Jolly Rogers: The history behind the 90th Missile Wing Published July 9, 2010 By Paula Taylor 90th Missile Wing Museum Director F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, WYO. -- From World War II to present day, the 90th Missile Wing has had a long history. Sixty-eight years ago on April 15, 1942 the 90th was activated as the 1st Bombardment Group (Heavy), flying the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Four squadrons comprised the 90th Bombardment Group; the 319th, 320th, 321st and the 400th Bombardment Squadrons. The group primarily bombed Japanese installations on New Guinea. The weather, distance and terrain encountered during this war were some of the dangers. Members of the group got together and decided they wanted to be known as the "Jolly Roger" in honor of their commander, Col. Arthur Rogers. It was also decided each aircraft was to have a skull and cross-bombs, the one-time insignia of a pirate by the name of Rogers from the South Pacific, painted on the tail. These soldiers considered this appropriate since the group had constantly raided the Japanese sea-lanes as pirates did of old. The only difference in the two insignias was that the 90th's design had cross-bombs instead of cross bones, but since both depicted death, the grim picture of the Jolly Rogers was not considered altered. This insignia distinguished the unit from others and was said to put fear in the hearts of the Japanese. The 90th took part in destroying 126 aircraft and damage to airport and wharf areas. They also sunk three large merchant vessels, three destroyers, 43 small merchant vessels and 70 harbor craft. The 90th's last wartime mission came Sept. 2, 1945, after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The unit was inactivated in January of 1946. The 90th remained an inactive unit until July 1, 1947, when the newly formed U.S. Air Force reactivated and re-designated the 90th as a Very Heavy Bomb Group under Strategic Air Command. Once again, it was inactivated on Sept. 6, 1948, only to be reactivated Jan. 2, 1951, during the Korean War. The 90th used B-29 Superfortress. Only three of the original four squadrons were assigned - the 319th, 320th and the 321st. The primary mission of the 90th then was to train crews for many of SAC's bomb wings going to war. Later in the 90th's flying career, it would again become a major trainer, this time assuming the role of the RB-47 Combat Crew Training Wing for the SAC. This mission would continue until the wing was again inactivated June 20, 1960. The end of the 90th's flying career was June 20, 1960, and the 90th would not be called upon again until July 1, 1963. On this date, the 90th was reactivated and re-designated a Strategic Missile Wing with ICBM Minuteman within the SAC. With its reactivation, the 90th was destined to become America's first Minuteman unit to possess 200 missiles and was home for the 5th Minuteman Missile Wing. October 1, 1963, saw the first of the 90th's four strategic missile squadrons, the 319th Strategic Missile Squadron reactivated. After that, the 320th SMS was reactivated Jan. 8, 1964; the 321st SMS on April 8, 1964; and finally the 400th SMS on July 1, 1964. These reactivations were unique in history, as these were the wing's same squadrons of World War II. It was not until January 1983, that the 90th Strategic Missile Wing was again placed in history when President Ronald Reagan announced his decision for the 90th to deploy the Peacekeeper missile system in existing Minuteman silos throughout Wyoming. Following the end of the Cold War, the 90th was realigned under Air Combat Command. Then, on July 1, 1993, all ICBM operations were assigned to Air Force Space Command. The most recent change to the 90th happened in December of 2009, when Air Force Global Strike Command took control of the ICBM force For more information about Warren's heritage, call the museum at 773-2980 or the wing history office at 773-6062.