Editing Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (section)

===Strategic Air Command===
[[File:AMARC at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.jpg|thumb|Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) boneyard at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base]]

The [[Cold War|Cold War era]] was ushered in at Davis–Monthan on 21 March 1946, with the installation placed under the claimancy of the recently established [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC). SAC's presence at the base began in the form of the 40th and 444th Bombardment Groups, both equipped with B-29s. As part of the postwar austerity, these groups were later inactivated, with the personnel and equipment being consolidated into the [[43d Bombardment Group]] in October. On 11 January 1948, with the establishment of the [[United States Air Force]] as independent service four months earlier, the facility was renamed '''Davis–Monthan Air Force Base'''. On 30 June 1948, the Air Force activated the 43rd Air Refueling Squadron, whose KB-29Ms were newly equipped with [[aerial refueling]] equipment purchased from the British firm FRL. The 43rd ARS, along with the 509th ARS at [[Walker AFB]], [[New Mexico]], was the first dedicated air refueling unit in history.

On 2 March 1949, the ''Lucky Lady II'', a [[Boeing B-50 Superfortress|B-50A]] of the 43d Bombardment Wing, completed the first nonstop round-the-world flight, having covered {{convert|23452|mi}} in 94 hours and 1 minute (249.45&nbsp;mph). ''Lucky Lady II'' was refueled four times in the air by [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress|KB-29 tankers]] of the 43d Air Refueling Squadron, which had made only one operational air refueling contact before the mission. For this outstanding flight, the ''Lucky Lady II''{{'}}s crew received the [[Mackay Trophy]], given annually by the [[National Aeronautic Association]] for the outstanding flight of the year, and the Air Age Trophy, an [[Air Force Association]] award, given each year in recognition of significant contributions to the public understanding of the air age.

In 1953, the jet age came to Davis–Monthan when SAC units on the base converted to the new [[Boeing B-47 Stratojet]]. The [[303d Bombardment Wing]], Medium, was initially established on 27 August 1951, and activated at Davis–Monthan AFB on 4 September 1951. The wing operated B-29s until January 1952, when it was equipped with KB-29s. On 20 January 1953, the 303d transitioned to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet for its three bomb squadrons, while an additional air refueling squadron equipped with KC-97s was assigned to the wing between 18 February 1953, and 1 February 1956. A standard SAC Alert Area ramp was constructed in the southeast corner of the base adjacent to the runway and the 303d assumed nuclear alert responsibilities when final conversion and checkout in the B-47 was complete.

In April 1953, the [[Air Defense Command]]'s (ADC) '''15th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron''' was activated with [[F-86 Sabre|F-86A Sabre]]s. A year later, the unit transitioned into F-86Ds followed by a transition to F-86Ls in the fall of 1957. In the spring of 1959 the unit received [[Northrop F-89 Scorpion|Northrop F-89J]] interceptors which it flew for only a year when it transitioned into [[McDonnell F-101 Voodoo|McDonnell F-101Bs]]. On 24 December 1964, the 15th FIS was inactivated.

In 1962, the [[Strategic Air Command]]'s [[390th Strategic Missile Wing]] (390 SMW) and its 18 [[LGM-25C Titan II|Titan II]] [[ICBM]] sites around Tucson were activated. The 390 SMW was one of only three Titan II missile wings in SAC and represented the heaviest land-based missile and the largest single warhead ever fielded by U.S. strategic deterrent forces.

In July 1963, the '''4028th Strategic Reconnaissance Weather Wing''', equipped with [[Lockheed U-2|U-2]] strategic reconnaissance aircraft, began flying global missions from Davis–Monthan. Following the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963, the [[4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing]] at [[Laughlin AFB]], Texas, relocated to the base and assumed responsibility for all U-2 operations, emphasizing long-range strategic reconnaissance and intelligence collection. As a [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC) unit, the 4080th was later redesignated the [[100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing]] and also acquired [[Lockheed DC-130 Hercules]] aircraft for launch and control of Firebee reconnaissance drones that were the precursors of contemporary unmanned aerial systems. The DC-130s and U-2s remained at the Davis–Monthan until 1976, when the 100 SRW was inactivated, its DC-130s transferred to [[Tactical Air Command]]'s 432d Tactical Drone Group, and its U-2s transferred to SAC's [[9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing]] (9 SRW) at [[Beale Air Force Base]], [[California]], where U-2 Dragon Lady operations were consolidated with [[SR-71 Blackbird]] operations.

On 15 June 1964, Davis–Monthan's [[303d Bombardment Wing]] was inactivated as part of the retirement of the B-47 Stratojet from active service. The year 1964 brought back the combat crew training mission of the World War II years with the '''[https://web.archive.org/web/20071226224308/http://pirtle.org/4453cctw/ 4453d Combat Crew Training Wing]''' of the [[Tactical Air Command]] equipped with the Air Force's newest and most sophisticated fighter, the [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II]]. In July 1971, the [[355th Fighter Wing|355th Tactical Fighter Wing]], flying the [[LTV A-7 Corsair II|A-7 Corsair II]] aircraft, was activated at the base and the previously assigned F-4s were moved to [[Luke AFB]], near [[Phoenix, Arizona]].