Fortunately, the soviet union agreed to withdraw the missiles from cuba and on 20 november sac was able to return to its regular alert posture. Pending the assignment of a new mission by headquarters strategic air command, which occurred on 1 may 1946, the fifteenth air force began operations with the same very heavy bombardment mission that had been assigned to the second air force. Strategic air command personnel have fought their war of deterrence every day for over 30 years. We began to restructure the command in alignment with our warfighting mission. A new era in air power history began on 1 june 1992, when the air force reorganized by inactivating mac and the strategic air command sac and formed from the elements of these two historic organizations the air mobility command amc. On june 22, 1948, the soviet union imposed a blockade, cutting off all ground routes for the allies to enter or leave berlin. Strategic air and space museum curator brian york talks about the martin bomber plant, which produced the two historic b29 bombers, enola gay and bockscar.
This document is a new department of the army concept. The strategic air command was basically the same twentieth air force from guam that lemay had commanded during the war. It pretty well covers the history of sac from beginning, through the glory days of the 50s and 60s, the air vietnam war, to sacs unfortunate demise in the early 90s. Record group 342 190085, 1991 overview of records locations table of contents 342. October 1962 cuban missile crisis strategic air command places atlas and minuteman is on increased alert april 1963 first titan ii goes on alert at davismonthan afb, ariz. In october 1997, the air weather service headquarters, scott afb, ill. Add or remove collections home world war ii operational documents strategic air war against germany, 19391945. It is long on statistics and figures and a little short on the people that actually made sac the most powerful fighting force ever devised. Sac had been started two years earlier, and was supposed to be americas nuclear punch, which would so terrify the russians or anyone else, that they would never even think of attacking the u.
Policy concerning the interaction between the army air forces leadership and the air surgeon, signed by gen henry arnold, army air forces commanding general. Air force, strategic air command, sac, ballistic missiles, nuclear history, national security archive from u. It was the first of four hollywood films that depicted the role of the strategic air command in the cold war era. Media in category strategic air command the following 26 files are in this category, out of 26 total. The strategic landscape has changed since the release of my initial vision and intent. From this point on the army air corps became known as the army air force aaf i will the term army air force throughout the remainder of my paper. Sacs original headquarters was bolling field, the headquarters of the disbanded continental air forces first, second, third and fourth in. Strategic air command the strategic air command was established a year earlier than the united states air force. Although strategic air command sacan icon of the nuclear revolutionbecame u. Strategic air command united states air force britannica. The film is a cold war era promo for sac and defense spending from paramount pictures. This situation began to change in the mid1950s as the soviet union began to build up its longrange bomber force and to develop intercontinental ballistic.
This concept describes how senior army warfighting formations at echelons above brigade eab operate throughout the competition continuum to support the armys four strategic roles. General curtis lemay, who took over command in october 1948, made the bombing competition an annual affair with on the spot promotions for successful crews. This report examines the evolution of air force strategic documents, particularly those produced after the cold war. After more than 24 years, tactical air command and military airlift command, two of the most historic of the air forces major commands, became active again. Recently declassified documents and interviews published here for the first time make clear that national command authorities maintained and often employed unconventional air warfare operations throughout the cold war period. Modern weapons and communications demand rapid and effective decision making. Strategic air command is a 1955 american military aviation film starring james stewart and june allyson, directed by anthony mann, and released by paramount. The resurrection of tactical air command and military.
Its roles were then strategic bombardment, long range reconnaissance, mapping and weather reporting. It was delivered to the 96th bombardment group, heavy, strategic air command at dyess on 7 july 1985. As far as can be told, no comparable document has ever been declassified for any period of cold war history. Strategic air command sac was both a united states department of defense dod specified command and a united states air force usaf major command majcom, responsible for cold war command and control of two of the three components of the u. Instead of maintaining the large army and navy that had fought the korean war, the eisenhower administration chose to invest in air power, especially in the strategic air command sac. As the air force activates air force global strike command, a brandnew major command committed solely to the nuclear deterrence mission, 20th air force and the icbm mission will transfer from air force space command to afgsc. It was a natural transition, since it was the only military organization on earth with previous nuclear experience, having dropped the atomic bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki. This organization became effective on march 9, 1942. Strategic air command banner on the museum of flights. How the strategic air command would go to nuclear war. Star of abilene, rockwell b1b 830065, after its last flight, dyess afb, 1 march 2003.
The story is flat out 1950s apple pie by most anyones standard delivered expertly by its cast. Nations successfully coordinate land, air, sea, and space forces to multiply combat effectiveness. Bomber and tanker crews first began sac ground alert on 1 oct 57. The year of 1962 brought two events that shaped the future of homestead afb. The development of strategic air command, 19461986 the.
In the first ten years of its history, the strategic air command conducted two programs to extend the range of its aircraft. United states air and space power in the 21st century operations. Completed honors thesis 2 united states naval academy. Film describes the physical characteristics of the sac command post, communications network, warning and alert systems, a senior controller demonstrating how positive control is assured and a simulated alert. Relation of the army air forces to medical service command, aug. B47 bombers of the strategic air command are stationed on the tarmac at memphis airport during the cuban missile crisis. Joint forces command, there was little else in the way of largescale organizational change. The result of this reexamination was a greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power to deter war. The resurrection of tactical air command and military airlift command by daniel haulman september 26 and october 1, 2016 were very historic dates in the history of the air force. List of commandersinchief of the strategic air command. They were stationed here during the crisis as part of the mobilization procedures to disperse sacs forces to make them less vulnerable to surprise attack.
It was clearly an act of defiance and test of allied resolve. Air force special film project 1236, sac command post. Air force, 19471997 and inside the cold war for free with a. The strategic air command was established march 21st, 1946 and placed under the command of general george c. Kenney during the reorganization and transition of the united states army air forces into the independent air force. Sac was the operational establishment in charge of americas landbased strategic bomber aircraft and landbased intercontinental ballistic missile icbm strategic nuclear. Discover strategic air command books free 30day trial. Read strategic air command books like the cold war and beyond chronology of the u. Records of united states air force commands, activities. Strategy and defense planning for the 21st century dealt with the challenges the u.
Strategic air command veteran bruce blair takes the story in to the 1970s, with an extraordinary account, based on personal experience, of how sac would have carried out its. It looks at what the air force has gotten out of its previous strategicplanning efforts. Control of b52s remained under the commander in chief, strategic air command cincsac, but targets in south vietnam were selected by comusmacv, refined by cincpac, and approved in washington. Tactical air command tac, air defense command adc, and strategic air command sac. Afwa operates the largest computerized weather facility in the world. Both documents remain classified, but the national security archive has requested them for declassification.
Air force and as a major part of the nuclear deterrent against the soviet union between 1946 and 1992. Headquartered first at andrews air force base in maryland and then, after november 1948, at offutt air force base in omaha, nebraska, sac was the component of the unified command plan charged. The commanderinchief, strategic air command cincsac was the most senior officer and head of the strategic air command sac. The suggestion from atc was included in an appendix buried in a february 1954 atc personnel planning project, while the sac nco academy, march afb, ca, proposed the design on 30 april 1954 to the air council. The first competition was held at castle air force base, ca from june 2027, 1947.
Hopkins on how the strategic air command would have gone to nuclear war provided incredible detail on sac procedures during the 1960s. The star of abilene, the first operational rockwell b1b lancer supersonic heavy bomber, serial number 830065, made its final flight at dyess air force base, abilene, texas. Strategic air command sac presents us with the only extensive major motion picture flying record of americas b36, the largest bomber aircraft ever built. Learn from strategic air command experts like bob andrepont and bob andrepont. Discover the best strategic air command books and audiobooks. A vital consideration to the strategic air command in meeting its worldwide strategic bombardment commitment has always been the development of the maximum range capabilities of all its combat bombardment aircraft.
It seems as if the allies would have no choice other than to evacuate the city. The 31st tactical fighter wing, a tactical fighter unit with a proud history dating back to 1940, was moved from george afb, calif. A brief history throughout most of its first decade, strategic air command operated from safe sanctuaries located in the united states. On 21 march 1946 the united states army air forces usaaf was divided into three separate commands. History of the unified command plan 19462012 ing gunfire support and air strikes on targets in south vietnam. Strategic air command declassifies nuclear target list.
Strategic air command is a 1955 american military aviation film starring james stewart and june allyson, directed by anthony mann, and released by paramount pictures. To see the greatness of our country, you only need to look to those who are serving each and every day in this command. Icbm timeline national museum of the united states air force. Strategic air command archives this day in aviation. When generation was completed, strategic air command stood ready to defend national policy with the most lethal array of military firepower in human history.
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