43d Operations Group

The 43d Operations Group (43 OG) was the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 43d Airlift Wing. It is stationed at Pope Field, North Carolina (formerly Pope AFB), and is assigned to the Air Mobility Command (AMC) Eighteenth Air Force.The unit was Air Mobility Command's only active-duty C-130 Hercules group and is composed of two flying squadrons, an aerial port squadron, the only active Air Force aeromedical evacuation squadron, and an operations support squadron.

The 43 OG was rolled into the 43d Airlift Group, which activated on 1 March 2011.

Overview
The 43 OG was part of the air force component of United States Transportation Command. It provides airlift, special missions, and tactical aeromedical evacuation for U.S. troops and regional Unified Commands using C-130 Hercules aircraft. It is composed of the following squadrons:


 * 2nd Airlift Squadron
 * 41st Airlift Squadron
 * 43d Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
 * 43d Operations Support Squadron.

The unit's World War II predecessor unit, the 43d Bombardment Group, operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater as a B-17 Flying Fortress, and later a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber unit assigned to Fifth Air Force. It was awarded two United States Distinguished Unit Citations and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for its combat service in China; Netherlands East Indies; New Guinea; the Bismarck Archipelago; the Western Pacific; Leyte, Luzon, and Okinawa.

In the postwar era, the 43d Bombardment Group was one of the first USAAF units assigned to the Strategic Air Command on 1 October 1946, prior to the establishment of the United States Air Force as a redesignation of the 444th Bombardment Group due to the Air Force's policy of retaining only low-numbered groups on active duty after the war.

It conducted long-range test missions, including the first nonstop flight around the world (26 February-2 March 1949), accomplished in "Lucky Lady II", a B-50A (46–10) commanded by Capt James G Gallagher. The group was inactivated in 1952 when the parent wing adopted the Tri-Deputate organization and assigned all of the groups squadrons directly to the wing.

Reactivated as the 43d Operations Group in 1992 when the 43d Air Refueling Wing adopted the USAF Objective organization plan.

History

 * For additional history and lineage, see 43d Airlift Wing

World War II


The 43d trained for bombardment operations during most of 1941. From December 1941 – February 1942, it flew antisubmarine patrols along the New England coast.

It then moved to the Southwest Pacific via Cape Town, South Africa, from February–March 1942. It attacked Japanese shipping in the Netherlands East Indies and the Bismarck Archipelago from bases in Australia, New Guinea, and Owi Island between August 1942 and November 1944. While there it earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for missions over Papua, New Guinea from August 1942 – January 1943. The unit used skip bombing to sink Japanese ships during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, 2–4 March 1943, for which the unit earned a second DUC. It also provided support for ground forces on New Guinea and attacked airfields and other enemy installations in New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, Yap, Palau, and the southern Philippines in 1943 and 1944. The group conducted long-range raids on oil refineries on Ceram and Borneo late in the war. After moving to the Philippines in November 1944, the group attacked shipping along the Asiatic coast and struck factories, airfields, and other installations in China and on Formosa. It also supported ground forces on Luzon. The unit moved to Ie Shima in July 1945, from which it conducted raids against airfields and railways in Japan and against shipping in the Inland Sea and the Sea of Japan. It was moved on paper to the Philippines in December 1945 and inactivated in April 1946.

Cold War
During the next period of activation, between October 1946 and February 1951, the group trained and conducted long-range test missions, including the first nonstop flight around the world (26 February – 2 March 1949), accomplished by Capt James G. Gallagher and his crew in a B-50 called Lucky Lady II. The group deployed to England for training, August–November 1949. It was not operational after 10 February 1951, and the flying squadrons attached directly to the 43d Wing for operations. Inactivated on 16 June 1952.

The 43d Operations Group was activated on 1 June 1992. Between June 1992 and 1 July 1994, the group flew air refueling missions in training exercises and was then inactivated.

In 1997, it was reactivated and assumed an airlift mission. It cooperated with U.S. Army airborne organizations at nearby Fort Bragg, taking part with them in joint training exercises. Crews and aircraft deployed to Europe and later to Southwest Asia to support contingency operations such as enforcement of no-fly zones over Iraq and for expeditionary force rotations. After terrorist attacks on the U.S. on 11 September 2001, deployed resources in the Global War on Terror.

Lineage

 * Established as 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 20 November 1940
 * Activated on 15 January 1941
 * Redesignated 43d Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 21 September 1943
 * Inactivated on 29 April 1946


 * Redesignated 43d Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 1 October 1946.
 * Organized and activated, on 1 October 1946 from the personnel and equipment of the 444th Bombardment Group (Inactivated)
 * Redesignated 43d Bombardment Group, Medium, on 2 July 1948
 * Inactivated on 16 June 1952


 * Redesignated 43d Operations Group, and activated, on 1 June 1992
 * Inactivated on 1 July 1994


 * Activated on 1 April 1997.

Assignments

 * General Headquarters, Air Force (later, Air Force Combat Command), 15 January 1941
 * Northeast Air District (later, 1 Air Force), January 1941
 * I Bomber Command, c. 5 September 1941
 * United States Army Forces in Australia, c. 28 March 1942
 * Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Areas, 18 April 1942
 * Fifth Air Force, 3 September 1942
 * V Bomber Command, 5 September 1942


 * Far East Air Forces, 3 December 1945 – 29 April 1946
 * Fifteenth Air Force, 1 October 1946
 * Eighth Air Force, 19 November 1946
 * 43d Bombardment Wing, 17 November 1947 – 16 June 1952
 * Attached to 3rd Air Division, 16 August – 16 November 1949


 * 43d Air Refueling Wing, 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994
 * 43d Airlift Wing, 1 April 1997 – present

Components

 * 2nd Airlift Squadron: 1 April 1997 – present
 * 2nd Air Refueling Squadron: attached 1 July 1949 – 16 September 1950
 * 13th Reconnaissance Squadron: attached December 1941
 * 28th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 June 1992 – 15 May 1994
 * 41st Airlift Squadron: 1 April 1997 – 9 April 2007
 * 43d Air Refueling Squadron: 19 July 1948 – 16 June 1952 (it was detached from 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952).
 * 43d Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron: 1 April 1997 – present
 * 63rd Bombardment Squadron: 15 January 1941 – 29 April 1946; 1 October 1946 – 16 June 1952 (it was detached from 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
 * 64th Bombardment Squadron: 15 January 1941 – 29 April 1946; 1 October 1946 – 16 June 1952 (it was detached from 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
 * 65th Bombardment Squadron: 15 January 1941 – 29 April 1946; 1 October 1946 – 16 June 1952 (it was detached from 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
 * 91st Air Refueling Squadron: 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994
 * 97th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 October 1992 – 1 April 1994
 * 307th Air Refueling Squadron: attached 16 September 1950 – 9 February 1951
 * 350th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 October 1993 – 1 July 1994
 * 403rd Bombardment Squadron: 15 January 1941 – 29 April 1946
 * 905th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 July – 1 October 1993
 * 906th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 June 1992 – 30 January 1994
 * 917th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 October 1993 – 1 July 1994

Stations

 * Langley Field, Virginia, 15 January 1941
 * Dow Army Airfield, Maine, 28 August 1941 – 17 February 1942
 * Sydney Airport, Australia, 28 March 1942
 * Longreach Airport, Australia, c. 1 August 1942
 * Port Moresby Airfield Complex, New Guinea 14 September 1942
 * Dobodura Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 10 December 1943
 * Nadzab Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 4 March 1944
 * Owi Airfield, Schouten Islands, 2 July 1944
 * Tacloban Airfield, Leyte, Philippines, c. 15 November 1944


 * Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines,16 March 1945
 * Ie Shima, Okinawa, 26 July 1945
 * Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippines, 10 December 1945 – 29 April 1946
 * Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 1 October 1946 – 16 June 1952
 * Deployed at RAF Marham, England, 16 August – 16 November 1949


 * Malmstrom AFB, Montana, 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994
 * Pope AFB, North Carolina, 1 April 1997 – 1 March 2011
 * Pope Field, North Carolina, 1 March 2011 - present

Aircraft

 * B-18 Bolo, 1941
 * B-25 Mitchell, 1941
 * PT-17 Stearman, 1941
 * A-29 Hudson, 1941
 * LB-30 Liberator 1941
 * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1941–1943


 * B-24 Liberator, 1943–1946
 * B-29 Superfortress, 1946–1948
 * B-50 Superfortress, 1948–1951
 * KC-135 Stratotanker, 1992–1994
 * C-12 Huron, 1994
 * C-130 Hercules, 1997–present