Lineage

Established as 11th Observation Group on 1 Oct 1933. Redesignated 11th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 1 Jan 1938. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated: 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 1 Dec 1940; 11th Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 3 Aug 1944; 11th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 30 Apr 1946. Inactivated on 20 Oct 1948. Redesignated 11th Bombardment Group, Heavy, and activated, on 1 Dec 1948. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952. Redesignated 11th Strategic Group on 25 Oct 1978. Activated on 15 Nov 1978. Consolidated (31 Mar 1982) with the 11th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, which was established on 18 Nov 1948. Activated on 16 Feb 1951. Redesignated: 11th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 Apr 1962; 11th Air Refueling Wing on 2 Jul 1968. Inactivated on 25 Mar 1969. Consolidated unit retained designation 11th Strategic Group and inactivated on 7 Aug 1990. Redesignated 11th Support Wing on 2 Jun 1994. Activated on 15 Jul 1994. Redesignated 11th Wing on 1 Mar 1995.

Assignments

11th Group: 18th (later, 18th Bombardment) Wing, 1 Feb 1940; VII Bomber Command, 29 Jan 1942; XIII Bomber Command, c. 5 Jan 1943; VII Bomber Command, 8 Apr 1943; Far East Air Forces, 23 Nov 1945; Twentieth Air Force, 15 May 1946?20 Oct 1948. Eighth Air Force, 1 Dec 1948 (attached to 7th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, 1 Dec 1948?15 Feb 1951); 11th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, 16 Feb 1951?16 Jun 1952. 7th Air Division, 15 Nov 1978 to consolidation.

11th Wing: 19th Air Division, 16 Feb 1951 (attached to 5th Air Division, 4 May?2 Jul 1955); Second Air Force, 13 Dec 1957; 816th Air (later, 816th Strategic Aerospace) Division, 1 Jul 1958; 819th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Jul 1965; 19th Air Division, 2 Jul 1966?25 Mar 1969.

Consolidated Unit: 7th Air Division, from consolidation in 1982 to 7 Aug 1990. HQ USAF, 15 Jul 1994?.

Components

11th Group: Squadrons: 14th: 1 Feb 1940?2 Dec 1941 (detached c. 16 Sep?2 Dec 1941). 26th: 1 Feb 1940?20 Oct 1948; 1 Dec 1948?16 Jun 1952 (detached 16 Feb 1951?16 Jun 1952). 42d: 1 Feb 1940?20 Oct 1948; 1 Dec 1948?16 Jun 1952 (detached 16 Feb 1951?16 Jun 1952). 50th Reconnaissance (later, 431st Bombardment): attached 1 Feb 1940?24 Feb 1942, assigned 25 Feb 1942?29 Apr 1946. 98th: 16 Dec 1941?20 Oct 1948; 1 Dec 1948?16 Jun 1952 (detached 16 Feb 1951?16 Jun 1952). 373d: 11 Oct 1945?7 Jan 1946.

11th Wing: Group: 11th Bombardment: 16 Feb 1951?16 Jun 1952.

Squadrons: 11th Air Refueling: 25 Jun 1965?25 Mar 1969. 26th Bombardment: attached 16 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952? 2 Jul 1968. 42d: attached 16 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952? 1 Jun 1960. 96th Air Refueling: 3 Dec 1957?1 Oct 1960; 15 Dec 1960? 25 Jun 1965. 98th: attached 16 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?10 Dec 1957. 577th Strategic Missile: 1 Jun 1961?25 Mar 1965. 918th Air Refueling: 1 Oct?15 Dec 1960. 921st Air Refueling: 1 Oct?15 Dec 1960.

Consolidated Unit: Squadrons: 34th: 1 Oct 1986?7 Aug 1990. 42d: 1 Jan 1989?7 Aug 1990.

Stations

Hickam Field, TH, 1 Feb 1940; New Hebrides, 22 Jul 1942; Hickam Field, TH, 8 Apr 1943; Funafuti, Ellice Islands, 9 Nov 1943; Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, 14 Jan 1944; Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, 5 Apr 1944; Guam, Marianas Islands, 25 Oct 1944; Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Jul 1945; Fort McKinley, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 11 Dec 1945; Northwest AAB (later, Harmon Field), Guam, 15 May 1946?20 Oct 1948. Carswell AFB, TX, 1 Dec 1948; Altus AFB, OK, 13 Dec 1957?25 Mar 1969. RAF Fairford, England, 15 Nov 1978?7 Aug 1990. Bolling AFB, DC, 15 Jul 1994?.

Commanders

11th Group: Lt Col Walter F. Kraus, Feb 1940; Lt Col St Clair Streett, 15 Jun 1940; Lt Col Albert F. Hegenberger, 1 Apr 1941; Col LaVerne G. Saunders, Mar 1942; Col Frank F. Everest, Dec 1942; Col William J. Holzapfel, Jr., 26 Apr 1943; Col Russell L. Waldron, 7 Jul 1944; Col John J. Morrow, 1 Mar?c. 11 Dec 1945; none (not manned), c. 11 Dec 1945?14 May 1946; unkn, 15?19 May 1946; Col Vincent M. Miles, Jr., 20 May 1946; Capt Thomas A. Ragland, Jr., 15 Nov 1946 (additional duty); Capt Thomas B. Hoxie, 27 Dec 1947?20 Oct 1948 (additional duty). Maj Russell F. Ireland, Dec 1948; Lt Col Harry E. Goldsworthy, 11 Jan 1949; Col Richard H. Carmichael, May 1949; Col Bertram C. Harrison, 4 Mar 1950; Col Thomas P. Gerrity, 3 Apr 1950; Col Louis W. Rohr, 16 Feb 1951 (additional duty); Lt Col Charles T. Moreland, Jr., Oct 1951?16 Jun 1952 (additional duty). None (not manned), 15 Nov 1978?23 Feb 1979; Col Clyde F. Dunn, Jr., 24 Feb 1979; Col Charles A. May, Jr., 21 Mar 1980; Col Robert M. Alexander, 10 Jul 1981; Col Michael F. Farren, 18 Mar 1982 to consolidation.

11th Wing: Brig Gen Thomas P. Gerrity, 16 Feb 1951; Col Louis W. Rohr, 15 Nov 1952; Col William T. Seawell, 2 Mar 1953; Col Howard W. Moore, 7 Aug 1954; Col John S. Samuel, 16 Jul 1957; Col Frederick R. Ramputi, 5 Sep 1958; Col Bernard J. Finan, Jr., 15 Jul 1961; Col Kenneth S. Steele, 1 Aug 1961; Brig Gen William B. Kyes, 4 Mar 1963; Col Merrill N. Moore, c. 1 Jan 1965; Col Earl S. Kimbell, c. Jul 1965; Col Harold A. Radetsky, 2 Aug 1965; Col Earl S. Kimbell, 5 Jul 1966; Col Raymond J. Bryan, 8 Jul 1966; Col Raymond R. Deitch, 11 Jul 1966; Col Joseph J. Young, 29 Jun 1967?25 Mar 1969.

Consolidated Unit: Col Michael F. Farren, from consolidation in 1982; Col Lynn T. Berringer, 24 Jul 1984; Col John D. Lunt, 20 Feb 1985; Col James F. McKeon, 27 Jul 1987; Col Robert H. Ogden, Jr., 28 Jul 1987?7 Aug 1990.

Aircraft

B?18, 1940?1942; B?17, 1941?1943; B?24, 1943?1945; B?29, 1946. B?36, 1949?1957; KC?97, 1957?1958; B?52, 1958?1968; KC?135, 1958?1969; Atlas, 1961?1965. KC?135, 1979?1990; KC?10, 1984?1990.

Operations

Flew patrol and search missions off the Hawaiian Islands after the Japanese attack on 7 Dec 1941. Moved to the New Hebrides and bombed airfields, supply dumps, ships, docks, troop positions, and other objectives in the South Pacific, Jul?Nov 1942. Attacked Japanese airfields, installations, and shipping in the Solomons until late Mar 1943. Returned to Hawaii and trained with B?24s. Resumed combat in Nov 1943 and participated in the Allied offensive through the Gilberts, Marshalls, and Marianas, while operating from Funafuti, Tarawa, and Kwajalein. Moved to Guam in Oct 1944 and attacked shipping and airfields in the Volcano and Bonin Islands. Moved to Okinawa in Jul 1945 to participate in the final phases of the air offensive against Japan, bombing railways, airfields, and harbor facilities on Kyushu and striking airfields in China. After the war, flew reconnaissance and surveillance missions to China and ferried liberated prisoners of war from Okinawa to Luzon. Remained in the theater as part of Far East Air Forces but had no personnel assigned after mid-Dec 1945 when the group was transferred to the Philippines. Transferred to Guam in May 1946, remanned, and equipped with B?29s. Terminated training and operations in Oct 1946 and inactivated in Oct 1948. Activated in the US on 1 Dec 1948, received B?36 aircraft and carried out a training program. When the 11th Bombardment Wing activated on 16 Feb 1951, the wing obtained its resources from the group, and the group?s components were attached directly to the wing, until the group inactivated on 16 Jun 1952. The 11th Bombardment Wing conducted strategic bombardment training, 1951?1968. Deployed at Nouasseur AB, French Morocco, 4 May?2 Jul 1955. Won the SAC Bombing Competition and the Fairchild Trophy in 1954, 1956 and 1960. Added air refueling to its mission in Dec 1957. Gained a strategic missile squadron in Jun 1961. Phased out Atlas missiles in Jan 1965 and B?52s in mid-1968, completing its final nine months of activation as an aerial refueling wing. Inactivated on 25 Mar 1969. The 11th Strategic Group activated at RAF Fairford, England on 15 Nov 1978, but was not manned until late Feb 1979. Received its first aircraft in Sep 1979 and began aerial refueling support for all USAF operations, deployments and redeployments, as well as participating in NATO exercises. Operations staff and maintenance personnel were permanently assigned. Aircraft, aircrews and crew chiefs were on temporary duty to the 11th Strategic Group for the European Tanker Task Force on a rotational basis. Operated out of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Keflavik, Iceland; Zaragosa, Spain; Lajes Field, Azores; Sigonella NAS, Italy; and Hellenikon, Greece. Inactivated on 7 Aug 1990.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Central Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan; Guadalcanal; Northern Solomons; Eastern Mandates; Western Pacific; Ryukyus; China Offensive.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: South Pacific, 31 Jul?30 Nov 1942. Presidential Unit Citation (Navy): South Pacific, 7 Aug?9 Dec 1942. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 6 Aug 1954?15 Jul 1957; 27 Oct 1958?16 Sep 1960; 1 Jul 1979?30 Jun 1981; 1 Jul 1983?30 Jun 1985; 1 Jul 1985?30 Jun 1987; 1 Jul 1987?30 Jun 1989.

Emblem.

Azure, on a bend Or, three grey geese volant proper, all within a diminished bordure of the second. Approved on 11 Jun 1941 (K&KE 2650). Motto: The Chief?s Own. Approved on 17 Jul 1995.