National Aviation Day: Grand Forks AFB milestones in aviation history

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Luis Loza Gutierrez
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed August 19 as National Aviation Day, designed to celebrate all things related to aviation and man's desire to soar among the clouds.

In observance of this year's National Aviation Day, the 319th Air Base Wing presents the following timeline of aviation milestones reached by our Warriors of the North here.

June 26, 1942: The 319th Bombardment Group is activated at Barksdale Field, La.

Nov. 28, 1942: The 319th BG completed its first combat mission over Tunisia; nine B-26s dropped 69 300-pound bombs on oil farms, harbor warehouses and railroad marshalling yards around the Sfax, Tunisia harbor.

Aug. 12, 1945: The 319th BG completed its 515th combat mission of World War II; Mission 515 was the 22nd mission against Japanese targets and last combat mission of the war.

Feb. 5, 1956: Construction of Grand Forks Air Force Base began.

May 6, 1962: The 905th Air Refueling Squadron received its first KC-135A Stratotanker.

Feb. 1, 1963: Strategic Air Command organized the 319th Bombardment at GFAFB; the 905th ARS (with KC-135s) and the newly established 40th Bombardment Squadron (with B-52Hs) are assigned to the BMW.

1963 to 1974: The 319th BMW supported operations in Vietnam. Tanker and bomber crews participated in Operation Rolling Thunder; bomber crews also participated in Operations ARC Light (1968) and Linebacker I and II (1972).

1987: The 319th BMW converted from the B-52G to the B1-B Lancer.

Feb. 28-29, 1992: 319th Wing (formerly 319 BMW) B1-Bs set 11 time-to-climb world records.

March 18, 1992: B1-Bs set a twelfth time-to-climb world record.

June 1, 1992: The 319th Wing is redesignated the 319th Bomb Wing.

1993: the 319th BW lost its nuclear bombing mission and converted to a conventional bombing mission.

Oct. 1, 1993: The 319th BW is redesignated the 319th Air Refueling Wing. By Apr. 1, 1994, the 319th ARW would be one of three "super" tanker units (with four flying squadrons) within the United States Air Force.

1994 to 2010: The 319th ARW and its subordinate units would send personnel and aircraft to support more than 15 contingency operations around the globe. Notable deployments included Operations Provide Comfort, Decisive Endeavor, Northern and Southern Watch, Allied Force, Noble Eagle, 9/11, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and operations in Afghanistan.

April 20, 2005: GFAFB is recommended for realignment by the 2005 Base Realignment Committee Commission; the 2005 decision would transfer the wing's KC-135s to other Air Force units and designate the base for "future" AF mission consideration.

Dec. 4, 2010: The last KC-135, aircraft 60-0319, is transferred to the 22nd ARW at McConnell AFB, KS. This last flight marked the end of 50 years of air refueling operations at GFAFB.

Dec. 31, 2010: The 319th Operations Group, 319th Maintenance Group, and four subordinate squadrons are deactivated. The 319th Operations Support Squadron is realigned under the 319th ARW.

March 1, 2011: The 319th ARW is redesignated the 319th Air Base Wing (ABW).

Sep. 19, 2011: The 69th Reconnaissance Group, an Air Combat Command unit, is activated at GFAFB. With its 348th Reconnaissance Squadron and 69th Maintenance Squadron, the 69th RG will fly and maintain Global Hawk remotely-piloted vehicles from GFAFB.

(Information for this article provided by Kenneth Dodd, 319th ABW historian)