essential resources to strengthen security and build a solid infrastructure. It provides Provincial Reconstruction Teams, Embedded Training Teams and Brigade Support Teams with services including security forces, explosive ordinance disposal, civil engineering, contracting, communications, medical, intelligence, legal and logistics support to train local officials and rebuild the country.

• 451st Air Expeditionary Group

Located at Kandahar, Afghanistan

The group is responsible for air control of the southern region of Afghanistan, launch and recovery operations for the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft, the employment of combat search and rescue forces throughout the entire country and ground security and defense of the airfield. Also, the 451 AEG/CC serves as the Senior Airfield Authority, reporting to NATO and orchestrating the intentions of 11 NATO-ISAF allies operating over 100 additional aircraft. Included in the group are safety, logistics, communications, civil engineer, weather, services, and airfield management flights.

Aircraft Operated

• A-10A (2002-Present)
• EA-6B (2003-Present)
• EC-130 (2003-Present)
• F-15E (2007-Present)
• HH-60 (2003-Present)
• C-130H (2003-Present)
• MQ-1A (2003-Present)

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 455th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 May 1943

Activated on 1 Jun 1943

Inactivated on 9 Sep 1945

• Redesignated 455th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy)

Activated on 25 Mar 1947

Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949

• Established as 455th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 23 Mar 1953

Redesignated 455th Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM—Minuteman), and activated, on 28 Jun 1962

Organized on 1 Nov 1962.

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1968

• Redesignated 455th Air Expeditionary Wing in 2001

Activated in 2001

Assignments

• United States Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF)
• Combined Joint Task Force-82/Regional Command-East
• Strategic Air Command (1962-1968)

• Fifteenth Air Force (1966-1968)
• Second Air Force (1963-1966)
• Fifteenth Air Force (1962-1963)

• 810th Strategic Aerospace Division (1962-1968)

Stations

• Bagram AB, Afghanistan (2001-Present)
• Minot AFB, North Dakota (1962-1968)

Components

• 740th Strategic Missile Squadron (1962-1968)
• 741st Strategic Missile Squadron (1962-1968)
• 742d Strategic Missile Squadron (1962-1968)

Aircraft and Missiles Assigned

• LGM-30B Minuteman I (1962-1968)

Operational History

455th Strategic Missile Wing

The 455th Strategic Missile Wing prepared for operational capability with intercontinental ballistic missiles from November 1962 to March 1964 at Minot AFB. The first Minuteman missile arrived on September 6, 1963, and was replaced three days later. The 150th, and final missile was replaced on February 26, 1964, and by late March the wing became combat ready. The 455th SMW maintained combat readiness until replaced by the 91st Strategic Missile Wing in June 1968. The 455th SMW was deactivated on June 25, 1968.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings: Lineage and Honors Histories, 1947-1977 (Washington: USGPO, 1984)
• Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN: 1-85780-197-0
• World Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. ISBN: 1-880588-01-3

External links

• 455th AEW Official factsheet
• 455th SMW - StrategicAirCommand.com
• Minot AFB Minuteman Missile Site Coordinates
• Minot AFB - Globalsecurity.org