307th Operations Group
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The 307th Operations Group is an Air Reserve Component 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 ...
. It is assigned to the 307th Bomb Wing,
Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, 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 ...
, stationed at
Barksdale Air Force Base 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. In the postwar era, the 307th Bombardment Group was one of the USAAF bombardment groups assigned to
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, the group being activated as a redesignation of the 498th Bombardment Group due to the Air Force's policy of retaining only low-numbered groups on active duty after the war. The group deployed to Okinawa during the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
and was awarded the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for its air strikes against enemy forces in Korea. It was also awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation and several campaign streamers.


Mission

The 307th Operations Group was activated on 8 January 2011. Its mission is strategic nuclear deterrence and global strike. The Air Force Reserve wing is a
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic aircraft, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the ...
unit whose mission is to train B-52 pilots in initial qualification. The B-52 combat mission is to employ the bomber in support of Air Force worldwide conventional commitments.


History


World War II

Activated on 15 April 1942. Trained and flew patrols off the West Coast, first in
Boeing 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 and later in
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 desi ...
s. Moved to Hawaii, October–November 1942, and assigned to
Seventh Air Force The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...
. Trained and flew patrol and search missions. Attacked
Wake Island Wake Island (), also known as Wake Atoll, is a coral atoll in the Micronesia subregion of the Pacific Ocean. The atoll is composed of three islets – Wake, Wilkes, and Peale Islands – surrounding a lagoon encircled by a coral reef. The neare ...
, December 1942 – January 1943, by staging through Midway Island. Moved to
Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...
in February 1943 and assigned to
Thirteenth Air Force The Thirteenth Expeditionary Air Force (13 EAF) is a provisional numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam on the island of Oahu, ...
. Served in combat, primarily in the South and Southwest Pacific, until the war ended. Attacked Japanese airfields, installations, and shipping in the
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
and
Bismarck Islands The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about . History The first inhabitants of the archipelag ...
. Helped to neutralize enemy bases on Yap and in the Truk and Palau Islands. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for an unescorted, daylight attack on heavily defended airfields in the Truk Islands on 29 March 1944. Supported operations in the Philippines by striking Japanese shipping in the southern Philippines and by bombing airfields on
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...
,
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
,
Negros Negros (, , ) is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . The coastal zone of the southern part of Negros is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Tr ...
, Ceram, and
Halmahera Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coa ...
. Also took part in Allied air operations against the Netherlands East Indies by hitting airfields, shipping, and installations. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for an unescorted mission against vital oil refineries at Balikpapan, Borneo, on 3 October 1944. Supported Australian forces on Borneo and bombed targets in French Indochina during the last three months of the war. Two Presidential Unit Citations were awarded to the Group during World War II, one for action in the bombing of the Island of Truk, the most heavily defended and strongly fortified Japanese base in the Pacific. During withdrawal. gunners of the Group destroyed 31 of the 75 attacking aircraft, probably destroyed 12 more and damaged 10 in an air battle that lasted 43 minutes. This daring raid, made on 29 March 1944, neutralized the Japanese airfields, making possible long range flights without fighter protection, The other Presidential Unit Citation was awarded for the successful strike at the Baltkapapan Oil Refineries in
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
on 30 September 1944. The 307th had to fly their B-24 Liberator bombers 17 1/2 hours for a round trip of 2,610 miles, the longest mass daylight mission ever flown by this type aircraft. Flew patrol missions along the Asiatic mainland and ferried liberated prisoners from Okinawa to
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
after V-J Day. Returned to the US, December 1945 – January 1946. Inactivated on 18 January 1946.


Strategic Air Command

Redesignated 307th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy). Activated on 4 August 1946 from the personnel and equipment of the 498th Bombardment Group. Assigned to
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 ...
at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Equipped with
Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired 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 Bo ...
es. Trained and developed antisubmarine tactics. Redesignated 307th Bombardment Group, Medium in May 1948. It deployed from MacDill on 1 August 1950 to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa for combat during the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. The 307th was the third
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 ...
B-29 Superfortress group deployed, and was attached to Far East Air Forces. Attacked strategic objectives in North Korea, August–September 1950. After that, struck interdictory targets, including communications and supply centers, and supported UN ground forces by hitting gun emplacements and troop concentrations. During its combat deployment, the group had flown over 5800 sorties. Twenty-two planes were reported lost. Became non-operational when parent wing adopted Dual Deputate organization, 10 February 1951 and all assigned squadrons were attached directly to the wing. Inactivated 16 June 1952 Reactivated in 1977 as a
Boeing 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 ...
air refueling group at
Travis Air Force Base Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 Kilometre, km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, California, Fairfield, i ...
, California. Inactivated in 1983 due to a SAC reorganization.


Lineage

* Constituted as the 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942 : Activated on 15 April 1942 : Redesignated 307th Bombardment Group, Heavy on 20 August 1943 : Inactivated on 18 January 1946 * Redesignated 307th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 15 July 1946 : Activated on 4 August 1946 : Redesignated 307th Bombardment Group, Medium on 28 May 1948 : Inactivated on 16 June 1952 * Redesignated 307th Air Refueling Group on 14 June 1977 * Activated on 1 July 1977 : Inactivated on 1 October 1983 * Redesignated 307th Operations Group on 8 December 2010 * Activated on 1 January 2011


Assignments

* Second Air Force, 15 April 1942 * VII Bomber Command, 1 November 1942 * XIII Bomber Command, 9 February 1943 – 15 December 1945 * Army Service Forces, San Francisco Port of Embarkation, 16–18 January 1946 *
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 ...
, 4 August 1946 * Strategic Air Command, 1 April 1947 * 307th Bombardment Wing, 15 August 1947 – 12 July 1948 * 307th Bombardment Wing, 12 July 1948 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 3d Air Division, 16 July – 3 November 1948, Far East Air Forces Bomber Command, Provisional, 8 August 1950 – 9 February 1951, not operational after 10 February 1951) * 14th Air Division, 1 July 1977 – 1 October 1983 * 307th Bomb Wing, 1 January 2011 – present


Components

* 35th Reconnaissance Squadron (later 424th Bombardment Squadron): 15 April 1942 – December 1945 * 93d Bomb Squadron: 1 January 2011 – present * 307th Air Refueling Squadron, 16 June 1950 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 43d Bombardment Group c. 1 Jul 1950, 43d Bombardment Wing, 10 February 1951, 6th Bombardment Wing after August 1951) * 307th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; 1 July 1977 – 31 December 1983 * 307th Operations Support Flight (later 307th Operations Support Squadron): 1 January 2011 – present * 343d Bomb Squadron: 1 January 2011 – present * 370th Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 8 January 1946; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 307th Bombardment Wing after 10 February 1951) * 371st Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 8 January 1946; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 307th Bombardment Wing after 10 February 1951) * 372d Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – December 1945; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 307th Bombardment Wing after 10 February 1951) * 424th Bombardment Squadron: See 35th Reconnaissance Squadron * 916th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 July 1977 – 31 December 1983Component information in Robertson, Factsheet 307 Operations Group, except as noted.


Stations

* Geiger Field, Washington, 15 April 1942 * Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington 28 May 1942 * Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, 30 September – 20 October 1942 * Hickam Field, Hawaii, 1 November 1942 *
Koli Airfield Koli Airfield (also known as Bomber 3 Field) is a former World War II airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, located near Koli Point, eight miles east of Henderson Field, close to the Metapona River to the east and the ...
, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, February 1943 * Munda Airfield,
New Georgia New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province (Solomon Islands), Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the List of islands by area, 203rd-largest island in the world. Since July 1978, the island has been par ...
, Solomon Islands, 28 January 1944 * Momote Airfield, Los Negros, Admiralty Islands, C. 29 April 1944 * Wakde Airfield, Wakde, Netherlands East Indies, 24 August 1944 * Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, c. 18 October 1944 * Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, September–December 1945 * Camp Stoneman, California, 16–18 January 1946 * MacDill Field (Later MacDill Air Force Base), Florida, 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (deployed at RAF Waddington and RAF Marham, England, 18 July – 3 November 1948, elements at
RAF Lakenheath Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, UK, north-east of Mildenhall, Suffolk, Mildenhall and west of Thetford. The insta ...
and RAF Marham, England, 17 February – 1 May 1949, deployed to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa after 8 August 1950) : Operated from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, 8 August 1950 – 9 February 1951 * Travis Air Force Base, California, 1 July 1977 – 31 December 1983 * Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, 8 January 2011 – present


Aircraft

* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942 * Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942–1946 * Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1946–1951 * Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1977–1983 * Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 2011–present


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * *


External links

* 307th Bomb Group Associatio

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