43rd SAC

Relive and share the memories of your service-time with your brothers and sisters in arms today. VetFriends.com can help you reconnect.

Did you proudly serve in the 43rd SAC?

Are you looking for someone who is or was in the 43rd SAC?

Do you have 43rd SAC photos you'd like to share?

Then join a community with your brothers and sisters of the 43rd SAC.

Branch

U.S. Air Force

Members

About 43rd SAC

The 43rd Strategic Aerospace Wing (43rd SAC) was a distinguished unit of the United States Air Force, originally activated during World War II as the 43rd Bombardment Group. Renowned for its operations in the Pacific Theater, the unit participated in key missions, including bombing campaigns against Japanese forces. During the Cold War, the 43rd was re-designated as the 43rd Strategic Aerospace Wing and assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC), operating B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 Stratotankers for nuclear deterrence and global strike missions. The wing played a vital role in maintaining America’s strategic readiness until its inactivation in the early 1990s.

Unit Members

Michael Howell

U.S. Air Force (1985-1989)

43rd SACView Profile

Scott Gibboney

U.S. Air Force

43rd SACView Profile

Photos

Pictures of marines in my Company B-1-3

U.S. Marine Corps • 1966

after 19 wonderful years

U.S. Navy • 1998

About 43rd SAC

About this Unit

Historical Facts

• Origins: The 43rd Strategic Aerospace Wing (SAC) was originally established as the 43rd Bombardment Group in 1941, serving in World War II in the Pacific Theater. • World War II Service: The unit played a key role in the Southwest Pacific, flying B-17 Flying Fortresses and later B-24 Liberators, participating in missions such as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. • Distinguished Unit Citation: The 43rd earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for its actions in the Pacific, including a daring raid on Rabaul in 1942. • Postwar Evolution: After WWII, the unit was inactivated and later reactivated during the Cold War as the 43rd Bombardment Wing under Strategic Air Command (SAC). • B-58 Hustler Era: The 43rd was the first unit to operate the Convair B-58 Hustler, the world’s first supersonic bomber, from 1960 at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas. • Record-Setting Missions: In 1961, a 43rd SAC crew set speed records with the B-58 by flying from Los Angeles to New York in just over 2 hours, earning the prestigious Bendix Trophy. • Operation Chrome Dome: The 43rd participated in Operation Chrome Dome, providing continuous airborne nuclear deterrence during the height of the Cold War. • Numerous Awards: The unit received multiple Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards for its operational excellence and strategic importance. • Transition to Air Refueling: After the retirement of the B-58 in 1970, the 43rd transitioned to operating KC-135 Stratotankers, supporting global air refueling missions. • Legacy: The 43rd’s lineage continues today as the 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, supporting rapid deployment and logistics for airborne and special operations forces.