On 15 August 1976, the 306th was activated once again as the 306th Strategic Wing at Ramstein AB, West Germany. but did not become operational until October. When the 98th Strategic Wing at Torrejon Air Base, Spain inactivated at the end of the year the 306th assumed as the focal point for all operations in Europe and acted as the SAC liaison with United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) and European Command.
On 1 July 1978, the 306th moved to RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom and became subordinate to 7th Air Division, which was activated at Ramstein to assume the SAC liaison mission. The wing was assigned the 922d Strategic Squadron at Hellenikon AB, Greece and a month later, the 34th Strategic Squadron at Zaragoza AB, Spain. For most of this period the 306 SW operated KC-135s and RC-135s from Mildenhall, Zaragoza, and Hellenikon. In 1985, KC-10A Extender aircraft were assigned to Zaragoza.
The 306th supported air refueling requirements for a variety of aircraft in or transiting the European Theater including USAF EC-135s, RC-135s, USAF & NATO E-3As, USAF F-111s, F-4s, C-141s, C-5s, KC-10s, MC-130s, B-52s, B-1s, SR-71s, and RAF Lightning F6 aircraft. The 306 SW operated at Mildenhall until 31 March 1992 when it was inactivated in anticipation of SAC’s disestablishment and the transfer of SAC’s European assets. The wing’s tanker mission transferred to USAFE’s 100th Air Refueling Wing, while its air reconnaissance mission and 922d squadron transferred to Air Combat Command’s 55th Wing.
DOR – Director Of Reconnaissance
