The wing is the successor organization to the World War II Eighth Air Force 96th Bombardment Group. A B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed primarily at RAF Snetterton Heath, the group was the first double-strength group in Eighth Air Force, and led the first shuttle mission to Regensburg on 17 August 1943. Active for over 60 years, the 96th Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force during the Cold War, as a strategic bombardment wing.