Lineage. Established as 310 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 15 Mar 1942. Redesignated as 310 Bombardment Group, Medium on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 12 Sep 1945. Redesignated as 310 Bombardment Group, Light, and activated in the Reserve, on 27 Dec 1946. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949. Consolidated (31 Jan 1984) with the 310 Bombardment Wing, Medium, which was established on 15 Mar 1952. Activated on 28 Mar 1952. Redesignated as 310 Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 Mar 1962. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1965. Redesignated as 310 Training and Test Wing on 29 Aug 1991. Activated on 1 Sep 1991. Inactivated on 1 Jul 1993. Redesignated as 310 Space Group on 22 Aug 1997. Activated in the Reserve on 1 Sep 1997. Redesignated as 310 Space Wing on 7 Mar 2008.
Assignments. III Bomber Command, 15 Mar 1942; XII Bomber Command, 2 May 1942 (attached to 7 Fighter Wing, 1‑17 Feb 1943); 7 Fighter (later, 47 Bombardment) Wing, 18 Feb 1943; XII Fighter Command, 3 Nov 1943; 57 Bombardment Wing, 20 Mar 1944; Twelfth Air Force, 10 Aug 1945; AAF Service Command, Mediterranean Theater of Operations, 15 Aug‑12 Sep 1945. First Air Force, 27 Dec 1946; 3 Bombardment Wing (later, 3 Air Division), 17 Oct 1947‑27 Jun 1949. Fifteenth Air Force, 28 Mar 1952 (attached to 21 Air Division, 28 Mar 1952‑); 802 Air Division, 28 May 1952 (remained attached to 21 Air Division to 4 Sep 1952; attached to 7 Air Division, 10 Mar‑8 Jun 1955 and 3 Oct 1956‑9 Jan 1957); 819 Air (later, 819 Strategic Aerospace) Division, 20 Jun 1960; 22 Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Jul 1962‑25 Jun 1965. Twentieth Air Force, 1 Sep 1991‑1 Jul 1993. Tenth Air Force, 1 Sep 1997‑.
Operational Components. Wings. 40 Bombardment: attached 6 Feb‑1 May 1953. Groups. 310 Operations: 1 Sep 1991‑1 Jul 1993. Squadrons. 39 Reconnaissance (later, 428 Bombardment: 15 Mar 1942‑12 Sep 1945; 1 Feb 1959‑1 Jan 1962. 40 Air Refueling: attached 9 Sep 1952‑30 Apr 1953; assigned 1 Jun 1960‑15 Mar 1963. 310 Air Refueling: 8 Oct 1952‑25 Jun 1965 (detached 1‑28 Mar 1954, 28 Dec 1955‑26 Feb 1956, 25 Nov‑10 Dec 1957, 25 Mar‑8 Jul 1958, and 15 Apr‑25 Jun 1965). 379 Bombardment: 15 Mar 1942‑12 Sep 1945 (detached c. 2 Nov 1943‑c. 26 Feb 1944); 11 Jun 1947‑27 Jun 1949; 28 Mar 1952‑25 Mar 1965. 380 Bombardment: 15 Mar 1942‑12 Sep 1945; 9 Aug 1947‑27 Jun 1949; 28 Mar 1952‑25 Mar 1965. 381 Bombardment: 15 Mar 1942‑12 Sep 1945: 9 Aug 1947‑27 Jun 1949; 28 Mar 1952‑25 Mar 1965. 550 Strategic Missile (ICBM-Atlas): 1 Apr 1961‑25 Jun 1965.
Stations. Davis‑Monthan Field, AZ, 15 Mar 1942; Jackson AAB, MS, 15 Mar 1942; Key Field, MS, c. 25 Apr 1942; Columbia AAB, SC, 17 May 1942; Walterboro, SC, 14 Aug 1942; Greenville AAB, SC, 18 Sep-17 Oct 1942 (ground echelon); Hardwick, England, Sep‑Nov 1942 (air echelon); Mediouna, French Morocco, 18 Nov 1942; Telergma, Algeria, 21 Dec 1942; Berteaux, Algeria, 1 Jan 1943; Dar el Koudia, Tunisia, c. 6 Jun 1943; Menzel Temime, Tunisia, c. 5 Aug 1943; Philippeville, Algeria, 10 Nov 1943; Ghisonaccia, Corsica, c. 10 Dec 1943; Fano, Italy, 7 Apr 1945; Pomigliano, Italy, c. 15 Aug‑12 Sep 1945. Bedford AAFld, MA, 27 Dec 1946‑27 Jun 1949. Forbes AFB, KS, 28 Mar 1952; Smoky Hill (later, Schilling) AFB, KS, 4 Sep 1952‑25 Jun 1965. Vandenberg AFB, CA, 1 Sep 1991‑1 Jul 1993. Falcon (later, Schriever) AFB, CO, 1 Sep 1997‑.
Commanders. Lt Col William E. Lee, 15 Mar 1942; Lt Col Flint Garrison, Jr., 21 Apr 1942; Capt James A. Plant, 19 May 1942; Col Anthony G. Hunter, c. 14 Jun 1942; Col Peter H. Remington, 6 Oct 1944; Col William M. Bower, Jul 1945; unkn, Aug‑12 Sep 1945. Lt Col H. E. Jones, 27 Dec 1946; Maj Charles Collins, 1948‑unkn. None (not manned), 28 Mar‑4 Apr 1952; Col Robert J. Nolan, 5 Apr 1952; Col John H. de Russy, 28 Nov 1952; Col Robert J. Nolan,
12 Feb 1953; Col John H. de Russy, 10 Mar 1953; Col Willard W. Wilson, 16 Mar 1954; Col Robert E. Thacker, 27 Mar 1954; Col Willard W. Wilson, 6 May 1954; Col John H. de Russy, 28 May 1954; Col Murray A. Bywater, 9 Aug 1955; Col Delmore P. Wood, by Aug 1955; Col Robert E. Thacker, 17 Aug 1955; Col Selmon W. Wells, 20 Aug 1955; Col Delmore P. Wood, 20 Jun 1956; Col Bryson R. Bailey, 20 Sep 1956; Col Jean B. Miller, Jr., 13 Jan 1958; Col Walter Y. Lucas, 11 Apr 1959; Col James C. Robinson, Jr., Jun 1960; Col George Y. Jumper, 20 Jun 1960; Col James C. Robinson, Jr., 25 Jan 1961; Col Jack W. Hayes, Jr., 3 Feb 1961; Col Edison F. Arnold, 15 Jul 1962; Col Roy C. Crompton, 22 May 1964; Col John F. Scanlon, 14‑25 Jun 1965. Col Michael J. Roggero, 1 Sep 1991-unkn; unkn-1 Jul 1993.
Aircraft and missiles. B‑25, 1942‑1945. Probably T‑6 and T‑11, 1947‑1949. B‑29, 1952‑1954; KC‑97, 1952‑1963; B‑47, 1954‑1965; Atlas F, 1952‑1965; KC‑135, 1964‑1965. Tested Minuteman III, 1991‑1993; Tested Peacekeeper, 1991‑1993.
Operations. Trained in the U.S. with B‑25s for overseas duty, 1942. Air echelon moved to England, Sep‑Nov 1942 and continued training. Ground echelon sailed to North Africa in Nov 1942, where they were joined by the B‑25 crews and aircraft. Engaged primarily in support and interdictory operations in Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, and southern France. Also flew some missions to Austria and Yugoslavia. Attacked Axis harbors and shipping in North Africa, Dec 1942‑May 1943. Bombed airdromes, landing grounds, and gun emplacements on Pantelleria, Lampedusa, and Sicily, May‑Jun 1943. Supported the Allied landing at Salerno in Sep 1943. Moved to Corsica, Dec 1943‑Mar 1944. Assisted the Allied drive toward Rome, Jan‑Jun 1944. Supported the invasion of southern France, Aug 1944. Between Aug 1943 and Apr 1945, the group struck German communications in Italy, including bridges, rail lines, marshalling yards, viaducts, tunnels, and road junctions. Also dropped propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines. Earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a mission to Italy on 27 Aug 1943, when, despite persistent attacks by enemy interceptors and antiaircraft artillery, the group accurately bombed marshalling yards at Benevento and also destroyed a number of enemy planes. Earned a second DUC for another mission in Italy on 10 Mar 1945 when the group, maintaining a compact formation in the face of enemy antiaircraft fire, bombed the railroad bridge at Ora, a vital link in the German supply line. Inactivated in Italy in Sep 1945. Activated at Bedford AAFld, MA, in Dec 1946 and trained in the Reserve until inactivation in Jun 1949. Activated in Kansas in 1952. Received B‑29 bombardment training from the 90th Bombardment Wing, Apr‑Aug 1952 and provided bombardment replacement training to the 40th Bombardment Wing, Feb‑May 1953. Converted to B‑47s in 1954. Deployed at Upper Heyford RAF Station, England, 10 Mar-8 Jun 1955, and at RAF Greenham Common, England, 3 Oct 1956‑9 Jan 1957. Gained a strategic missile squadron in Apr 1961. First Atlas missiles went on alert in Sep 1962. Began phasing down for inactivation in early 1965 and inactivated on 25 Jun 1965. Activated in Sep 1991 and assumed the ICBM testing and training mission from the Strategic Missile Center at Vandenberg AFB, CA. After removal of ICBMs from alert status at the end of the Cold War, continued to train Minuteman crews and to test accuracy and reliability of Minuteman and Peacekeeper missiles to inactivation in Jul 1993. Assisted in testing the Global Positioning System (GPS), Apr‑May 1992.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Tunisia; Sicily; Naples‑Foggia; Rome‑Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Benevento, Italy, 27 Aug 1943; Ora, Italy, 10 Mar 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1956‑1 Jan 1959; 1 Sep 1991‑15 May 1993; 4 Sep 1997‑1 Nov 1998; 1 Oct 2000-30 Sep 2002; 1 Oct 2002-30 Jul 2004; 1 Aug 2004-31 Jul 2006; 1 Aug 2006-31 Jul 2008; 1 Aug 2008-31 Jul 2010.
Lineage, Assignments, Operational Components, Stations, and Honors through 10 Aug 2017.
Commanders, Aircraft and Missiles, and Operations through 1 Jul 1993.
Emblem. Approved on 7 Jan 1954, modified on 26 Dec 2000.
Supersedes statement prepared on 16 Nov 2010.
Prepared by Carl E. Bailey.