page_title: Walker Air Force Base
section_title: 6th Bombardment Wing
hierarchical_section_title: Walker Air Force Base / History / Strategic Air Command / 6th Bombardment Wing
caption_attribution_description: English: Walker AFB Defense Area Nike Missile Sites
context_page_description: Walker Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force base located three miles south of the central business district of Roswell, New Mexico. It was opened in 1941 as an Army Air Corps flying school and was active during World War II and the postwar era as Roswell Army Air Field. During the early years of the Cold War, it became the largest base of the Strategic Air Command. It is also known for the Roswell UFO incident, an event that occurred on 4 July 1947. It is alleged that a "flying disc" crashed during a severe thunderstorm near the base at Corona, New Mexico.
  Walker AFB was named after General Kenneth Newton Walker, a native of Los Cerrillos, New Mexico who was killed during a bombing mission over Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea on 5 January 1943. His group scored direct hits on nine Japanese ships before being intercepted by enemy fighters. Walker was last seen leaving the target area with one engine on fire and several fighters on his tail, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. The base was renamed in his honor on 13 January 1948.
context_section_description: The 6th Bombardment Wing, Medium was  activated on 2 January 1951 at Walker AFB and was equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortress.  On 1 August 1951, the 307th Air Refueling Squadron was attached to the wing.  It flew KB-29 tankers until inactivated 16 June 1952.  The 6th, along with the 509th Bombardment Wing at Walker formed the SAC 47th Air Division until June 1958 with the reassignment of the 509th to Pease AFB.
  However the three squadrons of the wing (24th, 39th, 40th) were soon re-equipped with SAC's new heavy bomber, Convair B-36D Peacemaker and the unit was redesignated the 6th Bombardment Wing (Heavy).
  The B-36D was the first major production model of the bomber, being equipped with two pairs of General Electric J47-GE-19 turbojets in pods underneath the outer wings to assist the six R-4360-41 piston engines.  The B-36D flew fairly well on just four or even three piston engines, so it was common practice to shut down some of the engines during cruise. The turbojets were normally used only for speed dashes over the target area or for takeoff. The 6th conducted strategic bombardment training with the aircraft, being deployed at Andersen AFB, Guam from October 1955 to January 1956.
  The phaseout of the B-36 began in 1957, when the wing began receiving the new Boeing B-52 Stratofortress jet bomber. They were flown by its existing squadrons. The last of the B-36s departed Walker in 1958.
  To provide air defense of the base, United States Army Nike Hercules Surface-to-air missile sites were constructed during 1959 near Roswell (W-10) 33°26′10″N 104°20′06″W and Hagerman (W-50) 33°07′35″N 104°32′38″W, New Mexico.  The sites were selected and built, the battalion activated, batteries were assigned, and then the whole setup was shut down. Many of the personnel were later transferred to Omaha, Nebraska for the protection of Offutt AFB.
  In September 1959, the 24th and 30th Bombardment Squadrons joined the newly assigned 4129th Combat Crew Training Squadron to train B-52 and KC-135 crews.  The 40th Bombardment Squadron continued flying operational missions until 10 June 1960. From 10 June 1960 to 1 December 1961 the wing flew a few operational missions in a non-combat ready status.  The 40th Squadron returned to operational status on 1 December 1961.  The other two bomb squadrons regained tactical status on 5 September 1963.  The 39th Squadron discontinued a few days later, but the 24th and 40th continued global bombardment training through December 1966, when they phased down for inactivation.
  The 6th Air Refueling Squadron, flying early-model KC-135A aircraft, was assigned to Walker AFB from 3 January 1958.   On 3 February 1960, a "short-tail" (non-hydraulic-power-assisted rudder) KC-135A crashed during takeoff in strong and gusty crosswinds.  The pilot failed to maintain directional control, rotated the aircraft 5–10 knots too early and the aircraft settled onto the dirt apron of the runway, shed two engines, plowed through the aircraft parking area and came to rest in an aircraft hangar.  This single crash resulted in the destruction of three KC-135 aircraft and the deaths of eight military personnel.
  The wing was redesignated the 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 May 1962.  On 25 June 1965, the 310th Air Refueling Squadron was attached to the wing.  It flew KC-135A aircraft until the base was closed and the unit was moved to Plattsburgh AFB, NY on 25 January 1967.
caption: Walker AFB Nike missile Defense Area
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