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It was last activated on 1 October 2008, and provided airlift for US Africa Command (USAFRICOM). The 404 Group added, in provisional status, the 459th Expeditionary Air Medical Squadron.[2]
The group forward-deploys when needed to facilitate air and support operations for varied missions, ranging from humanitarian airlift to presidential support. It deployed toRwanda in January 2009 to airlift forUnited Nations African Union Mission in Darfur peacekeeping equipment. In July 2009, the 404th Group deployed toGhana to provide aerial port and aircraft maintenance teams, along with forward communications, early warning, and air domain safety and security elements for U.S. PresidentBarack Obama's visit.[3]
Established as the100th Fighter Wing and organized in England in late 1943. Assigned to theEuropean Theater of Operations (ETO),IX Fighter Command,Ninth Air Force. Began operational missions in April 1944, mission of the Wing was to receive operational orders from Headquarters, IX Fighter Command and direct subordinate groups in attacking enemy targets in Occupied France and the Low Countries in preparation for theNormandy Invasion in June 1944. Targets included bridges, roads, railroads and enemy interceptor aircraft both on the ground as well as in air-to-air combat.
After theD-Day invasion, was reassigned toIX Tactical Air Command and directed to provide ground support for advancingUnited States First Army forces in France, attacking enemy targets initially in theCotentin Peninsula, then supportedOperation Cobra, the breakout of Normandy and attacked enemy forces in theFalaise-Argentan Gap. Wing headquarters and subordinate units operated primarily from liberated airfields and newly built temporaryAdvanced Landing Grounds in France, moved into north-central France, its groups attacking enemy targets nearParis then north-west into Belgium and the southern Netherlands. In December 1944/January 1945, engaged enemy targets on the north side of theBattle of the Bulge, then moved eastward into the NorthernRhineland as part of theWestern Allied invasion of Germany.
Supported First Army as it crossed theRhine River atRemagen then moved north to attack ground targets in theRuhr, providing air support as Allied ground forces encircled enemy forces in theRuhr Pocket, essentially ending organized enemy resistance in Western Germany. First Army halted its advance at theElbe River in late April 1945, the wing engaging targets of opportunity in enemy-controlled areas until combat was ended on 5 May 1945.
It remained in Europe for four months afterVE Day, as part ofUnited States Air Forces in Europe. It performed occupation duty and the destruction or shipment to the United States of captured enemy combat equipment -Operation Lusty. It was inactivated in Germany in August 1945.
The704th Strategic Missile Wing activated on 1 July 1957 atVandenberg Air Force Base, California, but was not operational until mid-November 1957. While it had two operational squadrons, its task was training on theSM-65 Atlas,PGM-19 Jupiter, and thePGM-17 Thor from November 1957 – April 1959. Not operational 6 April – 1 July 1959. The wing then was redesignated as the404th Tactical Missile Wing on 31 July 1985.
As an air expeditionary unit, it has been activated and inactivated on several occasions by USAFE from 2003 to 2008. In June–July 2003 it was activated atRAF Mildenhall, UK. It was part of the323d Air Expeditionary Wing from 14 March – 30 April 2008 atBalotești, Romania, when the 323th Wing served briefly as the USAF headquarters for the2008 Bucharest summit.[4] During the deployment to Romania, the 404th Group with the 404th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron prepared the airfield ofCâmpia Turzii for theF-15 fighters which were to be stationed there.[5]
The wing was attached toSeventeenth Air Force (Air Forces Africa) until 17th AF was disestablished.
The wing was listed in the AF Almanac for 2013.[1]
XIX Air Support Command (later XIX Tactical Air Command), 15 April 1944 – 28 June 1945 (under the operational control of IX Fighter Command, 15 April – 31 July 1944)
354th Fighter Group: (P-51 Mustang), 27 November – 2 December 1943; 15 April 1944 – 4 July 1945 (under operational control of70th Fighter Wing, 22 June – 19 August 1944)
362d Fighter Group: (P-47 Thunderbolt), 1 August 1944 – August 1945 (attached to XIX Tactical Air Command)
864th Strategic Missile Squadron (later 864th Technical Training Squadron) 23 February 1958 – 1 July 1959 (attached to 1st Missile Division after 1 November 1958)[7]
865th Strategic Missile Squadron (later 865th Technical Training Squadron) 1 July 1958 – 1 July 1959 (attached to 1st Missile Division after 1 November 1958)[8]
^Approved 26 January 1958. Description:Per fessenhancedazure and light blue, thechief strewn with starsargent, between two cloudsissuant one fromsinister chief the other from dexterbase of the last [color mentioned] and issuantbendwise from sinister base a demi-sphere with grid lines of the first [color mentioned], land masses brown and seas of the third [color mentioned] with overall a torchor enflamedproper between two lightning flashes radiant from its basegules, in bend a missile enflamed of the fifth [color mentioned] and surmounted in chief by a segment of a star overall of the third [color mentioned], all within a diminishedbordure of the last [color mentioned].
United States
United States Air Force
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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