The 301st Operations Group (301 OG) is a flying component of the

301st Fighter Wing The 301st Fighter Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Carswell Field, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. If mobi ...

, assigned to the

United States Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...

Tenth Air Force The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...

. The group is stationed at

Carswell Field Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military ...

, Texas. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the group's predecessor unit, the 301st Bombardment Group was a highly decorated group flying

B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...

es that served primarily in North Africa and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. It operated as part of Eighth, Twelfth and

Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Forc ...

s. In the postwar era, the 301st Bombardment Group was one of the first USAAF units assigned to the

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...

on 4 August 1946, prior to the establishment of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

. The group was activated as a redesignation of the 467th Bombardment Group due to the Air Force's policy of retaining only low-numbered groups on active duty after the war. The group was inactivated in 1952 when the parent wing assigned all of the group's squadrons directly to the wing. The group was reactivated as the 301st Operations Group in 1991 when the 301st Air Refueling Wing adopted the USAF Objective organization plan.

Overview

The 301st Operations Group (Tail Code: TX) is equipped with the F-16C+ Fighting Falcon. It commands the operational fighter squadrons of the 301st Fighter Wing. The group has a rich tradition of leadership in the reserve component of the Air Force dating back to the mid-1940s and continues to make history.

Components

The group consists of the following squadrons: *

457th Fighter Squadron The 457th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve Command unit, assigned to the 301st Operations Group, 301st Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The squadron flies the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lig ...

* 301st Operations Support Flight

History

: ''Note: The 301st Operations Group does not share a common history or heritage with its parent unit, the

, being assigned to the 301st FW on 1 August 1992. See the 301st Air Refueling Wing for additional history and lineage from 1947–1992''

World War II

After activation in February 1942, trained with B-17s. Air echelon operated 5–15 June 1942 from Muroc Dry Lake, CA, and performed anti-submarine patrols off the California coast. Reunited with ground echelon after arrival in England in August 1942. Entered combat with Eighth Air Force in September 1942. Began combat in September 1942, attacking

submarine pen A submarine pen (''U-Boot-Bunker'' in German) is a type of submarine base that acts as a bunker to protect submarines from air attack. The term is generally applied to submarine bases constructed during World War II, particularly in Germany and ...

s, airfields, railroads, bridges, and other targets on the Continent, primarily in France. Reassigned to

Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to U ...

and moved to North Africa in November 1942. Bombed docks, shipping facilities, airdromes, and railroad yards in

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

, Sicily, and

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

. Attacked enemy shipping between Tunisia and Sicily. Received a

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...

for action on 6 April 1943 when the group withstood intense antiaircraft fire from shore defenses and nearby vessels to attack a convoy of merchant ships off

Bizerte Bizerte (, ) is the capital and largest city of Bizerte Governorate in northern Tunisia. It is the List of northernmost items, northernmost city in Africa, located north of the capital Tunis. It is also known as the last town to remain under Fr ...

and thus destroy supplies essential to the Axis defense of

. Assaulted gun positions on

Pantelleria Pantelleria (; ), known in ancient times as Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of the Tunisian coast. On clear days Tunisia is visible from the ...

during May–June 1943. Flew numerous missions to

, July–October 1943. Assigned to

in November 1943, moved to

in December, and afterward directed most of its attacks against

European theatre of World War II The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II, taking place from September 1939 to May 1945. The Allied powers (including the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union and Franc ...

strategic targets such as oil centers, communications, and industrial areas. Received another DUC for a mission to Germany on 25 February 1944 when, in spite of vicious encounters with enemy fighters, the group bombed aircraft production centers at

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

. In 1944–1945, supported ground forces in the

Anzio Anzio (, also ; ) is a town and ''comune'' on region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside resorts, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola, and Ve ...

and

Cassino Cassino () is a ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone at the southern end of the region of Lazio. It's the last city of the Valle Latina, Latin Valley. It is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari (river), Gari and ...

areas during the invasion of Southern France, knocked out targets to assist the Russian advance in the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, and aided the Allied drive through the

Po Valley The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain (, , or ) is a major geographical feature of northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetian Plain, Venetic extension not actu ...

. Flew 478 combat missions; 132 aircraft lost. Returned to the US in July 1945. Redesignated 301st Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in August and prepared for transition to

B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined Propeller (aeronautics), 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 ...

es and a move to the Southwest Pacific. Inactivated on 15 October 1945.

Cold War

Activated on 4 August 1946 but probably not manned until August 1947. Assigned to

. Equipped with

es for bombardment operations. Deployed to Furstenfeldbruck AB, Germany, July–August 1948; to RAF Station Scampton, England, October 1948 – January 1949; and to RAF Stations Lakenheath and Sculthorpe, May–November 1950. Reassigned to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana in 1949 and added an air refueling mission. The 301st was one of the first units to conduct aerial refueling operations with the

KB-29 The Boeing KB-29 was a modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress for air refueling needs by the USAF. Two primary versions were developed and produced: KB-29M and KB-29P. The 509th and 43d Air Refueling Squadrons ( Walker AFB, NM and Davis-Mon ...

tanker version of the Superfortress. In February 1950, rotated squadrons to Goose Bay, Labrador, for air refueling training in cold climates. Reduced to "paper" strength in February 1951 and inactivated in June 1952.

Modern era

Refueled aircraft in CONUS and provided tankers and crews for various Tanker Task Forces in Saudi Arabia, September 1991 – May 1992. After activation in the Reserve on 1 August 1992, trained for possible worldwide deployment for counter-air, interdiction and close air support missions. Supported Operation Deny Flight in Bosnia-Herzegovina, deploying F-16 aircraft and crews to Aviano AB, Italy, 1 December 1993 – 2 January 1994. Elements deployed again to Aviano, 2 January – 9 March 1996 to enforce a no-fly zone over Bosnia. Deployed aircraft and personnel to Karup AS, Denmark, for a combined force exercise, 24 May–June 1997.

Lineage

* Established as 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942 : Activated on 3 February 1942 : Redesignated: 301st Bombardment Group, Heavy c. 20 August 1943 : Redesignated: 301st Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945 : Inactivated on 15 October 1945 * Organized and activated, on 4 August 1946 from the personnel and equipment of the 467th Bombardment Group (Inactivated) : Redesignated: 301st Bombardment Group, Medium on 28 May 1948 : Inactivated on 16 June 1952 * Redesignated: 301st Operations Group on 29 August 1991 : Activated on 1 September 1991 : Inactivated on 1 June 1992 * Activated in the Reserve on 1 August 1992.

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 defended ...

, 3 February 1942 *

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern & Air Forces Space; 1 AF-AFNORTH & AFSPACE) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission i ...

, 21 June 1942 *

VIII Bomber Command 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. Etymology English ''eight'', from Old English '', æhta'', Proto-Germanic ''*ahto'' is a direct continuation of Proto-Indo-European '' *oḱtṓ(w)-'', and as such cognate wi ...

, c. 9 August 1942 * XII Bomber Command, 14 September 1942 * 5th Bombardment Wing, January 1943 *

, July 1945 * 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, 17 August – 15 October 1945 *

, 4 August 1946 * 301st Bombardment Wing, 5 November 1947 – 16 June 1952 * 301st Air Refueling Wing, 1 September 1991 – 1 June 1992 *

, 1 August 1992 -Previous

Components

* 29th Reconnaissance (later, 419th Bombardment) Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 15 October 1945 * 32d Bombardment Squadron: attached 16–30 March 1942, assigned 31 March 1942 – 15 October 1945; assigned 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952) *

91st Air Refueling Squadron The 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions. The squadron was first activated in January 1941 as ...

: 1 September 1991 – 1 June 1992 * 301st Air Refueling Squadron: 1 March 1949 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952) * 352d Bombardment Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 15 October 1945; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached c. 30 June–September 1948 and 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952) * 353d Bombardment Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 15 October 1945; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952) * 354th Bombardment Squadron: 3 February – 16 March 1942 *

: 1 August 1992–present

Stations

Geiger Field Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport in Spokane, Washington, United States, located approximately west-southwest of Downtown Spokane. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, 3 February 1942 * Alamogordo Army Airfield : Elements trained at Albuquerque Army Airbase,

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, 27 May 1942 *

Richmond Army Air Base Richmond International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Sandston, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community (in Henrico County). The airport is about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of downtown Richmond, the capital of the ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, 21 June – 19 July 1942 *

RAF Chelveston Royal Air Force Chelveston or more simply RAF Chelveston is a former Royal Air Force station located on the south side of the B645 (former A45 road), east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, England. During ...

(USAAF Station 105), England, August 1942 * Oran Tafaraoui Airport, Algeria, 26 November 1942 (air echelon) * Maison Blanche Airport, Algeria, 5 December 1942 (air echelon) * Biskra Airfield, Algeria, 16 December 1942 (air echelon) * Ste-Barbe-du-Tlelat Airfield, Algeria, 21 December 1942 (ground echelon) * Ain M'lila Airfield, Algeria, c. 17 January 1943 * Saint-Donat Airfield, Algeria, 6 March 1943 * Oudna Airfield, Tunisia, 6 August 1943 * Cerignola Airfield, Italy, c. 7 December 1943 * Lucera Airfield, Italy, 1 February 1944 – c. July 1945 * Sioux Falls Army Air Field,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

, 28 July 1945 * Mountain Home AAF,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

, ID, 17 August 1945 * Pyote Army Air Field, Texas, 23 August – 15 October 1945 *

Clovis Army Air Field Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base, located approximately southwest of Clovis, New Mexico. The host unit at Cannon is the 27th Special Operations Wing (27 SOW) also known as "The Steadfast Line". It is under the jurisdic ...

, 4 August 1946 * Smoky Hill AAF (later, AFB),

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, 16 July 1947 *

Barksdale AFB Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, in northwest Louisiana. Much of the base is within the city limits of Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwest ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, 7 November 1949 – 16 June 1952 * Malmstrom AFB,

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, 1 September 1991 – 1 June 1992 * Carswell AFB (later, ARS), Texas, 1 August 1992–present

Aircraft assigned

, 1942–1945 *

, 1947–1951 * KB-29 Superfortress (Tanker), 1949–1951 *

KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...

, 1991–1992 *

F-16 Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...

, 1992–present

References

* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . * Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . {{USAF Air Force Reserve Command Units and formations of Strategic Air Command Military units and formations established in 1942 Operations groups of the United States Air Force

Overview

Components

History

World War II

Cold War

Modern era

Lineage

Assignments

Components

Stations

Aircraft assigned

See also

References