Lineage. Established as 319 Bombardment Wing, Light, on 10 May 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949. Inactivated on 2 Sep 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 10 Oct 1949. Ordered to active service on 10 Mar 1951. Inactivated on 28 Mar 1951. Redesignated as 319 Fighter-Bomber Wing on 12 Apr 1955. Activated in the Reserve on 18 May 1955. Inactivated on 16 Nov 1957. Redesignated as 319 Bombardment Wing, Heavy, and activated, on 15 Nov 1962. Organized on 1 Feb 1963. Redesignated as: 319 Wing on 1 Sep 1991; 319 Bomb Wing on 1 Jun 1992; 319 Air Refueling Wing on 1 Oct 1993; 319 Air Base Wing on 1 Mar 2011; 319 Reconnaissance Wing on 28 Jun 2019.
Assignments. Ninth Air Force, 27 Jun-2 Sep 1949. Fourteenth Air Force, 10 Oct 1949- 28 Mar 1951. Fourteenth Air Force, 18 May 1955-16 Nov 1957. Strategic Air Command, 15 Nov 1962; 810 Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Feb 1963; 4 Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Sep 1964; 47 Air Division, 30 Jun 1971; 4 Strategic Missile (later, 4 Air) Division, 15 Jan 1973; 57 Air Division, 22 Jan 1975; 4 Air Division, 1 May 1982; 57 Air Division, 23 Jan 1987; 42 Air Division, 16 Jun 1988; Eighth Air Force, 9 Jul 1991; Twenty-First Air Force, 1 Oct 1993; Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Apr 1997; Eighteenth Air Force (later, Eighteenth Air Force [Air Forces Transportation]), 1 Oct 2003; USAF Expeditionary Center, 7 Jan 2011; Twenty-Fifth Air Force, 13 Jun 2017; Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), 11 Oct 2019-.
Operational Components. Group. 319 Bombardment (later, 319 Fighter-Bomber; 319 Operations): 27 Jun-2 Sep 1949; 10 Oct 1949-22 Mar 1951; 18 May 1955-16 Nov 1957; 1 Sep 1991-31 Dec 2010; 28 Jun 2019-. Squadrons. 46 Bombardment: 1 Feb 1963-1 Sep 1991. 905 Air Refueling: 1 Feb 1963-1 Sep 1991.
Stations. Reading Muni Aprt, PA, 27 Jun-2 Sep 1949. Birmingham Muni Aprt, AL, 10 Oct 1949-28 Mar 1951. Memphis Muni Aprt, TN, 18 May 1955-16 Nov 1957. Grand Forks AFB, ND, 1 Feb 1963-.
Commanders. None (not manned), 27 Jun–2 Sep 1949. Brig Gen Henry L. Badham Jr., 10 Oct 1949; Col Wilson R. Wood, c. 14-c. 28 Mar 1951. Brig Gen William F. Fry, c. 18 May 1955; Lt Col Van D. Dowda, 2 Apr 1956; Col William J. Johnson Jr., 5 Jul 1956-1957. None (not manned), 15 Nov 1962-31 Jan 1963; Col Allen B. Rowlett, 1 Feb 1963; Col Pete C. Sianus, 23 Sep 1963; Col Robert J. Ray, 2 Mar 1965; Col George H. McKee, 14 Apr 1965; Col William H. Cooper, 18 May 1966; Col Keith A. Whitaker, 1 Jun 1967; Col Lawrence W. Steinkraus, 20 Jan 1968; Col Samuel G. Taylor Jr., 4 Aug 1968; Col Robert C. Glenn, 4 Aug 1970; Col Lee R. Senter, 17 Jun 1971; Col George D. Moore Jr., 9 May 1973; Col Burr V. Miller Jr., 24 May 1974; Col Donald D. Johnson Jr., 6 May 1975; Col John A. Brashear, 4 Apr 1977; Brig Gen Walter H. Poore, 23 Aug 1978; Col Wayne O. Jefferson Jr., 20 May 1980; Col Paul A. Maye, 12 Aug 1981; Col John S. Fairfield, 8 Jul 1982; Col Charles G. Kucera, 16 Feb 1984; Col John T. Jaeckle, 29 May 1985; Col Jerrold P. Allen, 22 Jan 1987; Col Robert Muldrow, 10 May 1988; Col Harvard L. Lomax, 31 May 1989; Col Joseph C. Kinego, 20 Nov 1990; Brig Gen David W. McIlvoy, 25 Nov 1991; Col Douglas K. Mang, 14 Jul 1993; Brig Gen James E. Andrews, 1 Oct 1993; Brig Gen Kenneth W. Hess, 20 Nov 1995; Brig Gen James A. Hawkins, 8 Jul 1997; Col Vern M. Findley II, 5 Jan 1999; Col David S. Gray, 13 Mar 2000; Col Marshall K. Sabol, 18 Sep 2001; Col Mark F. Ramsay, 3 Sep 2003; Col William Bender, 30 Mar 2005; Col Diane Hull, 12 Jul 2006; Col John Michel, 9 Jul 2008; Col Donald L. Shaffer, 13 Nov 2009-.
Aircraft. T-6, 1949-1951; T-7, 1949-1951; T-11, 1949-1951; B-26, 1949-1951. T-33, 1955-1957; F-84, 1955-1957; F-86, 1957. B-52, 1963-1986; B-1, 1987-1993; KC-135, 1963-1992, 1993-2010.
Operations. The 319 Bombardment Wing replaced the 514 Troop Carrier Wing in Oct 1949 and performed Reserve training until ordered to active service in Mar 1951, when wing personnel were used to fill other USAF units. In May of 1955 it replaced the 8710 Pilot Training Wing, and again performed Reserve training and, from Jul 1956 through Aug 1957, maintained two F-84s on “runway alert” at Memphis Municipal Airport under operational control of 20 Air Division, Air Defense Command. It was replaced by the 445 Troop Carrier Wing in Nov 1957 and the 319 replaced the 4133 Strategic Wing in Feb 1963. During the following years, it conducted global bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet Strategic Air Command (SAC) commitments, earning the Omaha Trophy as the outstanding wing in SAC for 1978. It participated in a SAC program to test admission of females to the inflight refueling career field, Jan-Dec 1979. The wing converted from B-52 to B-1 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, Dec 1989. It deployed tankers to Oman, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to provide air refueling and cargo missions in Southwest Asia, Aug 1990-Apr 1991. The wing briefly lost its refueling mission in Sep 1992, but in Oct 1993, having lost its bombardment squadron, regained the refueling mission. The 319 Air Refueling Wing supported worldwide Tanker Task Forces, as well as, combat operations in Southwest Asia, Central Europe, and antidrug operations in Central America by providing air refueling for combat aircraft, 1993-2010.
Service Streamers. Global War on Terrorism (GWOT-S).
Campaign Streamers. Global War on Terrorism: GWOT-E.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1977–30 Jun 1979; 1 Oct 1993-30 Jun 1995; 1 Jul 1995-30 Jun 1997; 1 Jul 2000-30 Jun 2002; 1 Jul 2002-30 Jun 2004; 1 Jul 2004-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2005-30 Jun 2006; 1 Jul 2006-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2007-30 Jun 2009; 1 Sep 2012-31 Aug 2014.
Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 319 Operations Group prior to 27 Jun 1949. Service Streamers. None. Campaign Streamers. World War II: Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Air Combat, EAME Theater; Air Offensive, Japan; Ryukyus; China Offensive. Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Rome, Italy, 3 Mar 1944; Florence, Italy, 11 Mar 1944. French Croix de Guerre with Palm: Apr, May and Jun 1944.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 14 Jan 2021.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Dec 2010.
Supersedes statement prepared on 1 Feb 2018.
Emblem. Approved on 6 Jan 1964.
Prepared by Margaret Ream.