42d Air Base Wing The 42d Air Base Wing ( 42 ABW ) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Air University . It is stationed at Maxwell - Gunter Air Force Base , Alabama . The wing is also the host unit at Maxwell - Gunter . Its primary mission is to support all activities of Air University , which is stationed at Maxwell - Gunter . Its World War II predecessor , the 42d Bombardment Group was a medium bomber unit , which saw combat in the Central and Southwest Pacific areas as part of Thirteenth Air Force . It was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its pre - invasion bombing of Balikpapan , 23 – 30 June 1945 . Active for over 50 years , the 42d Bombardment Wing was a component wing of Strategic Air Command ' s deterrent force during the Cold War , flying the B - 36 Peacemaker and later B - 52 Stratofortress . The 42d Air Base Wing is commanded by Colonel Kris D . Beasley . Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Mark Repp . Mission . The 42d ABW ensures Airmen are ready to deploy in support of U . S . military operations worldwide and takes a proactive approach to promoting their professional and personal growth . The Wing is also responsible for the safety and security of the base , which it accomplishes through force protection , maintaining and modernizing facilities and infrastructure , and seeking efficient new ways of conducting operations . History . World War II . The 42d began training in B - 26s from , October 1941 – January 1942 . The group patrolled the Northwest Pacific Coast and trained B - 25 combat crews for the Alaskan Defense Command . It transferred to New Caledonia in April 1943 and entered combat in June of that year , operating from Guadalcanal , and later from other bases in the Solomon Islands . The 42d attacked Japanese airfields , personnel areas , gun positions , and shipping . From January – July 1944 , the group engaged primarily in the neutralization of enemy airfields and harbor facilities on New Britain , but also supported ground forces on Bougainville Island and attacked shipping in the northern Solomons and the Bismarck Archipelago . From August 1944 – January 1945 , it bombed airfields and installations on New Guinea , Celebes , and Halmahera , and flew reconnaissance missions . The group moved to the Philippines in February and March 1945 . From there is attacked shipping along the China coast , struck targets in French Indochina , bombed airfields and installations in the Philippines , and supported ground operations on Mindanao . The 42d also supported Australian forces on Borneo during May and June 1945 . It was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its pre - invasion bombing of Balikpapan , 23 – 30 June 1945 . The group ' s final combat action of World War II was attacking isolated Japanese units on Luzon , July – August 1945 . The 42d Bombardment Group was inactivated on 10 May 1946 . Cold War . Established on 19 February 1953 at Limestone Air Force Base , Maine , the Strategic Air Command 42d Bombardment Wing was assigned the same three squadrons that had belonged to the old World War II group : the 69th , 70th , and 75th Bombardment Squadrons . The new SAC wing came under the direction of Eighth Air Force . At first the wing had no aircraft to fly . As a result , B - 36 aircraft were rotated in and out of the base so pilots could keep their flying skills sharp . However , by August all operational squadrons were flying . The 42d continued to expand over the next few years . On 18 January 1955 , the 42d Air Refueling Squadron joined the wing . It flew propeller - driven KC - 97G tankers . Further , the first Boeing B - 52C Stratofortress assigned to the wing arrived at Loring on 16 June 1956 . By the end of the year , the wing had completely replaced the older B - 36 fleet . The wing was the first B - 36 unit in SAC to convert to B - 52s . When KC - 135A tankers were assigned to the 42d Air Refueling Squadron in 1957 , the wing became an all - jet force . In the late 1950s , Strategic Air Command began a series of aircraft moves designed to disperse the fleet to enhance survivability in case of an attack . One result of this was the reassignment of the 75th Bombardment Squadron to the 4039th Strategic Wing at Griffiss AFB , New York , on 25 June 1956 . In July 1958 , wing aircrews were placed on alert because of tensions in Lebanon . Although tensions subsided , the wing continued to upgrade its capabilities . For example , the more versatile B - 52Gs replaced the B - 52Ds and increased the range and payload capabilities of the wing in May 1959 . In January 1962 , the wing began to participate in the airborne alert operation nicknamed Chrome Dome . This realistic training mission was designed to deter enemy forces from a surprise attack on the United States because it demonstrated Strategic Air Command ’ s nearly immediate retaliatory capability . The 42d flew fully combat - configured bombers along a route that covered parts of Western Europe and North Africa . Under the name Hard Head VI , the wing flew similar airborne alert operations which were designed to monitor the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System located at Thule , Greenland . The wing launched two combat - ready B - 52s every 20 – 23 hours for the duration of the 30 – 60 day operation . To keep the B - 52s airborne for long periods , the 42d Air Refueling Squadron also performed a number of air refueling missions . In support of these annual operations , which lasted for five years , the wing amassed thousands of hours in the air and covered several million miles . While the wing was busy supporting airborne alert missions , Cold War tensions between the United States and Russia came to a head . In October 1962 , President John F . Kennedy informed the American public of offensive nuclear - capable missile sites in Cuba . As a result , Strategic Air Command canceled normal flying activity and increased the size of its airborne alert forces . The 42d Bombardment Wing launched four B - 52s on Operation Chrome Dome and Operation Hard Head VI missions , established the Loring Tanker Task Force , and placed all aircraft on full combat - alert status . To support this effort , the wing ended all military education courses , canceled leave for those not already off the base , delayed temporary duty assignments to other bases , and placed many on 12 - hour shifts , seven days a week . Both the command and the wing maintained this posture until late November when tensions began to ease . During the 40 - day crisis , wing bomber crews flew 132 airborne alert missions . Tanker crews from the 42d Air Refueling Squadron flew 214 air refueling missions , transferring almost 24 million pounds of fuel to the B - 52s . In February 1965 , the 42d Air Refueling Squadron began support for Operation Young Tiger operations in Southeast Asia . From then on , aircrews deployed for Operation Young Tiger missions regularly . The wing lost a second bombardment squadron in 1966 when the 70th was inactivated , and its aircraft were dispersed throughout the command . However , in July 1968 , the wing was back up to three tactical squadrons when the 407th Air Refueling Squadron transferred to Loring from Homestead AFB , Florida . The 407th also supported Operation Young Tiger missions . In the same year , the wing deployed periodically in support of Operation Arc Light operations . The 42d Bomb Wing at Loring AFB deployed Detachment 1 to McGuire AFB from 1 January 1970 through early 1975 [ possibly only with KC - 135s ] . In 1972 the demand for the wing ’ s aircraft , crews , and support personnel increased significantly for Bullet Shot , Young Tiger , and Linebacker II operations . In December enemy fire brought down a B - 52 and its crew . The aircraft was hit by a surface - to - air missile while over North Vietnam . Crew members managed to maneuver the crippled aircraft over Thailand before bailing out . All of the crew members were successfully recovered within a short period . This was the only time the wing suffered such a loss during the war . Wing personnel and equipment remained active in Southeast Asia operations until late 1973 . Following the Vietnam War , the wing participated in a number of strategic and tactical exercises worldwide . In addition , the 42d continued to provide tankers to support USAF air refueling needs . The 42d also continued its 24 - hour nuclear alert status until October 1988 when , after 30 years , the requirement ended . Effective 31 January 1984 , the history of the 42d Bombardment Wing underwent a significant change . On this date , the Air Force combined the history and honors of the old 42d Bombardment Group ( World War II - era ) with that of the 42d Bombardment Wing . The newly consolidated organization retained the 42d Bombardment Wing designation , but the wing ’ s history now went back to the early 1940s , when the War Department first established the 42d Bombardment Group . Desert Storm . Adding to its illustrious history , on 7 August 1990 , the wing began to deploy aircraft , personnel , and equipment to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Shield . During Desert Shield / Desert Storm , the wing sent bombers to Diego Garcia . The B - 52 aircrews flew 960 missions ( 485 combat ) in 44 days and dropped 12 , 588 , 766 pounds of bombs on enemy targets . In addition , tankers from the 42d and from other units deployed to Diego Garcia and off - loaded 31 , 802 , 500 pounds of fuel to 648 receivers . Seven months after the start of the deployment , the 42d began returning its people and equipment to Loring AFB . The allies had forced Iraqi forces out of Kuwait . Modern era . Several organizational changes affected the wing during the early - to - mid - 1990s . For example , on 1 October 1990 , the 407th Air Refueling Squadron was inactivated , and two days later , President George Bush ordered alert crews to stand down for the first time in Loring ’ s history . That December , Strategic Air Command stood down all of its alert forces . At the same time , the wing ’ s home station , Loring AFB , prepared for closure . On 1 September 1991 , the 42d Bombardment Wing ( Heavy ) was redesignated as the 42d Wing . Two of its squadrons , the 69th Bombardment and 42d Air Refueling Squadrons , inactivated at the same time . Then , on 1 June 1992 , HQ USAF inactivated Strategic Air Command and reassigned resources such as the 42d Wing to the newly activated Air Combat Command ( ACC ) . On the same day , ACC redesignated the 42d Wing as the 42d Bomb Wing . The following year , the wing began to prepare for the closure of Loring AFB . The last B - 52G assigned to the 42d departed the base on 16 November 1993 . Likewise , the final KC - 135R left on 2 March 1994 . Loring closed on 30 September 1994 , and the 42d Wing was inactivated the same day . On 1 October 1994 the unit was activated and redesignated as the 42d Air Base Wing and took over as the host unit at Maxwell Air Force Base , Alabama . This activation was part of a service - wide effort to preserve the lineage of the Air Force ’ s most honored wings . Components . Group Squadrons