Lineage. Established as 332 Fighter Group on 4 Jul 1942. Activated on 13 Oct 1942. Inactivated on 19 Oct 1945. Activated on 1 Jul 1947. Inactivated on 1 Jul 1949. Redesignated as 332 Air Expeditionary Group, and converted to provisional status, on 19 Nov 1998. Activated on 1 Dec 1998. Redesignated as 332d Expeditionary Operations Group on 12 Aug 2002.
Assignments. Third Air Force, 13 Oct 1942; First Air Force, 23 Jul 1943; Twelfth Air Force, c. 27 Jan 1944; XII Air Force Training and Replacement Command (Provisional), 3 Feb 1944; XII Fighter Command, 10 Feb 1944; 62nd Fighter Wing, 10 Feb 1944; Fifteenth Air Force, 22 May 1944; 306 Fighter Wing, 22 May 1944; 305 Bombardment Wing, 12 Jun-Sep 1945; unkn, Sep-19 Oct 1945. Ninth Air Force, 1 Jul 1947; 332nd Fighter Wing, 15 Aug 1947-1 Jul 1949. 9 Air and Space (later, 9 Aerospace) Expeditionary Task Force-Southern Watch, 1 Dec 1998; 332 Air Expeditionary Wing, 12 Aug 2002-.
Components. Squadrons. 9 Expeditionary Fighter: 16-28 Dec 1998. 18 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Dec 1998-2 Mar 1999; 15 Dec 2001-30 Mar 2002. 34 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Dec 1998-2 Mar 1999. 41 Expeditionary Fighter: 30 May-1 Sep 2000. 41 Expeditionary Rescue: 1 May 2005-. 46 Expeditionary Reconnaissance: 10 Sep 2003-. 55 Expeditionary Fighter: 19 Jan-4 May 1999. 64 Expeditionary Rescue: 21 Mar 2003-. 66 Expeditionary Rescue: 9 Dec 2005-25 Aug 2006. 68 Expeditionary Fighter: 3 Mar-23 Apr 1999. 69 Expeditionary Fighter: 23 Apr-1 Oct 1999. 70 Expeditionary Fighter: 4 May-1 Oct 1999. 71 Expeditionary Rescue: 30 May-1 Sep 2000. 71 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron: -15 Mar 2002. 74 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Dec 2000-13 Mar 2001, 10 Sep 2003-. 75 Expeditionary Fighter: 20 Mar-18 Jul 2003. 81 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Sep-13 Dec 2000. 87 Expeditionary Fighter: 14 Jun 2002-10 Sep 2003. 88 Expeditionary Fighter: 14 Jun 2002-10 Sep 2003. 93 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Sep-1 Oct 2001, 14 Sep-26 Oct 2005. 99 Fighter: 1 May 1944-22 Jun 1945 (detached 1 May-6 Jun and 11-30 Jun 1944); 1 Jul 1947-1 Jul 1949. 100 Fighter: 13 Oct 1942-19 Oct 1945; 1 Jul 1947-1 Jul 1949. 301 Fighter: 13 Oct 1942-19 Oct 1945; 1 Jul 1947-1 Jul 1949. 302 Fighter: 13 Oct 1942-6 Mar 1945. 332 Expeditionary Rescue: 1 Dec 1998-. 354 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Jun-1 Sep 2001. 355 Expeditionary Fighter: 1-21 Dec 1998; 1 Dec 2001-14 Jun 2002. 391 Expeditionary Fighter: 19 Jan-9 Mar 1999, 19 Oct 2001-. 457 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Nov-31 Dec 2001, 26 Oct-7 Dec 2005. 466 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Oct-31 Dec 2001. 492 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Mar-8 Jun 2001. 494 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Dec 2000-13 Mar 2001. 510 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Mar-30 Jun 2000, 6 May-16 Sep 2005. 522 Expeditionary Fighter: 15 Dec 1998-8 Feb 1999. 524 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Sep-13 Dec 2000, 7 Sep 2006-. 555 Expeditionary Fighter: 30 May-1 Sep 2000, 7 Sep 2005-. 702 Expeditionary Airlift: 22 Dec 2003-9 Feb 2004. 710 Expeditionary Airlift: 22 Dec 2003-9 Feb 2004. 737 Expeditionary Airlift: 22 Dec 2003-9 Feb 2004. 738 Expeditionary Airlift: 22 Dec 2003-9 Feb 2004. 777 Expeditionary Airlift: 22 Feb 2006-. Flights. 4 Expeditionary Reconnaissance: 31 Jan-7 Jul 2005.
Stations. Tuskegee, AL, 13 Oct 1942; Selfridge Field, MI, 29 Mar 1943; Oscoda, MI, 21 May 1943; Selfridge Field, MI, 9 Jul-22 Dec 1943; Montecorvino, Italy, 8 Feb 1944; Capodichino, Italy, 15 Apr 1944; Ramitelli Airfield, Italy, 28 May 1944; Cattolica, Italy, c. 4 May 1945; Lucera, Italy, c. 18 Jul-Sep 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 17-19 Oct 1945. Lockbourne AAB (later, AFB), OH, 1 Jul 1947-1 Jul 1949. Al Jaber, Kuwait, 1 Dec 1998; Tallil, Iraq, 10 Sep 2003; Balad Southeast, Iraq, 9 Feb 2004-.
Commanders. Lt Col Sam W. Westbrook, Jr., by 19 Oct 1942; Col Robert R. Selway, Jr., 16 May 1943; Col Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., 8 Oct 1943; Maj George S. Roberts, 3 Nov 1944; Col Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., 24 Dec 1944; Maj George S. Roberts, 9 Jun 1945-unkn. Unkn, 1 Jul-27 Aug 1947; Maj William A. Campbell, 28 Aug 1947-1 Jul 1949.
Aircraft. P-40, 1943; P-39, 1943-1944; P-47, 1944; P-51, 1944-1945. P(later F)-47, 1947-1949.
Operations. One of the only two African-American flying groups in the Army Air Forces during World War II, and the only African-American fighter group. It was also the only African-American flying group to deploy overseas and enter combat. Trained with P-39 and P-40 aircraft at Tuskegee, Alabama, and bases in Michigan for combat overseas. Moved to Italy, January-early February 1944. Began combat with Twelfth Air Force on 5 February, using P-39s to escort convoys, protect harbors, and fly armed reconnaissance missions. Converted to P-47s during April-May 1944 and to P-51s in June. Operated with the Fifteenth Air Force from May 1944 to April 1945, flying 311 missions as one of its seven fighter escort groups, being engaged primarily in protecting B-17 and B-24 bombers that struck such objectives as oil refineries, factories, airfields, and marshalling yards in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Greece. Also made strafing attacks on airdromes, railroads, highways, bridges, river traffic, troop concentrations, radar facilities, power stations, and other targets. Received a DUC for a 24 March 1945 mission that escorted B-17s on a raid against a tank factory in the German capital, Berlin, its longest raid of the war. On that mission, its pilots destroyed three German jet interceptors and strafed transportation facilities in the area before returning to their base in Italy. Returned to the U.S. in October and inactivated on 19 Oct 1945. Activated again in July 1947 as a part of Tactical Air Command (TAC). Trained with P(later F)-47s, ferried aircraft, and took part in TAC exercises. Inactivated two years later on 1 July 1949, during the racial integration of the USAF. Activated again on 1 Dec 1998. Served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003-. Managed a host of expeditionary fighter squadrons in Iraq during combat operations there.
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Global War on Terrorism: GWOT-E. Iraq: Transition of Iraq; Iraqi Governance; National Resolution; Iraqi Surge; Iraqi Sovereignty; New Dawn.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Global War on Terrorism.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 24 Mar 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V” Device: 1 Jun-14 Oct 2001. Gallant Unit Citations: 1 Jun-14 Oct 2001; 15 Oct 2001-15 Apr 2002. Meritorious Unit Awards: 2 May 2003-30 Apr 2004; 1 May 2004-30 Apr 2005; 1 May 2005-31 Jan 2007; 1 Feb 2007-31 Jan 2008; 1 Feb 2008-31 Jan 2009; 1 Jun 2009-31 May 2010; 1 Jun 2010-31 May 2011.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Operations through Oct 2006.
Honors through May 2011.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 1 Jul 1949
Emblem. Approved on 15 Jan 1943
Prepared by: Daniel L. Haulman