Lineage

Established as 305th Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 20 Dec 1950. Activated on 2 Jan 1951. Redesignated: 305th Air Refueling Wing on 1 Jan 1970; 305th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, on 1 Feb 1978; 305th Air Refueling Wing on 1 Sep 1991; 305th Air Mobility Wing on 1 Oct 1994.

Assignments

Second Air Force, 2 Jan 1951; 6th Air Division, 10 Feb 1951 (attached to 7th Air Division, 4 Sep?5 Dec 1953; 5th Air Division, 3 Nov 1955?8 Jan 1956 and 7 Jan?8 Mar 1957); Second Air Force, 1 Jun 1959; 17th Air Division, 15 Jul 1959; 19th Air Division, 1 Jan 1961; 825th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Sep 1964; 42d Air Division, l Jan 1970; 40th Air Division, 1 Jul 1973; 42d Air Division, 1 Dec 1982; Eighth Air Force, 16 Jun 1988; Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Sep 1991; Twenty-First Air Force, 1 Jul 1993?.

Components

Groups. 305th Bombardment (later, 305th Operations): 2 Jan 1951?16 Jun 1952; 1 Sep 1991?15 Oct 1993; 1 Oct 1994?. 458th Operations: 1 Oct 1994? 1 Jul 1995.

Squadrons. 3d Airborne Command and Control: 1 Apr 1970?31 Dec 1975. 68th Air Refueling: 1 Jun 1959?25 Mar 1965. 70th: 1 Jan 1970?1 Sep 1991. 305th Air Refueling: attached 2 Jul 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?1 May 1959 (detached 4 Jan?c. 16 Apr 1955); assigned 25 Mar 1965?1 Sep 1991. 364th: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?1 Jan 1970. 365th: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?1 Jan 1970. 366th: attached 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?1 Jan 1970. 422d: 1 Jan?l Oct 1959; 8 Mar 1960?15 Feb 1961.

Stations

MacDill AFB, FL, 2 Jan 1951; Bunker Hill (later, Grissom) AFB, IN, 1 Jun 1959; McGuire AFB, NJ, 1 Oct 1994?.

Commanders

Col Elliott Vandevanter, Jr., 2 Jan 1951; Col James F. Wilson, 17 Jul 1954; Col Frank A. Kurtz, 14 Feb 1956; Col Julian M. Bleyer, 27 Jun 1956; Col Frank L. O?Brien, Jr., 24 Feb 1958; Brig Gen Paul K. Carlton, 18 Nov 1963; Brig Gen Gerald W. Johnson, 1 Jul l965; Col Howard J. Fry, l Jul 1966; Col Frank L. Voightmann, 24 Jul 1967; Col Hugh B. Robertson, Jr., 15 Jul 1968; Col William T. Gentry, 9 Feb 1970; Col George L. Miller, 5 Jun 1972; Col Robert L. Nicholl, 10 May 1973; Col Walter B. Ratliff, 20 Jun 1974; Col Jerome R. Barnes, Jr., 11 Feb 1975; Col Lyman E. Buzard, 14 May 1976; Col Donald K. Winston, 5 Aug 1977; Col Richard S. Wallace, 6 Apr 1979; Col Lawrence F. McNeil, 26 Feb 1981; Col John R. Farrington, 1 Jun 1982; Col Norman R. Butler, 5 Oct 1984; Col Howard L. Kravetz, 5 Feb 1985; Col Gary R. Ebert, 15 Jan 1987; Col Robert G. Stampfli, 8 Feb 1988; Col Russell W. Fitch, Jr., 22 Jun 1989; Col Russell A. Rinklin, Jr., 22 Jan 1991; Col Marc L. Drinkhahn, 31 May 1992?.

Aircraft

B?29, 1951?1953; KC?97, 1951?1959; B?47, 1952?1961; RB?47, 1958; KC?135, 1959?; B/TB?58, 1961?1970; EC?135, 1966?1992.

Operations

Established at MacDill AFB, FL, during the Korean war. Conducted strategic bombardment training, Feb 1951?Feb 1953. Added a refueling mission in Jul 1951. Converted to B?47s in late 1952. Deployed overseas three times, once to England (Sep?Dec 1953) and twice to North Africa (Nov 1955?Jan 1956 and Jan?Mar 1957), in keeping with its mission of global bombardment and air refueling operations. Two wing B?47s set speed records on 28 Jul l953 when one flew from Goose Bay, Labrador, to Fairford RAF Station, England, in 4:14 hours and the other flew from Limestone AFB, ME, to Fairford RAF Station in 4:45 hours. Moved to Indiana in Jun 1959 and assumed responsibility for operating Bunker Hill (later, Grissom) AFB, IN. Converted from KC?97 to KC?135 tankers in 1959 and from B?47 to B/TB?58 bombers in 1961, continuing its global bombardment and refueling mission. A wing B?58 set a new speed record on 16 Oct 1963 by flying from Tokyo, Japan, to London, England (via Alaska and Greenland), in 8:35 hours at an average speed of 938 mph. The wing operated a B?58 combat crew training school, Aug 1965?Dec 1969, and gained an EC?135 post?attack command control system (PACCS) mission in mid-1966. The 305th lost all of its bombardment units in Jan 1970 and thereafter concentrated on air refueling and PACCS support. From the early 1970s, supported worldwide tanker task forces by deploying KC?135 aircraft to Europe, Alaska, Greenland, and the Pacific. Provided tanker refueling support to units involved in the invasion of Grenada (Oct 1983) and the restoration of democracy in Panama (Dec 1989). From Aug 1990 to Jun 1991 deployed personnel and aircraft to provide refueling support for air operations to and in Southwest Asia. Wing also delivered food to the Kurds in Northern Iraq, Apr?May 1991. Lost its PACCS EC?135 mission in May 1992, as Grissom AFB began drawdown for closure in 1994.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. None.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Grenada, 1983.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan?1954?1 Mar 1957; 1 Jul 1972? 30 Jun 1973; 1 Jul 1973?30 Jun 1974; 1 Jul 1975?30 Jun 1977; 1 Jul 1979? 30 Jun 1980; 1 Jun 1990?31 May 1992.

Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 305th Operations Group prior to 2 Jan 1951.

Service Streamers. None.

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

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: France, 4 Apr 1943; Germany, 11 Jan 1944.

Emblem

Azure, a dexter gauntlet bendwise Argent (Silver Gray) winged Or grasping a sheaf of three arrows of the like, all within a diminished bordure of the last. Approved on 15 Jun 1994; replaced emblems approved on 13 Apr 1978 (KE 66596); 24 Mar 1970 (KE 36036); and 4 Mar 1958 (42164 AC).