Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

100th Bomb Wing

The 100th Bomb Wing was established as the 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942, and redesignated 100th Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 20 August 1943. On 27 May 1943, the ground personnel set sail aboard the Queen Elizabeth bound for Poddington, England from New York. At Poddington the ground crews rendezvoused with the air element, and together moved to Thorpe Abbots, Norfolk, where they remained throughout World War II, operating as a strategic bombardment organization. On 25 June 1943, the 100 BG flew its first combat mission for Eighth Air Force against the submarine yards at Bremen, Germany -- the beginning of the Bloody Hundredth's legacy. The group inherited the Bloody Hundredth nickname from other bomb groups due to the amount of losses it took.

Inactivated on 21 December 1945, it was redesignated the 100th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 13 May 1947. From the time of its activation at Miami Army Air Field the group trained and operated as a reserve unit until it was again inactivated on 27 June 1949.

The Air Force activated the 100th as a medium bombardment wing on 1 January 1956, at Portsmouth Air Force Base, New Hampshire, and assigned again to Eighth Air Force. For the next ten years the wing performed global strategic bombardment training, and global air refueling. The final B-47E (53-6244) was delivered on February 18, 1957 to the 100th Bomb Wing at Pease AFB, New Hampshire. This was the 29th and last SAC bomb wing to be equipped with B-47s. It operated B-47 aircraft between 1956 and 1966. The Wing performed global strategic bombardment training between April 1956 and February 1966, and global air refueling from August 1956 through December 1965. It deployed at Brize Norton RAF Station, England, from December 1957 through April 1958.

The Wing was redesignated the 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 25 June 1966, and moved without personnel or equipment to Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, where it 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.

The Wing was redesignated the 100th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, on 30 September 1976. Inactivated on 15 Mar 1983, it was redesignated the 100th Air Refueling Wing, and activated, on 01 February 1992. Upon activation as an Air Refueling Wing on 1 February 1992, it 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.