5th Bomb Wing: Difference between revisions

The 5th Bomb Wing’s history dates back more than eight decades to the infancy of military aviation. It originally activated as the 2nd2d Group (Observation) Aug. 15, 1919, at Luke Field in the [[Hawaii|Territory of Hawaii]]. In 1921, the group was redesignated the 5th Group (Observation). A year later, it became the 5th Group (Pursuit and Bombardment) with its crews flying [[Airco DH.4|DeHaviland DH-4]] aircraft.

Activities included training, participating in Army-Navy maneuvers, staging aerial reviews and sowing seeds from the air for the Territorial Forestry Division. In 1935, the group helped save the city of [[Hilo, Hawaii]], during the eruption of the [[Mauna Loa]] [[volcano]]. Ten [[Keystone B-3]] and [[Keystone B-4|B-4]] bombers from the group’s 23rd23d and 72nd72d bombardmentBombardment squadronsSquadrons dropped 20, 600-pound bombs around the volcano to divert molten lava away from the town. Redesignated 5th Bombardment Group in Mar 1938, 5th Bombardment Group (Medium) in Dec 1939, and 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in Nov 1940. Equipped with [[Boeing]] [[B-17 Flying Fortress]]es and [[B-18 Bolo|Douglas B-18 Bolos]] by Dec 1941.

The bomb wing saw combat again in the Persian Gulf during [[Bombing of Iraq (December 1998)|Operation Desert Fox]] in December 1998. Months later, three Minot B-52s and crews joined the 2nd2d Air Expeditionary Group at [[RAF Fairford]], [[England]], in support of [[Operation Allied Force]] over the former [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]].