| 319th Air Refueling Wing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 19 June 1942 — present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Air Refueling |
| Size | 2,600 |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Grand Forks Air Force Base |
| Nickname(s) | Warriors of the North |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Croix de Guerre with Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Diane R. Hull |
| Notable commanders | Maj Gen James A. Hawkins, current 18th Air Force commander |
The 319th Airlift Wing (319 ARW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota.
The 319th guarantees global reach and engagement for the U.S. and its allies through robust air refueling and airlift capabilities.
The 319th Bombardment Group trained in Louisiana before moving to England in three echelons in September 1942. In October and November 1942, it moved to Algeria as the first B-26 unit in that theater, entering combat for the first time on 28 November. From then to March 1943, the group bombed German and Italian targets in Tunisia and Libya, including railroads, airfields, harbor installations, and enemy shipping along the Mediterranean Coast. The 319th trained in French Morocco from March, then returned to combat in June 1943, attacking enemy targets on Italian island in the Mediterranean, including Sicily, Sardinia, and Pantelleria. From bases in Algeria and Tunisia, the group supported the Allied invasion of Italy, bombing bridges and marshalling yards during the late summer and early autumn of 1943. In November, it moved to Sardinia, to strike Axis targets in central Italy. Early in 1944, the 319th supported Allied ground forces as they advanced in the Cassino and Anzio areas. Later in the year, the group attacked German supply lines in northern Italy, bombing bridges, marshalling yards, and roads. In March, it earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for raids on marshalling yards in Rome and Florence that damaged enemy communications without destroying cultural monuments. For supporting the Allied ground advance in Italy during April, May, and June, 1944, the group earned the French Croix de Guerre. During the summer, it bombed bridges over the Po River in northern Italy to block the stream of German supplies and reinforcements going southward. The 319th Bombardment Group supported the invasion of southern FranceinAugust 1944 by attacking coastal batteries, radar stations, and bridges. From Corsica, it hit railroad bridges in Northern Italy and late in the year attacked railroad lines through the Brenner Pass that connected Germany and Austria with Italy.
In January 1945, the 319th returned to the United States, where it began to train with A-26 aircraft for operations in the Pacific Theater. Between May and July 1945, the group moved by ship to Okinawa, and on 16 July flew its first mission against Japan. From then until the end of the fighting in early August, the 319th attacked enemy targets such as airfields and industrial centers on Kyūshū and occupied Shanghai area of China, and shipping around the Ryukyu Islands and in the East China Sea. In November and December 1945, the group returned to the United States.
During the Truman and Eisenhower administrations, the 319th served three periods in the continental United States as a reserve organization. In May 1955 it replaced the 8710th Pilot Training Wing, and again performed reserve training and, from July 1956 through August 1957, maintained two F-84s on "runway alert" at Memphis Municipal Airport under operational control of 20th Air Division, Air Defense Command. It was replaced by the 445th Troop Carrier Wing in November 1957
The 319th replaced the 4133d Strategic Wing in February 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, January-December 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 invasionofPanama 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. The wing briefly lost its refueling mission in September 1992, but in October 1993, having lost its bombardment squadron, regained the refueling mission. 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, 1993-present.
319th Operations Group (319 OG)
319th Maintenance Group (319 MXG)
319th Mission Support Group (319 MSG)
319th Medical Group (319 MDG)
319th Comptroller Squadron (319 CPTS)
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