4404th Wing ( Provisional ) The 4404th Wing ( Provisional ) is an inactive United States Air Force unit . It was last was assigned to the Air Combat Command ( ACC ) , stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base , Saudi Arabia . It was inactivated on 1 October 1998 . The mission of the 4404th Wing ( Provisional ) was to serve as the front line defense against possible Iraqi aggression after the 1991 Gulf War . It enforced United Nations Security Council Resolutions 687 , 688 , and 949 and protected United States military forces stationed in Kuwait , the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia . History . Established by Tactical Air Command at Prince Sultan Air Base , Al Kharj , Saudi Arabia , to replace provisional Air Divisions established during the 1991 Gulf War . The original assets of the 4404th TFW came from the 4th TFW ( Provisional ) , which had operated during the Gulf War . In June 1991 the wing relocated to King Abdul Aziz Air Base , Dahran , where it was officially activated as the 4404th Wing ( Provisional ) on 2 August 1991 . From the start of Operation Southern Watch , the Wing was structured and manned to carry out a temporary mission , insuring that Iraq complied with the post - Operation Desert Storm United Nations sanctions . It later was engaged in ( Operation Provide Comfort , and later Operation Northern Watch were commanded by the US European Command ( EUCOM ) ) . The 4404th consisted of six provisional groups assigned at nine locations in the Persian Gulf region , including Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , and Kuwait . During the 1990s and early 2000s , more than 5 , 000 airmen made up the wing , manned primarily by airmen who rotated to Saudi Arabia on temporary duty assignments . During Operation Vigilant Warrior , the number of personnel peaked at about 7000 . However , the wing was manned at minimum levels . This policy was intended to reduce the visibility of U . S . forces in Saudi Arabia , limit exposure to risk , reduce the impact on Air Force units worldwide from whom the airmen were assigned , and insure that they were fully committed during their short tours of duty . This manning provided little flexibility to respond to changes in threat or mission requirements . Air Force flying squadrons were assigned as units to the 4404th Operations Group ( Provisional ) on 15 - , 30 - , 45 - , 60 - , and 90 - day rotations depending on the type unit . Air Expeditionary Force III forces that deployed to Qatar from July through August 1996 were under the operational control of the 4404th Wing ( Provisional ) , under the tactical control of either the Commander , Joint Task Force - Southwest Asia or the Commander , Joint Task Force - Rugged Nautilus , but for force protection were under U . S . Liaison Office , Qatar which does not have the command authority to direct force protection actions . After a terrorist truck bomb killed 19 airmen at Dhahran in June 1996 ( Khobar Towers bombing ) , the wing was ordered to move to more secure location within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . As a result , it was moved back to Prince Sultan Air Base . It was inactivated and re - designated as the 363d Air Expeditionary Wing on 1 October 1998 as part of the implementation of the Air Expeditionary Force ( AEF ) concept . Units . Squadrons were manned and equipped from units in the United States , PACAF , USAFE and Alaskan Air Command on a rotating basis .