List of USAF Strategic Wings assigned to the Strategic Air Command During the tremendous U . S . Air Force Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) expansion of the early and mid - fifties , bases become overcrowded , with some of them supporting as many as 90 B - 47s and 40 KC - 97s . The first B - 52 wings were also extremely large - composed of 45 bombers and 15 or 20 KC - 135s , all situated on one base . As the Soviet missile threat became more pronounced and warning time became less , SAC bases presented increasingly attractive targets . It was necessary to break up these large concentrations of aircraft and scatter them throughout more bases . Several KC - 97 squadrons were separated from their parent B - 47 wings and relocated to northern bases . The B - 47 dispersal program was a long range one and would be affected primarily through the phase out of wings in the late fifties and early sixties . With the B - 52 force , which was still growing , dispersal became an active program in 1958 . Basically the B - 52 dispersal program called for larger B - 52 wings already in existence to be broken up into three equal - sized wings of 15 aircraft each , with two of them being relocated , normally to bases of other commands . In essence , each dispersed B - 52 squadron became a strategic wing . This principle would also be followed in organizing and equipping the remained of the B - 52 force . Headquarters USAF established the entire force at 42 squadrons in 1958 . Ideally , each B - 52 wing would have an air refueling squadron of 10 or 15 aircraft . By the end of 1958 , SAC had activated 14 strategic wings , but only three had aircraft assigned . The others were in various stages of development , with some having only a headquarters and one officer and one airman authorized . ” . Redesignation to AFCON status . When the B - 52 dispersal began in the fifties , the new units created to support this program were named strategic wings and given four - digit designations , for example , the 4137th Strategic Wing . Under the USAF organization and lineage system , these four - digit units fell into the MAJCOM ( major air command controlled ) category and their lineage ( histories , awards , and battle honors ) ended with their discontinuance and could never be revived . In sharp contrast , AFCON ( Headquarters USAF controlled ) units , which were readily distinguished by having one , two or three digit designations , could go through a series of inactivations and activations and still retain their lineage . Headquarters SAC was well aware of the historical significance of records and accomplishments of the strategic wings and the need to perpetuate this lineage as well as the lineage of many illustrious unit that were no longer active . In order to retain the lineage of the combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive units with illustrious World War II records , Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activated AFCON units , most of which were inactive at the time . The reorganization process , which extended from 1 January through 1 September , was applied to 22 B - 52 strategic wings , three air - refueling wings , and the 4321st Strategic Wing at Offutt Air Force Base , Nebraska . These units were discontinued and two and three - digit AFCON units were activated . In most cases , the bombardment squadron that had been assigned to the strategic wings were inactivated and bombardment squadrons that had previously been assigned to the newly activated wings were activated . While these actions were almost tantamount to redesignation , they were not official redesignation . Therefore , the records , awards and achievements of the strategic wing could not be inherited by the bomb wings . ” 6th Strategic Wing 43d Strategic Wing It activated again in Apr 1970 , replacing the 3960 Strategic Wing at Andersen AFB , Guam . On 1 July 1970 , the 43d also assumed tasks formerly handled by the Bombardment Wing , Provisional , 4133 , including a combat mission . Employed attached aircraft and aircrews of other Strategic Air Command units to participate in " Arc Light " combat missions in Southeast Asia from 1 July to mid - Aug 1970 , and again from Feb 1972 to Aug 1973 . Following the end of combat operations , provided routing training and ground alert with B - 52 and KC - 135 aircraft , the latter provided by other Strategic Air Command units on loan . During 1975 , provided logistical and medical support to thousands of Vietnamese refugees evacuated from their homeland and located temporarily at Guam awaiting resettlement in the United States . Trained to remain proficient in strategic and conventional warfare capabilities . Beginning in 1974 , controlled TDY tankers and crews participating in the Pacific ( formerly Andersen ) Tanker Task Force that supported Strategic Air Command operations in the western Pacific . In Jul 1986 , activated the 65 Strategic Squadron to control the TDY air refueling forces . Activated on paper on 16 June . 1952 , but not operational until it absorbed the residual resources of the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing in October 1952 , Designated as the 72nd Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Ramey AFB , PR . Conducted global strategic reconnaissance , Mar . 1953 - 1955 , with RB - 36 Peacemaker aircraft , gradually shifting to a bombardment - training mission beginning in 1954 . Redesignated as the 72nd Bombardment Wing ( Heavy ) in 1955 Converted to B - 52G ' s and added refueling to its global mission in 1958 . Inactivated on 30 June 1971 . Established as the Strategic Wing ( Provisional ) , 72 in late 1972 at Andersen AFB , Guam , with approx . 100 B - 52G ' s . The Strategic Wing ( Provisional ) , 72 flew 8 , 010 sorties over South Vietnam , North Vietnam , and Cambodia and flew the last sorties of the Vietnam War on 15 August 1973 . The Wing lost 6 B - 52Gs ( 1 acft lost skirting around a typhoon en route to target , and 5 shotdown over Hanoi during Combat Operations December 1972 . 3960th Strategic Wing . Resources absorbed by 43rd Strategic Wing in 1970 . 3970th Strategic Wing . Replaced by 98th Strategic Wing in 1966 4026th Strategic Wing . Replaced by 379th Bombardment Wing in 1961 . 4038th Strategic Wing . Replaced by 397th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4039th Strategic Wing . Resources absorbed by 416th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4042d Strategic Wing . Replaced by 410th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4043d Strategic Wing . Resources absorbed by 17th Bombardment Wing in 1959 . 4047th Strategic Wing . Aircraft and crews reassigned to the 306th Bombardment Wing 1 April 1963 from the 99th Bombardment Wing / 347th Bombardment Squadron at Westover AFB Massachusetts . 4062nd Strategic Wing ( Missile ) . The Unit Never Became OPERATIONAL 4123d Strategic Wing “ Strength through Unity ” . + Activated on : 10 December 1957 . Replaced by 70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing ( redesignated 70th Bombardment Wing on Activation at Clinton - Sherman AFB ) in 1963 . 4126th Strategic Wing . Replaced by 456th Strategic Aerospace Wing in 1962 . 4128th Strategic Wing . Resources absorbed by 461st Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4130th Strategic Wing . Resources absorbed by 340th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4133d Strategic Wing . Replaced by 319th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4134th Strategic Wing . Replaced by 320th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4135th Strategic Wing . Replaced by 39th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4136th Strategic Wing . Replaced by 450th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4137th Strategic Wing . Replaced by 465th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4138th Strategic Wing . Replaced by the 484th Bombardment Wing . 4141st Strategic Wing “ Peace Through Power ” . Replaced by the 91st Bombardment Wing . 4157th Strategic Wing . Resources absorbed by 6th Strategic Wing in 25 March 1967 . 4170th Strategic Wing . Replaced by the 462nd Strategic Aerospace Wing . 4228th Strategic Wing . Replaced by the 454th Bombardment Wing . 4238th Strategic Wing . Replaced by 2nd Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4239th Strategic Wing “ First Always " . Replaced by 449th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4241st Strategic Wing . Resources absorbed by 68th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4245th Strategic Wing . Resources absorbed by 494th Bombardment Wing in 1963 . 4252d Strategic Wing . Resources absorbed by 376th Strategic Wing in 1970 . 4258th Strategic Wing . Replaced by the 307th Strategic Wing in 1970 4321st Strategic Wing . Replaced by 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 15 November 1962 .