444 Air Expeditionary Wing (ACC) Lineage. Established as 444 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 15 Feb 1943. Activated on 1 Mar 1943. Redesignated as: 444 Bombardment Group (Heavy) (B-29) on 26 Apr 1943; 444 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 19 Nov 1943. Inactivated on 1 Oct 1946. Redesignated as: 444 Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status, on 15 Jan 2003; 444 Air Expeditionary Wing on 24 Feb 2010 and remained on provisional status. Assignments. Second Air Force, 1 Mar 1943; 58 Bombardment Wing, 23 Jul 1943; Second Air Force, 5 Nov 1943; 58 Bombardment Wing, 20 Nov 1943; XX Bomber Command, 12 Oct 1944; 58 Bombardment Wing, 3 Apr 1945; I Staging Command, 10 Nov 1945; Fourth Air Force, c. 15 Nov 1945; 58 Bombardment Wing, 14 Jan-1 Oct 1946. Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate at anytime after 15 Jan 2003. Operational Components. Squadrons: 344 Bombardment: 10 Nov 1945-27 Mar 1946. 409 Bombardment: 6 May-1 Oct 1946. 676 Bombardment: 1 Mar 1943-1 Oct 1946. 677 Bombardment : 1 Mar 1943-1 Oct 1946. 678 Bombardment (later, 10 Reconnaissance): 1 Mar 1943-7 Mar 1946. 679 Bombardment: 1 Mar 1943-12 Oct 1944. Stations. Davis-Monthan Field, AZ, 1 Mar 1943; Great Bend Army AFld, KS, 29 Jul 1943-12 Mar 1944; Charra, India, 11 Apr 1944; Dudhkundi, India, 1 Jul 1944-1 Mar 1945; West Field, Tinian, 7 Apr-28 Sep 1945; Merced AAFld, CA, 15 Nov 1945; Davis-Monthan Field, AZ, 6 May-1 Oct 1946. Commanders. Maj Arthur T. Snell, 28 Mar 1943; Maj Robert J. Hughey, 14 Apr 1943; Maj Walter W. Cross, 17 Apr 1943; Col Alva L. Harvey, 5 Aug 1943; Col Henry R. Sullivan, 22 Apr 1945; Col James C. Selser Jr., 3 Jun 1945-1 Oct 1946. Aircraft. B-24, 1943; B-26, 1943; B-17, 1943-1944; YB-29, 1943-1944; B-29, 1943-1946. Operations. Combat training in the US, Mar 1943-Mar 1944. Moved to India in Mar-Apr 1944 and assigned to Twentieth Air Force. Flew supplies over the Hump to Chinese bases that its B-29s would later use for staging attacks against Japan. On 15 Jun 1944, participated in the first Army Air Force strike on the Japanese home islands since the Doolittle raid in 1942. Bombed transportation centers, naval installations, aircraft plants, and other targets in Burma, China, Thailand, Japan, and Formosa. Moved to Tinian in the spring of 1945 and participated in incendiary raids on urban areas for the duration of the war. Returned to US in late 1945 and was assigned to Strategic Air Command until inactivation on 1 Oct 1946. Service Streamers. World War II American Theater. Campaign Streamers. World War II: India-Burma; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Western Pacific; Central Burma. Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None. Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Yawata, Japan, 20 Aug 1944; Japan, 10-14 May 1945; Japan, 24 Jul 1945. Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 11 Mar 2010. Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 1 Oct 1946. Supersedes statement prepared on 15 Jan 2003. Emblem. None on file. Wing may design and request approval of an emblem in accordance with AFI 84-105. Prepared by Patsy Robertson. Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.