1933 The 11th Observation
Group forms within the US Army.
Jan 1938 Re-designated at
the 11th Bombardment Group.
Feb 1940 The 11th
Bombardment Group starts flying B-18s from
Hickam Field, Hawaii.
Dec 1941 During the attack
on Pearl Harbour 345 of the 350 assigned
personnel were killed.
The Group, now flying B-17s, took part in
SAR duties.
1943 The Group return to
Hawaii flying B-24s.
1944 The Group move to
Guam to launch attacks on Yap and Iwo Jima.
1945 The Group become one
of the first units to bomb mainland Japan
and Japanese held China.
Post-war The Group take on
recce missions as well as ferrying of POWs
from China to the Philippines.
Later they re-equip with B-29s and move back
to Guam for a training role.
Dec 1948 The Group
re-equip with B-36s and move to Carswell
AFB, Texas.
1952 The Group is de-activated but
later reborn as the 11th Bombardment Group
with B-36s and KC-97s.
1958 The Group re-equip
with B-52s and KC-135As.
1961 Re-named as the 11th
Strategic Air Wing and assume responsibility
for the Atlas ICBM system.
1965 The Atlas ICBM is
phased out.
1968 The Wing's B-52s are
relocated leaving just KC-135s causing the
Wing to be renamed as the 11th Air
Refuelling Wing.
1969 The Wing is disbanded.
Nov 1978 11th November,
the 11th Strategic Group is re-activated.
Feb 1979 The Group
received their first KC-135.
Sep 1979 The Group deploy
to RAF Fairford with crews rotating every 45
days.
1981 The 11th SG are up to
full strength with 15 KC-135s as part of the
European Tanker Task Force.
June 1990 25th June,
the last ETTF sortie is flown. 27th
June, the last tanker leaves RAF
Fairford.
Aug 1990 7th August,
the 11th Strategic Group is de-activated
again with all the tankers having left RAF
Fairford for RAF Mildenhall.
The 11th Strategic Group has since become
the 11th Group "The Chief's Own" at Bolling
AFB, Washington DC.
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