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At the start of Soviet turn 10 (8-21-41), I have three Guards ShAP air groups, designated after 100 ground kills. After all the bombing I did in my Soviet turn 10, I should have five Guards ShAP air groups at the start of my turn 11.
1) What is the benefit of a Guards Air group, if any?
2) If I put them all in the same airbase, will it become a Guards air base? Any benefit?
3) What exactly is a ground kill? Rarely does my bombing kill an AFV per the battle reports.
In contrast my highest air kills for a FB group is 20 (MiG-3). My best experience FB group is at 73 (again Mig-3), but only 1 air kill. Will save him for my first P40B group in mid October. My #2 FB group is 71 exp and 6 kills, flying I-16 Type 18.
4) Newly created groups start at experience and morale in the low 30s. Once morale eeks above 50, I will put them in a quiet sector low on enemy fighters to build experience but that may be a long time.
5) My rule of thumb based on ignorance is any group with morale below 50 goes to the National reserve. I am in interested in what other Soviet players do.

1) zero for in-game purposes
2) no and no
3) the destruction of a ground element such as a rifle squad or mg team
4) you gain experience through air combat, win or lose. The more you fight, the more experience is gained although your own air losses reduce that somewhat. If you are in a quiet sector, experience will be gained more slowly.
5) Units below 50 morale gain at least 10 morale when sent to the reserve. That is why below 50 is a good rule of thumb.

Thanks. A few observations:
-Units in the reserve seem to have about a 50% chance of gaining 1 experience point via training.
-When flying during your turn via managed bombing attacks vs a quiet sector (manned by Finns or Romanians with light air cover) bomber gain 1+ experience over several missions but fighters do not unless there is actual air combat, even if no fighter losses to either side
-Guards air units are subject to the same fluctuations in morale and experience (decrease when taking replacements) as other air units. They may be a one time bump on Morale when they become Guards.
-I will form a ShaD airbase next turn and put 4 Guards ShAP air groups in it (will meet the 400+ kill 1041 requirement to tyr to create a Guards airbase. But such an airbase will only serve as a reminder where my better ShAP units are, in terms of kills. Most of these are still flying Su-2 as I have to use up the type. They take an experience loss if upgraded to IL-2 and I will have to convert something else to Su-2 to use up the pool.

ORIGINAL: wga
-I will form a ShaD airbase next turn and put 4 Guards ShAP air groups in it (will meet the 400+ kill 1041 requirement to tyr to create a Guards airbase.

It doesn't work that way. The base only gets credit for kills if the aircraft did them while flying from that particular base.

Thanks for the clarification. I will not expend the effort. That explains why air bases have a win-loss metric on the commanders report.