308th Armament Systems Group
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The 308th Armament Systems Group is a unit of the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
's
308th Armament Systems Wing The 308th Armament Systems Wing (308 ARSW) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Armament Center, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 30 July 2010. History : ''For additional ...
, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
was first activated at
Gowen Field Boise Airport (Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field) is a joint civil-military airport in the western United States, south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho. The airport is operated by the city of Boise Department of Aviation and is overse ...
, Idaho as the 308th Bombardment Group. It served as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator unit in the
China-Burma-India Theater China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was offi ...
, where it conducted long range bombing missions against Japanese forces, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation. Following
V-J Day Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...
, it returned to the United States and was inactivated in January 1946. In October 1946, the group was redesignated the 308th Reconnaissance Group and assigned to Air Weather Service (AWS) as a
weather reconnaissance Weather reconnaissance is the acquisition of weather data used for research and planning. Typically the term reconnaissance refers to observing weather from the air, as opposed to the ground. Methods Aircraft Helicopters are not built to w ...
unit. It was inactivated in 1951, when AWS reassigned its components to regional weather organizations. It was again activated as a
medium bomber A medium bomber is a military bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium-sized bombloads over medium range distances; the name serves to distinguish this type from larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers. Mediums generally carrie ...
unit under Strategic Air Command (SAC), but was inactivated in June 1952, when SAC adopted the dual deputy organization for its combat wings. In May 2006, the group was consolidated with the Long Range Missile Systems Group At Eglin.


Mission

The unit's mission is to equip warfighters with long range, precision attack capabilities.


History


World War II

Constituted as 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942, and activated on 15 April. Assigned to
II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command heavy bomber units assigned to Second Air Force. Following the entry of the United St ...
for training. Received deployment orders for the
China-Burma-India Theater China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was offi ...
(CBI) in February 1943. Deployed to Kunming Airport, China in March 1943, becoming the heavy bombardment arm of the new Fourteenth Air Force. Air echelon deployed to the CBI via the South Atlantic Transport route via Brazil, then across central Africa and Middle East to
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
, India. Ground echelon traveling by ship across the Pacific via Australia. Once established in India, group aircraft made many trips over the
Himalayan Mountains The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
(
The Hump The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek an ...
) to Southeastern China from the Assam Valley of
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
airlifting gasoline, oil, bombs, spare parts, and other items the group needed to prepare for and then to sustain its combat operations. In addition to the B-24 heavy bombers, group utilized C-87 Liberator transports for logistical support. From its main base at Kunming and later Hsinching Airfield, the 308th carried out long range strategic bombardment of enemy targets in China in support of Chinese ground forces. The group attacked airfields, coalyards, docks, oil refineries, and fuel dumps in
French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...
; mined rivers and ports; bombed shops and docks at Rangoon; attacked Japanese shipping in the East China Sea,
Formosa Strait The Taiwan Strait is a -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide. The Taiwan Strait is itself a ...
,
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phi ...
, and Gulf of Tonkin. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for an unescorted bombing attack, conducted through antiaircraft fire and fighter defenses, against docks and warehouses at
Hankow Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow (), was one of the three towns (the other two were Wuchang and Hanyang) merged to become modern-day Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers whe ...
on 21 August 1943. Received second DUC for interdiction of Japanese shipping during 1944–1945. Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr. was awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
for action on 26 October 1944 when, in spite of intense antiaircraft fire, he attacked a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea; his plane was so badly damaged that when he reached land he ordered the crew to bail out; Carswell, however, remained with the plane to try to save one man who could not jump because his parachute had been ripped by flak; before Carswell could attempt a crash landing, the plane struck a mountainside and burned. The group moved to India in June 1945. Ferried gasoline and supplies over the Hump. After the Japanese Capitulation in August, the group remained in India in support United States forces in the CBI. Personnel sailed for the United States in December, leaving B-24s to the colonial Indian forces. The unit inactivated as a paper unit in January 1946.


Weather reconnaissance

"From October 1946 through January 1951, served with Air Weather Service; supervised training and operation of weather reconnaissance units."


Strategic Air Command

The group was once again designated as a bombardment group and activated on 10 October 1951 at
Forbes Air Force Base ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also rep ...
, Kansas. Under the wing base organization system, it was assigned to the
308th Bombardment Wing The 308th Armament Systems Wing (308 ARSW) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Armament Center, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 30 July 2010. History : ''For additional ...
. However, Strategic Air Command's mobilization for the Korean War highlighted that
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
commanders focused too much on running the base organization and not spending enough time on overseeing actual combat preparations. Under the plan implemented in February 1951 and finalized in June 1952, the wing commander focused primarily on the combat units and the maintenance necessary to support combat aircraft by having the combat and maintenance squadrons report directly to the wing. The group was not operational and its squadrons were attached to the wing until 16 June 1952, when the group was inactivated with final implementation of this organization.


Missile development

In 2005, the Air Force relocated its Program Executive Offices at Air Force Materiel Command centers. The reorganization was known as the Air Force Materiel Command Transformation. In conjunction with the new organization, the traditional center directorates were replaced by wings and groups. The Long Range Missile Systems Group was formed as one of the new groups at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in January 2005. In 2006 the 308th was consolidated with this group and the consolidated unit was shortly renamed the 308th Armament Systems Group.


Lineage

; 308th Bombardment Group * Established as the 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942 : Activated 15 April 1942 : Redesignated 308th Bombardment Group, Heavy c. 1944 : Inactivated 6 January 1946 * Redesignated 308th Reconnaissance Group, Weather on 27 September 1946 : Activated 17 October 1946 : Inactivated 5 January 1951 * Redesignated 308th Bombardment Group, Medium on 4 October 1951 : Activated 10 October 1951 : Inactivated 16 June 1952 * Consolidated with the Long Range Missile Systems Group as the Long Range Missile Systems Group on 3 May 2006 ; 308th Armament Systems Group * Established as the Long Range Missile Systems Group on 23 November 2004 : Activated 27 January 2005 * Consolidated with the 308th Bombardment Group on 3 May 2006 : Redesignated 308th Armament Systems Group on 15 May 2006


Assignments

*
Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defende ...
, 15 April 1942 * Fourteenth Air Force, 10 March 1943 * United States Forces India-Burma Theater, August–December 1945 * Air Weather Service, 17 October 1946 – 5 January 1951 * 308th Bombardment Wing, 10 October 1951 – 16 January 1952 * Air to Ground Munitions Systems Wing (later 308th Armament Systems Wing), 27 January 2005 – present


Components

* 36th Reconnaissance Squadron (later 425th Bombardment Squadron): 15 April 1942 – 6 January 1946 *
53d Reconnaissance Squadron The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, also known by its nickname, Hurricane Hunters, is a flying unit of the United States Air Force, and "the only Department of Defense organization still flying into tropical storms and hurricanes." Aligne ...
: attached 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947 *
54th Reconnaissance Squadron 54 may refer to: * 54 (number) * one of the years 54 BC, AD 54, 1954, 2054 * ''54'' (novel), a 2002 novel by Wu Ming * Studio 54, a New York City nightclub from 1977 until 1981 * ''54'' (film), a 1998 American drama film about the club * ''54'' ...
: 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947 * 55th Reconnaissance Squadron: 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947 * 59th Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947 * 373d Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 21 July 1945; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 308th Bombardment Wing)Ravenstein, pp.156–158 * 374th Bombardment Squadron (later 374th Reconnaissance Squadron, 374th Bombardment Squadron): 15 April 1942 – 6 January 1946; 15 October 1947 – 19 December 1950; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 308th Bombardment Wing) *
375th Bombardment Squadron The 375th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 308th Bombardment Wing stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York. History Activated in early 1942 in Idaho as a long-range B-24 Lib ...
: 15 April 1942 – 6 January 1946; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 308th Bombardment Wing) *
512th Reconnaissance Squadron 51 may refer to: * 51 (number) * The year ** 51 BC ** AD 51 ** 1951 ** 2051 * ''51'' (film), a 2011 American horror film directed by Jason Connery * "Fifty-One "Fifty-One" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American television crim ...
: 15 October 1947 – 20 September 1948; 13 February-14 November 1949 *
513th Reconnaissance Squadron 513th may refer to: * 513th Air Control Group, United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma *513th Electronic Warfare Squadron, United States Air Force unit assigned to the 53d Electronic Warfare Group at Eglin Air Force Ba ...
: 15 October 1947 – 20 September 1948; 10 August 1949 – 19 December 1950 *
2078th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron The 2078th Air Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is a discontinued United States Air Force unit. It was assigned to the 308th Reconnaissance Group, Weather and was discontinued at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma on 20 March 1950. History The sq ...
: 1 June 1948 – 20 March 1950Assignments in Robertson, Factsheet 308th Armament Systems Group, except as noted.


Stations

*
Gowen Field Boise Airport (Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field) is a joint civil-military airport in the western United States, south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho. The airport is operated by the city of Boise Department of Aviation and is overse ...
, Idaho, 15 April 1942 * Davis–Monthan Field, Arizona, 20 June 1942 *
Wendover Field Wendover is a market town and civil parish at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated at the point where the main road across the Chilterns between London and Aylesbury intersects with the once important road a ...
, Utah, 1 October–28 November 1942 * Kunming Airport, China, 20 March 1943 * Hsinching Airfield, China, 10 February 1945 * Ruspi Airfield, India, 27 June–15 October 1945 *
Camp Kilmer Located in Central New Jersey, Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service ...
,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, 5–6 January 1946 *
Morrison Field Palm Beach International Airport is a public airport in Palm Beach County, Florida, located just west of the city of West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, which it serves as the primary airport for. It is also the primary airport for most o ...
, Florida, 17 October 1946 *
Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Field Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, California ...
(later Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base), California, 1 July 1947 *
Tinker Air Force Base Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, surrounded by Del City, Oklahoma City, and Midwest City. The base, origina ...
, Oklahoma, 10 November 1949 – 5 January 1951 * Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, 10 October 1951 *
Hunter Air Force Base Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/ antler, ...
, Georgia, 11 April – 16 June 1952 * Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 27 January 2005 – present


Aircraft

* Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945 *
Boeing WB-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fly ...
, 1946–1951


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * * * *


External links


308th Bombardment Group in CBI Website
{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II Military units and formations in Florida Military units and formations established in 1942 Armament systems units of the United States Air Force