The 368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group is a combat support unit 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 A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

provides overall tactical command and control of air power assets to the Joint Forces Air Component Commander and Joint Forces Commander for combat operations.

History

Tactical Air Command

The group was first activated at

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 as the 68th Tactical Air Support Group in January 1970, when it assumed the mission, personnel and equipment of the 4467th Tactical Air Support Group, which was simultaneously discontinued. The group trained and equipped tactical air support squadrons and tactical air control parties to control aircraft and communications systems in support of surface forces including tactical air strikes, reconnaissance and airlift. It was inactivated in 1974 and its mission transferred to the 507th Tactical Air Control Wing, which combined tactical control and tactical air support units for

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 ...

Expeditionary unit

During Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn it was located at an undisclosed location in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

(possibly Joint Base Balad). It supported Multi-National Corps - Iraq. As of 26 July 2010, it comprised two subordinate units: * 22d Expeditionary Weather Squadron *

82d Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron The 82d Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit located at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The squadron was first organized in 1969 as the 82d Tactical Control Flight, an element of the Tactical Air ...

The group was inactivated on 22 December 2011 following the withdraw of US forces from Iraq and the cessation of Operation New Dawn. In May 2015 the group was activated in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Spartan Shield. It is currently composed of four subordinate units: *Detachment 1, Army Weather Support *Detachment 2, Air Support Operations Center * 72d Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron *

Lineage

* Established as the 68th Tactical Air Support Group on 2 December 1969 : Activated on 15 January 1970 : Inactivated on 15 June 1974 * Redesignated 368th Tactical Air Support Group on 31 July 1985 * Redesignated 368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group and converted to provisional status on 12 February 2009. : Activated by 20 July 2010 : Inactivated c. 18 December 2011 : Activated May 2015

Assignments

, 15 January 1970 – 15 June 1974 *

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 ...

to activate or inactivate at any time on or after 12 February 2009

Components

* Air Education and Training Command Studies and Analysis Squadron, 31 August 1972 – 1 July 1974 * 22d Expeditionary Weather Squadron, by July 2010 – c. 18 November 2011 * 72d Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, May 2015 * 82d Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, by July 2010 – c. 18 November 2011, May 2015 * 424th Tactical Air Support Training Squadron, 1 January–31 October 1972 * 681st Direct Air Support Center Squadron, 1 December 1971 – 1 July 1974 * 682d Direct Air Support Center Squadron, 1 December 1971 – 1 July 1974 * 703d Special Operations Squadron (later 703d Tactical Air Support Squadron), 15 January 1970 – 15 June 1974 * 704th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 15 January 1970 – 15 June 1974

Aircraft

Cessna O-2 Skymaster The Cessna O-2 Skymaster (nicknamed "Oscar Deuce") is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, used for forward air control (FAC) and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010. Design and develop ...

, 1970–1974 * Sikorsky CH-53, 1970–1973 * Sikorsky CH-3, 1970–1974 * Beechcraft QU-22 Pave Eagle, 1972 *

North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop attack aircraft, light attack and surveillance aircraft, observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for Counter-insurgency aircraft, counter-ins ...

, 1974

References

; Notes

Bibliography

Air ground operations units of the United States Air Force Groups of the United States Air Force {{USAF-stub