The 477th Fighter Group is an Air Reserve 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 ...
. It is assigned to the
Tenth Air Force,
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
Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska. The 477th FG is an associate unit of the
3rd Wing of
Pacific Air Forces
The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PAC ...
(PACAF), and if mobilized the wing is gained by PACAF.
Overview
The 477th Fighter Group was reactivated on 1 October 2007 as the first Air Force Reserve unit to fly, maintain, and support the
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is an American Twinjet, twin-engine, Jet engine, jet-powered, Night fighter, all-weather, supersonic Stealth aircraft, stealth fighter aircraft. As a product of the United States Air Force's Advanced Ta ...
. The group is an associate unit responsible for recruiting, training, developing and retaining Citizen Airmen to support
3d Wing and Air Force expeditionary unit mission requirements.
Units
The 477th Fighter Group provides a combat-ready force of approximately 425 Air Reserve Technicians, Traditional Reservists, and civil servants assigned to the following squadrons:
*
302nd Fighter Squadron
* 477th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
* 477th Maintenance Squadron
* 477th Civil Engineer Squadron
* 477th Aerospace Medicine Flight
* 477th Mission Support Flight
* 477th Operations Support Flight
* 477th Force Support Squadron
The men and women of the 477th Fighter Group will functionally integrate with their active duty Air Force partners in almost all F-22A mission areas to increase efficiency and overall combat capability while retaining Reserve administrative support and career enhancement. The 477th Fighter Group will leverage the traditional Reserve Component strengths of experience and continuity to fly, fight, and win as Unrivaled Wingmen on the Total Force team at Elmendorf.
History
World War II Training unit
The 477th was originally established in May 1943 at
MacDill Field, Florida as the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
477th Bombardment Group (Medium). Assigned to
Third Air Force, the group trained with
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 ...
medium bombers. The unit was subsequently inactivated on 25 August 1943.
Reactivation with African-American personnel
The 477th was reactivated as the 477th Bombardment Group (M) (Colored) at
Selfridge Field, Michigan on 15 January 1944 and assigned to
First Air Force. The 477th's new mission was to train what would become the legendary World War II African-American aviators known as the
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of th ...
with
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
fighters and
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 Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allies of World War ...
bombers. 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 ...
, continued pressure from African-American civilian leaders led the Army to let black servicemen train as members of bomber crews, a step that opened many more skilled combat roles to them.
On 5 May 1944, possibly out of fear of a repeat of the previous summer's
race riot
This is a list of ethnic riots by country, and includes riots based on Ethnic conflict, ethnic, Sectarian violence, sectarian, xenophobic, and Racial conflict, racial conflict. Some of these riots can also be classified as pogroms.
Africa
A ...
in nearby Detroit, the 477th was abruptly relocated to
Godman Field on
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository (also known as Fort Knox), which is used to house a larg ...
in Kentucky.
The morale of the 477th was poor because the field was not suited to be used by the B-25 and because black officers, including combat veterans of the
332nd Fighter Group who had transferred to the bomber unit, were not being advanced to command positions. By early 1945, however, the 477th reached its full combat strength. It was scheduled to enter combat on 1 July, which made it necessary to relocate once more, this time to
Freeman Field, a base fully suited to use the B-25.

At Freeman Field, the
Freeman Field Mutiny took place as a result of racial discrimination. As a result of the protest, the 477th was relocated back to Godman Field. Colonel
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. (December 18, 1912 – July 4, 2002) was a United States Air Force (USAF) general (United States), general and commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen.
He was the first African-American brigadier general in the US ...
, took command on 1 July, and black officers replaced white officers in lower command and supervisory positions. Training was to be completed by 31 August, but the war ended on 14 August with Japan's surrender.
Never deployed in combat, the 477th was downsized when the war ended. In 1946, it was reassigned to
Lockbourne Army Air Base, Ohio. On 1 July 1947, the 477th was inactivated.
Lineage
* Established as the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 13 May 1943
: Activated on 1 June 1943
: Inactivated on 25 August 1943
* Activated as the 477th Bombardment Group (M) (Colored) on 15 January 1944
: Redesignated 477th Composite Group on 22 June 1945
: Inactivated on 1 July 1947
* Redesignated: 477th Special Operations Group on 31 July 1985 (remained inactive)
* Redesignated: 477th Expeditionary Special Operations Group and converted to provisional status on 24 January 2005
* Redesignated: 477th Special Operations Group and withdrawn from provisional status on 11 August 2006
* Redesignated: 477th Fighter Group on 21 September 2007
: Activated on 1 October 2007
[
]
Assignments
* Third Air Force, 1 June – 25 August 1943
* First Air Force, 15 January 1944
* Ninth Air Force, 1 January–1 July 1947
* Air Force Special Operations Command to activate or inactivate at any time after 24 January 2005 – 11 August 2006
* Tenth Air Force, 1 October 2007 – present[
]
Components
* 99th Fighter Squadron: 22 June 1945 – 1 July 1947
* 302nd Fighter Squadron: 1 October 2007 – present
* 616th Bombardment Squadron: 1 June–25 August 1943; 15 January 1944 – 22 June 1945
* 617th Bombardment Squadron: 1 June–25 August 1943; 15 April 1944 – 1 July 1947
* 618th Bombardment Squadron: 1 June–25 August 1943; 15 May 1944 – 8 October 1945
* 619th Bombardment Squadron: 1 June–25 August 1943; 27 May 1944 – 22 June 1945[
]
Stations
* MacDill Field, Florida, 1 Jun – 25 August 1943
* Selfridge Field, Michigan, 15 January 1944
* Godman Field, Kentucky, 6 May 1944
* Freeman Field, Indiana, 5 March 1945
* Godman Field, Kentucky, 26 April 1945
* Lockbourne Army Air Base, Ohio, 13 March 1946 – 1 July 1947
* Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, 1 October 2007 – present[
]
See also
* Roger Terry
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
*
*
*James C. Warren, ''The Freeman Field Mutiny'', San Rafael, CA:Donna Ewald, Publisher, 1995. ; republished in an expanded edition as ''The Tuskegee Airmen Mutiny at Freeman Field'', Vacaville, CA:Conyers Publishing Company, 1996.
External links
{{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II
477
Military units and formations established in 1943
1943 establishments in Florida