Description
Computer made 3.0 inch-77mm
363rd EXPEDITIONARY OPERATIONS GROUP
Lineage. Constituted as 363rd Fighter Group on 11 Feb 1943. Activated on 1 Mar 1943. Redesignated: 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group 4 Sep 1944; 363rd Reconnaissance Group in Jun 1945. Inactivated on 11 Dec 1945. Activated on 29 Jun 1946. Redesignated 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group in June 1948. Inactivated on 26 Apr 1949. Reactivated on 1 Sep 1950. Inactivated on 8 Feb 1958. Redesignated 363rd Operations Group on 1 May 1992. Inactivated on 30 Dec 1993. Converted to provisional status and allocated to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate any time after 1 Oct 1998. Redesignated as 363rd Air Expeditionary Operations Group on 1 Dec 1998. Assumed personnel and equipment of 4404th Operations Group (Provisional). Inactivated on 26 Aug 2003.
Assignments. IV Fighter Command, 4 Mar 1943; 70th Fighter Wing, 23 Dec 1943, (attached to IX Air Support Command); 100th Fighter Wing, Aug 1944; (attached to XIX Tactical Air Command); XXIX Tactical Air Command, 1 Oct 1944; Ninth Air Force, 20 Nov- 11 Dec 1945; Twelfth Air Force, 29 Jun 1946; 363rd Reconnaissance (later Tactical Reconnaissance) Wing, 29 Jul 1947-26 Apr 1949; 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Sep 1950-8 Feb 1958; 363rd Fighter Wing, 1 May 1992-30 Dec 1993; 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing, 1 Dec 1998-26 Aug 2003.
Components. Squadrons. 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Support, 1 Oct 1998-26 Aug 2003; 9th Tactical Reconnaissance, 11 Nov 1953-8 Feb 1958; 10th Fighter-Interceptor 19 Oct 1950-1 Dec 1950; 12th Air Control, Mar 2003-Jun 2003; 12th Reconnaissance, 29 Jul 1946-24 Jul 1947; 12th Expeditionary Intelligence, 1 Oct 1998-26 Aug 2003; 17th Reconnaissance (later Fighter), 2 Apr 1951-8 Feb 1958; 1 May 1992-30 Dec 1993; 19th Fighter, 1 May 1992-30 Dec 1993; 21st Fighter, 1 Apr 1992-30 Dec 1993; 22nd Tactical Reconnaissance, (Attached), 29 Jul- 31 Aug 1946; 31st Tactical Reconnaissance, 23 May-25 Jun 1945; 33rd Photographic Reconnaissance, 30 Oct 1944-17 May 1945; 39th Tactical Reconnaissance, 23 May-25 Jun 1945; 45th Reconnaissance, 23 May- 12 Jul 1945; 84th Bombardment, (Attached), 17 Oct 1949-1 Sep 1950; 85th Bombardment, 17 Oct 1949-1 Sep 1950; 155th Photo Reconnaissance, 23 May-12 Jul 1945; 160th (formerly 380th Fighter, later 16th Reconnaissance), 1 Mar 1943-15 Nov 1945; 24 Jul 1947-26 Apr 1949, 1 Sep 1950-8 Feb 1958; 161st (formerly 381st Fighter, later 18th Reconnaissance), 1 Mar 1943-15 Nov 1945; 24 Jul 1947-26 Apr 1949, 1 Sep 1950-8 Feb 1958; 162nd (formerly 382nd Fighter) Reconnaissance, 1 Mar 1943-29 Sep 1944; 29 Jul 1946-18 Aug 1950; 309th Fighter, 1 Oct 1992-30 Dec 1993; 335th Expeditionary Fighter, Mar 2003-Jun 2003; 336th Expeditionary Fighter, Mar 2003-Jun 2003; 363rd Expeditionary Advance Air Control; 363rd Expeditionary Air Command & Control; 363rd Expeditionary Airborne Air Control , Mar 2003-Jun 2003; 363rd Expeditionary Airlift, 1 Oct 1998-26 Aug 2003; 363rd Electronic Air Reconnaissance; 363rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance, 1 Oct 1998-26 Aug 2003; 763rd Expeditionary Air Refueling, 1 Oct 1998-26 Aug 2003; 763rd Expeditionary Airlift, 1 Oct 1998-26 Aug 2003; 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance, 1 Oct 1998-26 Aug 2003; 4402nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance, Mar 2003-Jun 2003; No. 43 Squadron (RAF), Mar 2003-Jun 2003.
Stations. Hamilton Field, CA, 1 Mar 1943; Santa Rosa AAF, CA, Aug 1943; Mather Field, CA, Oct-c. 3 Dec 1943; RAF Keevil, England, c. 23 Dec 1943; RAF Rivenhall, England, Jan 1944; RAF Staplehurst, England, Apr 1944; Maupertus-sur-Mer Airfield, France, c. 9 Jul 1944; Azeville Airfield, France, Aug 1944; Montreuil Airfield, France, Sep 1944; Sandweiler Airfield, Luxembourg, c. 4 Oct 1944; Le Culot Airfield, Belgium, c. 29 Oct 1944; Venlo Airfield, Netherlands, Mar 1945; Gütersloh Airfield, Germany, c. 15 Apr 1945; Brunswick/Waggum Airfield, Germany, C. 22 Apr 1945; AAF Station Wiesbaden, Germany, May 1945; AAF Station Eschwege, Germany, Aug 1945; AAF Station Darmstadt/Griesheim, Germany, Sep-c. 2 Dec 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, c. 9-11 Dec 1945; Brooks Field, TX, 29 Jul 1946; Langley Field, VA, Dec 1947; Shaw AFB, SC, c. 2 Apr 1951-8 Feb 1958; 1 May 1992-30 Dec 1993; Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia, 1 Dec 1998-26 Aug 2003.
Aircraft. Primarily FB (later RF)-80 and FA (later RB)-26, 1947-1949, but also included F-6, 1948 and H-5 and L-5, 1949. B-26, 1950-1951, 1951-1952; B-45, 1950-1951; RB-26, 1950-1951; RB-26, 1951, 1951-1957; L-13, 1951-1954; L-20, 1951-1954; RF-80, 1951, 1951-1955; T-33, 1951-1955; F-84, 1951; B-25, 1952-1954; RB-45, 1954; RB-57, 1954-1956; RF-84, 1954-1958; RT-33, 1955-1956; WT-33, 1955-1956; TB-25, 1956-1958; RB-66, 1956-1969; WB-66, 1957-1964, 1968-1969; RF-101, 1957-1958, 1959-1971; TF-101, 1966-1969; RF-4, 1965-1989; EB-66, 1966-1974; B-57, 1966-1976; F-16, 1982-1993; OA-10, 1992-1993. E-3, 1998-2003; KC-10, 1998-2003; F-15, 1998-2003; F-16, 1998-2003; C-21, 1998-2003; C-130, 1998-2001; KC-135, 1998-2003; RC-135, 1998-2003; U-2, 1998-2003; UH-60, 1998-2003; E-6, 2001-2003.
Operations. Air Combat in ETO, 1943-1944. Flew aerial reconnaissance in support of General George S. Patton’s Third Army during its advance through France, and later during the Allied invasion of Germany in 1945. Day and night photographic and visual reconnaissance, 1947-1949. In addition to tactical electronic and photographic reconnaissance, Sep 1950-Apr 1951, controlled light bombardment and provided replacement training for B-26 crew members. Wing headquarters not operational, 25 Apr-10 Oct 1951. During this period all members of the headquarters were integrated into the Tactical Air Division Provisional, and wing components were attached to the division for control. Regained wing integrity on 11 Oct 1951. In addition to tactical reconnaissance, Oct 1951-1989, provided electronic and weather reconnaissance from Nov 1953-Mar 1974, dropping the weather mission in Dec 1964. Provided combat crew training for reconnaissance aircrews, Oct 1951-Dec 1954 and Apr 1956-Apr 1959. Deployed aircraft and aircrews in small detachments, or as part of composite squadrons, to support reconnaissance requirements in overseas areas. Played an important reconnaissance role during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, earning an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) as a result, the decoration being personally presented by President John F. Kennedy. Played a major reconnaissance role during the Dominican Republic Crisis of 1965-1966. Supported operations in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and early 1970s by deploying numerous detachments and transferring several highly trained squadrons to that area. Also provided replacement training of tactical reconnaissance and electronics warfare crews, and combat crew training, Jan 1966-1974. Flew numerous test projects for the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Center, 1966-1967 and again in 1970-1971. Deployed a detachment of EB-66s to the Far East during the Pueblo crisis of 1968. In Mar 1974, the wing ceased training and employing electronic warfare forces, but it continued to train for and perform tactical reconnaissance missions, including aerial photography for various federal agencies. While continuing to operate Shaw AFB, in 1982 the wing began to train for and perform fighter missions in addition to tactical reconnaissance, becoming the Tactical Air Command’s only wing with such a dual role. In 1989, the wing gave up its reconnaissance responsibilities but continued to train for fighter missions. Between Aug 1990 and Mar 1991, the wing deployed most of its aircraft and personnel to southwestern Asia, where they participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In December 1992, a member of one of the wing’s squadrons (33 FS) earned the first aerial victory credit ever scored by an F-16 pilot. The wing inactivated at the end of 1993. Conducted combat operations in support of Operations Southern Watch and Enduring Freedom, 1998-2003.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Decorations. Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 1 Oct-17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944-15 Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere.
Emblem. Approved on 16 Jun 1952.