Lineage. Established as 322 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 19 Jun 1942. Activated on 17 Jul 1942. Redesignated as 322 Bombardment Group, Medium on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 15 Dec 1945. Redesignated as 322 Bombardment Group, Light on 3 Jul 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 9 Aug 1947. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949. Redesignated as 322 Fighter-Day Group on 24 Mar 1954. Activated on 1 Jul 1954. Inactivated on 18 Nov 1957. Redesignated as: 322 Tactical Airlift Group on 31 Jul 1985. Redesignated as 322 Air Expeditionary Group, and converted to provisional status, on 21 Mar 2003. Activated on 1 Jul 2004. Inactivated on 24 Jul 2004. Activated on 20 Jan 2006. Inactivated on 9 Apr 2006. Activated on 21 Jul 2007. Inactivated on 17 Aug 2007.
Assignments. III Bomber Command, 17 Jul 1942; VIII Bomber Command, c. 15 Nov 1942; 3 Bombardment Wing, 1 Dec 1942; IX Bomber Command, 16 Oct 1943; 99 Combat Bombardment Wing, 17 Nov 1943 (attached to IX Bomber Command [later, 9 Air Division] 16 Nov 1943-1 Apr 1944 and 23-28 Sep 1944; IX Air Force Service Command, 29 May-c. 8 Jun 1945); IX Air Force Service Command, c. 8 Jun 1945 (attached to 1 Air Disarmament Wing, Provisional, 29 May-1 Oct 1945);1587 Quartermaster Battalion, 1 Oct 1945; Detachment B, 9 Base Air Depot Area, 12 Nov 1945; United States Air Forces in Europe, 24-28 Nov 1945; unkn (probably Army Service Forces), 29 Nov-15 Dec 1945. Eleventh Air Force, 9 Aug 1947; 12 Bombardment Wing (later, 12 Air Division), 17 Oct 1947-27 Jun 1949. Ninth Air Force, 1 Jul 1954-18 Nov 1957 (attached to 450 Fighter-Day Wing, 1 Jul 1954-18 Nov 1957). United States Air Forces in Europe to activate or inactivate at any time after 21 Mar 2003. United States Air Forces in Europe (attached to Third Air Force), 1 Jul-24 Jul 2004. 16 Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force, 20 Jan-9 Apr 2006. United States Air Forces in Europe (attached to 48 Fighter Wing), 21 Jul-17 Aug 2007.
Operational Components. Squadrons: 35 Bombardment: 30 Sep 1947-27 Jun 1949. 449 Bombardment: 17 Jul 1942-15 Dec 1945; 10 Aug 1947-27 Jun 1949. 450 Bombardment (later, 450 Fighter-Day): 17 Jul 1942-15 Dec 1945; 10 Aug 1947-27 Jun 1949; 1 Jul 1954-18 Nov 1957. 451 Bombardment (later, 451 Fighter-Day): 17 Jul 1942-11 Dec 1945; 9 Aug 1947-27 Jun 1949; 1 Jul 1954-18 Nov 1957. 452 Bombardment (later, 452 Fighter-Day): 17 Jul 1942-12 Dec 1945; 9 Aug 1947-27 Jun 1949; 1 Jul 1954-18 Nov 1957 (detached 16 Sep-8 Oct 1956). 872 Air Expeditionary Squadron, 21 Jul-17 Aug 2007.
Stations. MacDill Field, FL, 17 Jul 1942; Drane Field, FL, 22 Sep-14 Nov 1942; Rougham Airdrome, Bury St Edmunds, England, 1 Dec 1942; Great Saling (later, Andrews Field), England, 12 Jun 1943; Reauvais/Tille, France, 23 Sep 1944; Le Culot, Belgium, 6 Apr 1945; Fritzlar, Germany, 7 Jul 1945; Clastres, France, c. 1 Oct 1945-28 Nov 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 14-15 Dec 1945. Reading AAFld (later, Muni Aprt), PA, 9 Aug 1947-27 Jun 1949. Foster AFB, TX, 1 Jul 1954-18 Nov 1957 (deployed at Wendover AFB, UT, 3 Jan-4 Feb 1957). Hoedspruit, South Africa, 1 Jul-24 Jul 2004. Aviano AB, It, 20 Jan-9 Apr 2006. Bulboaca, Moldova, 21 Jul-17 Aug 2007.
Commanders. None (not manned), 17 Jul-9 Aug 1942; Lt Col Jacob J. Brogger, 10 Aug 1942; Col Robert R. Selway Jr., 21 Oct 1942; Lt Col John F. Batjer, 22 Feb 1943; Maj Ervin H. Berry, 4 Mar 1943; Lt Col Robert M. Stillman, 17 Mar 1943; Lt Col Cecil C. MacFarland, 17 May 1943; Col Glenn C. Nye, 19 May 1943; Lt Col Grover C. Brown, c. 29 Nov 1943; Col Glenn C. Nye, 14 Jan 1944; Col John S. Samuel, 31 Jul 1944; Maj John L. Egan, 12 Jul 1945; unkn, c. Oct-15 Dec 1945. Col Edgar S. Davis, 9 Aug 1947-1949. Col Carlos M. Talbott, 1 Jul 1954; Lt Col James C. Stewart, 19 Jul 1957; Col Albert S. Kelly, 29 Jul-18 Nov 1957.
Aircraft. B-26, 1942-1945. AT-6, AT-7, and AT-11, 1947-1949. F-86, 1954-1955; F-100, 1955-1957.
Operations. Trained in B-26 aircraft and moved to England in Nov-Dec 1942. Served in Combat in ETO 14 May 1943-24 Apr 1945, first under Eighth Air Force until Oct 1943, then under Ninth Air Force. Operated from England, France, and Belgium. Principle targets included enemy airfields, power stations, shipyards, construction works, and marshalling yards, Jul 1943-Feb 1944; railroad and highway bridges, oil tanks, and missile sites (in preparation for Normandy invasion), Mar-Jun 1944; coastal defenses and gun batteries, Jun 1944; fuel and ammunition dumps, bridges, and road junctions, Jul-Sep 1944; bridges and road junctions, railroad bridges, Dec 1944-Jan 1945; and communications, marshalling yards, bridges, and fuel dumps, Feb-Apr 1945. Defended villages and ordnance depots, Oct-Dec 1944 (during the Battle of the Bulge). Moved to Germany in Jun 1945 to inventory and disassemble German Air Force equipment and facilities, completing the task by late Sep 1945. Moved to France in Oct 1945 and returned to US in Nov-Dec 1945 for inactivation. Activated in the organized reserve 1947-1949. Deployed tactical forces to points in US, Europe, and the Far East to engage in tactical exercises 1954-1957. Participated in operational deployments for the United States Air Forces in Europe to South Africa, 1 Jul-24 Jul 2004; Italy, 20 Jan-9 Apr 2006; and Moldova, 21 Jul-17 Aug 2007.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: European Theater of Operations, 14 May 1943-24 Jul 1944.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, Operations, and Honors through 2 Dec 2010.
Commanders and Aircraft through 18 Nov 1957.
Emblem. Approved on 9 Jan 1943.
Supersedes statement prepared on 21 Mar 2003.
Prepared by Robert B. Kane.
Reviewed by Daniel L. Haulman.