John Mahon

The 379th Bomb Wing was first activated in 1955 at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, as part of the Strategic Air Command, equipped initially with B-47 Stratojet bombers. During the Cold War, the wing played a key role in the United States' nuclear deterrence strategy, later transitioning to B-52 Stratofortress bombers. In the 1990s, the unit was inactivated but reactivated in 2003 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, where it became a cornerstone of U.S. Air Force operations in the Middle East, conducting strategic bombing, air refueling, and reconnaissance missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Today, the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing (as it is now known) remains a vital component of U.S. airpower projection in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.