USAF Patch Bomb b 17 Bombardment Wing d B 52 GAM 72 77 KC 135

USAF Patch Bomb CONUS 17 Bombardment Wing B 52 Stratofortress GAM 77 Hound Dog GAM 72 Quail ALCM KC 135 Startotanker 1963 Wright Patterson AFB Embroidered on twill cut edge 124mm by 100mm four and seven eighth inches by four inches.

Free Shipping

17 Bombardment Wing Light was activated at Pusan East Air Base K 9 Korea on 8 May 1952 replacing 452 Bombardment Wing Light Air Force Reserve when its activation ended and was assigned to the Fifth Air Force of Far East Air Forces FEAF. The Wings operational squadrons 34 37 and 95 Bombardment Squadrons were equipped with A 26 Invader light bombers and undertook combat operations from 10 May 1952 to 27 July 1953 including night intruder bombing of supply centers railways transportation communication and hubs as well as close air support and reconnaissance. 17 BW relocated to Miho AB Japan on 10 October 1954 before being inactivated on 20 March 1955.

17 Bomb Wing Light was reactivated on 1 April 1955 at Eglin Air Force Base Auxiliary Field No 9 Florida assigned to Ninth Air Force Tactical Air Command programmed to receive the B57 Canberra bombers. The Wing was redesignated 17 Bombardment Wing Tactical on 1 October 1955 and received its first B 57B aircraft in early 1956. Proving unreliable the B 57Bs were replaced with B 66B Destroyer bombers in July 1957 becoming the only Wing equipped with the model. 17 BW inactivated on 25 June 1958 with its B 66 Destroyer aircraft transfered to 47 Bombardment Wing at RAF Sculthorpe USAFE.

With USAF decision to discontinue its MAJCOM four number strategic wings and reestablish lineage of units with distinguished wartime records 17 Bombardment Wing Heavy was activated on 15 November 1962 and took over personnel equipment and mission of 4043 Strategic Wing at Wright Patterson AFB on 1 February 1963 assigned to 40 Air Division Strategic Air Command. 4043 SWs 42 Bombardment Squadron operating B 52 Stratofortress aircraft equipped with GAM 77 Hound Dog and the GAM 72 Quail air launched cruise missiles was redesignated 34 Bombardment Squadron. Half of the Squadrons aircraft were kept on fifteen minute alert fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. Also on 1 February 1963 17 BW was assigned 922 Air Refueling Squadron with KC 135 Stratotanker aircraft and 66 Munitions Maintenance Squadron. 4043 SWs three maintenance squadrons support squadrons and its Air Police Squadron were renumbered to 17 and assigned direct to the Wing without operational or maintenance group elements. The Wing continued its global strategic bombing and air refueling mission and deployed aircraft and crews to SAC Wings for combat operations in Vietnam Southeast Asia from 1966.

With SACs closure of operations at Wright Patterson AFB 17 Bombardment Wing was taken off alert on 30 June 1975 phased down with its last aircraft leaving on 7 July 1975. 17 BW relocated to Beale AFB taking over personnel equipment and mission of 456 Bombardment Wing continuing global strike alert with 34 Bombardment Squadron taking over 744 Bombardment Squadrons B 52G Stratofortress bombers and being assigned 9 and 903 Air Refueling Squadrons equipped with KC 135Q stratotankers tasked with refuelling 9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wings SR 71 Blackbird aircraft worldwide. 17 Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 30 September 1976 with 9 and 903 Air Refueling Squadrons reassigned to the newly redesignated and retasked 100 Air Refueling Wing as part of SACs reorganisation of strategic reconnaissance assets at Beale AFB.

17 Reconnaissance Wing  was activated at RAF Alconbury England as the  on 1 October 1982 tasked with tactical and strategic surveillance of Western Europe with TR 1 and U 2 Dragon Lady recon aircraft operated by 95 Reconnaissance Squadron. The wing won the P T Cullen Trophy in 1989 and 1990 for its contribution to SACs strategic intelligence. The Wing deployed assets for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm 1990 and 1991 operating aircraft from Taif AB Saudi Arabia. 17 Reconnaissance Wing was inactivated on 30 June 1991 leaving 95 Reconnaissance Squadron at RAF Alconbury as a non flying organization until 15 September 1993 with all U 2 operations consolidated at 9 Wing Beale AFB.

17 Training Wing and activated at Goodfellow AFB Texas on 1 July 1993 with 17 Training Group 17 Medical Group and 17 Mission Support Group tasked with Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance training of USAF US Army USN and USMC personel including off base at the Defense Language Institute Corry Station and Fort Huachuca. 17 TW also conducts firefighting training at Goodfellow AFB.

This patch dates from 1963.