Strategic deterrence: 70 years with SAC

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jovan Banks
  • 509th Bomb Wing
Whiteman Air Forse Base, Mo., --  March 21, 2016, marked the 70th anniversary of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the forefather of what is now Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC).

In 1946, SAC was activated as one of the three combat commands of the U.S. Army Air Forces. Shortly after, SAC would transition into a command under the newly-created U.S. Air Force.
The 509th Bomb Wing lineage under SAC dates back to the 1940's.

The 509th Bombardment Group, formerly known as the 509th Composite Group, was one of the 10 groups that made up SAC and was the first trained and tasked with the nuclear mission.
In November 1947, the newly-formed 509th Bombardment Wing was established under SAC with a core mission of providing the U.S. with long-range, offensive capabilities.

Although best known for its nuclear deterrence mission, SAC conducted conventional bombing operations during the Korean War and the Vietnam conflict.
Following the Korean war, former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for change to the country's national defense. These changes invested more in air power and less in maintaining a large army or navy.

SAC and the Air Force accepted the challenge and ensured the president's goals were realized.

By 1953, while under the leadership of Gen. Curtis E. Lemay, SAC achieved a high level of striking force. With 11 of 17 wings in the atomic force now equipped, the B-47 stratojet fleet rose from 62 to 329, the B-36 Peacemaker fleet reached 185, and its reconnaissance counterpart, the RB-36 component, attained 137 aircraft. Supporting the bombers were 500 tankers and 200 fighter aircraft. By 1960 SAC also included the nation's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBMs) force.

Despite the challenges of being a newly-formed command, SAC was able to accomplish its ambitious long-range, offensive mission.
The nation relied on SAC bombers and missiles to prevent war by utilizing their nuclear-deterrence capabilities, and the command delivered; this justified the command's motto: "Peace is Our Profession."

SAC disbanded in 1992, when its supervisory mission was assumed by U.S. Strategic Command and its assets turned over to Air Combat Command. In 2010 the Air Force again saw the need for a separate strategic major command and created AFGSC, which the 509th Bomb Wing now belongs to. Today, part of the 509th BW's strategic deterrence mission still honors the "Peace is Our Profession" legacy.