3920th Strategic Wing


The 3920th Strategic Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit, discontinued on 31 March 1965. The 3920th SW was a non-flying ground service support element for the 7th Air Division of Strategic Air Command, based at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, in the United Kingdom. It was established on 1 December 1952 as the 3920th Air Base Group. When activated, the wing assumed the resources of the 7503d Air Support Wing, which had been established on 25 May 1951. Throughout its existence it was controlled by Strategic Air Command
and served as the host for deployed SAC bombardment, strategic reconnaissance, and air refueling units.

Strategic Air Command Support

The group, which was upgraded to a wing in 1964, provided host station support functions primarily for SAC B-47 / RB-47 Stratojet and KC-97 Stratotanker elements deployed to RAF Brize Norton during REFLEX deployments from United States bases. It was organized when SAC assumed responsibility to support its deployed elements from United States Air Forces Europe )USAFE) in 1952 and was responsible for managing the Brize Norton Task Force, Provisional. Special weapons support was provided by the 4th Aviation Field Depot Squadron from 1951 to 1956 and by the 2nd Aviation Depot Squadron after 1956. These squadrons were assigned to the 7th AD, but attached to the wing.
On 1 July 1960 an RB-47 deployed from the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Forbes AFB, Kansas was shot down by the Soviet Air Forces while operating from the 3920th at RAF Brize Norton. The 3920th was inactivated in 1965 when SAC reassigned the remaining assets of unit to the Detachment 1, 98th Strategic Wing at RAF Upper Heyford and returned control of Brize Norton to the Royal Air Force.

Lineage