The only modern USAF wing allowed to wear a WWII tail code

History · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 100th Air Refueling Wing carries a heavy legacy. Known as the Bloody Hundredth, this unit is the only modern U.S. Air Force wing permitted to display its World War II predecessor's tail code on its aircraft, linking today's refueling missions to a brutal history of strategic bombardment.

The unit's lineage traces back to the 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy), a B-17 Flying Fortress unit stationed at RAF Thorpe Abbotts during World War II. The group earned its 'Bloody Hundredth' nickname due to the tremendous losses it suffered while flying over 300 combat missions. It received two Distinguished Unit Citations for its strikes on the German aircraft factory at Regensburg in August 1943 and for its heavy bombing of Berlin in March 1944. Significant actions defined the unit's past, notably the February 1944 'Big Week' and the exhausting Battle of the Bulge spanning December 1944 until January 1945.

The wing's evolution reflects the shifting priorities of American air power. After WWII, the unit underwent various redesignations, serving as a reserve group in the late 1940s and a medium bombardment wing in the 1950s. It operated the B-47E Stratojet, a swept-wing bomber designed to penetrate Soviet airspace, and participated in global strategic bombardment training. By the 1960s, as the B-47 became obsolete, the unit transitioned into strategic reconnaissance, flying the Lockheed U-2 and various drones for nuclear air sampling and worldwide surveillance during the Cold War.

In a significant administrative shift in 1976, the 100th became responsible for providing worldwide air refueling support for the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing's SR-71 Blackbirds and U-2s. After a period of inactivation and a brief stint as an air division in Missouri, the 100th Air Refueling Wing was reactivated in its current form on February 1, 1992. Located within the United Kingdom at RAF Mildenhall, this entity currently serves as the sole enduring American aerial refuelling wing across the European theatre.

Today, the wing operates the Boeing KC-135R/T Stratotanker, supporting some 16,000 personnel across the European theater. While its primary mission is now aerial refueling, the preservation of the 'Square-D' tail code serves as a living tribute to the 177 aircraft lost in action by its predecessor. It stands as a unique bridge between the heavy bombardment of the 1940s and the vital logistical backbone of modern Western air defense.

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