341st Missile Wing, US Air Force
341ST MISSILE WING, US AIR FORCE
History: Established as 341 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 14 August 1942. Activated on 15 September 1942. Redesignated as 341 Bombardment Group, Medium, on 1 August 1943. Inactivated on 2 November 1945. Redesignated as 341 Bombardment Group, Light, and activated in the Reserve, on 27 December 1946. Inactivated on 27 June 1949. Consolidated (31 January 1984) with the 341 Bombardment Wing, Medium, which was established on 23 March 1953. Activated on 1 September 1955. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 June 1961. Redesignated as 341 Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM-Minuteman), and activated, on 1 July 1961. Organized on 15 July 1961. Redesignated as: 341 Missile Wing on 1 September 1991; 341 Space Wing on 1 October 1997; 341 Missile Wing on 1 July 2008. Received personnel and equipment and conducted training during late 1942. Entered combat early in 1943, chiefly against enemy transportation in central Burma by bombing bridges, locomotives, rail yards, and other targets to delay movement of supplies to the Japanese troops fighting in northern Burma. After moving to China in January 1944, engaged primarily in sea sweeps and attacks against inland shipping. Also struck rail and transportation targets in French Indochina and the Canton-Hong Kong area of China. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for developing and employing the special “glip” bombing technique against enemy bridges in French Indochina. Briefly active in the Reserve from December 1946-June 1949; conducted routine training activities. Upon returning to active service, performed strategic bombardment training operations on a global scale, January 1956–May 1961, and air refueling, February 1956–May 1960. Deployed at Andersen AFB, Guam, January–April 1958. Became USAF’s first Minuteman ICBM wing. Supervised missile training and coordinated silo construction, July 1961–Jul 1963 and Oct 1964–May 1967. First Minuteman I missile arrived and emplaced in its silo at Malmstrom in Jul 1962, with first missile going on alert in Oct 1962. Wing’s three missile squadrons became fully operational by early July 1963. Replaced Minuteman Is with Minuteman IIs, 1967–1969 and added Minuteman IIIs in January 1975. Received the Strategic Air Command (SAC) Commander’s Missile Wing of the Year Award for 1969. Won the SAC missile combat competition and the Blanchard Trophy in 1976, 1986, 1990, 1991, and the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) and the Blanchard Trophy in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2008. Won the Lee R. Williams Trophy as SAC’s (after 1991, AFSPC’s) outstanding missile wing for 1963, 1975, 1976, 1986, 1987, 1991, and 2008. In accordance with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), in September 1991, the 341st Missile Wing began taking its Minuteman II’s off alert and completed their deactivation in August 1995. Since Aug 1995, maintains launch control and missile alert facilities for assigned Minuteman IIIs.
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Origin/meaning
The Coat of arms was approved 22 March 1995. The Motto translates as "World Peace Through Air Strength".
Literature: Wikimedia Commons. Information from https://www.afhra.af.mil/ Cateogry: Granted 1995