The 16th Bombardment Wing was first activated at
Langley Field, Virginia, in December 1940 as part of the expansion of the
Air Corps expansion in response to the war in Europe (Woodring Plan). Its operational components, the
45th and
46th Bombardment Groups, were assigned in January 1941. It moved to
Bowman Field, Kentucky, in the spring of 1941.[1] In September 1941, the
wing was inactivated and its personnel used to form the
5th Air Support Command.[2]
On 2 November 1942, the Second Air Force reorganized its bombardment training. From that date its wings controlled new bombardment groups from its activation until completion of operational training. The wing also assumed responsibility for training replacement combat crews. With this reorganization the 16th Bombardment Training Wing now controlled Operational Training Units (OTUs) at
Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico,
Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona;
Kearney Army Air Field, Nebraska and
Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico. It also was assigned Replacement Control Centers (RCCs) at
Pueblo Army Air Field, Colorado and
Biggs Field, Texas.[6] It was assigned the following OTU groups to conduct training:
39th Bombardment Group at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona: parent group, First Phase OTU.
In May 1945 the wing mission changed to very heavy bombardment group training (
Boeing B-29 Superfortress), which lasted until operations ceased in late 1945.[1] It moved to
Colorado Springs, Colorado, where it was a paper unit until inactivating in 1946.
Lineage
Constituted as 16th Bombardment Wing on 19 October 1940
Activated on 18 December 1940
Inactivated on 1 September 1941
Activated on 23 June 1942
Redesignated 16th Bombardment Training Wing in January 1943
Redesignated 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing in April 1943
Redesignated 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, Very Heavy in May 1945
^The 102nd Bombardment Wing (Provisional) was activated on 5 June 1942 History of the 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, 5 June to 31 December 1942, United States Air Force Microfilm #B0917, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, , p. 1, .
^History of the 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, p. 4.
^History of the Second Air Force, December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1942, United States Air Force Microfilm #A4091, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, p. 245
^Lineage through 1948 in Maurer, Combat Units, p. 385
^Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations
History of the Second Air Force, December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1942, United States Air Force Microfilm #A4091, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
History of the 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, 5 June to 31 December 1942, United States Air Force Microfilm #B0917, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama