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Wikipedia / 404th Air Expeditionary Group

The 404th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The group may be activated or inactivated at any time.

It was last activated on 1 October 2008, and provided airlift for US Africa Command (USAFRICOM). The 404 Group added, in provisional status, the 459th Expeditionary Air Medical Squadron.

The group forward-deploys when needed to facilitate air and support operations for varied missions, ranging from humanitarian airlift to presidential support. It deployed to Rwanda in January 2009 to airlift for United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur peacekeeping equipment. In July 2009, the 404th Group deployed to Ghana to provide aerial port and aircraft maintenance teams, along with forward communications, early warning, and air domain safety and security elements for U.S. President Barack Obama's visit.

History

World War II

Established as the 100th Fighter Wing and organized in England in late 1943. Assigned to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), IX Fighter Command, Ninth Air Force. Began operational missions in April 1944, mission of the Wing was to receive operational orders from Headquarters, IX Fighter Command and direct subordinate groups in attacking enemy targets in Occupied France and the Low Countries in preparation for the Normandy Invasion in June 1944. Targets included bridges, roads, railroads and enemy interceptor aircraft both on the ground as well as in air-to-air combat.

After the D-Day invasion, was reassigned to IX Tactical Air Command and directed to provide ground support for advancing United States First Army forces in France, attacking enemy targets initially in the Cotentin Peninsula, then supported Operation Cobra, the breakout of Normandy and attacked enemy forces in the Falaise-Argentan Gap. Wing headquarters and subordinate units operated primarily from liberated airfields and newly built temporary Advanced Landing Grounds in France, moved into north-central France, its groups attacking enemy targets near Paris then north-west into Belgium and the southern Netherlands. In December 1944/January 1945, engaged enemy targets on the north side of the Battle of the Bulge, then moved eastward into the Northern Rhineland as part of the Western Allied invasion of Germany.

Supported First Army as it crossed the Rhine River at Remagen then moved north to attack ground targets in the Ruhr, providing air support as Allied ground forces encircled enemy forces in the Ruhr Pocket, essentially ending organized enemy resistance in Western Germany. First Army halted its advance at the Elbe River in late April 1945, the wing engaging targets of opportunity in enemy-controlled areas until combat was ended on 5 May 1945.

It remained in Europe for four months after VE Day, as part of United States Air Forces in Europe. It performed occupation duty and the destruction or shipment to the United States of captured enemy combat equipment - Operation Lusty. It was inactivated in Germany in August 1945.

From 1957

The 704th Strategic Missile Wing activated on 1 July 1957 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, but was not operational until mid-November 1957. While it had two operational squadrons, its task was training on the SM-65 Atlas, PGM-19 Jupiter, and the PGM-17 Thor from November 1957 – April 1959. Not operational 6 April – 1 July 1959. The wing then was redesignated as the 404th Tactical Missile Wing on 31 July 1985.

As an air expeditionary unit, it has been activated and inactivated on several occasions by USAFE from 2003 to 2008. In June–July 2003 it was activated at RAF Mildenhall, UK. It was part of the 323d Air Expeditionary Wing from 14 March – 30 April 2008 at Balotești, Romania, when the 323th Wing served briefly as the USAF headquarters for the 2008 Bucharest summit. During the deployment to Romania, the 404th Group with the 404th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron prepared the airfield of Câmpia Turzii for the F-15 fighters which were to be stationed there.

The wing was attached to Seventeenth Air Force (Air Forces Africa) until 17th AF was disestablished.

The wing was listed in the AF Almanac for 2013.https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Magazine/2013/0513fullissue.pdf

Operations and decorations

  • Combat Operations: Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO), 15 April 1944-May 1945.

  • Campaigns: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Lineage

  1. 100th Fighter Wing

  2. Established as the 100th Fighter Wing on 8 November 1943

  3. Activated on 24 November 1943

  4. Inactivated on 7 November 1945

  5. Disestablished on 15 June 1983

  6. Reestablished and consolidated with the 704th Strategic Missile Wing on 31 July 1985 as the 404th Tactical Missile Wing

  7. 404th Air Expeditionary Group

  8. Established as the 704th Strategic Missile Wing on 20 May 1957

  9. Activated on 1 July 1957

  10. Redesignated 704th Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM) on 1 April 1958

  11. Inactivated on 1 July 1959

  12. Consolidated with the 100th Fighter Wing and redesignated 404th Tactical Missile Wing on 31 July 1985

  13. Redesignated: 404th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status on 24 March 2003

  14. Activated on 16 June 2003

  15. Inactivated on 8 July 2003

  16. Activated on 27 August 2003

  17. Inactivated on 19 September 2003

  18. Activated on 27 May 2005

  19. Inactivated on 22 June 2005

  20. Activated on 28 June 2007

  21. Inactivated on 30 July 2007

  22. Activated on 14 March 2008

  23. Inactivated on 30 April 2008

  24. Activated on 21 August 2008:

  25. Inactivated on 15 September 2008

  26. Activated on 1 October 2008

Assignments

Units

Groups

  • 354th Fighter Group: (P-51 Mustang), 27 November – 2 December 1943; 15 April 1944 – 4 July 1945 (under operational control of 70th Fighter Wing, 22 June – 19 August 1944)

  • 362d Fighter Group: (P-47 Thunderbolt), 1 August 1944 – August 1945 (attached to XIX Tactical Air Command)

  • 363d Fighter Group (later 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group): (P-38/F-5 Lightning), August–October 1944

  • 371st Fighter Group: (P-47 Thunderbolt), 1 August – 29 September 1944 (attached to XIX Tactical Air Command)

  • 405th Fighter Group: (P-47 Thunderbolt), 1 October 1944 – 8 February 1945 (attached to XIX Tactical Air Command)

  • 406th Fighter Group: (P-47 Thunderbolt), 1 October 1944 – 8 February 1945 (attached to XIX Tactical Air Command)

Squadrons

Stations

Known aircraft and missiles

References

Notes

  1. Eexplanatory notes

    Citations

Bibliography