91st Missile Wing

The wing's major organizations include: • 91st Operations Group : 54th Helicopter Squadron : 91st Operations Support Squadron : 740th Missile Squadron : 741st Missile Squadron : 742nd Missile Squadron • 91st Maintenance Group : 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron : 791st Maintenance Squadron. • 91st Security Forces Group : 791st Missile Security Forces Squadron : 891st Missile Security Forces Squadron : 91st Missile Security Forces Squadron : 91st Security Support Squadron : 219th Missile Security Forces Squadron (attached from North Dakota Air National Guard) The wing headquarters includes several special staff functions, such as plans and inspections, financial management, and safety. ==History==

: For related history and lineage, see 91st Operations Group 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing The 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was constituted 11 October 1948 and activated 10 November at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey as one of the first wings organized under the United States Air Force wing base reorganization (Hobson Plan). Under this plan, it was assigned the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Group, which had been at McGuire for four months, as its operational element. The wing and group moved to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana in 1949. bombers were assigned to the wing and its primary mission was global strategic reconnaissance. On 4 July 1952 an RB-29A Superfortress of the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron was shot down by MiGs, possibly over China or extreme northern Korea. Eleven out of the 13 aircrew became prisoners of war. The wing won the SAC reconnaissance, photographic, and navigation competition and the P. T. Cullen Award in 1955 and 1956. From Aug to November 1956 most of the wing deployed overseas in detachments to North Africa, Newfoundland and Greenland. These detachments were not under the operational control of the small establishment remaining at Lockbourne. but remained a headquarters only until April 1960 when the increasing role of SAC at Glasgow in connection with SAC's plan to disperse its Boeing B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases (making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike) led to the transfer of the base to SAC. The 4141st became the host at Glasgow and was assigned the 4141st Combat Support Group and the 861st Medical Group to fulfil this mission. The wing did not become an operational unit until 1961. In January the 68th Munitions Maintenance Squadron was activated to oversee the wing's special weapons. In April three maintenance squadrons were activated and the 326th Bombardment Squadron (BS), consisting of 15 Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses moved to Glasgow from Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington where it had been one of the three squadrons of the 92d Bombardment Wing. One third of the wing's aircraft were maintained on fifteen-minute alert, fully fueled, armed and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. This was increased to half the wing's aircraft in 1962. The 4141st (and later the 91st) continued to maintain an alert commitment until inactivation except for periods when the wing deployed to support Operation Arc Light missions. On 1 July 1962 the wing was reassigned to the 810th Air Division (later the 810th Strategic Aerospace Division). However, SAC Strategic Wings could not carry a permanent history or lineage and SAC looked for a way to make its Strategic Wings permanent. 91st Bombardment Wing In 1962, in order to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its Major Command controlled (MAJCON) strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate Air Force controlled (AFCON) units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history. As a result, the 4141st SW was replaced by the 91st Bombardment Wing, Heavy, The wing was a five-time winner of the Blanchard Trophy awarded by SAC and later Air Force Space Command for the winner of the combat missile competition. On 14 October 2009 the wing commander, as well as the 91st Maintenance Group commander, and 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron commander, were relieved of command by the commander of Twentieth Air Force for loss of confidence in their ability to command. The reliefs followed incidents including the crash of a truck carrying missile components on 31 August 2009, a similar truck crash in July 2008, and a failed wing nuclear surety inspection. Colonel Ferdinand Stoss was named the new wing commander; he had previously been serving as vice commander of the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. In May 2013, press reports indicated that the wing had been rated "marginal" when tested on Minuteman III launch operations. A USAF spokesperson characterized this as the equivalent of a "D" grade in school. Lt. Col. Jay Folds, deputy commander of the 91st Operations Group described the unit as "in a crisis." Seventeen missile launch officers were removed from duty as a result of their performance in this evaluation. In addition, another officer faced potential disciplinary action for intentionally violating nuclear safety rules that had the potential to compromise launch codes for the wing's missiles. ==Lineage==

• Constituted as 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 11 October 1948 : Activated on 10 November 1948 : Redesignated 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium on 6 July 1950 : Inactivated on 8 November 1957 • Redesignated 91st Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 15 November 1962 and activated (not organized) : Organized on 1 February 1963 : Redesignated: 91st Strategic Missile Wing on 25 June 1968 : Redesignated: 91st Missile Wing on 1 September 1991 : Redesignated: 91st Missile Group on 1 July 1994 : Redesignated: 91st Missile Wing on 1 February 1996 : Redesignated: 91st Space Wing on 1 October 1997 : Redesignated: 91st Missile Wing on 1 July 2008 • 91st Maintenance & Supply Group (later 91st Maintenance Group, 91st Logistics Group, 91st Maintenance Group): 20 November 1948 – 10 February 1951, 14 February 1952 – 28 May 1952, 1 September 1991 – 1 July 1994, c. 1 February 1996 – present • 322d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (later, 322d Bombardment Squadron): 28 May 1952 – 8 November 1957; 1 February 1963 – 25 June 1968 to unknown 12 January 1954 – 26 February 1954) • 741st Strategic Missile (later, 741st Missile) Squadron: 25 June 1968 – 1 July 1988; 14 February-1 September 1991; 1 July 1994 – 1 February 1996 • 742d Strategic Missile (later, 742d Missile) Squadron: 25 June 1968 – 1 July 1988; 14 February-1 September 1991; 1 July 1994 – 1 February 1996 • 907th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 July 1963 – 25 June 1968 Attached Operational Squadrons • 16th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (Special): 10 November 1948 – 1 June 1949 • 26th Air Refueling Squadron: 28 May 1952 – 1 June 1953 • 38th Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 November 1950 – 5 January 1951 • 68th Air Refueling Squadron: 5 May 1952 – 28 May 1952 • 91st Reconnaissance Squadron (later 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron): 22 January 1949 – 25 March 1949 • 100th Air Refueling Squadron: 23 May 1953 – 24 November 1953 • 338th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 November 1950 – 24 November 1950 • 343d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 November 1950 – 3 January 1951 Maintenance Squadrons • 91st Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron (later 91st Avionics Maintenance Squadron): 28 May 1952 – 8 November 1957, 1 February 1963 – 25 June 1968 • 91st Maintenance Squadron (later 91st Field Maintenance Squadron, 91st Maintenance Squadron, 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron): 10 February 1951 – 12 February 1952, 28 May 1952 – 8 November 1957, 1 February 1963 – 25 June 1968, c. 1 July 1994 – present • 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron (later 91st Field Missile Maintenance Squadron): 1 July 1963 – 30 September 1975, 30 September 1975 – c. 1 July 1994 • 91st Periodic Maintenance Squadron (later 91st Organizational Maintenance Squadron, 91st Organizational Missile Maintenance Squadron): 28 May 1952 – 8 November 1957, 1 February 1963 – 25 June 1968, 30 September 1975 – c. 1 July 1994 • 4211th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron: 10 February 1951 – 28 May 1952 • 4211th Organizational Maintenance Squadron: 10 February 1951 – 28 May 1952 Other • USAF Regional Hospital, Minot: 1 August 1972 – 22 June 1988 Stations • McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, 10 November 1948 • Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, 1 October 1949 • Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, 11 September 1951 – 8 November 1957 • Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana, 1 February 1963 • Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, since 25 June 1968 Aircraft and missiles • Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress (Includes TRB-17; RB-17), 1948–1950 • Boeing B-29 Superfortress (Includes KB, TRB, TB and RB-29), 1948–1953 • Boeing B-50 Superfortress (Includes RB-50), 1949–1951 • North American B-45 Tornado (Includes RB-45), 1950–1953 • Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, 1952–1957 • Boeing B-47E Stratojet, 1953 • Boeing RB-47E Stratojet, 1953–1957 • Boeing B-52D Stratofortress, 1963–1968 • Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1963–1968 • LGM-30A Minuteman I, 1968–1972 • LGM-30G Minuteman III, 1972 – present Awards • In addition to the awards earned by the wing it is also authorized through temporary bestowal the awards and campaign credits earned by the 91st Operations Group before 10 November 1948 ==References==