Lineage. Established as 363 Fighter Group (Single Engine) on 11 Feb 1943. Activated on 1 Mar 1943. Redesignated as: 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 20 Sep 1944; 363 Reconnaissance Group on 15 Jun 1945. Inactivated on 11 Dec 1945. Activated on 29 Jul 1946. Redesignated as 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 14 Jun 1948. Inactivated on 8 Feb 1958. Redesignated as 363 Operations Group, and activated, on 1 May 1992. Inactivated on 31 Dec 1993. Redesignated as 363 Expeditionary Operations Group, and converted to provisional status, on 19 Nov 1998. Activated on 1 Dec 1998. Inactivated on 25 Aug 2003. Redesignated as 363 Operations Group, and converted from provisional to permanent status again, on 24 May 2007. Redesignated as 363 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group on 13 Feb 2015. Activated on 17 Feb 2015.
Assignments. IV Fighter Command, I Mar 1943; San Francisco Air Defense Wing, 12 Apr 1943; IX Fighter Command, 30 Dec 1943; 70 Fighter Wing, Feb 1944; 100 Fighter Wing, 15 Apr 1944; 303 Fighter Wing, 20 Aug 1944; Ninth Air Force, 5 Sep 1944; XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional), 3 Oct 1944; IX Fighter Command, 1 Dec 1944 (attached to XXIX Tactical Air Command [Provisional]); 64 Fighter Wing, 18 May 1945; XII Tactical Air Command, 15 Nov 1945; Theater Service Forces, European Theater, 20 Nov-c. 2 Dec 1945; unkn, 3‑11 Dec 1945. Ninth Air Force, 29 Jul 1946; 363 Reconnaissance Wing (later, 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing), 15 Aug 1947; Ninth Air Force (attached to 4 Fighter Wing), 26 Apr 1949; Tactical Air Command, 1 Aug 1950; 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Sep 1950‑8 Feb 1958. 363 Fighter Wing, 1 May 1992‑31 Dec 1993. 363 Air Expeditionary Wing, 1 Dec 1998‑25 Aug 2003. 363 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing, 17 Feb 2015-.
Components. Squadrons. 9 Tactical Reconnaissance: 11 Nov 1953‑8 Feb 1958. 10 Fighter‑Interceptor: attached 19 Oct‑1 Dec 1950. 12 Tactical Reconnaissance: 29 Jul 1946‑24 Jul 1947. 15 Tactical Reconnaissance: attached, 22 Aug-3 Nov 1948. 17 Tactical Reconnaissance: 2 Apr 1951‑8 Feb 1958. 17 Fighter: 1 May 1992‑31 Dec 1993. 19 Fighter: 1 May 1992‑31 Dec. 21 Fighter: 1 May 1992‑31 Dec 1993. 27 Expeditionary Fighter: 21 Jun 1999‑13 Aug 1999. 31 Tactical Reconnaissance: 23 May‑25 Jun 1945. 33 Fighter: 1 May 1992‑15 Nov 1993. 33 Photographic Reconnaissance: 30 Oct 1944‑17 May 1945; c. 5 Jul‑20 Aug 1945. 39 Photographic Reconnaissance: 23 May‑25 Jun 1945. 58 Expeditionary Fighter: 15 Jan 1999‑2 Mar 1999. 60 Expeditionary Fighter: 10 Dec 1998‑25 Jan 1999. 71 Expeditionary Fighter: 1‑21 Dec 1998. 78 Expeditionary Fighter: 1‑ 18 Dec 1998. 79 Expeditionary Fighter: 18 Dec 1998‑8 Feb 1999. 84 Bombardment: attached 17 Oct 1949‑12 Mar 1951. 85 Bombardment: attached 17 Oct 1949‑12 Mar 1951. 94 Expeditionary Fighter: 13 Aug 1999‑. 155 Photographic Reconnaissance: 23 May‑ 12 Jul 1945. 309 Fighter: attached, 28 Aug-19 Nov 1992, assigned, 20 Nov 1992‑31 Dec 1993. 363 Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron: 1 Dec 1998‑. 363 Expeditionary Airborne Air Control: 1 Dec 1998‑. 363 Expeditionary Airlift Squadron: I Dec 1998‑. 363 Expeditionary Reconnaissance: 1 Dec 1998‑. 380 Fighter (later, 160 Tactical Reconnaissance; 160th Reconnaissance; 160 Tactical Reconnaissance; 16 Tactical Reconnaissance): 1 Mar 1943‑15 Nov 1945; 24 Jul 1947‑26 Apr 1949; 1 Sep 1950‑8 Feb 1958. 381 Fighter (later, 161 Tactical Reconnaissance; 161 Reconnaissance; 161 Tactical Reconnaissance; 18th Tactical Reconnaissance): 1 Mar 1943‑3 Jul 1945 (detached 23 Dec 1944‑3 Jan 1945); 31 Aug 1946‑23 Sep 1949 (detached 20‑23 Sep 1949); 2 Apr 1951‑8 Feb 1958. 382 Fighter (later, 162 Tactical Reconnaissance; 162 Reconnaissance; 162 Tactical Reconnaissance): 1 Mar 1943‑29 Sep 1944; 29 Jul 1946‑10 Oct 1950 (detached 18 Aug‑10 Oct 1950). 389 Expeditionary Fighter: 8 Feb‑23 Mar 1999. 390 Expeditionary Fighter: 2 Mar‑21 Jun 1999. 763 Expeditionary Reconnaissance: 1 Dec 1998‑. 2215 (later, 4400) Combat Crew Training: attached 1 Sep 1950‑12 Mar 1951.
Stations. Hamilton Field, CA, Mar 1943; Santa Rosa AAFld, CA, Aug 1943;
Sacramento, CA, Oct‑c. 3 Dec 1943; Keevil, England, c. 23 Dec 1943; Rivenhall,
England, Jan 1944; Staplehurst, England, Apr 1944; Maupertuis, France, c. 1 Jul 1944; Azeville, France, Aug 1944; Le Mans, France, Sep 1944; Luxembourg, Luxembourg, c. 1 Oct 1944; Le Culot, Belgium, c. 29 Oct 1944; Venlo, Holland, Mar 1945; Gutersloh, Germany, c. 15 Apr 1945; Brunswick, Germany, c. 22 Apr 1945; Wiesbaden, Germany, 17 May 1945; Eschwege, Germany, Aug 1945; Darmstadt, Germany, Sep‑2 Dec 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, c. 9‑11 Dec 1945. Brooks Field, TX, 29 Jul 1946; Langley AFB, VA, 20 Dec 1946; Shaw AFB, SC, c. 2 Apr 1951‑8 Feb 1958. Shaw AFB, SC, 1 May 1992-31 Dec 1993. Al Kharj (later, Prince Sultan AB), Saudi Arabia, 1 Dec 1998‑25 Aug 2003. Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA, 17 Feb 2015-.
Commanders. Lt Col John R. Ulricson, c. 1 Mar 1943; Capt Dave H. Culberson, c. 8 Apr 1943; Maj Theodore C. Bunker, c. 27 Apr 1943; Col John R. Ulricson, 5 Jun 1943; Col John B. Tipton, 7 May 1944; Col James M. Smelley, c. 1 Sep 1944; Lt Col Seth A. Mize, May 1945; Unkn, 31 Aug‑11 Dec 1945. Col Russell A. Berg, 29 Jul 1946; Col John R. Dyas, c. 23 Aug 1946; Col James M. Smelley, 5 Nov 1947; Lt Col Walter W. Berg, 30 Jun 1949; Col Willis F. Chapman, 31 Oct 1949; Col Benjamin G. Willis, 7 Sep 1950; Maj Charles N. Keppler, c. 13 Mar 1951; Col Willie O. Jackson Jr., 2 Apr 1951; Lt Col Robert R. Smith, 1 Nov 195 1; Lt Col Robert R. Evans, 5 Mar 1952; Col John M. McNabb, 17 Mar 1952; Col Robert R. Smith, c. 4 Mar 1953; Col Paul A. Pettigrew, c. 16 Mar 1955; Lt Col William H. Nelson, 1 Aug 1957‑8 Feb 1958. Col Greg P. Rice, 1 May 1992; Col Charles N. Simpson, 20 Nov 1992; Col Kees W. Rietsema, 26 Jul‑31 Dec 1993.
Aircraft. P‑39, 1943; P‑51, 1944; F‑6, 1944‑1945; F‑5, 1944‑1945. F‑6, 1946; RB‑26, 1946‑1956; RF‑80, 1946‑1949, 1951‑1954; RB‑57, 1954‑1956; RF‑84, 1954‑1958; T‑33, 1955‑1957; RB‑66, 1956‑1958; RF‑101, 1957‑1958. F‑16, 1992‑1993; OA‑10, 1992‑1993.
Operations. Provided air defense while training in 1943. Entered combat from England in Feb 1944, escorting bombers and fighter‑bombers to France, Germany, and the Low Countries. Strafed and dive‑bombed military targets in Nazi‑occupied Europe. During the Normandy Invasion, the group escorted troop carriers and gliders and attacked enemy positions near the front lines. After moving to France in mid‑1944, supported the Allied offensive to the German border. In Sep 1944, the group gave up its fighter role to fly photographic reconnaissance missions and direct fighter‑bombers to targets. Earned Belgian citations for action during the Battle of the Bulge and the Allied assault on the Siegfried Line (Dec 1944‑Jan 1945). Supported the Ninth Army's invasion of Germany, Feb‑May 1945. In December, returned to the U.S. for inactivation. From 1946 to 1958, trained replacement reconnaissance crews and maintained the combat effectiveness of assigned and attached tactical reconnaissance units and individuals, partly by participating in a series of exercises. In 1957, took part in Operation Sun Run which demonstrated the capabilities of the RF‑101 aircraft in cross‑country flights that broke three official speed records. From May 1992 through Dec 1993, the group trained for fighter missions, managing squadrons for the 363d Fighter Wing. Trained F‑16 and OA‑10 replacement aircrews and maintenance personnel. While participating in Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq in Dec 1992, Lt Col Gary North of the group's 33d Fighter Squadron became the first F‑ 16 pilot to score an aerial victory.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes‑Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Global War on Terrorism-Expeditionary.
Decorations. Meritorious Unit Awards: [17 Feb]-31 May 2015; 1 Jun 2015-31 May 2016. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat “V” Device: 1 Jun 1999-31 May 2001; 1 Jun 2001-31 May 2002; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2003. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: [1 May] 1992‑31 Dec 1993; 1 Jun 1997-31 May 1999; [1 Dec 1998]-31 May 1999. Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 1 Oct‑ 17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944‑15 Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 7 Jul 2017.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Dec 1993.
Supersedes statement prepared on 24 May 2007.
Emblem. Group will use the wing emblem with group designation in scroll.
Prepared by Carl E. Bailey.