Lineage. Established as 50 Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated as: 50 Fighter Group on 15 May 1942; 50 Fighter Group (Special) on 28 May 1942; 50 Fighter Group on 21 Jan 1944. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Activated in the Reserve on 1 Jun 1949. Redesignated as 50 Fighter-Interceptor Group on 1 Mar 1950. Ordered to active service on 1 Jun 1951. Inactivated on 2 Jun 1951. Redesignated as 50 Fighter-Bomber Group on 15 Nov 1952. Activated on 1 Jan 1953. Inactivated on 8 Dec 1957. Redesignated as: 50 Tactical Fighter Group on 31 Jul 1985; 50 Operations Group on 1 Jan 1992. Activated on 30 Jan 1992. Redesignated as Space Delta 8 on 24 Jul 2020. Status changed officially from unit of the United States Air Force armed force to unit of the United States Space Force on 21 Oct 2020.
Assignments. Southeast Air District, 15 Jan 1941; 22 Pursuit Wing, c. Jan 1941; 3 Interceptor Command, 2 Oct 1941; Fighter Command School (an activity), 28 May 1942; Fighter Command School (formerly, 5 Interceptor Command), 25 Aug 1942; AAF School of Applied Tactics (later, AAF Tactical Center), 22 Jan 1943; IX Air Support (later, IX Tactical Air) Command, 4 Apr 1944 (under operational control of 84 Fighter Wing, 7 Apr-c. Sep 1944); XII Tactical Air Command, 29 Sep 1944 (under operational control of 64 Fighter Wing, 29 Sep 1944-Jun 1945); Second Air Force, 4 Aug-7 Nov 1945. 50 Fighter (later, 50 Fighter-Interceptor) Wing, 1 Jun 1949-2 Jun 1951. 50 Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 Jan 1953-8 Dec 1957. 50 Space Wing, 30 Jan 1992; United States Space Force (later, Space Operations Command), 24 Jul 2020-.
Components. Squadrons: 1 Space Operations: 30 Jan 1992-19 Jun 2020. 2 Space Operations: 30 Jan 1992-. 3 Space Operations: 30 Jan 1992-13 Jun 2017. 4 Space Operations: 30 Apr 1992-. 5 Space Operations: 22 Nov 1993-13 Jun 2000. 6 Space Operations: 31 Jul 1992-30 Sep 1998. 8 Combat Training: 8 Feb 2022-. 10 Pursuit (later, 10 Fighter; 10 Fighter-Bomber): 15 Jan 1941-7 Nov 1945; 1 Jan 1953-3 Dec 1957. 10 Space Operations: 6 Jun 2022-. 11 Pursuit: 15 Jan-30 Dec 1941. 12 Pursuit (later, 12 Fighter): 15 Jan 1941-18 Aug 1942. 21 Space Operations: 7 Jun 1999-10 Mar 2004. 22 Space Operations: 2 Jun 1999-10 Mar 2004. 23 Space Operations: 3 Jun 1999-10 Mar 2004. 50 Operations Support: 24 Jul 2020-8 Feb 2022. 53 Space Operations: 6 Jun 2022-. 81 Pursuit (later, 18 Fighter; 18 Fighter-Interceptor; 18 Fighter-Bomber): 15 Jan 1941-7 Nov 1945; 20 Jun 1949-2 Jun 1951; 1 Jan 1953-8 Dec 1957. 313 Pursuit (later, 313 Fighter): 9 Feb 1942-7 Nov 1945. 417 Fighter-Bomber: 1 Jan 1953-8 Dec 1957. 445 Fighter: 24 Feb 1943-10 Feb 1944.
Stations. Selfridge Field, MI, 15 Jan 1941; Key Field, MS, 3 Oct 1941; Orlando AB, FL, 22 Mar 1943; Alachua AAFld, FL, 20 Nov 1943; Orlando AB, FL, 1 Feb-13 Mar 1944; Lymington, England, 5 Apr 1944; Carentan, France, 25 Jun 1944; Meautis, France, 16 Aug 1944; Orly, France, 4 Sep 1944; Laon, France, 15 Sep 1944; Lyons/Bron, France, 28 Sep 1944; Toul/Ochey, France, 3 Nov 1944; Giebelstadt, Germany, 20 Apr 1945; Mannheim/Sandhofen, Germany, 21 May-Jun 1945; La Junta AAFld, CO, 4 Aug-7 Nov 1945. Otis AFB, MA, 1 Jun 1949-2 Jun 1951. Clovis AFB, NM, 1 Jan-23 Jul 1953; Hahn AB, Germany, 10 Aug 1953; Toul-Rosieres AB, France, 10 Jul 1956-8 Dec 1957. Falcon (later, Schriever) AFB (later, SFB), CO, 30 Jan 1992-.
Service Streamers. World War II: American Theater. Global War on Terrorism – Service (GWOT-S).
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: European Theater, 13–20 Mar 1945; Germany, 25 Apr 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Oct 1998-30 Sep 2000; 1 Oct 2000-1 Oct 2001; 1 Oct 2001-1 Oct 2002; 2 Oct 2002-2 Oct 2003; 1 Oct 2007-30 Sep 2009; 1 Jan 2015-31 Dec 2016. Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 6 Jun–30 Sep 1944.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 9 May 2023.
Supersedes statement prepared in June 2014.
Emblem. Air Force emblem approved on 12 Sep 2012. Space Force emblem approved on 2 Mar 2022.
Prepared by Mark Usry.
Reviewed by Margaret Ream.