Description
Computer made 3.0 inch-77mm
506th AIR EXPEDITIONARY GROUP
Lineage. Constituted as 506th Fighter Group on 5 Oct 1944. Activated on 21 Oct 1944. Inactivated on 16 Dec 1945. Established as 506th Strategic Fighter Wing on20 Nov 1952. Activated on 20 Jan 1953. Redesignated 506th Fighter-Day Wing on 1 Jul 1957; 506th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 1 Jan 1958; 506th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 Jul 1958. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1959. Redesignated as 506th Tactical Fighter Group on 4 May 1972. Activated in the reserve on 8 Jul 1972. Inactivated on 25 Mar 1973. Redesignated 506th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status on 22 Apr 2003-.
Assignments. Eighth Air Force, 20 Jan 1953 (attached to 39th Air Division [Defense], 13 Aug-7 Nov 1953); Second Air Force, 1 Apr 1955; Ninth Air Force, 1 Jul 1957; Eighteenth Air Force, 1 Oct 1957; Twelfth Air Force, 1 Jan 1958-1 Apr 1959. 301st Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 Jul 1972-25 Mar 1973. Allocated to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate any time after 22 April 2003. (attached to: 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, 22 April 2003-)
Components. Squadrons. 457th Fighter (later Strategic Fighter; Fighter-Day; Fighter-Bomber; Tactical Fighter), 20 Jan 1953-1 Apr 1959 (detached 20 Mar-c. 19 Aug 1958). 458th Fighter (later Strategic Fighter; Fighter-Day; Fighter-Bomber; Tactical Fighter), 20 Jan 1953-1 Apr 1959 (detached c. 13 Aug 1958-c. 18 Feb 1959). 462d Fighter (later Strategic Fighter; Fighter-Day; Fighter-Bomber; Tactical Fighter), 20 Jan 1953-1 Apr 1959. 470th Fighter-Day (later Fighter-Bomber), 25 Sep 1957-1 Apr 1959. 506th Air Refueling: 25 Sep 1953-1 Mar 1955.
Stations. Lakeland AAF, FL, 21 Oct 1944-16 Feb 1945; North Field, Iwo Jima, 24 Apr-3 Dec 1945; Camp Anza, CA, 15-16 Dec 1945. Dow AFB, ME, 20 Jan 1953; Tinker AFB, OK, 20 Mar 1955-1 Apr 1959. Carswell AFB, TX, 8 July 1972-25 Mar 1973. Kirkuk Air Base (later Joint Base Balad), Iraq, 22 Apr 2003-.
Aircraft. F-84, 1953-1957; KB-29, 1954-1955; F-100, 1957-1958. F-105, 1972-1973.
Operations. Provided long range (VLR) escort missions of B-29 Superfortress bombers in the Pacific Theater. Replaced the 4009th Air Base Squadron at Dow AFB, Maine, in Jan 1953. Trained as a strategic fighter wing, charged with providing air defense and escort, Apr 1953-Jun 1957. Provided air defense of northern Japan while deployed at Misawa AB, 13 Aug-7 Nov 1953. Transferred from SAC to TAC on 1 Jul 1957 and converted from F-84 to F-100 aircraft. Participated in tactical exercises and rotated squadrons to Europe, 1957-1958. Phased down for inactivation, Dec 1958-Apr 1959. Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Japan.
Decorations. None.
Emblem. Approved on 21 Jul 1955.