The United States Air Force activated the 100th Air Refueling Wing, host wing at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, on February 1, 1992. From the time of its reactivation, the 100th ARW has served as the lone air refueling wing for U.S. Air Forces in Europe. The diverse mission of aerial refueling, special operations, air mobility, reconnaissance and intelligence makes RAF Mildenhall a unique U.S. Air Force base.As the air component for U.S. European Command, USAFE directs air operations in a theater spanning three continents, covering more than 20 million square miles, containing 91 countries and possessing one-fourth of the world’s population and about one-third of the world’s Gross Domestic Product. During the Cold War, USAFE was a fight-in-place force postured for a large-scale conflict. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, it has transitioned to an Air Expeditionary Force with a mobile and deployable mix of people and resources that can simultaneously operate in multiple locations. Its role in Europe and Africa has included warfighting as well as humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, and other non-traditional contingencies throughout its area of responsibility. In peacetime, USAFE trains and equips U.S. Air Force units pledged to NATO. In fulfilling its NATO responsibilities, USAFE maintains combat-ready wings based from Great Britain to Turkey. USAFE plans, conducts, controls, coordinates and supports air and space operations in Europe, parts of Asia and Africa to achieve U.S. national and NATO objectives based on taskings by the U.S. EUCOM commander.