452d Operations Group

The 452d Operations Group is a United States Air Force Reserve operational unit headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. It forms the flying component of the 452d Air Mobility Wing and organizes, trains, and equips aircrews for air refueling, strategic airlift, and aeromedical evacuation missions. Its current force structure includes Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker air-refueling operations, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlift operations, medical aircrews, operational support, and contingency-response capabilities. The organization traces its lineage to the 452d Bombardment Group, which was established in May 1943 and activated the following month. During the Second World War it served with the Eighth Air Force in England, operating Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers from RAF Deopham Green. The group conducted strategic bombing against German aircraft-production facilities, rail and communications infrastructure, oil installations, synthetic-rubber plants, ball-bearing works, and other industrial targets. It also supported Allied ground operations before and after the Normandy landings, the battles around Saint-Lô and Brest, the airborne assault in the Netherlands, the Battle of the Bulge, and the crossing of the Rhine. The group completed 250 combat missions in Europe and suffered severe losses, including the destruction of 110 bombers. First Lieutenant Donald J. Gott and Second Lieutenant William E. Metzger Jr. received the Medal of Honor for actions associated with the unit's wartime operations, and the group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attack on a German jet-fighter base at Kaltenkirchen on 7 April 1945. After returning to the United States, the group was inactivated in August 1945. It was reactivated in the Air Force Reserve in 1947 and underwent several mission and designation changes. It served as a very-heavy and then light bombardment organization, was called to active duty during the Korean War in 1950, and operated Douglas B-26 Invader aircraft from Japan and South Korea. Its Korean War missions included armed reconnaissance, interdiction, intruder operations, and close support for ground forces. The group received two Distinguished Unit Citations for that conflict before returning to reserve status in 1952. It subsequently served in tactical reconnaissance, tactical bombardment, and troop-carrier roles before being inactivated in 1959. The lineage was revived in the modern mobility force in 1992, when the 452d Operations Group was activated as part of the United States Air Force's objective-wing reorganization. The group inherited the lineage and honors of the 452d Air Refueling Group and predecessor organizations and was assigned the flying squadrons of the 452d Refueling Wing. The parent wing became the 452d Air Mobility Wing in 1994 as part of the realignment of March Air Force Base. March was formally designated March Air Reserve Base in 1996. The wing retired its C-141 fleet in 2005 and began receiving C-17 aircraft in 2006, reinforcing the group's present air-mobility role. Although it is not a commercial brand, the group maintains a distinct institutional identity through its lineage, combat honors, aircraft, squadrons, and continuing relationship with the 452d Bomb Group Memorial Association. That relationship supports preservation of the unit's World War II heritage while the active organization performs reserve air-mobility and medical-evacuation missions in support of joint and national objectives.

The 452d Operations Group's lineage begins with the 452d Bombardment Group, established on 14 May 1943 and activated on 1 June at Geiger Field, Washington. The group moved through training bases in South Dakota, Oregon, and Washington before deploying to the European theater. Its ground echelon sailed from New York aboard the Queen Elizabeth in January 1944, while its air echelon moved by the southern ferry route. The group joined the Eighth Air Force in England as part of the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing and operated from RAF Deopham Green with the tail marking Square-L. The group entered combat on 5 February 1944 against aircraft assembly facilities at Brunswick. Its subsequent strategic missions targeted German industrial and transportation infrastructure, including aircraft plants, rail yards, oil facilities, synthetic-rubber production, aircraft-component works, and the ball-bearing industry. It also performed tactical and interdiction work in support of Allied operations. Before D-Day it attacked airfields, bridges, coastal defenses, and V-weapon sites in France. On 6 June 1944 it struck coastal defenses, and later supported the Allied breakthrough at Saint-Lô, operations around Brest, the airborne assault in the Netherlands, the Battle of the Bulge, and the airborne crossing of the Rhine. On 7 April 1945, the group conducted a heavily opposed attack on a German jet-fighter base at Kaltenkirchen. Despite fighter opposition and intense anti-aircraft fire, the bombing was sufficiently accurate to earn a Distinguished Unit Citation. Its final European combat mission took place on 21 April 1945 against marshalling yards at Ingolstadt. The unit flew 250 missions from England and lost 110 bombers, making its casualty experience among the heaviest of the B-17 formations during parts of the 1944 campaign. It returned to the United States during the summer of 1945 and was inactivated at Sioux Falls Army Air Field on 28 August. The organization was reactivated in the reserve in 1947 as a very-heavy bombardment group and was redesignated as a light bombardment group in 1949. Ordered to active duty on 10 August 1950 for the Korean War, it moved to Japan and began combat operations with B-26 Invader aircraft. From bases in Japan and later South Korea, its crews performed armed reconnaissance, intruder, interdiction, and ground-support missions against transportation networks, buildings, tunnels, bridges, supply areas, vehicles, and airfields. The group's Korean War service ended in May 1952 when its mission transferred to a regular Air Force bombardment group. It returned to reserve status and later operated successively in tactical reconnaissance, tactical bombardment, and medium troop-carrier roles before inactivation on 14 April 1959. The lineage remained inactive until the modern reorganization of the Air Force Reserve. On 1 August 1992, the 452d Operations Group was activated under the 452d Refueling Wing and received the lineage and honors of the 452d Air Refueling Group and predecessor units. The group's role was to manage the wing's flying squadrons. The parent wing became the 452d Air Mobility Wing on 1 April 1994, reflecting a broader mobility mission. March Air Force Base completed its transition to March Air Reserve Base in 1996. The group later transitioned from the C-141 fleet, retired in 2005, to C-17 airlift aircraft, which began arriving in 2006. Today its structure combines KC-135R refueling, C-17 airlift, aeromedical evacuation, operational support, and contingency-response elements. Its heritage is maintained in cooperation with the 452d Bomb Group Memorial Association.

• 2006

  C-17 introduction

  [1]452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The wing began receiving eight C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, strengthening its strategic-airlift role.

• 2005

  C-141 retirement

  [1]452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The parent wing retired its C-141 fleet, preceding the group's transition to newer air-mobility aircraft.

• 1994

  Parent wing adopts air-mobility designation

  [1]452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 452d Refueling Wing became the 452d Air Mobility Wing on 1 April.

• 1992

  Modern operations group activated

  [1]452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 452d Operations Group was activated on 1 August as part of the objective-wing structure of the Air Force Reserve.

• 1952

  Return to reserve status

  [1]452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group's Korean War mission ended in May, followed by its return to the United States and later role changes.

• 1950

  Korean War activation

  [1]452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The reserve group was ordered to active duty on 10 August and deployed to the Far East for B-26 combat operations.

• 1945

  End of World War II operations

  [1]452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group flew its final European combat mission on 21 April and was inactivated at Sioux Falls Army Air Field on 28 August.

• 1944

  European combat operations begin

  [1]452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group entered combat with the Eighth Air Force on 5 February, flying B-17 missions from RAF Deopham Green.

• 1943

  Establishment and activation

  [1]452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 452d Bombardment Group was established on 14 May and activated on 1 June at Geiger Field, Washington.

A United States Air Force Reserve air-mobility organization combining tanker refueling, strategic airlift, aeromedical evacuation, and contingency-response capabilities with a lineage rooted in World War II and Korean War combat service.

• Air refueling

  Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker operations

  The group's KC-135R units provide aerial refueling that extends the range and endurance of military aircraft. The capability supports operations across varying distances and mission conditions and is central to the group's continuing air-mobility role.

• Strategic airlift · 2006

  Boeing C-17 Globemaster III operations

  C-17 operations provide strategic and tactical airlift for personnel, equipment, and other cargo. The aircraft supports movements ranging from comparatively small deployments in operational areas to long-distance global transportation.

• Medical air mobility

  Aeromedical evacuation

  The 452d Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron provides aircrews capable of delivering medical care while transporting sick and injured patients by air in support of joint forces.

• 1950Korean War air operations

  Japan · South Korea

  The group flew B-26 armed reconnaissance, intruder, interdiction, and ground-support missions against communist forces and military infrastructure.

  Outcome. The group served until May 1952 and received two Distinguished Unit Citations.

  Source
• 1944Eighth Air Force strategic bombing campaign

  European theater

  The predecessor 452d Bombardment Group conducted B-17 attacks against German industrial, transportation, aircraft, oil, and military targets from England.

  Outcome. The group completed 250 European combat missions and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a 1945 operation.

  Source
• 1944Normandy and Allied ground-support operations

  France · Western Europe

  The group attacked airfields, bridges, V-weapon sites, and coastal defenses before and during the Normandy invasion and supported later ground offensives.

  Outcome. Operations contributed to interdiction and close support during the Allied advance in Western Europe.

  Source

• 2006

  Transition to C-17 airlift aircraftGeneration change

  Background

  The parent wing retired its C-141 fleet in 2005 as the Air Force Reserve modernized its airlift capability.

  Action taken

  The wing began receiving C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

  Aftermath

  The group's airlift capability shifted to the C-17 platform while its tanker and medical missions continued.

  Source

• 1992

  Activation as an operations groupStrategy

  Background

  The Air Force Reserve reorganized wings around objective-wing principles and required an operations group to manage the parent wing's flying squadrons.

  Action taken

  The 452d Operations Group was activated and received the lineage and honors of the 452d Air Refueling Group and predecessor organizations.

  Aftermath

  The group became the operational flying component of the 452d Air Mobility Wing.

  Source

1. 1452nd Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org