438th Air Expeditionary Group
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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 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group is a provisional unit assigned to
United States Air Forces Central The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...
to activate or inactivate as needed. It was last active in Al Anbar province, Iraq to provide close-air support to coalition forces in the region with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. It was composed of deployed aircraft, equipment and personnel from Air Force units around the world. The unit was first activated during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
as the 438th Troop Carrier Group, a
Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained ...
unit. It saw combat in the European Theater of Operations as part of
IX Troop Carrier Command The IX Troop Carrier Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946. As a component command of the Ninth ...
. 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 ...
earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions on D-Day during Operation Overlord. After
VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
, the group returned to the United States and was inactivated in December 1945. The group was again activated in the Air Force Reserves in 1949. It was called to active duty for the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, but its personnel were used as fillers for other units and the group was inactivated. During the mid 1950s, the group was again active in the Reserve as the 438th Fighter-Bomber Group. It remained inactive until 1991, when it became the 438th Operations Group at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey when the
438th Airlift Wing The 438th Air Expeditionary Wing was a United States Air Force unit operating in Afghanistan and assigned to United States Air Forces Central. The wing trained Afghan Air Force members, including pilots. Subordinate units * 438th Air Exped ...
was reorganized under the Objective Wing model. It was inactivated with the wing in 1994.


History


World War II


Training in the United States

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
Baer Field Baer (or Bär, from german: bear, links=no) or Van Baer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Baer * Alan Baer, American tuba player * Arthur "Bugs" Baer (1886–1969), American journalist and humorist * Buddy Baer (1915–198 ...
, Indiana in June 1943 as the 438th Troop Carrier Group, with the 87th,
88th Fighter-Bomber Squadron The 88th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 438th Fighter-Bomber Group, based at General Mitchell Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was inactivated on 16 November 1957. History ...
, 89th and
90th Troop Carrier Squadron The 90th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 438th Troop Carrier Group, based at Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska. It was inactivated on 16 Nov 1957 The squadron was first ...
s assigned. Two weeks later it moved to
Sedalia Army Air Field Sedalia is the name of several places: Canada *Sedalia, Alberta, a hamlet in Alberta, Canada United States *Sedalia, Colorado *Sedalia, Indiana *Sedalia, Kentucky *Sedalia, Missouri, the largest US city named Sedalia *Sedalia, North Carolina * Sed ...
, Missouri, to begin training, primarily with
Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained ...
s, but also with other military models of the DC-3. After processing through Baer Field, the group departed for England in January 1944.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 300-301Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 301-302Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 303-304Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 306


Combat in the ETO

The group arrived at
RAF Langar Royal Air Force Station Langar or more simply RAF Langar is a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Langar, Nottinghamshire, England. The airfield is located approximately east-southeast of Radcliffe on Trent and about nor ...
, England in February 1944 and assigned to the 53d Troop Carrier Wing After a month the group was moved south to a new station at
RAF Greenham Common Royal Air Force Greenham Common or RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force station in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham in the English county of Berkshire. The airfield was southeast of Newbury, about west of London. Opened ...
. Until June, the 438th TCG trained for and participated in airborne operations, flew resupply and reinforcement missions to combat zones, evacuated casualties, and hauled freight. The 438th was selected to be the first group of
IX Troop Carrier Command The IX Troop Carrier Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946. As a component command of the Ninth ...
's force, following the
pathfinder Pathfinder may refer to: Businesses * Pathfinder Energy Services, a division of Smith International * Pathfinder Press, a publisher of socialist literature Computing and information science * Path Finder, a Macintosh file browser * Pathfinder ( ...
group in the
American airborne landings in Normandy The U.S. airborne landings in Normandy were the first U.S. combat operations during Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy by the Western Allies on June 6, 1944, during World War II. Around 13,100 American paratroopers of the 82nd and 1 ...
. Prior to the launch, both General
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
and Lt Gen Lewis H. Brereton, Ninth Air Force Commanding General, visited Greenham Common to watch preparations and speak with the troops of the 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment. The planned route to the drop zone avoided friendly antiaircraft positions and allied convoys and was flown at 500 feet over the English Channel to elude German
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
, with a climb to 1500 feet once landfall was made to avoid groundfire. Eighty-one aircraft, divided into two serials of 36 and 45 aircraft and led by the 87th Troop Carrier Squadron took off commencing at 23:48 hours on 5 June. Despite radio black-out, overloaded aircraft, low cloud cover and lack of marked drop zones, they carried 1,430 men of the 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment, who were dropped soon after midnight in the area northwest of
Carentan Carentan () is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France, with a population of about 6,000. It is a former commune in the Manche department. On 1 January 2016, it was mer ...
. Glider-borne reinforcement missions followed, and for its determined and successful work the group received a Distinguished Unit Citation. Losses amounted to one C-47 and a C-53, both lost to flak on 7 June. On 20 July the air echelons of the 87th, 88th and 89th Troop Carrier Squadrons departed for
Canino Canino is a town and ''comune'' of Italy, in the province of Viterbo (northern Lazio) in the internal part of Maremma Laziale. It is west of Valentano and northwest of Viterbo. It is also near the ancient Etruscan town of Vulci, and the des ...
airbase in Italy in preparation for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France. In the invasion, the squadrons dropped paratroops and towed gliders that carried reinforcements. The group also hauled freight in Italy. The 90th TCS stayed in the UK and operated from
RAF Welford Royal Air Force Welford or more simply RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England. The station is located approximately northwest of Newbury; about west-southwest of London Opened in 1943, it was used during the Se ...
until the rest of the groups aircraft returned from Italy on 24 August. In September the 438th Group helped to supply the Third Army in its push across France, and transported troops and supplies when the Allies launched
Operation Market-Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a salient into German territory with a bridgehead over the River Rhine, ...
, the airborne operation in the Netherlands. As part of Operation Market Garden, 90 aircraft from the 438th dropped 101st Airborne paratroopers near Eindhoven without loss on 17 September. The next day, 80 aircraft towed gliders again without loss of aircraft, although two gliders aborted and 11 C-47s suffered flak damage. However, when 40 C-47s towing 40 CG-4A Horsa Gliders left Greenham Common on 19 September, things did not go so well in adverse weather. Only half of the gliders were released in the landing zone area, and one C-47 was shot down and several gliders were lost. A further glider mission by a similar number of aircraft fared no better and another C-47 was lost. Re-supply missions were flown on 20 September and on the 21st to Overasselt and on the 21st to Son. During the
Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
(December 1944 – January 1945), the group, again headed by the 87th Troop Carrier Squadron, flew air supply missions to battle areas, including the first two flights into beleaguered
Bastogne Bastogne (; nl, Bastenaken, ; german: Bastnach/Bastenach; lb, Baaschtnech) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogn ...
. In February 1945 the groups of the 53d TCW were moved to France, the 438th going to A-79 Advanced Landing Ground at Pronses. The group evacuated Allied prisoners of war after
V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...
. It returned to Baer Field in September 1945 and was inactivated at
Lawson Field Lawson may refer to: Places Australia * Lawson, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Lawson, New South Wales, a town in the Blue Mountains Canada * Lawson, Saskatchewan * Lawson Island, Nunavut United States * Lawson, Arkansa ...
, Georgia in November.


Air Force Reserve

In 1949
Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary augm ...
reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization, which placed support units under the same headquarters as the combat group they supported. As part of this reorganization, the 438th Troop Carrier Wing was activated at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.Ravenstein, pp. 234-236 The 438th Group was activated along with the
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 ...
, absorbing the resources of the
381st Bombardment Group 381st may refer to: * 381st Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *381st Fighter Squadron or 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, squadron of the United States Air Force *381st Intelligence Squadron, intelligence unit located at Join ...
, which was simultaneously inactivated. Although the group's manning, along with that of its component squadrons was limited to 25% of active duty organization authorizations, it was assigned four squadrons, rather than three. The group trained under the 2473d Air Force Reserve Training Center for troop carrier operations with the C-46, but also flew the
North American T-6 Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air force ...
trainer. All combat units of the Air Force Reserve were ordered to active service for the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. The 438th was called up in the second wave of mobilizations on 10 March 1951. Its personnel were used to man other organizations, primarily those of Strategic Air Command, and it was inactivated on 14 March 1951. Its aircraft were distributed to other organizations as well. Little more than a year later the group was redesignated the 438th Fighter-Bomber Group and activated at
Billy Mitchell Field Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is a civil–military airport south of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States., effective May 21, 2020. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Ai ...
, Wisconsin when the 438th Fighter-Bomber Wing replaced the 924th Reserve Training Wing there. The reserve mobilization for the Korean war, however, had left the Reserve without airplanes, and the unit did not receive aircraft until July 1952. When it finally began to receive its planes, they were World War II era
North American F-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team ...
s, which would serve until the group's
Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...
s arrived. Once more, the 2473d Air Force Reserve Training Center was responsible for the training of the 438th Wing and other units at the station. Despite its designation as a fighter bomber unit, the group initially trained in the air defense role. In 1957 the group began to upgrade to the
North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing ...
. However, its time with this plane would be short. By 1956, the
Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...
were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift. At the same time, about 150
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechani ...
s became available from the active force. Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed Continental Air Command to convert three fighter bomber wings to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. The group was inactivated 16 November 1957 and most of its personnel transferred to the
440th Troop Carrier Group 44 may refer to: * 44 (number) * one of the years 44 BC, AD 44, 1944, 2044 Military *44M Tas, a Hungarian medium/heavy tank design of World War II *44M Tas Rohamlöveg, a Hungarian tank destroyer design of World War II, derived from the 44M Tas ta ...
, which was simultaneously activated.


Strategic Airlift

On 1 December 1991, the unit was activated as the 438th Operations Group as the operational component of the 438th Airlift Wing when
Military Airlift Command The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of th ...
implemented the Objective Wing organization. On 1 October 1993, the group's
30th Airlift Squadron The 30th Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 19th Airlift Wing. It was the first active-duty associate unit attached to an Air National Guard wing, working with the 187th Airlift Squadron at Cheye ...
moved on paper to
Yokota Air Base , is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and United States Air Force (USAF) base in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo. It occupies portions of Akishima, Fussa, Hamura, Mizuho, Musashimurayama, and Tachikawa. The base houses 14,000 perso ...
, Japan, . It was replaced by the 13th Airlift Squadron which was transferred without personnel or equipment from the
18th Operations Group The 18th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 18th Wing, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. The 18th OG is the largest combat operations group in the Air Force with eight squadrons ...
at
Kadena Air Base (IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a highly strategic United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific" because of its highl ...
,
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
. On 1 October 1994, the group was inactivated and replaced at McGuire by the
305th Operations Group The 305th Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing. It is stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. During World War II, the group's predecessor unit, the 305th Bombardment Grou ...
which was transferred from
Grissom Air Force Base Grissom Air Reserve Base is a United States Air Force base, located about north of Kokomo in Cass and Miami counties in Indiana. The facility was established as a U.S. Navy installation, Naval Air Station Bunker Hill, in 1942 and was an active ...
, Indiana when Grissom became an Air Force Reserve Command base.


Global War on Terrorism

The group was redesignated the 438th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status in December 2001. The group was awarded an
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force d ...
with
Combat "V" Device Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
for actions in 2002 and 2003, however, its location and activities for this period are not certain. It was again activated as part of the
Global War on Terrorism The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
in 2007 at Al Asad Air Base in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Its mission was to provide close air support for coalition forces in the region with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. At Al Asad, the group joined the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). Its initial A-10s were deployed from the 74th Fighter Squadron at
Moody Air Force Base Moody Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation near Valdosta, Georgia. Geography The base is in northeastern Lowndes County, Georgia, with the eastern border of the base following the Lanier County line. Georgia State Rout ...
By September, the Moody "Warthogs" had been replaced by those of the 175th Wing of the
Maryland Air National Guard The Maryland Air National Guard (MD ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Maryland, United States of America, and a reserve component of the United States Air Force. It is, along with the Maryland Army National Guard, an element of the Maryla ...
. On 9 September, it made the first combat attack by an A-10C using the Joint Direct Attack Munition. The group was inactivated when its aircraft were moved to
Bagram Air Base Bagram Airfield-BAF, also known as Bagram Air Base , is located southeast of Charikar in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan. It is under the Afghan Ministry of Defense. Sitting on the site of the ancient Bagram at an elevation of above sea le ...
in late 2007


Lineage

* Constituted as the 438th Troop Carrier Group on 14 May 1943 : Activated on 1 June 1943 : Inactivated on 16 September 1945 * Redesignated 438th Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 1 June 1949 : Activated in the Reserves on 27 June 1949 : Called to active duty on 10 March 1951 : Inactivated on 14 March 1951 * Redesignated 438th Fighter-Bomber Group on 1 June 1952 : Activated in the Reserves on 15 June 1952 : Inactivated on 16 November 1957Lineage, including stations and aircraft prior to 1957 in Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 310-311, except as noted. * Redesignated 438th Operations Group and activated on 1 November 1991 : Inactivated on 1 October 1994 * Redesignated 438th Air Expeditionary Group, converted to provisional status and assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed on 4 December 2001 :: Activated by 16 September 2002 :: Inactivated after 15 September 2003 :: Activated on 15 January 2007 :: Inactivated c. December 2007


Assignments

* 53d Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Jun 1943 * I Troop Carrier Command, c. October 1943 * 53d Troop Carrier Wing, February 1944 * I Troop Carrier Command, 16 September 1945 *
IX Troop Carrier Command The IX Troop Carrier Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946. As a component command of the Ninth ...
, c. 1 October - 15 November 1945 * 438th Troop Carrier Wing, 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951 * 438th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 15 June 1952 – 16 November 1957 * 438th Airlift Wing, 1 November 1991 – 1 October 1994 * Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate any time after 4 December 2001 :: Unknown, by 16 September 2002 - after 15 September 2003 ::
332d Air Expeditionary Wing The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing (332 AEW) is a Provisional Wing of Air Combat Command, currently active. It was last inactivated on 8 May 2012, and most recently reactivated on 19 May 2015. The Wing's 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group (33 ...
, 15 January 2007 - c. December 2007


Components

*
6th Airlift Squadron The 6th Airlift Squadron is part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at the McGuire AFB section of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. It operates the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission ...
, 1 November 1991 – 1 October 1994 * 13th Airlift Squadron, 1 October 1993 – 1 October 1994 * 30th Airlift Squadron, 1 November 1991 – 1 October 1993 * 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 15 January 2007 - May 2007 * 104th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, August - December 2007 * 87th Troop Carrier Squadron (later 87th Fighter-Bomber Squadron), 1 June 1943 – 22 September 1945; 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951; 15 June 1952 – 16 November 1957 * 88th Troop Carrier Squadron (later 88th Fighter-Bomber), 1 June 1943 – 22 September 1945; 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951; 15 June 1952 – 16 November 1957 * 89th Troop Carrier (later Fighter-Bomber) Squadron (4U), 1 June 1943 – 22 September 1945; 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951; 15 June 1952 – 1 July 1957 *
90th Troop Carrier Squadron The 90th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 438th Troop Carrier Group, based at Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska. It was inactivated on 16 Nov 1957 The squadron was first ...
, 1 June 1943 – 22 September 1945; 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951 * 438th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 15 January 2007 - December 2007 * 438th Expeditionary Support Squadron, 15 January 2007 - December 2007 * 438th Operations Support Squadron, 1 November 1991 – 1 October 1994


Stations

* Baer Field, Indiana, 1 June 1943 * Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, c. 11 June 1943 * Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North Carolina, 30 October 1943Maurer only gives October 1943 for the group's arrival date. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 310-311. This date is the arrival date of the group's four squadrons and presumably of the group headquarters as well. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 300-306. * Baer Field, Indiana, c. 15 January - c. 28 January 1944 *
RAF Langar Royal Air Force Station Langar or more simply RAF Langar is a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Langar, Nottinghamshire, England. The airfield is located approximately east-southeast of Radcliffe on Trent and about nor ...
(AAF-490),Station number in Anderson England, February 1944 *
RAF Greenham Common Royal Air Force Greenham Common or RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force station in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham in the English county of Berkshire. The airfield was southeast of Newbury, about west of London. Opened ...
(AAF-486), England, March 1944 * Prosnes Airfield (A-79), France,Station number in Johnson February 1945 * Amiens Glisy Airfield (B-48), France, May – c. 3 August 1945 * Baer Field, Indiana, c. 16 September 1945 *
Lawson Field Lawson may refer to: Places Australia * Lawson, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Lawson, New South Wales, a town in the Blue Mountains Canada * Lawson, Saskatchewan * Lawson Island, Nunavut United States * Lawson, Arkansa ...
, Georgia, c. 1 October – 15 November 1945 * Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951 * General Billy Mitchell Field, Wisconsin, 15 June 1952 *
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
, Wisconsin, 5 January 1953 – 16 November 1957 * McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, 1 November 1991 – 1 October 1994 * Possibly
PAF Base Shahbaz PAF Base Shahbaz is located at Jacobabad, in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is a military base operated by the Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , co ...
, by 16 September 2002 - after 15 September 2003 * Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, 15 January 2007 - December 2007


Aircraft

*
Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained ...
, 1943–1945, 1949–1951 * North American T-6 Texan, 1949–1951, 1952–1954 * Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1945, 1949–1951 * North American F-51 Mustang, 1953–1954 *
Lockheed T-33 T-Bird The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...
, 1954–1957 * Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, 1954–1957 * North American F-86 Sabre, 1957 * Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II, 2007


Awards and campaigns


See also

*
List of United States Air Force Groups This is a list of Groups in the United States Air Force that do not belong to a host wing. The last level of independent operation is the group level. When an organization is not part of the primary mission of the base it will be made an independ ...
* List of C-47 Skytrain operators * '' That's All, Brother'', restored C-47 flown by 438th commander Lt. Col John Donalson as lead plane dropping paratroopers in Normandy landings


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994. After the Battle * * Freeman, Roger A. (1996) The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle * * * * * . {{Navboxes , list = {{USAAF 9th Air Force UK {{USAAF 1st Air Force World War II Air expeditionary groups of the United States Air Force Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations of the United States in the Cold War