378th Air Expeditionary Wing

The 378th Air Expeditionary Wing (378 AEW) is a provisional United States Air Forces Central Command unit assigned to Air Combat Command. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time.

378th Air Expeditionary Wing
An F-15C of the 44th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 378th AEW, at Prince Sultan Air Base on 2 June 2020.
ActiveOctober 18, 1942—December 1942
(378 BG)
October 24, 2005—November 14, 2019
(378 AEG)
November 14, 2019—present
(378 AEW)[1]
(3 years, 11 months)
Country United States
BranchUnited States Air Force
TypeAir Expeditionary
RoleVarious
Part ofAir Combat Command
Garrison/HQPrince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia
Website378th Air Expeditionary Wing
Commanders
Current
commander		Brig Gen Willam D. Betts[2]
Insignia
378th Air Expeditionary Wing emblem

The 378th Bombardment Group was an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command at Langley Field, Virginia, where it was stationed from October to December 1942. The group participated in the Antisubmarine Campaign along the Atlantic coast of the United States until it was inactivated, when the Antisubmarine Command assigned all its squadrons directly to the command's two antisubmarine wings.

The current 378th AEW is garrisoned in Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

Structure
  • 378th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW)[3]
    • 378th Expeditionary Operations Group (EOG)[4]
      • 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS) [5]
      • 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron (EECS)[6]
      • 378th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron (EOSS) [7]
      • 378th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron (EMS)[8]
    • 378th Expeditionary Mission Support Group (EMSG)[7]
      • 378th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron (ECES)[9]
      • 378th Expeditionary Communications Squadron (ECS)
      • 378th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron (ECONS)[10]
      • 378th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron (EFSS)[11]
      • 378th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron (ELRS)[12]
      • 378th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron (ESFS)[13]
    • 378th Expeditionary Medical Group (EMDG)

History
Douglas O-46A
A North American O-47A as flown by the old group
A 494th EFS F-15E Strike Eagle sits on the flight line prior to a sortie at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, January 8, 2020
Two 555th EFS F-16 Fighting Falcons taxi on the flight line at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, February 26, 2020
A USAF E-8C JSTARS taxies at Prince Sultan Air Base, March 8, 2020
Two F-35A's and two F-16C's taxi at Prince Sultan Air Base, February 7, 2020
E-3G aircrew disembark their aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base, March 1, 2020
USAF F-15C's from the 44th EFS fly in formation with Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA's on June 25, 2020

The group was activated at Langley Field, Virginia on October 18, 1942 with the 520th,[14] 521st,[15] and 523d Bombardment Squadrons assigned.[16] Although designated a medium bombardment unit, it was equipped with Douglas O-46 and North American O-47 single-engine observation aircraft.[17]

The group conducted its operations along the southeastern coast of the United States. Only the 523d Squadron was located with the group's headquarters at Langley. The 520th Squadron operated from Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida, while the 521st was stationed at Charleston Army Air Field, South Carolina.[14][15][16]

In late November, Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command began a series of organizational actions to more nearly align it with United States Navy headquarters engaged in the antisubmarine campaign.[18] On 20 November, the 522d Bombardment Squadron at Lantana Airport, Florida was assigned to the group,[19] At the same time, the group's 520th Squadron was attached directly to the new 25th Antisubmarine Wing, which had been established to manage Army Air Forces antisubmarine units in the area of the Navy's Eastern Sea Frontier.[18] The group's squadrons were redesignated as antisubmarine squadrons,[14][15][16][19] Finally, in December, after less than two months of operation, the group was inactivated and its component squadrons were reassigned to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing.[17][20]

Twenty-first century

The unit was reactivated as the 378th Air Expeditionary Group and was converted to provisional status on October 24, 2005. It was then redesignated as the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing on November 14, 2019.[1]

The base was expanded by the 621st Contingency Response Group "Devil Raiders" from June 15, 2019.[21]

On December 17, 2019, in response to increasing tensions with Iran, the unit was formally activated as the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.[22] The newly reactivated wing received its first combat aircraft shortly thereafter, when McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived in early January 2020. The 494th would be replaced by General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Triple Nickel 555th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron in late February 2020.[23] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the originally planned March redeployment to Aviano Air Base was rescheduled to 20 April 2020.[24]

In addition to hosting the 494th EFS and 555th EFS for traditional CENTCOM deployments, the 378th AEW has also conducted "Agile Combat Employment" exercises with Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, Northrop Grumman E-8C JSTARS and Boeing E-3 Sentry. The intent of these exercises (which are considerably shorter than a normal deployment) was to demonstrate the Wing's ability to rapidy increase its number and variety of combat aircraft in the event tensions in the region were to escalate.[25][26][27]

On May 16, 2020, the Department of Defense confirmed that an undisclosed F-15C Eagle squadron, and United States Marine Corps (USMC) McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II from Marine Attack Squadron 214 (VMA-214) had replaced the Triple Nickel.[28] The USAF eventually revealed that the F-15C's belonged to the 44th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.[29]

Harriers assigned to VMA-214 ended their deployment to Prince Sultan on July 21, 2020, while the F-15C's of the 44th EFS returned to Kadena Air Base by October 7, 2020.[30][31] F-16C's from the 20th Fighter Wing, 77 EFS arrived on October 10, 2020 to replace the departed AV-8B's and F-15C's.[32]

Lineage
  • Constituted as the 378th Bombardment Group (Medium) on October 13, 1942
Activated on December 18, 1942
Inactivated on December 14, 1942[17]
  • Reactivated as the 378th Air Expeditionary Group was converted to provisional status on October 24, 2005[1]
  • Redesignated as the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing on November 14, 2019. It operates out of Prince Sultan Airbase, Saudi Arabia.[33]

Assignments
  • Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, October 13 — December 14, 1942[17]
  • Unknown 2005 — 2019[1]
  • Air Combat Command after redesignation & conversion 2019

Squadrons
U.S. Marines of VMA-214 pre-flight an AV-8B Harrier II at Prince Sultan Air Base on June 16, 2020

Stations
  • Langley Field, Virginia, October 18, - December 14, 1942[17]
  • Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, December 17, 2019 – Present

Aircraft
  • Boeing E-3G Sentry
  • Douglas O-46
  • North American O-47[17]
  • General Dynamics F-16CM Fighting Falcon
  • McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle
  • McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle
  • McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II
  • McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender
  • General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon
  • Bombardier E-11A BACN

Campaign
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
AntisubmarineOctober 18, 1942 – December 14, 1942[17]
Operation Inherent ResolveDecember 17, 2019 – present[42]

See also

References

Citations
  1. "378th Air Expeditionary Wing Fact Sheet". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. "WILLIAM D. BETTS". Air Force. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. "PSAB Buildup". DVIDS. 22 December 2019.
  4. "The eagles have landed". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  5. "F-16 "Gamblers" double down at PSAB". USAF. 17 October 2020.
  6. "430th EECS begins operations with new E-11A BACN". U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  7. "378th Operations, Maintenance Groups integrate". 29 June 2020.
  8. "Munitions Airmen build munitions for follow-on forces". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  9. "378 ECES lays new water lines at Prince Sultan Air Base". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  10. "Fingerprints of influence: 378 ECONS helps build Prince Sultan Air Base". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  11. "378 EFSS opens 'Grab-n-Go' station". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  12. "ATOC Airmen process cargo at Prince Sultan Air Base". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  13. "PSAB MWDs train for real world contingencies". DVIDS. 22 December 2019.
  14. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 82
  15. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 768-769
  16. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 10
  17. Maurer, Combat Units, p. 266
  18. Ferguson, p. 41
  19. Maurer, Combat Squadron, p. 783
  20. Maurer, Combat Units, 388-389
  21. "Devil Raiders strengthen defense forces in Saudi Arabia". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  22. "378th AEW officially activates at PSAB". DVIDS. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  23. "Falcons Nest at PSAB". DVIDS. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  24. "Redeployment during COVID-19: The Triple Nickel comes home". DVIDS. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  25. "Projecting Airpower: JSTARS join aircraft utilizing PSAB to modernize employment for future". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  26. "AWACS test rapid deployment capability at PSAB". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  27. "U.S. Air Force F-35A Jets Land at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia for First Time". DefPost. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  28. "PSAB continues to provide dynamic mission capability". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  29. "F-15C ICTs make comeback [Image 1 of 5]". DVIDS. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  30. "VMA-214 "Black Sheep" Return From Deployment". Military Aviation Review. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  31. "Kadena Fighters, Maintainers Return from CENTCOM Deployment". USAF, 18th Wing Public Affairs. 7 October 2020.
  32. AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. December 2020. p. 25.
  33. "378th AEW officially activates at PSAB". USAF. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  34. "The Mighty Panthers bid farewell to PSAB". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  35. "Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles arrive at Saudi Arabian base amid Iran tensions". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  36. "Aviano's Triple Nickel First Full Unit to Return from Deployment Amid COVID-19". Air Forces Magazine. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  37. "Kadena Fighters, Maintainers Return from CENTCOM Deployment".
  38. ""Gamblers" project airpower, bolster regional partnerships". USAF. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  39. "New aircraft, Airmen arrive at PSAB". DVIDS. 6 March 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  40. AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. May 2022. p. 17.
  41. AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. January 2023. p. 100.
  42. "Fully Armed Kadena F-15 Eagles Soar Over Saudi Arabia Wearing Some Awesome Nose Art". The Drive. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

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