Description
Computer made/mounted on velcro 4.0 inch-100mm
2nd OPERATIONS GROUP
Lineage. Organized as 1 Day Bombardment Group on 10 Sep 1918. Demobilized in Nov 1918 [after 11 Nov 1918]. Consolidated (8 Apr 1924) with the 1 Day Bombardment Group, which was organized on 18 Sep 1919. Redesignated as: 2 Group (Bombardment) on 31 Mar 1921; 2 Bombardment Group on 25 Jan 1923; 2 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 Dec 1939; 2 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 28 Feb 1946. Redesignated as 2 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 1 May 1946. Activated on 1 Jul 1947. Redesignated as 2 Bombardment Group, Medium on 12 Jul 1948. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952. Redesignated as 2 Operations Group on 29 Aug 1991. Activated on 1 Sep 1991.
Assignments. 1 Pursuit Wing, 10 Sep-Nov 1918. Unkn, 18 Sep 1919-1922; 2 Wing, c. Jul 1922; Northeast Air District (later, First Air Force), 19 Nov 1940; 1 Bomber Command, Sep 1941; AAF Antisubmarine Command, 13 Oct 1942; Second Air Force, 29 Oct 1942; Northwest African Training Command, Apr 1943; Northwest African Strategic Air Force, 20 Apr 1943; XII Bomber Command, 1 Sep 1943; 5 Bombardment Wing, 1 Nov 1943; 40 Bombardment Wing, 15 Dec 1945-28 Feb 1946. Strategic Air Command, 1 Jul 1947; Eighth Air Force, 24 Sep 1947; 2 Bombardment Wing, 5 Nov 1947-16 Jun 1952 (attached to 43 Bombardment Wing, 5 Nov 1947-31 Dec 1948, and to 3 Air Division, 18 Feb-16 May 1950). 2 Wing (later, 2 Bomb Wing), 1 Sep 1991-.
Operational Components. Squadrons. 2 Air Refueling: 1 Jan 1949-16 Jun 1952 (detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952); 1 Sep 1991-1 Jun 1992. 11 Aero (later, 11 Squadron; 11 Bombardment; 11 Bomb): 10 Sep-Nov 1918; 18 Sep 1919-c. 3 Jun 1927; 1 Jul 1994-. 20 Aero (later, 20 Squadron; 20 Bombardment; 20 Bomb): 10 Sep-Nov 1918; 18 Sep 1919-28 Feb 1946; 1 Jul 1947-16 Jun 1952 (detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952); 18 Dec 1992-. 32 Air Refueling: 1 Sep 1991-1 Jun 1992. 41 Reconaissance (later, 429 Bombardment): attached c. Dec 1940-24 Feb 1942, assigned 25 Feb 1942-28 Feb 1946 (detached 3 Sep 1941-29 Oct 1942). 54 Bombardment: 1 Mar 1935-1 Sep 1936 (detached entire period). 62 Bomb: 1 Sep 1991-18 Jan 1993. 71 Air Refueling: 1 Sep 1991-1 Oct 1993. 96 Aero (later, 96 Squadron; 96 Bombardment; 96 Bomb): 10 Sep-Nov 1918; 18 Sep 1919-28 Feb 1946 (detached 12 Nov 1919-10 Jan 1921 and May-Oct 1921); 1 Jul 1947-16 Jun 1952 (detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952); 1 Oct 1993-. 166 Aero (later, 49 Squadron; 49 Bombardment): c. 21 Sep-Nov 1918; 18 Sep 1919-28 Feb 1946 (detached May-Oct 1921, Aug 1922-Jan 1928, and Dec 1941-Jun 1942); 1 Jul 1947-16 Jun 1952 (detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952). 596 Bomb: 1 Sep 1991-1 Oct 1993. Flight. 45 Airlift: 1 May-1 Oct 1993. Detachment. 1 (Barksdale AFB): 1 Feb-1 Jul 1994; 3 (Barksdale AFB): 1 Apr-1 May 1993.
Stations. Amanty, France, 10 Sep 1918; Maulan, France, 23 Sep-Nov 1918. Ellington Field, TX, 18 Sep 1919; Kelly Field, TX, c. 25 Sep 1919; Langley Field, VA, 1 Jul 1922 (deployed at Alpena, MI, 5-8 Aug 1940); Ephrata, WA, 29 Oct 1942; Great Falls AAB, MT, 27 Nov 1942-Mar 1943; Camp Don B. Passage, French Morocco, 12 Apr 1943 (ground echelon); Marrakesh, French Morocco, 16 Apr 1943 (air echelon); Navarin, Algeria, 22 Apr 1943 (air echelon), 25 Apr 1943 (ground echelon); Chateaudun-de-Rhumel, Algeria, 27 Apr 1943; Ain M’lila, Algeria, 17 Jun 1943; Massicault, Tunisia, 31 Jul 1943; Bizerte, Tunisia, 2 Dec 1943; Amendola, Italy, c. 9 Dec 1943; Foggia, Italy, 19 Nov 1945-28 Feb 1946. Andrews Field, MD, 1 Jul 1947; Davis-Monthan Field (later, AFB), AZ, 24 Sep 1947 (deployed at Lakenheath RAF Station, England, 10 Aug-c. 22 Nov 1948); Chatham AFB, GA, 1 May 1949 (deployed at Marham RAF Station, England, 18 Feb-16 May 1950); Hunter Field (later, AFB), GA, 22 Sep 1950-16 Jun 1952. Barksdale AFB, LA, 1 Sep 1991-.
Aircraft. The 2 Bombardment Group’s squadrons flew a variety of aircraft, and records do not always allow determining the exact dates the planes were received and lost. The following tabulation is as accurate as sources permit. DH-4, 1918; Breguet 14, 1918. During the period 1919-1929 group crews flew DH-4, MB-2 (NBS-1), LB-1, Caproni bomber, and HP 0/400. During the period 1928-1932 group crews flew LB-5, LB-7, B-3, and B-5. The Y1B-9 was flown 1932-1936, and the B-6, 1931-1936. During the period 1936-1942, the group flew A-17, A-20, OA-9 (1940-1941), B-10 (1937-?), XB-15 (1938-1939), B-17 (1937-1942), B-18 (1937-1942), B-25, B-23, and B-34. During 1942-1945, the group flew B-17s. B-29, 1947-1950; B-50, 1949-1951. B-52, 1991-; KC-135, 1991-1993; KC-10, 1991-1992.
Operations. Equipped with DH-4 and Breguet aircraft, the group entered combat on 12 Sep 1918. Attacked troop concentrations and communications to interfere with the enemy’s movement of reinforcements and supplies to the front during the Allied offensive at St. Mihiel. Also took part in the Meuse-Argonne campaign, attacking the enemy behind the line, and conducting bombing operations that helped to protect Allied ground forces by diverting German pursuit planes from the battle zone. Participated in one of the great bombing raids of the war on 9 Oct when 353 Allied planes (including 200 bombers) under the command of William Mitchell struck a concentration point where German troops were preparing for a counterattack against the Allied offensive in the Meuse-Argonne area. Demobilized in France in Nov, soon after the armistice. The group activated in the U.S. the following year. In the 1920s and 1930s, engaged in routine training; tested and experimented with equipment and tactics; participated in maneuvers; took part in demonstrations of the effectiveness of aerial bombardment on battleships; flew mercy missions; and made good-will flights to South America in the late 1930s. Served on antisubmarine duty for several months after the U.S. entered World War II. Moved to North Africa, Mar-May 1943 and initially assigned to Twelfth Air Force, the group flew many support and interdiction missions, bombing such targets as marshalling yards, airdromes, troop concentrations, bridges, docks, and shipping. Participated in the defeat of Axis forces in Tunisia, Apr-May 1943; the reduction of Pantelleria and the preparations for the invasion of Sicily, May-Jul 1943; and the invasion of Italy, Sep 1943. Moved to Italy in Dec 1943 and continued operations as part of Fifteenth Air Force. Engaged primarily in long-range bombardment of strategic targets in Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Rumania, and Greece. Participated in the drive toward Rome, Jan-Jun 1944; the invasion of Southern France, Aug 1944, and the campaigns against German forces in northern Italy, Jun 1944-May 1945. En route to bomb an aircraft factory at Steyr, Austria on 24 Feb 1944, the group was greatly outnumbered by enemy interceptors, but it maintained its formation and bombed the target, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for the performance. On the following day, while on a mission to attack aircraft factories at Regensburg, it met similar opposition equally well and was awarded a second DUC. Served as part of the occupation force in Italy after V-E Day. Inactivated in Italy on 28 Feb 1946. In 1947, activated in the U.S. as part of Strategic Air Command. Trained for bombardment missions and deployed to England, Aug-Nov 1948 and Feb-May 1950. On 10 Feb 1951 the group became a “paper organization” with its squadron components attached directly to the 2 Bombardment Wing. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952. Activated on 1 Sep 1991, again part of the 2 Wing. Trained for global conventional bombardment missions as well as maintaining nuclear operational readiness. Briefly controlled the wing’s air refueling mission until it transferred to Air Mobility Command. Provided combat crew training for all USAF B-52 aircrews, beginning Nov 1994. In response to Saddam Hussein’s attacks against the Kurdish minority in northern Iraq, aircrews of the 96 Bomb Sq deployed and launched attacks against military targets in Iraq in Sep 1996 (Operation Desert Strike), actions for which the aircrews received the Mackay trophy as the most meritorious flight of 1996. Continued to deploy aircraft and personnel to southwest Asia to support the Allied watch on the southern and northern “no-fly” zones in Iraq. Flew combat missions against targets in Iraq, 17-18 Dec 1998, in response to Iraq’s refusal to allow UN weapons inspectors to continue work (Operation Desert Fox). Flew combat missions against targets in Yugoslavia, 24 Mar-9 Jun 1999, in support of NATO Operation Allied Force. In Oct 1999 began deploying personnel in support of aerospace expeditionary forces worldwide and maintaining on-call elements at home. After the terrorist attacks against the U.S. on 11 Sep 2001, group elements, including the 20 Bomb Sq, deployed to the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. On 7 Oct flew early attacks on targets in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom to rid that country of terrorist bases and its extremist Taliban rulers. Later flew airborne alert missions over Afghanistan and in Operation Anaconda, flew bombing missions against targets in eastern Afghanistan, 1-18 Mar 2002. In the invasion of Iraq beginning Mar 2003, flew missions on 21 Mar in “shock and awe” strikes against command and control targets (Operation Iraqi Freedom). Provided bomber combat power and expeditionary combat support for warfighters, 2004-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War I: St. Mihiel; Lorraine; Meuse-Argonne. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Kosovo: Air Campaign.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Steyr, Austria, 24 Feb 1944; Germany, 25 Feb 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Oct 1993-31 May 1995; 1 Jun 1995-31 May 1996; 1 Jun 1996-31 May 1997; 1 Jun 1998-31 May 2000; 1 Jun 2000-31 May 2002; 1 Jan 2008-31 Dec 2009; 1 Jan 2010-31 Dec 2011; 1 Jan 2012-31 Dec 2013; 1 Jan-31 Dec 2014; 1 Jan-31 Dec 2015; 1 Jan-31 Dec 2016.
Emblem. Group should request wing emblem with group designation in the scroll, in accordance with AFI 84-105, chapter 3.