416th Bomb Wing inactivates 416th Bomb Wing inactivates by Capt. He was one of 800 standing in a chilly hangar Sept. 22 as the one-sentence order was published to inactivate the 416th Bomb Wing. The inactivation ceremony marked the final chapter in the history of Griffis AFB, which closes Sept. 30. It was easy. Since that time, Yost has witnessed this small military facility, nestled in New York's Mohawk Valley, change, grow and now close.
Government officials hope to transform the base into a business and technology park.
The 416th Bomb Wing became Griffis' legacy over the last three decades. It was a necessary mission and we did it with competence, professionalism and dignity. The B-52s participated in Arc Light bombing mission over Vietnam in 1968. While fighting the war in Vietnam, the 416th BW also carried out an alert vigil to keep the Soviet Union in check during the Cold War. In 1982, the wing was the first to receive the Air Launched Cruise Missile, designed to counter improvements in Soviet air defenses.