RAF Mildenhall

Tail of a 100ARW Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker, Serial 58-0100, displaying the crest of RAF Mildenhall and the historic "SquareD" badge as used by the unit during the second world war

RAF Mildenhall (IATA: MHZ, ICAO: EGUN) is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. It currently the home of the United States Air Force 100th Air Refueling Wing. The 100th RW supports some 16,000 personnel, three geographically separated units, and 15 associated units.

RAF Mildenhall hosts units from four different major USAF commands -- Air Combat Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Mobility Command, United States Air Forces in Europe and the United States Navy. These being:

• 501st Combat Support Wing (USAFE)
• 352nd Special Operations Group (AFSOC)
• 95th Reconnaissance Squadron (ACC)
  Part of 55th Wing Operations Group, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
• 488th Intelligence Squadron (ACC)
  Part of 67th Intelligence Wing, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
• 727th Air Mobility Squadron (AMC)
  Part of 721st Air Mobility Operations Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
• Naval Air Facility Mildenhall (U. S. Navy)

RAF Mildenhall and its sister base RAF Lakenheath are the largest United States Air Force bases in the United Kingdom.

100th Air Refueling Wing

Main article: 100th Air Refueling Wing

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The host unit at Mildenhall is the 100th Air Refueling Wing which deploys aircraft for and manages the European Tanker Task Force, a rotational force which provides air refueling to US and NATO aircraft in the European Theater. It is the only permanent U.S. air refueling wing in the European theater, activated at Mildenhall on 1 February 1992. The wing provides the critical air refueling "bridge" that allows the Expeditionary Air Force to deploy around the globe on a moment's notice.

The tactical component of the 100th ARW is the 351st Air Refueling Squadron, flying the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.

501st Combat Support Wing

Main article: 501st Combat Support Wing

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The 501st Combat Support Wing was activated at Mildenhall on 21 May 2005. It is a non-flying unit that provides administration and operation of the various smaller Air Force units scattered across the UK that are considered Geographically Separate Units (GSU):

• 422nd Air Base Group, RAF Croughton
• 423rd Air Base Group, RAF Alconbury
• 420th Air Base Group, RAF Fairford

352d Special Operations Group

Main article: 352d Special Operations Group

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The 352 SOG is the Air Force component for Special Operations Command Europe, a sub-unified command of the US European Command. It transferred to RAF Mildenhall on 17 February 1995 from RAF Alconbury. The 352 SOG has two flying squadrons, a maintenance squadron, an operations support squadron and a special tactics squadron.

The mission of the 352 SOG is to serve as the focal point for all U.S. Air Force special operations activities throughout the European theater, including Africa and the Middle East. The 352 SOG is prepared to conduct a variety of high priority, low-visibility missions supporting U.S. and allied special operations forces throughout the European theater during peacetime, joint operations exercises and combat operations.

The 352d develops and implements peacetime and wartime contingency plans. It effectively uses fixed-wing, helicopter and personnel assets in infiltration by, exfiltration by and resupply of U.S. and allied special operations forces.

The tactical components of the 352d SOG are the:

• 21st Special Operations Squadron (MH-53M Pave Low IV helicopter)
• 67th Special Operations Squadron (MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft)
• 321st Special Tactics Squadron

95th Reconnaissance Squadron

Main article: 95th Reconnaissance Squadron

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The 95th Reconnaissance Squadron conducts RC-135 Rivet Joint flight operations in the European and Mediterranean theaters of operations as tasked by National Command Authorities and European Command. It was activated at Mildenhall on 1 July 1994, having been previously assigned to RAF Alconbury.

The squadron provides all operational management, aircraft maintenance, administration, and intelligence support to produce politically sensitive real-time intelligence data vital to national foreign policy.

The 95 RS supports EC-135, OC-135, and E-4 missions when theater deployed.

488th Intelligence Squadron

The 488th Intelligence Squadron a component of the Air Intelligence Agency. It's mission is to deliver multi-source intelligence products, applications, services, and resources. It also provides IO forces and expertise in the areas of information warfare, command and control warfare, security, acquisition, foreign weapons systems and technology,

Also administratively assigned to the 488th Intelligence Squadron is Operating Location Souda Bay, Crete.

The present 488th Intelligence Squadron traces its lineage back to the 6954th Security Squadron which was originally designated Detachment 1 of the 6985th Security Squadron at RAF Upper Heyford, England, in June 1967. The unit moved to RAF Mildenhall, England, in August 1970. In 1974, Detachment 1 of the 6985th Security Squadron was redesignated as the 6954th Security Squadron.

In August 1979, the 6954th Security Squadron was redesignated as the 6954th Electronic Security Squadron to coincide with the redesignation of United States Air Force Security Service as Electronic Security Command. In November 1990, with the deactivation of the 6916th Electronic Security Squadron, Hellenikon Air Base, Greece, the squadron assumed responsibility for all Electronic Security Command RC-135 support to the United States European Command. From October 1990 to March 1991, the squadron conducted operations from OL-RH 6988th Electronic Security Squadron, Hellenikon AB, Greece.

In October 1991, the 6988th Electronic Security Squadron was resubordinated to the Air Force Intelligence Command.

On 1 October 1993, the 6988th Electronic Security Squadron was redesignated the 488th Intelligence Squadron as part of the ongoing restructuring of Air Force Intelligence and the Air Force Intelligence Command as a field operating agency. The 488th Intelligence Squadron is under the administrative control of this field operating agency, which was designated Air Intelligence Agency on 1 October 1993.

On 1 February 2001, the Air Intelligence Agency was re-aligned under Eighth Air Force at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. This re-alignment placed Air Intelligence Agency under Air Combat Command. In peace and war, the 488th Intelligence Squadron has earned nine Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards.

On 1 October 2002, the 488th was re-aligned from the 67th Information Operations Wing to the 55th Wing. The re-alignment placed all RC-135 assets under one wing, reinforcing the nose to tail importance of this weapons system.

727th Air Mobility Squadron

The 727th Air Mobility Squadron is a unit of the 721st Air Mobility Operations Group, based at Ramstein AB, Germany.

The 727 AMS is part of AMC’s en route system that provides fixed and deployed maintenance, aerial port and command and control support to deployed command forces across the globe. The squadron has all the necessary support, like fleet service, maintenance and passenger service to allow aircraft and crews to quickly depart for their next destination or stay overnight for crew rest.

The squadron was redesignated as the 727 AMS on 15 March 2001. Prior to that, it was designated as the 627th Air Mobility Support Squadron assigned to the 621st Air Mobility Support Group. The change in designation was undertaken to better reflect the operations nature of the group's overall mission as an operational rather than support one.

History

Orgins

RAF Mildenhall opened on October 16 1934. King George V reviewed 350 aircraft there in 1935 on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee. This historical event is commemorated by a memorial tablet located in front of the Building 562, the current 100 ARW headquarters. During World War II Mildenhall became a bomber station, flying Vickers Wellingtons, Short Stirlings and Avro Lancasters. It was also the headquarters of 3 Group Bomber Command. From 1950 Mildenhall became home to bombers and later tanker aircraft of the United States Air Force. Throughout the 1950s, Strategic Air Command bomber units deployed on a regular rotational basis from the United States to the United Kingdom. The B-47 Stratojet was a familiar sight in the skies over RAF Mildenhall and RAF Upper Heyford at this time, as entire wings deployed on 90-day rotations. From 1976 to 1990, the SR-71 Blackbird was flown out of Mildenhall by Detachment 4 of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing of the USAF. RAF Mildenhall was, until 2003, the home of the largest military-sponsored airshow in Europe, when it was cancelled because of increasing operational requirements.

In order to meet a perceived "continental threat", the British military developed the idea to site an RAF bomber base at Mildenhall in the late 1920s. Shortly thereafter, the government purchased the land in 1929, followed by the completion of the first buildings in 1931. Three years later, RAF Mildenhall opened on 16 October 1934, as one of the RAF’s largest bomber stations. On the same day, Wing Commander F.J. Linnell, O.B.E. assumed his position as the base’s first station commander. Although open, the base had yet to receive its first complement of military aircraft.

RAF Mildenhall’s premature inauguration was due in large part with its selection to host the Royal Aero Club’s prestigious MacRobertson Air Race on 20 October 1934. At the time, the air race stood as the longest race ever devised, and attracted over 70,000 spectators to the base. Even more telling of the race’s significance in the world’s sporting spotlight, on short notice King George V and Queen Mary visited RAF Mildenhall the day before the race. In the end, pilots T. Campbell Black, and C.W.A. Scott flying the de Havilland Comet "Grosvenor House," crossed the finish line first at Melbourne, Australia, less than 72 hours after starting the race.

Following this propitious beginning, RAF Mildenhall received its first squadron and aircraft with the arrival of 99B Squadron, equipped with Handley Page Heyford bombers.

The threat the RAF had envisioned in the late 1920s materialized during the Munich Crisis. Between 26 September 1938 and 4 October 1939, the base completed its installation of its defense systems. After a brief reprieve from war, the base prepared for war, bringing station defenses and squadrons to full combat readiness. On 3 September 1939, three days after Germany invaded Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Later that same day, three Wellington aircraft from Mildenhall were dispatched to bomb the German naval fleet at Wilhelmshaven.

World War II

Throughout World War II, Mildenhall remained very active. In addition to its own airfield, the base held responsibility for satellite airfields at Newmarket, Tuddenham, and Lakenheath. During the course of the war, the base witnessed the transition from the two-engine Wellington, to the Short Stirling, and finally to the four-engine Avro Lancaster. For the duration of the war, except for a brief period to have concrete runways laid in 1943, RAF Mildenhall was involved in most of RAF Bomber Command’s many offensives against Germany. While carrying out its operational duties, the base withstood several attacks by the German Luftwaffe, but was never put out of commission (typically, the base’s downtime after an attack lasted until personnel could fill in the damage to the runways).

By the end of the war, aircraft from RAF Mildenhall and its satellite airfields dropped over 23,000 tons of explosives, laid 2,000 mines in enemy waters, and flew over 8,000 sorties. Unfortunately, the base also saw the loss of over 200 Wellington, Stirling, and Lancaster aircraft, and more significantly, the loss of over 2,000 aircrew members. Some of those who paid the ultimate price for peace, including Pilot Officer Rawdon Hume Middleton, an Australian who was posthumously awarded Britain’s highest military honor, the Victoria Cross, are buried at St. Johns Church cemetery in Beck Row

Immediately after the war, Mildenhall participated in humanitarian missions, flying home repatriated prisoners of war, and dropping relief supplies to the Dutch people stranded by the flooding caused by the retreating German Army. By the end of 1945, Mildenhall’s operational activity experienced a drastic decrease, and despite a brief flurry of flying activity in the late 1940s, the RAF reduced the base to "care and maintenance" status. The only remaining RAF unit of significance was Headquarters No 3 Group, Bomber Command, which remained on station until 1967.

Cold War

On 12 July 1950, RAF Mildenhall was made available to the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command as a B-29 Superfortress base.

the 93d Bomb Group arrived at RAF Mildenhall and began operations. Shortly afterwards, on 7 February 1951, the 509th Bomb Wing arrived at Mildenhall, replacing the 93d Bomb Group. The arrival of the 509th touched off a sequence of transitions, with the 2d Bomb Wing replacing the 509th in May 1951, followed by the 22d Bomb Wing replacement of the 2d Bomb Wing later that same year. On 1 October 1951, Strategic Air Command took control of the station and bomb wings rotated in and out of Mildenhall on temporary duty assignments.

Prior to Strategic Air Command’s role at RAF Mildenhall, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe (HQ USAFE) established Third Air Force at South Ruislip Air Station. Simultaneously, Strategic Air Command established the 7th Air Division Headquarters at Mildenhall. The collocation of the two headquarters within the United Kingdom allowed HQ USAFE to discharge its responsibilities in England, while at the same time allowing Strategic Air Command to continue in its deterrent role while retaining operational control over flying activities at Mildenhall. The presence of American bombers lent credence to Sir Winston Churchill’s statement that their presence in England was the primary deterrent keeping the Soviets from overrunning Europe.

RB-47H_Recon_Route

From 1954 through 1958 US politics influenced USAF activities within the United Kingdom, fostering a period of force reduction and modernization. Gradually, the number of Air Force personnel decreased. A single RB-47H parked alone on the ramp, a secure and unobserved location from which to recon the Baltic Sea to Leningrad.

7513th Tactical Group

SAC departed RAF Mildenhall in late 1958 as its runway requirements no longer met the requirements for its newer aircraft. On 17 July 1959, SAC and USAFE reached an agreement facilitating and substantially increasing Third Air Force’s role in making operational decisions regarding the US Air Force units in the UK. In late 1959, RAF Mildenhall became the home for the Military Air Transports Service (later Military Airlift Command) Air Passenger Terminal for the United Kingdom, with the 7513th Air Base Group providing service to the terminal.

In late 1965, Mildenhall welcomed the arrival of the Silk Purse Control Group and the 7120th Airborne Command and Control Squadron (7120 ACCS), previously stationed at Chateauroux Air Station, France. Upon its arrival at Mildenhall, the 7120 ACCS converted from C-118s to EC-135s.

513th Tactical Airlift Wing

On 8 June 1966, the base received yet another unit, the 513th Troop Carrier Wing (513 TCW), which relocated from Evreaux-Fauville Air Base, France. With its activation on Mildenhall, the 513 TCW assumed operational control of two Military Airlift Command rotational C-130 squadrons and the 7120 ACCS. Two years after its arrival, the Air Force redesignated the 513 TCW the 513th Tactical Airlift Wing (513 TAW) with no change in its mission.

For the next four years RAF Mildenhall witnessed little change, with only the 10 ACCS replacing the 7120 ACCS, and assuming its mission. However, in June of 1972, the base added to the list of its tenants with the arrival of Headquarters Third Air Force, which relocated from South Ruislip Air Station.

306th Strategic Wing

On 1 July 1978 the SAC 306th Strategic Wing was transferred to Mildenhall from Ramstein Air Base, West Germany with a KC-135 air refueling and a RC-135 reconnaissance mission. The 306th also functioned as the focal point for all SAC operations in Europe. The 306th played a major role in the success of Operation El Dorado Canyon, the American attack on the Libyan capital of Tripoli in 1986. In support of this 14-hour, radio- silence rendezvous mission, the unit deployed the largest number of refueling aircraft ever flown over Europe and the largest fleet of KC-10's ever airborne at one time.

The next significant event in Mildenhall’s history came with the arrival of Detachment 4, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, which controlled rotational SR-71 and U-2R aircraft from the base. Four years after they began rotational duty at Mildenhall, the base became a permanent station for the SR-71 in January 1983. From its arrival until the departure of the last SR-71 on 18 January 1990, the aircraft came to symbolize RAF Mildenhall in the local public's eye.

On 18 June 1987, HQ USAFE redesignated the 513 TAW as the 513th Airborne Command and Control Wing (513 ACCW). Nearly five years later, during the Air Force’s transition to the objective wing structure, the Air Force inactivated the 513 ACCW on 31 January 1992.

In Feburary 1992 the 306th Strategic Wing was inactivated in place and the 100th Air Refueling Wing was activated in its place, and to serve as the Headquarters European Tanker Task Force. The activation of the 100 ARW at RAF Mildenhall saw the return of the unit to the country in which it built its war fighting heritage and legacy.

Post Cold War

In May 1993, as part of the drawdown of forces in Europe, it was announced that the USAF-operated base at RAF Alconbury was to be returned to the UK Ministry of Defence. As a part of this return, the 352nd Special Operations Group and its associated aircraft, the MC-130E, HC-130P/N and MH-53, transferred to RAF Mildenhall in March 1995.

Trivia

• Winston Churchill stayed at the lodging there. The room was named after him.
• Prior to the the 9/11 bombings when the base was open to the public, RAF Mildenhall's Galaxy Club was considered to be one of Britain's top night clubs.

See also

• List of RAF stations
• United States Air Forces in Europe
• United States Air Force in the United Kingdom
• Air Combat Command
• Air Mobility Command
• Air Force Special Operations Command

External links

• Official site
• MH-53J/M PAVE LOW (The Pave Web) -Unofficial Site
• Template:WAD
• 95th Reconnaissance Squadron
• 488th Intelligence Squadron
• 727th Air Mobility Squadron