New Air Force Wing Boosts Nuclear Command and Control
By: David Roza for A&S Forces
The Air Force welcomed a new wing meant to improve command and control over the military’s nuclear enterprise.
The 95th Wing combines command and control units from the Active-Duty Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve under one roof to streamline command and better advocate for resources. The wing was provisionally activated Oct. 1, 2024, officially activated Feb. 28, then commemorated on March 28 with a ceremony at its new headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. The ceremony also saw the inactivation of the 595th Command and Control Group (C2G), which ensured senior U.S. officials could maintain nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) and command conventional forces during a crisis.
The 595th flew and maintained the Air Force’s fleet of four E-4B National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC). Also known as the “Doomsday plane,” the E-4B is a Boeing 747 hardened against the effects of nuclear detonations, including electromagnetic pulse, and equipped with worldwide communications gear. The 595th used to be a standalone group under the 8th Air Force, which flies bombers under Air Force Global Strike Command. Most other component units of the 8th Air Force are wings, larger organizations that generally receive more resources.
