Lineage. Established as 452 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 May 1943. Activated on 1 Jun 1943. Redesignated as 452 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945. Redesignated as 452 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 11 Mar 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 19 Apr 1947. Redesignated as 452 Bombardment Group, Light on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to Active Duty on 10 Aug 1950. Inactivated on 10 May 1952. Redesignated as 452 Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 6 Jun 1952. Activated in the Reserve on 13 Jun 1952. Redesignated as: 452 Bombardment Group, Tactical on 22 May 1955; 452 Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 1 Jul 1957. Inactivated on 14 Apr 1959. Redesignated as: 452 Air Refueling Group, Heavy on 31 Jul 1985; 452 Operations Group on 1 Aug 1992. Activated in the Reserve on 1 Aug 1992.
Assignments. II Bomber Command, 1 Jun 1943; Second Air Force, 6 Oct 1943; Eighth Air Force, c. 8 Jan 1944; VIII Bomber Command, Jan 1944; 3 Bombardment Division, Jan 1944; 45 Combat Bombardment Wing, Jan 1944; 20 Bombardment Wing, 18 Jun 1945; Second Air Force, c. 12-18 Aug 1945. 304 Bombardment Wing (later, 304 Air Division), 19 Apr 1947; 452 Bombardment Wing, 27 Jun 1949-10 May 1952. 452 Tactical Reconnaissance (later, 452 Bombardment; 452 Troop Carrier) Wing, 13 Jun 1952-14 Apr 1959. 452 Air Refueling (later, 452 Air Mobility) Wing, 1 Aug 1992-.
Operational Components. Squadrons. 79 Air Refueling: 1 Aug 1992-1 Apr 1995. 336 Air Refueling: 1 Aug 1992-. 703: 28 May 1948-27 Jun 1949. 728: 1 Jun 1943-28 Aug 1945; 19 Apr 1947-10 May 1952; 13 Jun 1952-14 Apr 1959. 729 Bombardment (later, 729 Tactical Reconnaissance; 729 Bombardment; 729 Troop Carrier; 729 Airlift): 1 Jun 1943-28 Aug 1945; 12 Jul 1947-10 May 1952; 13 Jun 1952-14 Apr 1959; 1 May 1994-. 730 Bombardment (later, 730 Tactical Reconnaissance; 730 Bombardment; 730 Troop Carrier; 730 Airlift): 1 Jun 1943-28 Aug 1945; 1 Aug 1947-10 May 1952; 13 Jun 1952-14 Apr 1959; 1 May 1994-1 Apr 2005. 731 Bombardment: 1 Jun 1943-28 Aug 1945; 12 Jul 1947-25 Jun 1951 (detached Nov 1950-25 Jun 1951). 733 Troop Carrier: 16 Nov 1957-14 Apr 1959.
Stations. Geiger Field, WA, 1 Jun 1943; Rapid City AAB, SD, c. 13 Jun 1943; Pendleton Field, OR, 10 Oct 1943; Walla Walla AAFld, WA, c. 4 Nov-Dec 1943; Deopham Green, England, c. 8 Jan 1944-6 Aug 1945; Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, c. 12-28 Aug 1945. Long Beach AAFld (later, Long Beach Muni Aprt), CA, 19 Apr 1947; George AFB, CA, 10 Aug-Oct 1950; Itazuke AB, Japan, 26 Oct 1950; Miho AB, Japan, c. 10 Dec 1950; Pusan-East AB, South Korea, 17 May 1951-10 May 1952. Long Beach Muni Aprt, CA, 13 Jun 1952-14 Apr 1959. March AFB (later, March ARB), CA, 1 Aug 1992-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Korea: UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer-Fall 1952.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 7 Apr 1945; Korea, 9 Jul-27 Nov 1951; 28 Nov 1951-30 Apr 1952. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Aug 1992-30 Jun 1993; 1 Sep 1995-31 Aug 1996; 1 Sep 1997-31 Aug 1999; 1 Oct 2002-30 Sep 2004; 1 Oct 2004-30 Sep 2006; 1 Oct 2006-30 Sep 2008; 1 Oct 2008-30 Sep 2010; 1 Jan 2016-31 Dec 2017. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 27 Oct 1950-27 Oct 1951.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 26 Jun 2023.
Supersedes statement prepared on 20 Nov 2012.
Emblem. None. Group should request use of wing emblem IAW DAFI 84-105, chap 3, para. 3.3.3. Contact local supporting historian or MAJCOM history office for assistance.
Prepared by James Musser.
Reviewed by Margaret Ream.