Strategic Air Command Emblems

English: Emblems of the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (1946-1992)

Strategic Air Command (1946-1992) was established as a Major Command of the United States Air Force in the aftermath of World War II on 21 March 1946.

With the end of fighting in the Korean War, President Eisenhower, who had taken office in January 1953, called for a "new look" at national defense. The result: a greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power to deter war. His administration chose to invest in the Air Force, especially Strategic Air Command. During the Cold War, SAC became the most powerful air deterrent force to aggression ever created. Responsible for two "legs" of the defensive nuclear triad of the United States during the Cold War, over a million men and women served in SAC, its forces on alert 24 hours a day, every day, with a mission to preserve the peace and deter any aggressor nation from attacking the United States and its allies.

On 1 June 1992, when Strategic Air Command stood down, the Cold War which existed during much of its operational life was over, not by combat, but by consensus. SAC performed its mission not by using its tremendous force, but by its presence.

Wing Abbreviations[edit]

SAC had a myriad of wing types over its 46 year existence. These are the common abbreviations:

ABW=Air Base Wing
ANG=Air National Guard
ATRW=Aerospace Reconnaissance Technical Wing
ARW=Air Refueling Wing
BG=Bombardment Group
BW=Bomb Wing
CCTW=Combat Crew Training Wing
FIW=Fighter Interceptor Wing
FW=Fighter Wing
MW=Missile Wing
RW=Reconnaissance Wing
SAW=Strategic Aerospace Wing
SFW=Strategic Fighter Wing
SMW=Strategic Missile Wing
SRW=Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
SW=Strategic Wing
SWW=Strategic Weapons Wing
T&TW=Tactical and Training Wing
TTW=Training and Testing Wing
W=Wing

Unit emblems[edit]

Below are the emblems of most Strategic Air Command major units. Displayed in hierarchical precedence, then by numerical designation. Combat Groups are shown only for the 1946/1947 United States Army Air Forces units assigned to SAC.

Numbered Air Forces[edit]

Numbered Air Forces (NAF) were the major organizational unit of SAC in the organizational pyramid, reporting to HQ Strategic Air Command. Geographically-oriented, Eighth Air Force exercised command and control generally over SAC units east of the Mississippi River, and Fifteenth Air Force to the west. This changed in 1949 when Second Air Force was activated and controlled SAC units in the Southeast and the regional areas became less defined over the years. In addition to the Contiguous United States (CONUS), the NAF controlled various SAC overseas units. Eighth AF controlled units assigned to Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, also units in Greenland and Europe; Fifteenth AF controlled units in Alaska and the Pacific; Second AF controlled units in Puetro Rico. Beginning in 1957, Sixteenth Air Force controlled SAC units deployed to North Africa and Europe at forward deployed REFLEX bases until its reassignment to USAFE in 1966. Twentieth Air Force was activated in 1991 to directly control ICBM Missile Wings.

Second Air Force 1949-1956 1991-1992
Second Air Force 1956-1991
Eighth Air Force 1946-1992
Fifteenth Air Force 1946-1992
Sixteenth Air Force 1957-1966
Twentieth Air Force 1991-1992

Divisions[edit]

Divisions were an intermediate command echelon of SAC, generally controlling groups of two or more combat wings and reported to their assigned NAF. Depending upon their mission, they could control groups of Aircraft (Air); ICBM Missile Wings (Missile) or a mixture (Strategic Aerospace). Divisions were also formed grouping wings of specific weapons systems (ex: B-47; B-52; Atlas ICBM), being activated or inactivated as these weapons systems were activated or retired over time, and redesignated as their component wings changed equipment or themselves were activated or inactivated.

1st Strategic Aerospace
1954-1956; 1957-1991
3d Air
1954-1970; 1975-1982
4th Air
1952-1988
5th Air
1951-1952; 1957-1958
6th Air
1951-1966; 1968-1969
7th Air
1951-1965; 1978-1992
12th Air
1951-1990
13th Missile
1959-1966
14th Air
1951-1991
17th Air
1959-1971
18th Strategic Aerospace
1959-1968
19th Air
1951-1988
21st Air
1951-1952; 1955-1964
22d Strategic Aerospace
1959-1965
36th Air
1951-1960
40th Air
1951-1957; 1959-1988; 1989-1991
42d Air
1951-1957; 1959-1969; 1970-1991
45th Air
1954-1989
47th Air
1951-1987
57th Air
1951-1957; 1951-1969; 1975-1991
100th Air
1990-1991
801st Air
1952-1966
802d Air
1952-1960
806th Air
1952-1960
810th Strategic Aerospace
1952-1971
813th Strategic Aerospace
1954-1956; 1959-1966
816th Strategic Aerospace
1958-1965
817th Air
1966-1971
818th Strategic Aerospace
1954-1965
819th Strategic Aerospace
1956-1966
820th Strategic Aerospace
1956-1965
821st Strategic Aerospace
1959-1971
822d Air
1959-1966
823d Air
1956-1971
825th Strategic Aerospace
1955-1970

Combat Wings[edit]

Combat Wings in SAC were the primary level of command which were designed to engage in combat operations. Wings were structured to fulfill a mission from a specific base, and contain a headquarters, combat squadrons and various support groups and squadrons. In SAC they primarily reported to the Division level, but could and did report to Numbered Air Forces, and in some cases, directly to Headquarters SAC. Wings were designated by a combination of a number and weapons system or other identifier, the abbreviations listed above.

SAC had two types of wings assigned.

Air Force-controlled (AFCON) organizations with a continuing lineage and history. Numbered and contain from one to three digits in the numerical part of their designation.
Temporary major command-controlled (MAJCON) organizations without a continuing lineage or history. Numbered and contain four digits in the numerical part of their designation. Many of the SAC MAJCON wings were inactivated and replaced by AFCON wings.

AFCON wings[edit]

1st FW
2nd BW and Wing
4th FW
5th SRW B-29 Era
5th BW B-36 Era
5th Bomb Wing
6th BW B-29 and B-36 Era
6th BW, 6th SAW, 6th SRW and Wing
6th SW
6th SRW
7th BW B-36 Era
7th BW
7th BW
9th BW B-29 Era, 9th SAW , 9th SRW SR-71,U-2 era
9th BW B-36, B-47 Eras and SW B-36 Era
11th BW B-36 Era
11th ARW, 11th BW and SAW
11th Strategic Group
12th SFW
17th BW and RW
17th BW B-52 Era
19th ARW
19th BW B-29 and B-47 eras
19th BW
22nd ARW and BW
26th SRW
27th FEG
27th FW and SFW
28th BW and SRW
31st FW and 31st SFW
33rd FW
39th BW
40th BW B-29 Era
40th BG and BW B-47 Era
42nd BW and 42nd Wing
42d BW
43rd BW
43rd SW
44th BW B-29 Era
44th BW
44th MW and SMW
55th SRW and Wing
55th SRW B-47 Era
56th FW
58th BG
68th ARW
68th BW B-29 Era
70th SRW
70th BW
72nd BW B-36 Era and SRW
72nd BW
82d FW
90th MW
90th SRW B-47 Era
90th SMW
91st BW
91st MW
91st SMW
92d ARW
92nd BW B-36 Era
92nd BW
92nd SAW
93rd BW B-29 Era
93rd BW B-47 Era
93rd BW
95th BW B-36 Era
96th BW B-47 Era
96th BW
96th BW B-1 Era
97th BW B-47 Era
97th BW
98th BW B-29 Era
98th SAW and SW
99th SRW B-36 Era
99th BW
99th SRW
99th SWW
99th T&TW
100th ARW, BW, SRW
101st ARW(ME ANG)
108th ARW (NJ ANG)
111th SRW (PA ANG)
126th ARW (IL ANG)
134th ARW (TN ANG)
141st ARW (WA ANG)
151st ARW (UT ANG)
157th ARW (NH ANG)
161st ARW (AZ ANG)
168th ARW (AK ANG)
171st ARW (PA ANG)
190th ARW (KS ANG)
301 BW B-47 era
301 ARW KC-135 Era
303d BW
305th ARW
305 ARW
305th BW B-58
306th BW B-29 Era
306th BW B-47 Era
306th BW
306th SW
307th SW
307th SW
308th BW B-29 Era
308th BW B-47 Era
308th SMW
310th BW, SAW, TTW
319th BW, Wing
320th BW B-29 Era
320th BW B-47 Era
321st BW B-47 Era
321st SMW
340th ARW, BW
341st SMW
351st MW
351st MW
351st SMW
376 BW B-29 Era
376th BW B-47 Era
376th SW
379th BW
380th ARW
380th BW B-47 Era
380th BW
381st SMW
384th ARW
384th BW B-47
384th BW B-1
389th SMW
390th SMW
397th BW
407th SFW
410th BW
416th BW
449th BW
450th BW
451st SMW
452d ARW (Subdued)
454th BW
455th SMW
456th BW
456th SAW
461st BW
462d SAW
465th BW
484th BW
494th BW
497th ARW
499th ARW
500th ARW
506th SFW
508th SFG
508th SFW
544th ARTW
702d SMW
702d SMW (Snark)
704th SMW
706th SMW

MAJCON wings[edit]

3902d Air Base
1948-1986
3918th Strategic
1964-1965
3920th Strategic
1964-1965
3960th Strategic
1965-1970
3970th Strategic
1964-1965
4038th Strategic
1958-1963
4039th Strategic
1958-1963
4043rd Strategic
1959
4045th Air Refueling
1959-1962
4047th Strategic
1961-1963
4061st Air Refueling
1959-1961
4080th SRW
1960-1966
4081st Strategic
1955-1966
4082nd Strategic
1957-1966
4083rd Strategic
1957-1959
4123rd Strategic
1957-1963
4126th Strategic
1959-1962
4128th Strategic
1959-1963
4130th Strategic
1958-1963
4133rd BW (P)
1958-1963
4133rd Strategic
1958-1963
4134th Strategic
1958-1963
4135th v
1958-1963
4136th Strategic
1958-1963
4137th Strategic
1959-1963
4138th Strategic
1959-1963
4141st Strategic
1958-1963
4157th Strategic
1964-1965
4158th Strategic
1964-1965
4170th Strategic
1959-1963
4200th SRW
1964-1966
4228th Strategic
1958-1963
4238th Strategic
1958-1963
4239th Strategic
1956-1963
4241st Strategic
1958-1963
4245th Strategic
1959-1963
4252nd Strategic
1965-1970
4258th Strategic
1966-1970
4258th Strategic
1966-1970
4321st Strategic
1959-1962
4347th Combat Crew Training
1958-1963
4397th Air Refueling Training
1958-1962
4397th Air Refueling Training
1958-1962

STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND SUPPORT GROUPS (1950's - 1992)[edit]

1st AEROSPACE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
1st RADAR BOMB SCORING GROUP.jpg
1st COMBAT EVALUATION GROUP
3909th COMBAT SUPPORT GROUP
3910th COMBAT SUPPORT GROUP
3926th COMBAT SUPPORT GROUP
3974th COMBAT SUPPORT GROUP
4000th AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS GROUP

USAAF Combat Groups[edit]

SAC was established in March 1946, 18 months before the United States Air Force became a separate branch of the United States military. At that time, the Army Air Force Air Combat Group was the primary level of command which were designed to engage in combat operations. After the establishment of the USAF in September 1947, combat groups were assigned to a new level of command, the "Wing" as a subordinate unit. By 1952, most combat groups were inactivated, and the individual combat squadrons were assigned directly to the Wing Commander.

Most group emblems are presented, along with the date of assignment to SAC.