100th Air Refueling Wing

Stationed at RAF Mildenhall, the 100th Air Refuelling Wing (100 ARW) is assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe and manages the European Tanker Taskforce.

The only permanent U.S. air refuelling wing in the European theatre, the wing comprises of 15 permanently assigned KC-135 air refuelling aircraft. The 100 ARW provides the critical air refuelling "bridge" that allows the Expeditionary Air Force to deploy around the globe on a moment's notice.

During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy), was an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit. Stationed at RAF Thorpe Abbotts, the 100th BG Flew over 300 combat missions, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations (Regensburg, 17th August 1943; Berlin, 4/6/8 March 1944).
The group suffered tremendous losses in combat, with 177 Aircraft MIA, earning the nickname 'The Bloody hundredth'. The 100th BG flew its last mission on the 20th April, 1945.

One of the wing's honours is that it is the only modern USAF operational wing allowed to display on its assigned aircraft the tail code (Square-D) of its World War II predecessor.