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Strategic Air Command

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by R. E. Mixer (talk | contribs) at 14:43, 9 August 2006 (→Aircraft and Missiles). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the film of the same name, see Strategic Air Command (film).
SAC shield

The Strategic Air Command or SAC (1946-1992) was the operational establishment of the United States Air Force in charge of America's bomber-based and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal, as well as the infrastructure necessary to support their operations (such as tanker aircraft to fuel the bombers and, until 1959, fighter escorts).


History

On 21 March, 1946 the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was divided into three separate commands: Tactical Air Command (TAC), Air Defense Command (ADC), and Strategic Air Command (SAC). SAC's original headquarters was Bolling Field, the headquarters of the disbanded Continental Air Force, in Washington, DC. Its first commander was General George C. Kenney

SAC's original mission statement, expressed by General Carl Spaatz, then commanding general of the USAAF, was:


File:Original SAC patch.gif
Original SAC patch

"The Strategic Air Command will be prepared to conduct long-range offensive operations in any part of the world, either independently or in co-operation with land and naval forces; to conduct maximum-range reconnaissance over land or sea, either independently or in co-operation with land and naval forces; to provide combat units capable of intense and sustained combat operations employing the latest and most advanced weapons; to train units and personnel of the maintenance of the Strategic Forces in all parts of the world; to perform such special missions as the Commanding General Army Air forces may direct."


That mission makes no specific reference to nuclear weapons, which in any case SAC did not yet possess. In the wake of World War II, the U.S. underwent a major drawdown of military forces, and the few USAAF units involved in the dropping of the atomic bombs were not spared.

SAC retained its organization and mission after the USAAF became the United States Air Force on 18 September, 1947. From 9 November, 1948, its headquarters was moved to Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue, Nebraska.



In October 1948 General Curtis LeMay took over as commander of SAC, and set about a dramatic rebuilding of the command's forces, as well as their mission. LeMay, who had masterminded the American attacks on the Japanese mainland during the war (including the firebombing of Tokyo and other cities), was a staunch believer in the power of strategic bombing: the destruction of an enemy's cities and industrial centers. LeMay believed that the existence of the atomic bomb made this type of warfare the only workable strategy, rendering battlefield conflicts essentially obsolete.

Under LeMay's command, SAC became the cornerstone of American national strategic policy during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. A policy which was based on nuclear deterrence. In 1962 there were 282,723 personnel assigned (217,650 airmen, 28,,531 civilians and 38,542 officers). SAC's motto became "Peace is Our Profession," symbolizing the intention to maintain peace through the threat of overwhelming force.

LeMay was not a great believer in mutually assured destruction: he felt strongly (particularly in SAC's early years, when Soviet nuclear capability was still in its formative stages) that SAC should be prepared to carry out a preemptive and overwhelming attack on the USSR before the Soviets had a chance to do the same to the United States.

From its initial handful of wartime B-29 Superfortress bombers (only a few of which were "Silverplate" aircraft capable of dropping a nuclear weapon), SAC transitioned to its first, truly intercontinental bomber, the Convair B-36. Though a major improvement over the under powered B-29, the B-36, with its six piston and four jet engines, was slow to get to its target.

The insignia of The Strategic Air Command was designed by Staff Sergeant R. T. Barnes, then assigned to the 92nd Bombardment Wing, in 1951. Submitted in a Command-wide contest, it was chosen as the winner by a three judge panel. The judges were: General Curtis E. LeMay, Commander-In-Chief, Strategic Air Command [CINCSAC]; General Thomas S. Power, Vice Commander-In-Chief, Strategic Air Command; and Brigadier General A. W. Kissner, Chief of Staff, Strategic Air Command. Staff Sergeant Barnes' winning design netted him a $100 United States Savings Bond.

SAC built up a substantial force of jet-propelled bombers. At its peak, the SAC force included more than 1,500 bombers, most of them the B-47 Stratojet.

When the first operational intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) became available in the late 1950s, they, too, were placed under SAC command. This led to a gradual decline in SAC's bomber strength.

Wartime experience in Europe had shown the inability of bombers to survive without fighter escort, so for a number of years SAC had a fighter force as well as bomber squadrons. Despite some USAF efforts to develop long-range escort fighters, the range of fighter aircraft was too limited for truly intercontinental range, and SAC philosophy held that interception of bombers was of limited value in the atomic age. As a result, on 1 July, 1957 SAC's fighter squadrons were either disbanded or passed to TAC.

Curtis LeMay left SAC to become USAF Vice Chief of Staff in 1957, and was succeeded by General Thomas S. Power, who served as SAC commander until December 1964. He was followed by General John Dale Ryan (1964-1967) and General Bruce K. Holloway (1968-1972).

In 1992, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, SAC's goal of Cold War victory was achieved and it was eliminated in a reorganization of the major Air Force commands. SAC, TAC (Tactical Air Command), and MAC (Military Airlift Command) were reorganized into two commands, AMC (Air Mobility Command) and ACC (Air Combat Command). These two commands were essentially given the same missions that MAC and TAC held respectively, with AMC inheriting SAC's tanker force and ACC inheriting SAC's strategic bombers. The nuclear component was combined with the Navy's nuclear component to form USSTRATCOM (United States Strategic Command) which is headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base (SAC's former headquarters).

Air Forces within SAC

Second Air Force

Second Air Force
  • Activated in: 1949 at Barksdale AFB, LA.
  • Deactivated in: 1975.
  • Reactivated in: 1991 at Beale AFB, CA.
  • Reassigned to: Air Combat Command on 31 May 1992.

Formed in the United States to provide air defense and train personnel of newly formed units in World War II, the Second was briefly part of Air Defense Command after the war. From 1949 to 1975, as part of the Strategic Air Command, it engaged in training for strategic warfare.

Established as Northwest Air District on 19 October 1940. Activated on 18 December 1940 at McChord Field, Washington, initially assigned to Central Defense Command, U.S. Army, and later to Western Defense Command, U.S. Army. Redesignated 2d Air Force on 9 April 1941 and Second Air Force on 18 September 1942. Moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, on 13 June 1943. Assigned to Army Air Forces in September 1943, and to Continental Air Forces (1ater Strategic Air Command), on 16 April 1945 Inactivated on 30 March 1946. Activated on 6 June 1946 at Fort Crook, Nebraska, assigned to Air Defense Command. Inactivated on 1 July 1948. Activated on 1 November 1949 at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, assigned to Strategic Air Command. Inactivated on 16 September 1950 and organized the same day with no change in station or assignment. Inactivated on 1 January 1975. Assigned to Strategic Air Command~ on 29 August 1991, and activated at Beale AFB, California on 1 September 1991. Relieved from assignment to Strategic Air Command and assigned to Air Combat Command on 31 May 1992.

Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force
  • Activated in: 1946 at MacDill AFB, FL.
  • Moved to: Forth Worth AAF, TX in 1946.
  • Moved to: Westover AFB, MA in 1955.
  • Moved to: Anderson AFB, Guam in 1970.
  • Moved to: Barksdale AFB, LA in 1975.
  • Reassigned to: Air Combat Command in 1992.

The initial Eighth Air Force became the United States Air Forces in Europe. Established as VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942. Activated on 1 February 1942 at Langley Field, Virginia assigned to Air Force Combat Command. Moved to Savannah AB, Georgia, about 10 February 1942. Moved Daws Hill, England, on 23 February 1942, joining Eighth Air Force. Moved to High Wycombe, England, on 15 May 1942. Redesignated Eighth Air Force on 22 February 1944, when the original Eighth Air Force became United States Strategic Air Force (USSTAF). Moved without personnel or equipment to Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, on 16 July 1945, assigned to U .S. Army Strategic Air Forces. Moved without personnel or equipment to MacDill Field Florida, on 7 June 1946, joining Strategic Air Command, moved to Fort Worth Army Air Field, Texas, 1 November 1946. Moved to Westover AFB, Massachusetts, on 13 June 1955. Moved without personnel or equipment to Anderson AFB, Guam on 1 April 1970, absorbing resources of 3rd Air Division. Moved with personnel or equipment to BarksdaIe AFB, Louisiana, on 1 January 1975, absorbing resources of Second Air Force. Relieved from assignment to Strategic Air Command and assigned to Air Combat Command on 31 May 1992.

Fifteenth Air Force

Fifteenth Air Force
  • Activated in: 1946 at Ent AFB, CO.
  • Moved to: March AFB, CA. in 1949.
  • Reassigned to: Air Combat Command in 1992.

World War II was well underway when the Fifteenth Air Force was established in the Mediterranean theater as a strategic air force. The new air force drew its operational forces from existing air forces in the European and Mediterranean theaters, and commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. In the postwar years it became one of Strategic Air Command's primary numbered air forces.

Established as Fifteenth Air Force on 30 October 1943. Activated on 1 November 1943 at Tunis, Tunisia, assigned to Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Moved to Bari, Italy, on 1 December 1943. Assigned to United States Strategic Air Forces about February 1944. Inactivated on 15 September 1945. Activated on 31 March 1946 at Colorado Springs, Colorado, assigned to Strategic Air Command. Moved to March AFB, California, on 7 November 1949. Relieved from assignment to Strategic Air Command and assigned to Air Mobility Command on 31 March 1992.

Sixteenth Air Force

Sixteenth Air Force
  • Activated in: 1957 at Madrid, Spain.
  • Moved to: Torrejon AB, Spain in 1958.
  • Reassigned to: USAFE in 1966.

Originated as a separate operating agency, this postwar numbered air force served both Strategic Air Command and United States Air Forces in Europe. Established as Joint United States Military Group, Air Administration (Spain), on 20 May 1954. Activated on 20 May 1954 at Madrid, Spain, as a separate operating agency (SOA) of the United States Air Force. Redesignated Sixteenth Air Force on 15 July 1956. Assigned to Strategic Air Command on 1 July 1957, losing SOA status. Moved to Torrejon AB, Spain, on 1 February 1958. Assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe on 15 April 1966. Moved from Torrejon AB, Spain to Aviano AB, Italy, on 10 August 1992

Twentieth Air Force

Twentieth Air Force
  • Activated in: 1991 at Vandenberg AFB, CA.
  • Reassigned to: Air Combat Command on 31 May 1992.

Twentieth Air Force was formed exclusively as a heavy strategic bombardment organization. Headquartered in the United States, under command of General Henry H. Arnold, with direction from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, its B-29 components operated in the China-Burma-India and Pacific theaters, carrying the air war to the Japanese. Operations climaxed with atomic attacks on Japan in August 1945. Following the war, Twentieth Air Force remained in the Pacific and served in combat for a short time during the Korean War. Later it was involved primarily in air defense of the Ryukyu Islands.

Established as Twentieth Air Force, and activated on 4 April 1944 at Washington D.C., assigned to Army Air Forces. Moved to Harmon Field, Guam, Mariana Islands, on 16 July 1945 and assigned to U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces. Assigned to Pacific Air Command, U.S. Army, (later Far East Air Forces), on 6 December 1945. Moved to Kadena AB, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, on 16 May 1949. Inactivated on 1 March 1955. Assigned to Strategic Air Command on 29 March 1991. Activated at Vandenberg AFB, California, on 1 September 1991. Relieved from assignment to Strategic Air Command and assigned to Air Combat Command on 31 May 1992.

Subordinate components

Divisions

Wings

Bases

See:Strategic Air Command Bases

Aircraft and Missiles

Aircraft

These aircrasft all were assigned to the Strategic Air Command at one time or another in one capacity or another.

Missiles

This is a list of missiles fielded by the Strategic Air Command.

SAC aircraft

Resources

  • Baugher, Joseph F., American Military Aircraft Encyclopedia, 1998. Internet address: http.//www.csd.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_us/
  • Broyhill, Marvin T. at http//:www.strategic-air-command.com.
  • Boyne, Walter, Boeing B-52. A Documentary History, Jane Publishing Company, 1981.
  • Bright, Charles D., Historical Dictionary of the United States Air Force, Greenwood Press, 1982.
  • Clark, Rita F. Major, From Snark to Peacekeeper, Office of the Historian, HQ. SAC, Offutt AFB. NE. 1990.
  • Clark, Rita F. Major, SAC Missile Chronology 1939 - 1988, Office of the Historian, HQ. SAC, Offutt AFB. NE. 1988.
  • Clark, Rita F. Major, Strategic Air Command, U.S. Government Printing Office.
  • Cragg, Dan, Guide to Military Installations, 4th Edition.
  • Evinger, William R., Directories of Military Bases in the U.S., Oryx Press, 1979.
  • Francillion, Rene J., The United States Air National Guard, Aerospace Publishing LTD, 179 Dalling Road, London, W6 OES, England 1992
  • GlobalSecuriry.org.
  • Goldberg, Sheldon A., The Development of the Strategic Air Command, Office of the Historian, HQ. SAC, Offutt AFB. NE. 1986.
  • Heflin, Woodford A., United States Air Force Dictionary, D. Van Nostram Co., 1990.
  • Henrotin, Joseph. L'Airpower au 21ème siècle. Enjeux et perspectives de la stratégie aérienne. Bruxelles : Bruylant (RMES), 2005.
  • Knaack, Marcelle Size, Post-World War II Bombers 1945-1973, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington D.C. 1988.
  • Knaack, Marcelle Size, Post-World War II Fighters 1945-1973, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington D.C. 1986.
  • Lloyd, Alwyn T., B-47 Stratojet in detail & scale, TAB Books, 1988.
  • Lloyd, Alwyn T., A Cold War Legacy, Pictorial Publishing Company, Inc. 2000
  • Mixer, Ronald E., Genealogy of the STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND , Battermix Publishing Company, 1999
  • Mixer, Ronald E. The INDEX to A Cold War Legacy, Battermix Publishung Company, 2002
  • Mixer, Ronald E., STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, An Organizational History, Battermix Publishing Company, 2006.
  • Moody, Walton S. Dr., Building a Strategic Air Force, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1998.
  • Mueller, Robert, Active Air Force Bases, Vol. 1, 1998.
  • Polmar, Norman, Strategic Air Command, 1st Edition, Nautical & Aviation Publishing Co., 1954
  • Polmar, Norman, Strategic Air Command, 2nd Edition, Nautical & Aviation Publishing Co., 1996.
  • Ravenstein, Charles, A., Air Force Combat Wings 1947 - 1977, Office of Air Force History, USAF, 1984.
  • Russell, Ed., Air Division Histories, USAF Historical Research Agency historical documents. SAC Society, Strategic Air Command, Turner Publishing Company, 1985.
  • SACPatches.com
  • United States Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Montogomery, AL.
  • United States Air Force, Fact Sheets, http://www.af.mil/lib/, 1998
  • United States Air Force, USAF Directory of USAF Organizations.
  • USAFPatches.com
  • Valey, Captain Wayne A. USAF (Retired), Airman’s Guide, 2nd Edition, 1991, Stackpole Books
  • Yenne, Bill, History of the U.S. Air Force, Exeter Books, 1990.
  • Yenne, Bill, SAC, A Primer of Modern Strategic Airpower, Presido Press, 1992.
  • -, Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Studio Editions, Ltd., 1991.

SAC Sayings

  • "To err is human. To forgive is divine. Neither of which is current SAC policy"
  • "Peace Through Strength -- Victory Through Devastation"
  • "Peace Is Our Profession" (This is often amended to include: "War is our hobby".)
  • "The Cold War didn't just end, it was WON!" Motto of the Society of the Strategic Air Command

See also

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