Information about Strategic Air Command

For the film of the same name, see Strategic Air Command (film).

The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the operational establishment of the United States Air Force in charge of America's bomber-based and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal from 1946 to 1992. SAC also controlled the infrastructure necessary to support their operations (such as tanker aircraft to fuel the bombers and, until 1959, fighter escorts).

History

On 21 March, 1946 the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was divided into three separate commands: Tactical Air Command (TAC), Air Defense Command (ADC), and Strategic Air Command (SAC). SAC's original headquarters was Bolling Field, the headquarters of the disbanded Continental Air Forces (First, Second, Third and Fourth) in Washington, DC. Its first commander was General George C. Kenney. SAC Headquarters moved to Andrews AFB, MD on Oct. 20, 1946.

SAC's original mission statement, expressed by General Carl Spaatz, then commanding general of the USAAF, was:

"The Strategic Air Command will be prepared to conduct long-range offensive operations in any part of the world, either independently or in co-operation with land and naval forces; to conduct maximum-range reconnaissance over land or sea, either independently or in co-operation with land and naval forces; to provide combat units capable of intense and sustained combat operations employing the latest and most advanced weapons; to train units and personnel of the maintenance of the Strategic Forces in all parts of the world; to perform such special missions as the Commanding General Army Air forces may direct."

That mission makes no specific reference to nuclear weapons, which in any case SAC did not yet possess. In the wake of World War II, the U.S. underwent a major drawdown of military forces, and the few USAAF units involved in the dropping of the atomic bombs were not spared.

SAC retained its organization and mission after the USAAF became the United States Air Force on 18 September, 1947. On 9 November, 1948, SAC moved its headquarters to Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue, Nebraska.



On October 19, 1948 Lt. General Curtis Emerson LeMay took over as commander of SAC, and set about a dramatic rebuilding of the command's forces, as well as their mission. LeMay, who had masterminded the American attacks on the Japanese mainland during the war (including the firebombing of Tokyo and other cities), was a staunch believer in the power of strategic bombing: the destruction of an enemy's cities and industrial centers. LeMay believed that the existence of the atomic bomb made this type of warfare the only workable strategy, rendering battlefield conflicts essentially obsolete.

Under LeMay's command, SAC became the cornerstone of American national strategic policy during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. This policy which was based primarily on nuclear deterrence. In 1962 there were 282,723 personnel assigned (217,650 airmen, 28,531 civilians and 38,542 officers). SAC's motto became "Peace is Our Profession," symbolizing the intention to maintain peace through the threat of overwhelming force.

LeMay was not a great believer in mutually assured destruction(MAD): he felt strongly (particularly in SAC's early years, when Soviet nuclear capability was still in its formative stages) that SAC should be prepared to carry out a preemptive and overwhelming attack on the USSR before the Soviets had a chance to do the same to the United States.

From its initial handful of wartime B-29 Superfortress bombers (only a few of which were "Silverplate" aircraft capable of dropping a nuclear weapon), SAC transitioned to its first, truly intercontinental bomber, the Convair B-36. Though a major improvement over the under powered B-29, the B-36, with its six piston and four jet engines, was slow to get to its target.

SAC built up a substantial force of jet-propelled bombers. At its peak, the SAC force included more than 1,500 bombers, most of them the B-47 Stratojet. Airborne command post arrangements were also developed, resulting in the Looking Glass program.

When the first operational intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) became available in the late 1950s, they, too, were placed under SAC command. This led to a gradual decline in SAC's bomber strength.

Wartime experience in Europe had shown the inability of bombers to survive without fighter escort, so for a number of years SAC had a fighter force as well as bomber squadrons. Despite some USAF efforts to develop long-range escort fighters, the range of fighter aircraft was too limited for truly intercontinental range, and SAC philosophy held that interception of bombers was of limited value in the atomic age. As a result, on 1 July, 1957 SAC's fighter squadrons were either disbanded or passed to TAC.

Curtis LeMay left SAC to become USAF Vice Chief of Staff in 1957, and was succeeded by General Thomas S. Power, who served as SAC commander until December 1964. He was followed by General John Dale Ryan (1964-1967) and General Bruce K. Holloway (1968-1972).

In 1992, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the end of the Cold War, SAC was eliminated in a reorganization of the major Air Force commands. SAC, Tactical Air Command(TAC), and Military Airlift Command(MAC) were reorganized into two commands, AMC (Air Mobility Command) and ACC (Air Combat Command). These two commands were essentially given the same missions that MAC and TAC held respectively, with AMC inheriting SAC's tanker force and ACC inheriting SAC's strategic bombers. The nuclear component was combined with the Navy's nuclear component to form USSTRATCOM (United States Strategic Command) which is headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base (SAC's former headquarters).

Strategic Air Command insignia

The insignia of The Strategic Air Command was designed by Staff Sergeant R. T. Barnes, then assigned to the 92nd Bombardment Wing, in 1951. Submitted in a Command-wide contest, it was chosen as the winner by a three judge panel. The judges were: General Curtis E. LeMay, Commander-In-Chief, Strategic Air Command [CINCSAC]; General Thomas S. Power, Vice Commander-In-Chief, Strategic Air Command; and Brigadier General A. W. Kissner, Chief of Staff, Strategic Air Command. Staff Sergeant Barnes' winning design netted him a $100 United States Savings Bond.

On a sky-blue shield over two clouds, one in the upper left and one in the lower right extending to the edges of the shield, white shaded blue-gray, a cubit arm in armor issuing from the lower left and extending toward the upper part of the shield, the hand grasping an olive branch green, and three lightning flashes red.

Azure, two clouds proper, one issuing from sinister chief and one issuing from dexter base, a cubit arm in armor in bend, issuing from the sinister, the hand grasping a branch of olive proper, and three lightning flashes gules.

The blue sky is representative of the Air Force operations. The arm and armor are a symbol of strength, power and loyalty and represents the science and art of employing far-reaching advantages in securing the objectives of war. The olive branch, a symbol of peace, and the lightning flashes, symbolic of speed and power are qualities underlying the mission of the Strategic Air Command.

The blue background of the SAC Crest meant that SAC's reach was through the sky and that it was global in scope. The clouds meant that SAC was all-weather capable; bad weather was not a limiting factor. The mailed fist depicted force, symbolized by lightning bolts of destruction; the olive branch, of course, represents peace.

In addition to the SAC Crest, SAC aircraft bore the SAC Stripe. The stripe consisted of a very dark blue background which was speckled with stars. The stripe appeared on the sides of SAC aircraft in the area of the cockpit running from the top to the bottom of the fuselage at an angle from roughly 11:00 O'clock to 5:00 O'clock. The SAC Crest was a bit wider than the stripe and was placed on over of the stripe. The stripe indicated that SAC was always ready, night or day, to fulfill its mission.

Numbered Air Forces within SAC

• Second Air Force
• Eighth Air Force
• Fifteenth Air Force
• Sixteenth Air Force
• Twentieth Air Force

Subordinate components

Air Divisions

• See: Strategic Air Command divisions
• See:

Wings

• See Strategic Air Command wings

Groups

SAC Bases

• See Strategic Air Command Bases

Aircraft and Missiles

Aircraft - Primary Mission

• B-1 Lancer from 1986 to 1992.
• B-17 Flying Fortress (RB-17G) from 1946 through 1951.
• B-2 Spirit from 2003 to Present.
• B-26 Invader (RB-26) from 1949 through 1950
• B-29 Superfortress from 1946 through 1953.
• B-36 Peacemaker from 1948 through 1958.
• B-45 Tornado from 1950 through 1953.
• B-47 Stratojet 1951 through 1965.
• B-50 Superfortress from 1948 through 1954.
• B-52 Stratofortress from 1955 to 1992.
• B-57 Canberra from 1956 through 1962.
• B-58 Hustler from 1960 through 1969.
• C-119 Flying Boxcar from 1956 through 1973.
• DC-130 Hercules from 1966 through 1976.
• E-4 Nightwatch from 1975 to 1992.
• EC-135 Looking Glass from 1963 (variant of) to 1992.
• F-2 Expeditor (F=Fotorecon) (C-45)
• F-6 Mustang (F=Fotorecon) (P-51)
• F-9 Flying Fortress (F=Fotorecon) (B-17F/G)
• F-13 Superfortress, (F=Fotorecon), (B-29A)
• F-47 Thunderbolt (P-47) from 1946 through 1947.
• F-51 Mustang (P-51) from 1946 through 1949.
• F-82 Twin Mustang from 1947 through 1950.
• F-80 Shooting Star from 1946 through 1948.
• F-84 Thunderjet 1948 through 1957.
• F-86 Sabre 1949 through 1950.
• F-102 Delta Dagger 1960
• F-111 Aardvark from 1969 through 1990.
• H-3 Sea King
• KC-10 Extender from 1981 to 1992.
• KB-29 from 1949 through 1956.
• KC-97 Stratotanker SAC from 1951 through 1964. ANG from 1973 through 1977.
• KC-135 Stratotanker SAC from 1957 through 1991. ANG/Reserves from 1975 through 1991.
• RC-45 Expeditor
• RC-135 Rivet Joint/Rivet Brass/Rivet Amber/Rivet Card/Rivet Ball/Cobra Ball/Cobra Eye/Combat Sent
• SR-71 Blackbird from 1966 through 1991.
• U-2 Dragon Lady from 1962 through 1991.
• TR-1 Dragon Lady from 1989 through 1991.
• UC-45 Expeditor

Aircraft - Support

• AT-11 Kansan
• B-26 Invader from 1949 through 1950.
• C-45 Expeditor from 1946 through 1951.
• C-47 Skytrain from 1946 through 1947.
• C-54 Skymaster from 1946 through 1975.
• C-82 Packet from 1946 through 1947.
• C-97 Stratofreighter from 1949 through 1978.
• C-118 Liftmaster from 1957 through 1975.
• C-124 Globemaster II from 1959 through 1962.
• C-131 Samaritan
• C-135 Stratolifter
• L-4 Grasshopper from 1949 through 1950.
• L-5 Sentinel from 1949 through 1950.
• L-13 Grasshopper from 1949 through 1950.
• PBY Catalina (OA-10 Catalina) from 1946 through 1947.
• T-38 Talon from 1981 through 1991.

Missiles

This is a list of missiles fielded by the Strategic Air Command.

• ADM-20 Quail
• AGM-28 Hound Dog
• AGM-69 SRAM
• AGM-84 Harpoon
• AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile
• AGM-129 Advanced Cruice Missile
• HGM-16 Atlas
• LGM-25 Titan II
• LGM-30A/B Minuteman I
• LGM-30F Minuteman II
• LGM-30G Minuteman III
• LGM-118A Peacekeeper
• SM-62 Snark
• PGM-17A Thor
• PGM-19A Jupiter

Resources

• Baugher, Joseph F., American Military Aircraft Encyclopedia, 1998. Internet address: http.//www.csd.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_us/
• Broyhill, Marvin T. at http//:www.strategic-air-command.com.
• Boyne, Walter, Boeing B-52. A Documentary History, Jane Publishing Company, 1981.
• Bright, Charles D., Historical Dictionary of the United States Air Force, Greenwood Press, 1982.
• Clark, Rita F. Major, From Snark to Peacekeeper, Office of the Historian, HQ. SAC, Offutt AFB. NE. 1990.
• Clark, Rita F. Major, SAC Missile Chronology 1939 - 1988, Office of the Historian, HQ. SAC, Offutt AFB. NE. 1988.
• Clark, Rita F. Major, Strategic Air Command, U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Cragg, Dan, Guide to Military Installations, 4th Edition.
• Evinger, William R., Directories of Military Bases in the U.S., Oryx Press, 1979.
• Francillion, Rene J., The United States Air National Guard, Aerospace Publishing LTD, 179 Dalling Road, London, W6 OES, England 1992
• GlobalSecuriry.org.
• Goldberg, Sheldon A., The Development of the Strategic Air Command, Office of the Historian, HQ. SAC, Offutt AFB. NE. 1986.
• Heflin, Woodford A., United States Air Force Dictionary, D. Van Nostram Co., 1990.
• Henrotin, Joseph. L'Airpower au 21ème siècle. Enjeux et perspectives de la stratégie aérienne. Bruxelles : Bruylant (RMES), 2005.
• Knaack, Marcelle Size, Post-World War II Bombers 1945-1973, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington D.C. 1988.
• Knaack, Marcelle Size, Post-World War II Fighters 1945-1973, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington D.C. 1986.
• Lloyd, Alwyn T., B-47 Stratojet in detail & scale, TAB Books, 1988.
• Lloyd, Alwyn T., A Cold War Legacy, Pictorial Publishing Company, Inc. 2000
• Mixer, Ronald E., Genealogy of the STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND , Battermix Publishing Company, 1999
• Mixer, Ronald E. The INDEX to A Cold War Legacy, Battermix Publishung Company, 2002
• Mixer, Ronald E., STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, An Organizational History, Battermix Publishing Company, 2006.
• Moody, Walton S. Dr., Building a Strategic Air Force, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1998.
• Mueller, Robert, Active Air Force Bases, Vol. 1, 1998.
• Polmar, Norman, Strategic Air Command, 1st Edition, Nautical & Aviation Publishing Co., 1954
• Polmar, Norman, Strategic Air Command, 2nd Edition, Nautical & Aviation Publishing Co., 1996.
• Ravenstein, Charles, A., Air Force Combat Wings 1947 - 1977, Office of Air Force History, USAF, 1984.
• Russell, Ed., Air Division Histories, USAF Historical Research Agency historical documents. SAC Society, Strategic Air Command, Turner Publishing Company, 1985.
• SACPatches.com
• United States Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Montogomery, AL.
• United States Air Force, Fact Sheets, http://www.af.mil/lib/, 1998
• United States Air Force, USAF Directory of USAF Organizations.
• USAFPatches.com
• Valey, Captain Wayne A. USAF (Retired), Airman’s Guide, 2nd Edition, 1991, Stackpole Books
• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on the internet.
• Yenne, Bill, History of the U.S. Air Force, Exeter Books, 1990.
• Yenne, Bill, SAC, A Primer of Modern Strategic Airpower, Presido Press, 1992.
• -, Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Studio Editions, Ltd., 1991.

SAC Sayings

• "To err is human. To forgive is divine. Neither of which is current SAC policy" -- from a poster using SAC's gauntlet emblem. Instead of lightning, the gauntlet was redrawn to hold a pair of bloody testicles.
• "Peace Through Strength -- Victory Through Devastation"
• "Peace Is Our Profession"
• "Peace Is Our Profession. War Is Just Our Hobby."
• "Peace Is Our Profession. Mass murder is just a hobby."^[1]
• "The Cold War didn't just end, it was WON!" Motto of the Society of the Strategic Air Command
• "In God We Trust. Everybody else has to have the right (SAC security) badge and know the right (response) numbers."
• SAC's Motto was also: "PRIDE" or "Professional Results In Daily Effort", In 1969, the inside joke was that it was changed from "PRIDE" to "SHAME" or "Sustained Half-Assed Minimum Effort."

See also

• Single Integrated Operational Plan
• Strategic Air and Space Museum
• Strategic Air Command commanders
• Senior Enlisted Advisors

References

External links

• Lt. General James Edmundson on: The Mission of the Strategic Air Command
• Lt. General James Edmundson on: Strategic Air Command Bomber Response Time
• Lt. General James Edmundson on: Strategic Air Command¹s War Plans
• Lt. General James Edmundson on: Strategic Air Command¹s Role in Ending the Cold War
• Strategic-Air-Command.com
• Strategic Air Command Memorial Amateur Radio Club
• SAC Elite Guard Association
• "A Tale of Two Airplanes" by Ltc. Kingdon R. Hawes