306th Bombardment Group

The 306^th Bombardment Group was a United States Army Air Corps (later became United States Army Air Force then United States Air Force) bomber group in World War II. Activated 01 March 1942, in Boise, Idaho, and deployed to Europe in August that same year.

World War II

Based in Thurleigh Bedfordshire in south-central England, flying under the Eighth Air Force, the 306^th was a heavy bomber group, made up of four bomber squadrons, the 367^th, 368^th, 369^th, and the 423^rd. Flying its first mission over enemy territory, Colonel Overacker led the group to the target of Lille, France, and a locomotive plant, 09 October. The 306 was one of the first American bomber groups based in England, and the first group to fly over Germany. The group flew missions in B-17's over the Rhine, and in support of the Battle of the Bulge. Inactivated December 1946, the group received the Distinguished Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster and six campaign stars.

Decorations

• Distinguished Unit Citations:
  • Germany – 11 Jan 1944
  • Germany – 22 Feb 1944

Campaigns

• Europe Air Offensive
  • Normandy
  • Northern France
  • Rhineland
  • Ardennes-Alsace
  • Central Europe

Stations

• Gowen Field, Idaho – 1 Mar 1942 – 6 April 1942
• Wendover Field, Utah – 6 April – 1 Aug 1942
• Thurleigh, England – September 1942 – December 1945
• Giebelstadt, Germany – December 1945

Post WWII

The group was reactivated July 1947 at Andrews Air Force Base (AFB) in Maryland, as the 306^th Bombardment Wing, and became part of Strategic Air Command (SAC). The 306 switched to B-29's when it moved to MacDill AFB in 1948. In November 1951 the unit moved to the jet powered B-47, and two years later it was the first B-47 operational wing. The B-47's of the 306^th, along with the KC-97 refueling tanker, became SAC's number one line of defense in their Nuclear Deterrence strategy. For its role in advancing jet bombardment tactics, the wing was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award citation (OUC).

Stations

• Istres, France – Feb 1946
• Furstenfeldbruck, Germany – 16 Aug 1946
• Lechfeld, Germany – 13 Sep-25 Dec 1946
• Andrews Field, Maryland – 1 Jul 1947
• MacDill AFB, Florida – Aug 1948–16 Jun 1952

The 60's & Beyond

The wing was re-activated at McCoy AFB Florida in April of 1963 and switched to B-52's ( and KC-135's. The 4047^{th Strategic Wing then absorbed the 306 during this time.}

The 306 as part of the 4047 was deployed to Guam, Andersen AFB, and Okinawa, Kadena Air Base to support the Vietnam conflict, in 1966, September, supporting projects "Young Tiger" and "Arc Light". Later on they would fly out of U-Tapao Royal Thai Airfield, Thailand, and would be part of the bombing raids over North Vietnam, Linebacker I and Linebacker II. When not in Vietnam the group flew again out of McCoy, and in January 1968 received another OUC for this "double-duty".

In July, 1974 the 306^th wing was inactivated again. Re-activated again at Ramstein AB, Germany as the 306th Strategic Wing, August, 1976. The wing was absorded by the 100th Air Refueling Wing (USAFE) in February, 1992, becoming the Headquarters European Tanker Task Force. The new 306 was activated in October 2004, flying out of Randolph AFB, Texas, part of the Air Education and Training Command of the 19^th Air Force, designated the 306^th Flying Training Group.

External links

• 306^th Alumni site
• The 306^th Bombardment Group Museum
• The 306 at the Eight Air Force