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The 31st Operations Group is the flying component of the 31st Fighter Wing, assigned to the
United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy. The 31st Operations Group ensures the combat readiness of two F-16CG Falcon squadrons, one air control squadron, and one operational support squadron conducting and supporting worldwide air operations. The group prepares fighter pilots, controllers, and support personnel to execute U.S. and NATO war plans and contingency operations. It trains, equips, plans, and provides weather, intelligence, standardization/evaluation, and command and control sustaining global flying operations.


Components

The 31st Operations Group was reactivated in late October 1991 at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. The 31st Tactical Fighter Wing received new equipment the previous March in the form of Block 40 F-16C/D Fighting Falcons and in October of that year the wing resumed its original title (one month short of 44 years since the unit had formed) of 31st Fighter Wing, with the 31 OG as its flying component. On 24 August 1992 the effects of
Hurricane Andrew Hurricane Andrew was a compact, but very powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that struck the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana in August 1992. It was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures dama ...
severely damaged Homestead. The group's three F-16 squadrons were relocated to
Moody Air Force Base Moody Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation near Valdosta, Georgia. Geography The base is mostly in northeastern Lowndes County, Georgia, with a portion in Lanier County. Georgia State Route 125 runs through the west ...
, Georgia (and eventually reassigned to other units) and the base declared non-operational because of the damage caused by the hurricane. The result of this was the reassignment of the 31st from
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
Ninth Air Force 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 D ...
to United States Air Forces Europe's
Sixteenth Air Force The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and ele ...
on 31 March 1994 without personnel or equipment. The 31st replaced the
401st Tactical Fighter Wing The 401st Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe to be activated or inactivated at any time as needed. It is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The group (milita ...
at Aviano Air Base, Italy, and the wing received two new fighter Squadrons, the 510th "Buzzards" and 555th Fighter Squadrons "Triple Nickel". These squadrons were initially unequipped, but the 512th and
526th Fighter Squadron The 526th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 86th Operations Group, based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It was inactivated on 1 July 1994. History World War II Initially activated ...
s, of the 86th Fighter Wing at
Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
, Germany, which were equipped with F-16CG/DG Block-40s were inactivated as the 86th Wing became an airlift organization. These squadrons transferred their equipment and personnel to the new squadrons at Aviano. Both use the tail code "AV" for AViano. Each F-16 has a tail markings in the squadron colors – Green with the words "Triple Nickel" in white for the 555th FS and Purple with the words "Buzzards" in white for the 510th FS. The Block 40s (as well as the Block 42 F-16's) are equipped with the Martin–Marietta Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infra-Red for Night (LANTIRN) system. This consists of two pods, a AAQ-13 navigation pod carried on the left-hand chin pylon and an AAQ-14 targeting pod on the right-hand chin pylon. To differentiate this version the USAF has applied the designation F-16CG/DG. Non-flying squadrons of the 31st OG are: * 603rd Air Control Squadron "Scorpions" * 31st Operations Support Squadron


History

The group's origins begin just before World War II, when the 31st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 22 December 1939 and was activated on 1 February 1940 with the 39th, 40th and 41st Pursuit squadrons. The group fought in North Africa and Italy during the war, returning to Drew Field Florida in August 1945 where it was Inactivated. A SAC Fighter-Escort group during the early years of the Cold War, the group was inactivated again in 1952. It was reactivated as the 31st Operations Group in 1991.


World War II

The 31st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) was constituted on 22 December 1939 and activated on 1 February 1940, at Selfridge Field,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, with the 39th, 40th and 41st Pursuit squadrons. Its first commander was Lt. Col. Harold H. George, previously commander of the 94th Pursuit Squadron, also at Selfridge. The group trained and participated in Army maneuvers. The unit was redesignated the 31st Fighter Group on 15 May 1942 and was deployed to the European
Theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...
. Most of the group moved to RAF Atcham England where it was assigned to
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
. The stationing of the group personnel and aircraft was very haphazard, being assigned to various RAF stations in Kent and the East Midlands throughout its tenure in England. The group consisted of the following squadrons and fuselage codes: * 39th Pursuit Squadron (1940–1942) * 40th Pursuit Squadron (1940–1942) * 41st Pursuit Squadron (1940–1942) *
307th Fighter Squadron The 307th Fighter Squadron is a McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle unit and is part of Air Force Reserve Command's 414th Fighter Group stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The mission of the 307 FS is to assist the 4th ...
(MX) (1942–1945) *
308th Fighter Squadron The 308th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where it trains aircrew, pilots on the Lockheed Martin F-35A. History World War II Initially establi ...
(HL) (1942–1945) * 309th Fighter Squadron (WZ) (1942–1945) The group arrived in the UK without its assigned aircraft as the
Bell P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...
s they trained with in the United States were found unsuitable for long-distance formation ferry flights. The ground echelon sailed on the on 4 June 1942 arriving Clyde 10 June 1942. Pilots followed later that month. In England, the group was provided with British Supermarine Spitfire Vbs by the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
. The 31st Fighter Group was the first group to commence operations with
VIII Fighter Command The VIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit of command above the wings and below the numbered air force. Its primary mission was command of fighter operations within the Eighth Air Force. In the World War II European Thea ...
. It flew its first sorties with the RAF on 26 July, and its first squadron operation on 5 August. The 31st's first combat operation was on 19 August 1942, when it supported the Allied
raid RAID (; redundant array of inexpensive disks or redundant array of independent disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical Computer data storage, data storage components into one or more logical units for th ...
at
Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...
, France. In August 1942, the 31st moved to
RAF Westhampnett Royal Air Force Westhampnett or more simply RAF Westhampnett is a former Royal Air Force satellite station, located in the village of Westhampnett near Chichester, in the English County of West Sussex. It was built as an emergency landing ...
in Sussex until October before moving into
Tafaraoui Airfield Oran Tafaraoui Airport is a joint civil/military airport in Oran Province, Algeria . History During World War II, it was a primary mission objective of the United States Army 34th Infantry Division during the Allied Operation Torch landings on 8 ...
, Algeria on 8 November 1942 as part of
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 ...
to take part in
Operation Torch Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa whil ...
, the invasion of North Africa. Once in North Africa, the group attacked motor transports, gun positions, and troop concentrations during the campaign for Algeria and French Morocco. It supported ground troops in Tunisia and provided cover for bomber and
fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domina ...
. During May and June 1943, after being re-equipped with Mk VIII and Mk IX Spitfires, it escorted
naval A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operatio ...
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
s in the Mediterranean and bombers on raids to
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 ...
. It supported landings on
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
in July, at
Salerno Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...
in September, and at
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 ...
in January 1944. The group provided
close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
of Allied ground forces in Italy and flew patrol and escort missions. In April 1944, after being assigned to
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 ...
, the group was equipped with P-51B, C and D Mustangs and engaged primarily in missions to escort heavy bombers to enemy targets in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Greece. The 31st 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 e ...
for a 21 April 1944 mission to cover a raid on production centers in Romania. It escorted
reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
and cargo aircraft participating in the airborne invasion of southern France. The unit strafed airdromes and communications targets. As part of a Fifteenth Air Force
task force A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many ...
, it attacked targets in Romania while flying to Russia on 22 July 1944. After escorting
Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...
aircraft from a Russian base for a raid on an airdrome in Poland on 25 July, it attacked a German fighter-bomber force and a truck convoy, earning a second Distinguished Unit Citation. In April 1945, when Allied forces pursued their final offensive in northern Italy, the group strafed enemy rail and highway traffic. The 31st Fighter Group returned to Drew Field Florida in August 1945, where it was inactivated on 7 November.


Occupation duty

The 31st Fighter Group was reactivated at AAF Station Giebelstadt, Germany on 20 August 1946 where it was assigned to the
United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
XII Tactical Air Command The XII Tactical Air Command was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe at Bad Kissingen, Germany, where it was inactivated on 10 November 1947. History The 12th Gr ...
for duty with the occupation force, assuming the mission, aircraft and personnel of the 55th Fighter Group, which was simultaneously inactivated. The group flew the former 55th's North American P-51D Mustangs from the airfield, as well as early-model Lockheed P-80B Shooting Star jet aircraft which had been deployed to the 55th. The unit moved to AAF Station Kitzingen on 30 September where it continued to operate both P-51Ds and P-80Bs.


Strategic Air Command

After a year, the group's personnel and equipment were stood down, and the group was transferred without personnel or equipment, to
Turner Field Turner Field was a baseball stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1997 Atlanta Braves season, 1997 to 2016 Atlanta Braves season, 2016, it served as the home ballpark to the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Originally built ...
, Georgia on 20 November 1947. At Turner the 31st Fighter Group became the operational component of the newly established
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 ...
31st Fighter Wing on 20 November under
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
, and was equipped with surplus P-51D Mustangs. The group consisted of the 307th, 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons. At Turner, the 31st FG trained to achieve tactical proficiency from 1947–1950. In the summer of 1948, the 31st Fighter Group became the second Tactical Air Command unit to receive the Republic P-84C Thunderjet. The designation was changed to F-84C on 11 June 1948. Effective 20 June 1950, Turner was transferred 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 ...
and effective 1 July 1950 control of the 31st Fighter Group was turned over to SAC and the group was redesignated as the 31st Fighter Escort Group. Upon the transfer to SAC, the group was assigned to SAC's
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 ...
on 16 July with a mission to escort SAC's intercontinental Boeing B-29 and
Boeing B-50 Superfortress The Boeing B-50 Superfortress is a retired American strategic bomber. A post–World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, it was fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller tail fin ...
bomber fleet. Along with the reassignment to SAC, the 31st was upgraded to the new F-84E model, which was designed for bomber escort duties. As the F-84E model was still a brand-new aircraft, the 31st FEW was charged with performing accelerated service test on them. For these evaluations, the group utilized the air-to-ground gunnery range at
Fort Stewart Fort Stewart is a United States Army post in the U.S. state of Georgia. It lies primarily in Liberty and Bryan counties, but also extends into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties. The nearby city of Hinesville, along with ...
, Georgia and an air-to-air range over the Atlantic Ocean between
Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
and
Brunswick, Georgia Brunswick ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Glynn County, Georgia, Glynn County in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As the primary urban and economic center of the lower southeast portion of Georgia, it is the second-larges ...
. In addition, bomber escort missions were flown with B-29s from the 2d Bombardment Group at Hunter Air Force Base near Savannah. Beginning in December 1950 through July 1951, all tactical and most support components deployed to
RAF Manston Royal Air Force Manston or more simply RAF Manston is a former Royal Air Force station located in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site was split between a commercial airport Kent International Airpor ...
, England. The remaining components of the 31st at Turner were backfilled by the Federalized New Jersey Air National Guard 108th Fighter-Bomber Wing with 141st, 149th and 153d Fighter-Bomber Squadrons. Between 1 June 1951 and 15 June 1942, the 31st Fighter-Escort Group was reduced to a "paper" status when the operational squadrons were assigned directly to the 31st FEW. In June 1952 the group was inactivated when the Wing completed implementation of the dual deputate organization.


Reactivation

On 1 November 1991, the unit, which had been redesignated the 31st Operations Group, was activated as a result of the 31st Fighter Wing implementing the USAF Objective Wing organization. The 31st Group was assigned the flying components of the wing with a mission to train combat-ready fighter crews for deployment in any part of the world. On 24 August 1992, much of Homestead Air Force Base's
physical plant A physical plant, building plant, mechanical plant or industrial plant (and where context is given, often just plant) refers to the technical infrastructure used in operation and maintenance of a given facility. The operation of these technical f ...
was destroyed or severely damaged by
Hurricane Andrew Hurricane Andrew was a compact, but very powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that struck the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana in August 1992. It was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures dama ...
. Just prior to the storm's landfall in Southeast Florida, the 31st dispersed its fighter squadrons to safe areas away from the storm's path. These locations were: * 307th and 308th Fighter Squadrons to the 347th Operations Group,
Moody Air Force Base Moody Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation near Valdosta, Georgia. Geography The base is mostly in northeastern Lowndes County, Georgia, with a portion in Lanier County. Georgia State Route 125 runs through the west ...
, Georgia * 309th Fighter Squadron to the 363d Operations Group,
Shaw Air Force Base Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...
, South Carolina The effects of Hurricane Andrew caused the almost total destruction of Homestead Air Force Base. Although both President George H. W. Bush and President Clinton promised to rebuild Homestead, the BRAC designated the installation for realignment to the Air Force Reserve, with the 31st Operations Group's squadrons being permanently reassigned to their dispersal bases, Moody AFB and Shaw AFB on 1 October 1992. The remaining wing elements worked to clean up and salvage government property at Homestead. The 31st Group was reassigned to Italy in April 1994 without personnel and equipment, replacing the 401st Operations Group, to control flying operations for the 31st Fighter Wing. From May 1994 – December 2004, the group participated in the major
Balkan 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 ...
operations. Its squadrons also deployed personnel and equipment to support operations in Southwest Asia April 1991 – November 1995. In 2000 the group gained a Combat
Search and Rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
Mission (CSAR), along with additional F-16s. The 31st also supported
Operation Northern Watch Operation Northern Watch (ONW), the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a Combined Task Force (CTF) charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq. Its mission began on 1 January 1997. The coalition partn ...
, March–May 2002 and
Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from August 1992 to March 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of moni ...
, August–December 2002. Most recently the 31 OG has deployed personnel and equipment in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...
and
Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
.


Lineage

* Established as the 31st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 22 December 1939 : Activated on 1 February 1940 : Redesignated 31st Fighter Group on 15 May 1942 : Inactivated on 7 November 1945 * Activated on 20 August 1946 : Redesignated: 31st Fighter-Bomber Group on 20 January 1950 : Redesignated: 31st Fighter-Escort Group on 16 July 1950 : Inactivated on 16 June 1952 * Redesignated: 31st Tactical Training Group on 31 July 1985 (remained inactive) * Redesignated: 31st Operations Group on 28 October 1991 : Activated on 1 November 1991 : Inactivated on 1 April 1994 * Activated on 1 April 1994


Assignments

* 2d Wing, 1 February 1940 * 6th Pursuit Wing, 18 December 1940 * I Interceptor Command, 1 October 1941 * III Interceptor Command (later III Fighter Command), 18 April 1942 *
VIII Fighter Command The VIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit of command above the wings and below the numbered air force. Its primary mission was command of fighter operations within the Eighth Air Force. In the World War II European Thea ...
, 10 June 1942 * 6th Fighter Wing, 16 August 1942 *
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 ...
, 14 September 1942 *
XII Fighter Command Twelve or 12 may refer to: * 12 (number) * December, the twelfth and final month of the year * Dozen, a group of twelve. Years * 12 BC * AD 12 * 1912 * 2012 Film * ''Twelve'' (2010 film), based on the 2002 novel * ''12'' (2007 film), by Russia ...
, 27 September 1942 * XII Air Support Command, November 1942 * 64th Fighter Wing, 24 July 1943 * 306th Bombardment Wing (later 306th Fighter Wing), 1 April 1944 * 305th Bombardment Wing, c. 13 June 1945 *
Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a Numbered Air Force, numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U ...
, August-7 November 1945 * XII Tactical Air Command, 20 August 1946 *
Ninth Air Force 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 D ...
, 25 June 1947 * 31st Fighter Wing (later 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing, 31st Fighter-Escort Wing), 20 November 1947 – 16 June 1952 * 31st Fighter Wing, 1 November 1991 – 1 April 1994 * 31st Fighter Wing, 1 April 1994 – present


Components

* 31st Operations Support Squadron: 1 April 1994 – present * 39th Pursuit Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 15 January 1942 * 40th Pursuit Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 15 January 1942 * 41st Pursuit Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 15 January 1942 * 56th Rescue Squadron: May 2018 – present * 57th Rescue Squadron: May 2018 – present * 307th Pursuit Squadron (later 307th Fighter Squadron 307th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 307th Fighter-Escort Squadron, 307th Fighter Squadron): 30 January 1942 – 7 November 1945; 20 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 27 July 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 November 1991 – 20 November 1992 (detached c. 11 September – 20 November 1992) * 308th Pursuit Squadron (later 308th Fighter Squadron 308th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 308th Fighter-Escort Squadron, 308th Fighter Squadron): 30 January 1942 – 7 November 1945; 20 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 27 July 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 November 1991 – 20 November 1992 (detached c. 11 September – 20 November 1992) * 309th Pursuit Squadron (later 309th Fighter Squadron 309th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 309th Fighter-Escort Squadron, 309th Fighter Squadron): 30 January 1942 – 7 November 1945; 20 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 27 July 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 November 1991 – 20 November 1992 (detached 28 August – 20 November 1992) * 510th Fighter Squadron: 1 April 1994 – present * 555th Fighter Squadron: 1 April 1994 – present * 606th Air Control Squadron: 1 November 2016 – present * 731st Expeditionary Attack Squadron: 2021 - present


Stations

* Selfridge Field, Michigan, 1 February 1940 * Baer Field, Indiana, 6 December 1941 * New Orleans Army Air Base, Louisiana, 6 February – 19 May 1942 * RAF Atcham (AAF-342),Station number in Anderson England, 11 June 1942 * RAF Westhampnett (AAF-352), England, 1 August – 21 October 1942 * Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 8 November 1942 * Oran Es Sénia Airport,
Oran, Algeria Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...
, c. 13 November 1942 * Thelepte Airfield, Tunisia, c. 7 February 1943 * Tebessa Airfield, Algeria, 17 February 1943 * Youks-les-Bains Airfield, Algeria, 21 February 1943 * Kalaa Djerda Airfield, Tunisia, c. 25 February 1943 * Thelepte Airfield, Tunisia, 11 March 1943 * Djilma Airfield, Tunisia, 7 April 1943 * Le Sers Airfield, Tunisia, 12 April 1943 * Korba Airfield, Tunisia, 15 May 1943 * Guyotville, Algeria, June 1943 : Air echelon operated from
Gozo Island Gozo ( ), known in antiquity as Gaulos, is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago. As ...
(near
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
), c. 28 June – 13 July 1943 * Ponte Olivo Airfield, Sicily, c. 13 July 1943 * Agrigento Airfield, Sicily, 21 July 1943 * Termini Airfield, Sicily, 2 August 1943 * Milazzo Airfield, Sicily, 2 September 1943 * Montecorvino Airfield, Italy, 21 September 1943 * Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, 14 October 1943 * Castel Volturno Airfield, Italy, 19 January 1944 * San Severo Airfield, Italy, 2 April 1944 * Mondolfo Airfield, Italy, 3 March 1945 * Triolo Airfield, Italy, 15 July–August 1945 *
Drew Field Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective May 15, 2025. The airp ...
, Florida, c. 25 August – 7 November 1945 * AAF Station Giebelstadt, Germany, 20 August 1946 * AAF Station Kitzingen, Germany, 30 September 1946 – 25 June 1947 * Langley Field, Virginia, 25 June 1947 *
Turner Field Turner Field was a baseball stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1997 Atlanta Braves season, 1997 to 2016 Atlanta Braves season, 2016, it served as the home ballpark to the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Originally built ...
(later Turner Air Force Base), Georgia, 4 September 1947 – 16 June 1952 * Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, 1 November 1991 – 1 April 1994 * Aviano Air Base, Italy, 1 April 1994 – present


Aircraft

* Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1942 *
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
, 1942 * Supermarine Spitfire, 1942–1943 * North American P-51 (later F-51) Mustang, 1943–1945, 1947–1949 * Lockheed P-80, 1946–1947; P-51 * Republic F-84 Thunderjet, 1948–1952 * General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1991–1992, 1994–present


References

; Notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * Freeman, Roger A. ''Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now''. After the Battle, 1978. . * Goebel, Robert J. ''Mustang Ace: Memoirs of a P-51 Fighter Pilot''. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Press, 1991. . * Kucera, Dennis C. ''In a Now Forgotten Sky: The 31st Fighter Group in WW2''. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997. . * Lamensdorf, Rolland Gilmore. ''History of the 31st Fighter Group''. self-published, 1985. * Mackay, Ron. ''The 31st Fighter Group in World War II''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publishing, Inc., 2007. . * * *


External links


31st Operations Group Factsheet


* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20071012125320/http://armyairforces.com/dbgroups.asp?Group=54 ArmyAirForces.Com 31st Fighter Group
Aviano AB Home Page

31st Fighter Group, WW II

31st Fighter Wing Heritage Site
031 1940 establishments in Michigan