460th Bombardment Group The
460th Bombardment Group (Heavy), was activated at
Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico on 1 July 1943, with the
760th,
761st,
762d, and
763d Bombardment Squadrons assigned. A
cadre of the unit's air echelon went to
Orlando Army Air Base, Florida for specialized training with the
Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics. In August, the unit was filled out with ground personnel at
Kearns Army Air Base, Utah, then moved to
Chatham Army Air Field, Georgia to complete its training with
Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers. Upon completing training, the squadron departed for the
Mediterranean Theater of Operations in January 1944. It attacked oil
refineries and storage facilities, railroads, industrial areas, including aircraft manufacturing plants in Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Yugoslavia. The group flew its last mission against a target in northern Italy on 26 April 1945. The 460th Bombardment Group was inactivated on 26 September 1945. It supported
2d Air Division and the
Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV). When it stood up, the 460th TRW, alone, was responsible for the entire reconnaissance mission, both visual and electronic reconnaissance, throughout the Southeast Asia (SEA) area of responsibility. On 18 February 1966 the 460th TRW began with 74 aircraft of various types. By the end of June 1966, that number climbed to over 200 aircraft. On 15 October 1966, the 460th TRW assumed responsibilities for all depot-level aircraft maintenance responsibility for all USAF organizations in South Vietnam. Toward the end of 1966, the 460th TRW's responsibilities changed. First, on 18 September 1966, the
432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was activated at
Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. After the 432d TRW activated it took control of the reconnaissance squadrons in Thailand, and the 460th TRW was no longer responsible for all air reconnaissance missions throughout SEA. However, the 460th TRW provided the new 432d TRW with continued support in recovering
McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo and
McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II aircraft returning from high priority, high interest target missions. Being one of two reconnaissance wings supporting SEA there were few military operations that did not involve the wing. Not only did the 460th TRW provide electronic and photo reconnaissance, the Wing's electronic capabilities allowed it to provide electronic counter measure support to
Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses returning from striking targets in North Vietnam. The Wing even gave support to the Cambodian military against the North Vietnam and Viet Cong forces, as well as support to U.S. units operating inside Cambodia. As the Vietnamization Improvement and Modernization Program began, Vietnamese crews began flying with
Douglas EC-47 crews from the
360th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron and 6994th Security Squadron on 8 May 1971, to get training on operating the aircraft and its systems. The wing was inactivated on 31 August 1971. Under the 460th ABW's command, the base underwent an extensive modernization program to improve the base's support facilities. The 460th ABW oversaw construction of one of the largest
Defense Commissary Agency base commissary and
Army and Air Force Exchange Service base exchange complexes in the Air Force, as well as a fitness center, dorms, and other housing areas for Buckley Airmen. On 20 December 2019, the 460th Space Wing, along with the rest of Air Force Space Command, were transferred into the United States Space Force. ==Lineage==