Lineage

Established as 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Jun 1942. Redesignated 100th Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 21 Dec 1945. Redesignated 100th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 13 May 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 29 May 1947. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949. Consolidated (31 Jan 1984) with the 100th Bombardment Wing, Medium, which was established on 23 Mar 1953. Activated on 1 Jan 1956. Redesignated: 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 25 Jun 1966; 100th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, on 30 Sep 1976. Inactivated on 15 Mar 1983. Redesignated 100th Air Division on 15 Jun 1990. Activated on 1 Jul 1990. Inactivated on 26 Jul 1991. Redesignated 100th Air Refueling Wing, and activated, on 1 Feb 1992.

Assignments

III Bomber Command, 1 Jun 1942; Second Air Force, 18 Jun 1942; II Bomber Command, 26 Jun 1942; 15th Bombardment (later, 15th Bombardment Training; 15th Bombardment Operational Training) Wing, 30 Nov 1942; Eighth Air Force, c. 2 Jun 1943; VIII Bomber Command, c. 4 Jun 1943; 4th Bombardment Wing, 4 Jun 1943 (attached to 402d Provisional Combat Wing Bombardment [Heavy], 6 Jun?12 Sep 1943); 3d Bombardment Division, 13 Sep 1943; 13th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy), 14 Sep 1943; 3d Air Division, 18 Jun 1945; 1st Air Division, 12 Aug 1945; 3d Air Division, 28 Sep 1945; VIII Fighter Command, 1 Nov? Dec 1945. 49th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy (later, 49th Air Division, Bombardment), 29 May 1947?27 Jun 1949. Eighth Air Force, 1 Jan 1956; 817th Air Division, 1 Feb 1956 (attached to 7th Air Division, 29 Dec 1957? 1 Apr 1958); 12th Strategic Aerospace Division, 25 Jun 1966; 14th Strategic Aerospace Division, 30 Jun 1971; 12th Strategic Missile (later, 12th Air) Division, 1 Aug 1972; 14th Air Division, 30 Sep 1976?15 Mar 1983. Eighth Air Force, 1 Jul 1990?26 Jul 1991. Third Air Force, 1 Feb 1992?.

Components

Wings. 351st Strategic Missile: 1 Jul 1990?26 Jul 1991. 509th Bombardment: 30 Sep 1990?26 Jul 1991.

Group. 100th Operations: 1 Feb 1992-.

Squadrons. 9th Air Refueling: 30 Sep 1976?27 Jan 1982. 99th Strategic Reconnaissance: 1 Nov 1972?30 Jun 1976. 100th Air Refueling: 16 Aug 1956?25 Jun 1966. 349th: 1 Jun 1942?1 Dec 1945; 29 May 1947?27 Jun 1949; 1 Jan 1956?15 Mar 1983. 350th: 1 Jun 1942?15 Dec 1945; 16 Jul 1947?27 Jun 1949; 1 Jan 1956?1 Jul 1976 (detached 4 Mar?c. 4 Apr 1958); 28 Jan 1982?15 Mar 1983. 351st: 1 Jun 1942?15 Dec 1945; 17 Jul 1947? 27 Jun 1949; 1 Jan 1956?25 Jun 1966; 31 Mar 1992?. 418th: 1 Jun 1942? 19 Dec 1945; 29 May 1947?27 Jun 1949; 1 Mar 1959?1 Jan 1962. 509th Air Refueling: attached 8 Apr?8 Jul 1958.

Stations

Orlando AAB, FL, 1 Jun 1942; Barksdale Field, LA, 18 Jun 1942; Pendleton Field, OR, 26 Jun 1942; Gowen Field, ID, 28 Aug 1942, Walla Walla AAB, WA, 1 Nov 1942; Wendover Field, UT, 30 Nov 1942; Sioux City AAB, IA, c. 1 Jan 1943; Kearney AAFld, NE, 3 Feb ? May 1943; Thorpe Abbots, England, 9 Jun 1943?12 Dec 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 20?21 Dec 1945. Miami AAFld, FL, 29 May 1947?27 Jun 1949. Portsmouth (later, Pease) AFB, NH, 1 Jan 1956; Davis?Monthan AFB, AZ, 25 Jun 1966; Beale AFB,CA, 30 Sep 1976?15 Mar 1983. Whiteman AFB, MO, 1 Jul 1990?26 Jul 1991. RAF Mildenhall, England, 1 Feb 1992?.

Commanders

Unkn, 1 Jun?Nov 1942; Col Darr H. Alkire, c. 14 Nov 1942; Col Howard M. Turner, c. 26 Apr 1943; Col Harold Q. Huglin, Jun 1943; Col Neil B. Harding, 1 Jul 1943; Lt Col John M. Bennett, Jr., c. 30 Mar 1944 (acting); Col Robert H. Kelly, 19 Apr 1944; Lt Col John M. Bennett, Jr., 28 Apr 1944 (acting); Col Thomas S. Jeffery, Jr., 7 May 1944; Col Frederick J. Sutterlin, 2 Feb 1945; Lt Col John B. Wallace, 23 Jun 1945?unkn (at least through Sep 1945). Unkn, 29 May 1947?27 Jun 1949. Col James W. Chapman, Jr., 1 Jan 1956; Brig Gen Walter E. Arnold, 25 Apr 1956; Col Ariel W. Nielsen, 4 Aug 1956; Col Gordon F. Goyt, 1 Sep 1957; Col Charles L. Wimberly, 23 Oct 1957; Col Winton R. Close, 15 Nov 1957; Col Charles L. Wimberly, 1 Apr 1958; Col Winton R. Close, 26 May 1958; Col Roland W. Bergamyer, 29 Jun 1959; Col Delmore P. Wood, 23 Jul 1959; Col Richard D. Reinbold, 16 Sep 1960; Col Wallace Wall, Jr., 2 Jul 1962; Col Raymond E. Buckwalter, 8 Jul 1965; Col James S. Howard, 21 Sep 1965; unkn, c. 1 Apr?24 Jun 1966; Col William D. Kyle, Jr., 25 Jun 1966; Col Marion C. Mixon, 15 Aug 1966; Col Raymond L. Haupt, 31 Jul 1970; Col Donald S. White, 29 Jun 1972; Col Charles B. Stratton, 7 May 1974; Col Lyman M. Kidder, 11 Jul 1976; Col John J. Tobin, 30 Sep 1976; Col Robert D. Beckel, 4 Jan 1978; Col Stanley O. Klepper, 10 Aug 1978; Col Lawrence F. McNeil, 18 Jun 1980; Col William G. Dolan, Jr., 19 Feb 1981; Col Anthony L. St. Amant, 22 Apr 1982?15 Mar 1983. Col Thomas E. Kuenning, Jr., 1 Jul 1990; Col John J. Politi, 4 Jan?26 Jul 1991. Col Jonas L. Blank, Jr., 1 Feb 1992; Col David E. Pope, 30 Nov 1992?.

Aircraft

B?17, 1942?1945. Unkn, 1947?1949. B?47, 1956?1966; KC?97, 1956? 1965; U?2, 1966?1976; WU?2, 1966?c. 1969; DC?130, 1966?1976; CH?3, 1966?1976; Q?147 (later, AQM?34) drone, c. 1966?1976; KC?135, 1976? 1983. Minuteman II, 1990?1991. KC?135, 1992?.

Operations

Trained with B?17s until moved to England, May?Jun 1943, as a strategic bombardment organization. Flew its first combat mission for Eighth Air Force on 25 Jun 1943. From then to Jan 1944, concentrated efforts against airfields in France and naval facilities and industries in France and Germany. Received a DUC for seriously disrupting German fighter aircraft production with an attack on an aircraft factory at Regensburg on 17 Aug 1943. Bombed airfields, industries, marshalling yards and missile sites in western Europe, Jan?May 1944. Participated in the Allied campaign against enemy aircraft factories during Big Week, 20?25 Feb 1944. Completed a series of attacks against Berlin in Mar 1944 and received a second DUC for these missions. Beginning in the summer of 1944, oil installations became major targets. In addition to strategic operations, the group engaged in support and interdictory missions, hitting bridges and gun positions in support of the Normandy invasion in Jun 1944; bombing enemy positions at St Lo in Jul and at Brest in Aug and Sep; striking transportation and ground defenses in the drive against the Siegfried Line, Oct?Dec 1944; attacking marshalling yards, defended villages, and communications targets in the Ardennes sector during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944?Jan 1945; and covering the airborne assault across the Rhine in Mar 1945. Received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for attacking heavily defended installations in Germany and for dropping supplies to French Forces of the Interior, Jun?Dec 1944. Group?s last combat mission was on 20 Apr 1945. In May dropped food to the people of Holland and in Jun transported French Allied former prisoners of war from Austria to France. Returned to the US in Dec 1945 and inactivated at Camp Kilmer, NJ, on 21 Dec 1945. Assigned to the Reserves May 1947?Jun 1949. Performed global strategic bombardment training, Apr 1956?Feb 1966, and global air refueling, Aug 1956?Dec 1965. Deployed at Brize Norton RAF Station, England, Dec 1957?Apr 1958. Not operational, 1 Apr?24 Jun 1966. Moved without personnel or equipment to Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, in Jun 1966 and absorbed resources of the 4080th Strategic Wing. Performed global strategic reconnaissance with U?2 and drone aircraft, Jun 1956?1976, using one overseas-based squadron (99th SRS), and deployed operating locations as needed, 1972?1976. Earned the P.T. Cullen Award as the reconnaissance unit that contributed most to the photo and signal intelligence efforts of SAC, 1972. Transferred drone operations and associated DC?130 launchers and CH?3 recoverers to TAC in mid-1976, and transferred U?2 resources to 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, CA, Jul?Sep 1976. Not operational, 11 Aug?29 Sep 1976, while phasing down at Davis-Monthan AFB. Moved without personnel or equipment to Beale AFB on 30 Sep 1976 and absorbed resources of the 17th Bombardment Wing, Heavy. Operated Beale AFB, and provided KC?135Q refueling support to USAF strategic and tactical forces, worldwide, Sep 1976?Mar 1983. Transferred its resources to the 9th SRW and inactivated on 15 Mar 1983. Activated as the 100th Air Division at Whiteman AFB, MO, on 15 Jun 1990, assuming host unit responsibilities and supporting the 351th SMW, which was responsible for Minuteman II missile operations, and the 509th BMW (not operational). Inactivated in Jul 1991. Upon activation as an Air Refueling Wing on 1 Feb 1992, became host unit at RAF Mildenhall; deployed aircraft for and managed the European Tanker Task Force, a rotational force that provided air refueling to US and NATO aircraft in the European Theater.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguish Unit Citations: Germany, 17 Aug 1943; Berlin, 4, 6, 8 Mar 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 1 Jul 1972? 30 Jun 1973. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Jul 1968?30 Jun 1970. French Croix De Guerre with Palm: 25 Jun?31 Dec 1944.

Emblem

Gray, a base nebuly Azure bearing in fess arched reversed six mullets Argent supporting nine billets in chevron Sable and thereon two lions respectant Or langued Gules grasping a palm branch bend sinisterwise Vert and a lightning flash bendwise of the sixth, all within a diminished bordure Yellow. Motto: PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH. Approved on 22 Nov 1957 (K 3078).