page_title: 90th Missile Wing
section_title: Superfortress operations
hierarchical_section_title: 90th Missile Wing / History / Superfortress operations
caption_attribution_description: English: 90th Bombardment Wing Boeing B-29-100-BW Superfortress 45-21846. Was converted to an F-13 Photo-Reconnaissance aircraft, re-designated RB-29 in 1948
context_page_description: The 90th Missile Wing is a component of Twentieth Air Force, stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base and equipped with LGM-30G Minuteman III Missiles. It has served at Warren as a component of Strategic Air Command, Air Combat Command, Air Force Space Command and Air Force Global Strike Command since 1963.
  The wing was first organized at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington as the 90th Bombardment Wing, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit. After moving to Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, it served as a training unit for Strategic Air Command units and aircrews in the B-29. In 1953 it converted to the strategic reconnaissance mission, upgrading to the Boeing RB-47 Stratojet in 1954. After 1958 it trained reconnaissance crews with the B-47 and continued that mission until it was inactivated in 1960.
context_section_description: The wing was first organized at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington in January 1951 as the 90th Bombardment Wing and equipped with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.  While organizing, it was attached to the 92d Bombardment Wing, whose commander also served as the commander of the 90th Wing.  In February, as part of a reorganization of Strategic Air Command wings, the 90th Wing's 90th Bombardment Group was reduced to paper status and its squadrons were attached to the wing for operational control.  In June 1952, this organization, which was designed to permit the wing commander to focus on the wing's combat units and the maintenance necessary to support combat aircraft, was formalized as the Dual Deputy Organization and the group was inactivated and its squadrons were assigned to the wing.
  In March 1951, the wing moved to Forbes Air Force Base, where it served primarily as a training unit.  In May, it began serving as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and mechanics of newly-activating units.  The 376th Bombardment Wing was the first new Superfortress wing trained by the 90th, activating on 1 June 1951.  In October, it was combat ready and moved to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, its permanent base.  The day the 376th Wing departed, the 308th Bombardment Wing was activated and began its training, which lasted until it moved to Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia in April 1952.  The 310th Bombardment Wing was the last B-29 unit trained at Forbes.  With its departure for Schilling Air Force Base, Kansas in September 1952, the B-29 operational training mission ended.
  In June, the wing added duty as a Replacement Training Unit, primarily providing individual training for aircrew being assigned to existing Far East Air Forces B-29 units during the Korean War.  In November 1952 it also began training replacement crews for the RB-29 reconnaissance model of the Superfortress and SHORAN personnel for Strategic Air Command (SAC).  These training activities continued through November 1953.
caption: Wing Boeing B-29[note 2]
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