| 319th Air Base Wing | |
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319th Air Base Wing Shield |
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| Active | since 1949 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Size | 2,600 |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Grand Forks Air Force Base |
| Nickname | Warriors of the North |
| Engagements |
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| Decorations | DUC AFOUA FCdG w/ Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Donald L. Shaffer |
| Notable commanders |
Joseph R. Holzapple |
The 319th Air Base Wing (319 ABW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command's USAF Expeditionary Center. It is stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. The wing is also the host unit at Grand Forks.
The 319 ABW was one of only three "super tanker" wings in the United States Air Force. The 319th guarantees global reach and engagement for the U.S. and its allies through robust air refueling and airlift capabilities.
Its 319th Operations Group being a successor unit to the World War II 319th Bombardment Group. The 319 BG was the first Martin B-26 Marauder group in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations during the war. The group received two Distinguished Unit Citations during the war. Active for over 60 years, the 319th Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force during the Cold War, as a strategic bombardment wing.
The 319th Air Base Wing is commanded by Colonel Donald L. Shaffer. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Scott A. Fuller.
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The mission of the 319th Air Base Wing is to guarantee extensive "Global Engagement" capability through worldwide mobility operations, including air refueling and airlift requirements executed by 48 KC-135R aircraft and 3,400 personnel.
The wing supports global contingency and conventional operations and the Single Integrated operational Plan (SIOP). It also provides support functions for an Air Mobility Command (AMC) major weapons system and supports a wide range of conventional and nuclear plans.
The wing also provides infrastructure support for an Air Force Space Command group equipped with Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The 319th Air Base Wing won the 2002 Solano Trophy on 26 April 2002 for the best active-duty unit within Headquarters Fifteenth Air Force.
After 11 September 2001, the wing was the first to fly an Air Mobility Command sortie supporting the Air Force's response to the terrorist attacks by refueling the F-16 that delivered the Federal Emergency Management Agency director to New York only three and a half hours after the attacks. All of the 319th Air Refueling Wing's mission-capable aircraft were prepped, fueled and cocked within 24 hours.
By the end of 2001, the wing had flown more than 120 Operation Noble Eagle sorties, off-loading more than 4.8 million pounds of fuel to 260 combat air patrol and support aircraft. KC-135 tankers from the 319th were the first on the ground, first in the air, first to fly over enemy territory, and first to provide aerial refueling while a base of operations in the Persian Gulf was being established for Operation Enduring Freedom. In total, they had flown more than 890 sorties, flying 6,700 hours and off-loading more than 50 million pounds of fuel to more than 3,000 receivers.
The wing also earned an "excellent" and "solid green" for the deployed 319th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron during the first-ever Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection while conducting operations at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Additionally, for the second year in a row, the 319th Aircraft Generation Squadron earned top Air Mobility Command aircraft maintenance effectiveness honors for the medium category.
The 319th Air Refueling Wing reached a significant milestone 3 July 2002 by flying its 1,000th hour in support of Operation Noble Eagle. The milestone-marking mission started the evening of 2 July and was commanded by Capt Kulka of the 905th Air Refueling Squadron. The crew’s mission was to provide fuel to F-16’s from Shaw Air Force Base, SC, while they patrolled the skies over the nation’s capitol.
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319th Operations Group (319 OG)
319th Maintenance Group (319 MXG)
319th Comptroller Squadron (319 CPTS) |
319th Mission Support Group (319 MSG)
319th Medical Group (319 MDG)
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The 319th Bombardment Wing was established in the Air Force Reserve on 10 May 1949 and activated on 27 June at Reading Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania. Unclear whether or not the unit was actually manned or equipped; inactivated on 2 September. Was reactivated on 10 October Birmingham Municipal Airport, Alabama, where it replaced the 514th Troop Carrier Wing. Flew B-26 Invader light bombers. Performed Reserve training until ordered to active service on 10 Mar 1951 due to the Korean War. Once activated, wing personnel and aircraft were deployed to Far East Air Force as replacement personnel for active-duty combat units. Inactivated as a paper unit on 28 March.
The wing was again redesignated as the 319th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 12 Apr 1955 and activated in the reserve on 18 May at Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee. It replaced the 8710th Pilot Training Wing and performed reserve training. From July 1956 through August, 1957, it maintained two F-86H Sabres on "runway alert," under operational control of the Air Defense Command 20th Air Division. Inactivated on 16 November 1957 and replaced by the 445th Troop Carrier Wing.
On 1 September 1958, Strategic Air Command established the 4133d Strategic Wing at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 30th Bombardment Squadron, (not activated until 1 Jan 1962) consisting of 15 B-52Hs Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
The 4133d SW was redesignated as the 319th Bombardment Wing (319th BW) on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Second Air Force, 810th Strategic Aerospace Division. The 30th BS was also redesignated as the 319th Bombardment Squadron, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. Component support units were also redesignated to the 319th numerical designation of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated. The history, lineage and honors of the 397th Bombardment Group were bestowed upon the newly established wing upon activation. Upon activation, the 905th Air Refueling Squadron was assigned to the wing with KC-135 Stratotankers.
Upon redesignation, the wing placed aircraft on peacetime quick reaction alert duty, and conducted global bombardment training for Emergency War Order operations and air refueling operations to meet SAC commitments. During the Vietnam War, the 319th Bomb Wing's mission expanded to include sending bomber and tanker aircrews on temporary duty assignments to support B-52 and KC-135 operations from 1963 to 1974. Tanker crews participated in refueling operations for both bombers and fighters. The bomb crews flew B-52Ds from bases at Andersen AFB, Guam; Kadena AB, Okinawa, and U-Tapao RTNAF, Thailand. Bomber crews participated in Operation Arc Light in 1968 and Operations Linebacker I and Linebacker II in 1972.
In 1973, the 319th Bomb Wing acquired the AGM-69 Short Range Attack Missile (SRAM), replacing the older AGM-28 Hound Dog air-to-ground missile aboard its B-52Hs. As the activities in Southeast Asia decreased, the 319th Bomb Wing focused its full efforts on training crews to fly strategic strike missions. It participated in a SAC program to test admission of females to the inflight refueling career field, January–December 1979.
The wing converted from B-52 to B-1B Lancer bombers, 1986–1987 and flew training missions with conventional and nuclear configurations. Tanker crews assigned to the wing assisted in air refueling efforts during the invasion of Panama in December 1989. It deployed tankers to Oman, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to provide air refueling and cargo missions in Southwest Asia, August 1990 – April 1991.
In line with the changing international situation, President George H. W. Bush decided to reduce the US nuclear alert force. Thus, on 28 September 1991, the 319th Wing pulled its B-1B bombers and KC-135R tankers from quick reaction alert duty, ending nearly three decades of such activity at Grand Forks AFB.
With the inactivation of the Strategic Air Command on 1 June 1992, the Air Force redesignated the 319th Wing as the '319th Bomb Wing, assigned to the newly established Air Combat Command. At the same time, the wing's 905th Air Refueling Squadron and its KC-135R tankers were assigned to the 305th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, despite the fact that they remained physically stationed at Grand Forks AFB. Still remaining at Grand Forks, the 905th was reassigned to the 43d Air Refueling Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, on 1 July 1993.
On 1 February 1993 the Air Combat Command dropped the 319th Bomb Wing's primary nuclear mission and gave the wing the primary mission of B-1B conventional bombardment operations. The wing began planning and training to support such a mission to counter worldwide regional threats.
On 1 October 1993 the Air Force redesignated the 319th Bomb Wing as the 319th Air Refueling Wing. The wing was reassigned from the Air Combat Command to the Air Mobility Command. It also reacquired the 905th Air Refueling Squadron and its KC-135R tankers while turning over its B-1B bombers to the newly activated 319th Bombardment Group, an Air Combat Command organization. On 1 February 1994 the Air Mobility Command transferred the 906th Air Refueling Squadron from Minot AFB, North Dakota, to the 319th Air Refueling Wing.
The 319th supported worldwide Tanker Task Forces, as well as, combat operations in Southwest Asia, Central Europe, and Counter Narco-Terror operations in Central America by providing air refueling for combat aircraft.
In 2011, the wing was redesigned the 319th Air Base Wing. It will begin flying the RQ-4 Global Hawk in the summer.[1]
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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