Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

11th Bombardment Wing

The 11th Wing was established as the 11th Observation Group on 1 Oct 1933. Redesignated 11th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 1 Jan 1938, it was activated on 1 Feb 1940. The unit was subsequently redesignated the 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, and inactivated on 20 Oct 1948.

Redesignated 11th Bombardment Group, Heavy [activated on 1 Dec 1948], 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.

The wing flew B-36 bombers from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas. During the three years that Brigadier General Howard W. Moore was commander of the 11th Bombardment Wing, his wing won the coveted Fairchild Trophy two out of three years in Strategic Air Command Bombing and Navigation Competition. In June 1957 the wing was the first in Strategic Air Command to receive 100 percent on a no notice inspection (unit simulated combat mission). For these achievements, General Moore was awarded the Legion of Merit and the 11th Bombardment Wing was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its performance during the period October 1954 to August 1957. The wing added air refueling to its mission in Dec 1957.

By 1958 SAC was starting to go to a fifteen aircraft wing concept. The 11th Bomb Wing at Carswell AFB was reorganized, and one squadron was sent to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The 11th Bombardment Wing deployed to Altus equipped with the B-52 bomber between 1958 and 1968.

The wing gained a strategic missile squadron -- the 577th Strategic Missile Squadron -- in June 1961, and 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 which was 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.

The unit was redesignated, and activated as 11th Support Wing, a direct reporting unit. Redesignated 11th Wing on 1 March 1995.