The 28th Operations Group is the flying component of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army S ...

28th Bomb Wing The 28th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Eighth Air Force (8 AF) of the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and is stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The wing is also the "host unit" at Ellsworth ...

, stationed at

Ellsworth Air Force Base Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder. The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assigned to the Global Stri ...

, South Dakota. The group controls two

Rockwell B-1B Lancer The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along wi ...

bomb squadrons, and provides combat-ready aircrews to project global power anytime in support of the Combatant Commander's objectives. The group carries the lineage and history of the

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

28th Bombardment Group, which was one of the primary units assigned to

Eleventh Air Force The Eleventh Air Force (11 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska.This unit is not related to the Eleventh Air Force headquarte ...

during the Aleutian Campaign. The group helped force the withdrawal of Japanese ships that attacked

Dutch Harbor Dutch Harbor is a harbor on Amaknak Island in Unalaska, Alaska. It was the location of the Battle of Dutch Harbor in June 1942, and was one of the few sites in the United States to be subjected to aerial bombardment by a foreign power during W ...

in June 1942, and flew missions against

Kiska Kiska ( ale, Qisxa, russian: Кыска) is one of the Rat Islands, a group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is about long and varies in width from . It is part of Aleutian Islands Wilderness and as such, special permission is requir ...

until the Japanese evacuated that island in August 1943. In the postwar era, the 28th Bombardment Group was one of the first USAAF units assigned to the

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both 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 c ...

on 4 August 1946, prior to the establishment of the

. The group being activated as a redesignation of the 449th 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 adopted the Tri-Deputate organization and assigned all of the group's squadrons directly to the wing. Reactivated as the 28th Operations Group in 1991 when the 28th Bomb Wing adopted the USAF Objective organization plan.

Units

* 28th Operations Support Squadron *

34th Bomb Squadron The 34th Bomb Squadron is part of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It operates Rockwell B-1 Lancer aircraft providing strategic bombing capability. Overview The 34th Bomb Squadron is presently the 4th-oldest active ...

EL – Red Tail Flash with Thunderbird emblem "T-Birds" * 37th Bomb Squadron EL – Yellow and black Tiger striped Tail Flash The 34th and the 37th Bomb Squadrons carry the legacy of the 1942

Doolittle Raid The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first American air operation to strike the Japan ...

ers. The raiders were drawn from the 95th, 34th, 37th Bombardment Squadrons and the 89th Reconnaissance Squadron of the

17th Bombardment Group The 17th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The group was last stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The Group is a direct successor to the 17th Pursuit Group, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the ...

History

: ''For related lineage and history, see

World War II

Organized in February 1940 after outbreak of

in Europe. Moved to Alaska one year later, where it trained for Arctic warfare and served to defend the incorporated territory after Japan bombed the neutral United States in

Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O� ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

on 7 December 1941. The group helped force the withdrawal of Japanese ships that attacked

in June 1942, flew missions against occupied

until the Japanese evacuated that island in August 1943, bombed and strafed enemy shipping, harbor facilities, canneries, fisheries, and military installations in the

Kurils The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands (; rus, Кури́льские острова́, r=Kuril'skiye ostrova, p=kʊˈrʲilʲskʲɪjə ɐstrɐˈva; Japanese language, Japanese: or ) are a volcanic archipelago currently administered as part of Sakh ...

, and flew photographic reconnaissance missions. Earned 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 ene ...

for attacks on the Kurils that caused Japan to divert some of her air power to that northern area, weakening Japanese opposition to Allied forces to the south, April 1944 – August 1945. Flew its last World War II bombing mission on 13 August 1945, but continued reconnaissance operations in the Kurils into September 1945. Inactivated in October 1945, but activated a few months later in Nebraska. Received

B-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 ...

es and personnel from inactivated 449th Air Expeditionary Group. Reassigned to

Elmendorf Field Elmendorf may refer to: People with the surname * Dave Elmendorf, former NFL player * Douglas Elmendorf, 2009-2015 director of the Congressional Budget Office * Lucas Conrad Elmendorf, a United States Representative from New York * Steven Elmendorf ...

, Alaska for six months of post-war arctic operations in Alaska.

Cold War

On 3 May 1947, the group and its subordinate units relocated to Rapid City Army Air Field (later Ellsworth AFB) and awaited the activation of the new headquarters to which they would soon be assigned: the 28th Bombardment Wing. The 28th Bomb Wing was established on 28 July 1947 under the

Hobson Plan The Hobson Plan was an organizational structure established by the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1948, following experimental organization in 1947. Known as the "Wing-Base Organization," it replaced the organization used by the United States A ...

, which was designed to streamline the peacetime forces after World War II. The wing existed only on paper until 15 August 1947 when SAC organized it under the 15th Air Force. Upon its activation, the wing included the 28 Bombardment Group (Heavy), 28th Airdrome Group (now Support Group), 28th Maintenance and Supply Group (Now Logistics Group), 28th Station Medical Group, and the 612th Army Air Forces Band. On 12 July 1948, in its first of many name changes, SAC activated the organization as the 28th Bombardment Wing, Medium. Just one week later, the wing deployed the entire 28th Bombardment Group and its 77th, 717th, and 718th Bombardment Squadrons (BS) to England for a 90-day B-29 show-of-force mission during the Soviet blockade of Berlin. The wing flew the B-29 until 1950 and maintained proficiency in heavy global bombardment. Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the RB-36 Peacemaker. In April 1950 the Air Staff reassigned the base from 15th Air Force to 8th Air Force. With the change in aircraft also came a modified mission: global strategic reconnaissance with bombardment as a secondary tasking. The wing's name changed again in April 1950, this time to the 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Heavy. Meanwhile, intermediate command assignments changed from the 15th to the 8th Air Force. In May 1951 the wing flew a record setting B-36 training mission lasting 41 hours without refueling. In June 1952, SAC inactivated the old 28th BG and assigned its squadrons directly under the 28 BW as part of the Tri-Deputate Organization. Seven B-36Bs were converted to RB-36D. Several RB-36D aircraft temporarily assigned to 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron for duty during

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

Reactivation

Activated on 1 September 1991 as part of the Air Force's Objective Wing reorganization. Elements periodically deploy to

Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is an island of the British Indian Ocean Territory, a disputed overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It is a militarised atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of the 60 small islands ...

for Air Expeditionary duty since 11 September 2001. 170417-F-AV193-0092

Lineage

* Established as the 28th Composite Group on 22 December 1939 : Activated on 1 February 1940 : Redesignated 28th Bombardment Group (Composite) on 11 December 1943 : Inactivated on 20 October 1945 * Redesignated 28th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 15 July 1946 : Activated on 4 August 1946 : Redesignated: 28th Bombardment Group, Medium on 28 May 1948 : Redesignated: 28th Bombardment Group, Heavy on 16 May 1949 : Redesignated: 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Group on 1 April 1950 : Redesignated: 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, Heavy on 16 July 1950 : Inactivated on 16 June 1952 * Redesignated: 28th Bombardment Group, Heavy on 31 July 1985 (remained inactive) * Redesignated: 28th Operations Group on 29 August 1991 : Activated on 1 September 1991

Assignments

* 1st Wing (later

1st Bombardment Wing The 1st Bombardment Wing is a disbanded United States Army Air Force unit. It was initially formed in France in 1918 during World War I as a command and control organization for the Pursuit Groups of the First Army Air Service. Demobilized after ...

), 1 February 1940 *

Alaska Defense Command The Alaska Defense Command (ADC) was a military formation of the United States Army. It was established on 4 February 1941, responsible for coordinating the defense of the Alaska Territory of the United States. The first commanding general of ADC ...

, 23 February 1941 (attached to Air Field Forces, Alaska Defense Command, 21 May-16 October 1941, Air Force, Alaska Defense Command after 17 October 1941) *

Alaskan Air Force The Eleventh Air Force (11 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska.This unit is not related to the Eleventh Air Force headquarte ...

(later 11th Air Force, Eleventh Air Force), 15 January 1942 (attached to Provisional XI Bomber Command after c. 5 February 1942) * XI Bomber Command, 19 March 1943 * Eleventh Air Force, 31 March 1944 – 20 October 1945 *

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 Force ...

, 4 August 1946 (attached to

Alaskan Air Command Alaskan Air Command (AAC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command originally established in 1942 under the United States Army Air Forces. Its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise dire ...

after 20 October 1946) *

, 1 January 1947 (attached to Alaskan Air Command) * Alaskan Air Command, 4 February 1947 * Fifteenth Air Force, 10 March 1947 * 28th Bombardment Wing (later 28th Strategic Reconnaissance) Wing), 15 August 1947 – 16 June 1952 (attached to

3d Air Division The 3rd Air Division (3d AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. It was inactivated on 1 April 1992. ...

, 19 July-18 October 1948) * 28th Wing (later 28th Bomb Wing), 1 September 1991 – present

Components

* 4th Airborne Command and Control Squadron: 1 September 1991 – 30 September 1992 * 28th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 September 1991 – 1 June 1992 * 28th Operations Support Squadron, 1 September 1991 – present *

: 19 September 2002–present * 37th Bombardment Squadron (later 37th Bomb Squadron): 1 February 1940 – 23 April 1941; 1 September 1991–present * 77th Bombardment Squadron (later 77th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, 77th Bomb Squadron): 2 January 1942 – 20 October 1945; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached after 10 February 1951); 1 September 1991 – 31 March 1995; 1 April 1997 – 19 September 2002 * 11th Pursuit Squadron (later 11th Fighter Squadron): 2 February – 7 June 1942 * 18th Pursuit Squadron (later 18th Fighter Squadron): 24 February 1941 – 7 June 1942 *

34th Pursuit Squadron The 34th Pursuit Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was wiped out in the Battle of the Philippines (1941–42). The survivors fought as infantry during Battle of Bataan and after their surrender, were subjected to the Bataan ...

: 1 February-30 November 1940 *

21st Bombardment Squadron 021 is: * in Brazil, the telephone area code for the city of Rio de Janeiro and surrounding cities ( Greater Rio de Janeiro) * in China, the telephone area code for the city of Shanghai. * in Indonesia, the area code for the city of Jakarta a ...

: attached 9 January 1942-c. 19 September 1943 * 36th Bombardment Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 19 October 1943 *

73d Bombardment Squadron : ''See 73d Bombardment Squadron (World War II) for the United States Army Air Forces World War II squadron'' The 73d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4241st Strategic Wing, based at ...

: 3 May 1941 – 6 October 1943 *

404th Bombardment Squadron 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest co ...

: attached c. 12 July-c. 20 September 1942, assigned c. 21 September 1942 – 20 October 1945 * 406th Bombardment Squadron: attached c. June 1942-c. October 1943 *

717th Bombardment Squadron The 717th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4245th Strategic Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 1 February 1963. The squadron was first activated in ...

(later 717th Strategic Reconnaissance) Squadron): 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached after 10 February 1951) * 718th Bombardment Squadron (later 718th Strategic Reconnaissance) Squadron): 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached after 10 February 1951)

Stations

March Field March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...

, California, 1 February 1940 *

Moffett Field Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November 10, ...

, California, 10 December 1940 – 12 February 1941 *

, Alaska, 23 February 1941 *

Adak Army Airfield Adak may refer to: Places * Adak Island, one of the Aleutian Islands ** Adak, Alaska, a town on the above island ** Adak Airport, airport serving the town *** Adak Army Airfield, original name of the airport (1942–c.1943) *** Davis Army Airfield ...

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin, "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain of 14 main, ...

, Alaska, 14 March 1943 * Shemya Army Air Base, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, 26 February 1944 – 20 October 1945 *

Grand Island Army Air Field Grand Island Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces airfield which operated from 1942 to 1946. After its closure, the base was reopened as Central Nebraska Regional Airport. History Grand Island Army Airfield was opened in 1942, a ...

, Nebraska, 4 August-6 October 1946 * Elmendorf Field, Alaska, 20 October 1946 – 25 April 1947 * Rapid City Army Air Base (later Rapid City Airfield, Rapid City Air Force Base), South Dakota, 3 May 1947 – 16 June 1952 (deployed at

RAF Scampton Royal Air Force Scampton or RAF Scampton is a Royal Air Force station located adjacent to the A15 road near to the village of Scampton, Lincolnshire, and north-west of the city of Lincoln, England. RAF Scampton stands on the site of a First ...

, England, 19 July-19 October 1948 * Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 1 September 1991 – present

Aircraft

Douglas B-18 Bolo The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company ...

, 1940–1943 *

Curtiss P-36 Hawk The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...

, 1940, 1941–1942 *

North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...

, 1941–1945 *

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...

, 1941–1942 * Lockheed A-29 Hudson, 1942–1943 *

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theat ...

, 1942–1943 *

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models ...

, 1942–1945 *

Martin B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in th ...

, 1942–1943 * Martin AT-23 Marauder, 1943–1944 * Martin TB-26 Marauder, 1945 *

Consolidated LB-30 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

, 1942 *

Lockheed B-34 Ventura The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II. The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy (US Navy), it entered combat i ...

, 1944 *

Boeing B-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 F ...

, 1946–1950; RB-29, 1950 *

Convair B-36 Peacemaker The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" is a strategic bomber that was built by Convair and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced Reciprocating engine, piston-engined aircraft ever built. It ...

, 1949–1950 * Rockwell B-1 Lancer, 1991–present * Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1991–1992 * Boeing EC-135, 1991–1992

References

; Notes ; Citations * * *

External links

28th Operations Group Factsheet
{{Navboxes , list = {{USAF Air Combat Command {{Strategic Air Command {{USAAF 11th Air Force World War II Units and formations of Strategic Air Command 028 Military units and formations in South Dakota Aleutian Islands campaign Military units and formations established in 1940 1940 establishments in California