380th Air Expeditionary Wing
| 380th Air Expeditionary Wing | |
|---|---|
380th Air Expeditionary Wing emblem
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| Active | 1953-1995; 2002-present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Aerial Refueling/Reconnaissance |
| Role | Combat Support |
| Part of | United States Central Command Air Forces |
| Nickname(s) | 'The Flying Circus' and 'King of the Heavies' |
| Motto(s) | Strength and Confidence |
| Engagements |
     
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The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW) is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is attached to the United States Air Forces Central component of ACC and is stationed at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates.
About 1,200 active duty military members, Reserve, and Air National Guard personnel make up the Wing. Aircraft assigned: McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extenders, Lockheed U-2 Dragon Ladies, Boeing E-3 Sentry (AWACS) and Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk. Its mission is air refueling and reconnaissance.
The Wing's origins date to 1942 when the 380th Bombardment Group was established. It operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater as an Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber unit assigned to Fifth Air Force. The 380th Expeditionary Operations Group carries the lineage and history of its highly decorated World War II predecessor unit.
Active for over 40 years, the 380th Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force during the Cold War, as a strategic bombardment wing.
Ref.
The 380th Bombardment Wing (Medium) was established at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, near Plattsburgh, New York on 11 July 1955 and assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC) Eighth Air Force. For the next 40 years, the 380th was a front line SAC bombardment Wing during the Cold War.
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