363d Air Expeditionary Wing
Encyclopedia
The 363d Air Expeditionary Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 363d Air Expeditionary Wing
, stationed at Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia. It was inactivated on 24 August 2003.
The pressing need for tactical aerial reconnaissance during the Normandy Campaign led the group to be converted to a photo-reconnaissance Group with the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group being formed at Le Mans, France in late 1944. The 363d TRG was the 'eyes' of General George S. Patton's Third Army during its advance through France, and later during the Allied invasion of Germany in 1945.
Reactivated in 1948, the 363d TRG flew photographic, electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces during the early years of the Cold War
.
During the modern era, the unit was reactivated in 1993 as part of the USAF Objective Wing organization as the 363d Operations Group, and in Southwest Asia as the 363d Expeditionary Operations Group, flying a variety of fighter aircraft (F-16, A-10, F-15 and others) on operational missions. Today the unit trains airmen of allied and friendly nations.
The 363d Training Group has its origins as the 363d Fighter Group, being activated on 1 August 1943 at Hamilton AAFld, California. The original fighter squadrons (380th, 381st, 382d) trained with Bell P-39 Airacobras at Hamilton and other airfields in California and served as part of the air defense force.
The group moved to England in December 1943 for duty with the Ninth Air Force
. At RAF Keevil
, the group was re-equipped with North American P-51 Mustang in January 1944 and entered combat in February. Squadron designations were changed to 160th (A9), 161st (B3) and 162d (C3) Fighter Squadrons and assigned Fuselage Codes. The group escorted bombers and fighter-bombers to targets in France, Germany, and the Low Countries; strafed and dive-bombed trains, marshalling yards, bridges, vehicles, airfields, troops, gun positions, and other targets on the Continent.
The 363d supported the D-Day invasion of Normandy
in June 1944 by escorting troop carriers and gliders and by attacking enemy positions near the front lines, and moved to the Continent at the end of June to take part in the Allied drive to the German border.
In the two weeks following D-Day, the 363d experienced the most fruitful period of its service in the European Theater of Operations
when patrols over France brought it actions with a total of 19 confirmed victories. However, a similar number of Mustangs were lost, albeit mostly to ground fire.
During operations from England, the group was credited with 41 victories but lost 43 of its own aircraft in the process.
airfield, France (A-35). The 380th, 381st and 382nd squadrons were redesignated as the 160th, 161st and 162nd Reconnaissance Squadrons respectively. The group flew photographic missions to support both air and ground operations; directed fighter-bombers to railway, highway, and waterway traffic, bridges, gun positions, troop concentrations, and other opportune targets; adjusted artillery fire; and took photographs to assess results of Allied bombardment operations.
It received two Belgian citations for reconnaissance activities, including the group's support of the assault on the Siegfried Line
and its participation in the Battle of the Bulge
(December 1944 – January 1945). The 363d assisted Ninth Army's drive across the Rhine and deep into Germany during the period from February 1945 to V-E Day
, eventually being stationed at Wiesbaden
, Germany (Y-80) at the end of hostilities in May
The 363d returned to the United States in December 1945 and was inactivated on 11 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
The 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was reactivated on 29 July 1946 at Brooks AAFld, Texas. Equipped initially with two squadrons (161st & 162d Reconnaissance Squadron) flying Lockheed FP-80A Shooting Stars for daylight (161st RS) and Douglas FA-26C Invaders
(162d RS) for night reconnaissance. In June 1948, the FP-80A was redesignated the RF-80A, and the FA-26C to RB-26C.
The FA/RB-26C was a B-26 with all guns removed and cameras installed throughout the aircraft. Additionally, aircraft intended for night reconnaissance were equipped with photo flash bombs. Some aircraft were also modified for electronic reconnaissance with the installation of radar and signal intelligence gathering equipment.
The FP/RF-80A was an F-80A, with a longer and deeper nose to house cameras in place of the guns in the nose of the aircraft. After the end of the Korean War, the RF-80As were partially brought up to F-80C standards. These RF-80Cs had improved camera installations in a nose of modified contour
The group was placed under the newly activated 363d Reconnaissance Wing on 15 August 1947. It was reassigned to Langley AAFld, Virginia
in December 1947 by the newly established USAF. It was redesignated the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 27 August 1948. For budgetary reasons unit was inactivated on 26 April 1949, however it was again activated on 1 September 1950 at Langley.
Due to the pressing needs of Far East Air Forces in Japan the 162nd TRS, flying RB-26s, and the photo-processing 363d Reconnaissance Technical Squadron (RTS) were reassigned from Langley to Itazuke AB Japan for Korean War
service and began operations in August 1950 as part of the 543rd Tactical Support Group.
On 1 April 1951, the 363d TRG was transferred to Shaw AFB, South Carolina
. The group's mission was to fly photographic, electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces.
In 1954, the RF-84F Thunderflash
was assigned to the 363d TRG. The RF-84F was the photographic reconnaissance version of the F-84F Thunderstreak. It had many components in common with the F-84F, but differed in having the jet engine fed by a pair of wing root air intakes, the nose being taken up by a bank of cameras. The USAF was in need of a replacement for its aging Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Star unarmed reconnaissance aircraft, and concluded that the F-84F with its wing root air intakes made a good camera-carrying reconnaissance aircraft.
The aircraft camera bay in the nose could accommodate up to six cameras in forward- facing, trimetrogen and individual oblique and vertical installations. The vertical camera bay had hydraulically-operated retractable doors, and behind these doors was an aperture for a vertical viewfinder with a periscope presentation on the cockpit panel. Photoflash ejectors could be carried in underwing tanks for nighttime photographic reconnaissance missions.
Deliveries of the RF-84F Thunderflash began in March 1954, with the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing being the first USAF recipient. The service life of the RF-84F with the 363d TRW was relatively short, and were replaced by the McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo
aircraft in 1957/1958.
The first USAF RB-66Bs were issued to the 9th TRS in January 1956. They replaced the obsolescent RB-26 Invader for night reconnaissance missions. Two more squadrons were equipped with RB-66Bs by the end of the year. The RB-66B very soon became the primary night photographic reconnaissance weapon system of the Tactical Air Command
.
In addition to the RB-66B, RB-66C models entered service with the 9th TRS in February 1956. RB-66C models carried additional ECM equipment in wingtip pods. Chaff dispensing pods
could be carried underneath the wing outboard of the engine nacelles. Later examples had the tail turret removed and replaced by additional ECM equipment installed in an extended tailcone. After the tail guns were removed, the gunner's position was usually left empty unless occupied by an instructor pilot or instructor navigator.
In January 1953, the USAF had asked McDonnell to develop an unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the F-101 Voodoo
as a possible replacement for the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash. The first RF-101A was delivered to the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 6 May 1957 as a replacement for the subsonic RF-84F. The RF-101A had a redesigned and longer nose housing four cameras designed for low-altitude photography. In addition, two high-altitude cameras were mounted behind the cockpit in place of the ammunition boxes of the fighter variant.
In September 1957, the RF-101C began deliveries to Shaw. The C model combined the strengthened structure of the F-101C with the camera installation of the RF-101A. In addition, the RF-101C differed from the RF-101A in being able to accommodate a centerline nuclear weapon, so that it could carry out a secondary nuclear strike mission if ever called upon to do so. The RF-101Cs served for a brief time alongside the RF-101A, but quickly replaced them by May 1958.
In a reorganization on 8 February 1958, the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were assigned directly to the 363d TRW.
On 1 May 1992, the 363d Operations Group (363 OG) was activated as a result of the 363d Fighter Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization. Upon activation, the 363 OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group. The 36th OG was assigned the Fighter Squadrons of the Wing upon activation. All aircraft carried the "SW" Tail Code.
With the closure of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
South Carolina and the deactivation of the 354th Fighter Wing
, the 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated at Shaw and received 30 Republic A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II
s from the deactivating 355th Fighter Squadron
on 1 April 1992. All A-10 aircraft with the 21st TFS were designated as OA-10A.
As a result of the August 1992 destruction of Homestead AFB Florida by Hurricane Andrew
in September 1992, the 31st Fighter Wing's 309th Fighter Squadron was initially evacuated to Shaw AFB prior to the hurricane making landfall. With Homestead unusable for an extended period after the hurricane, on 1 October 1992 the squadron was permanently assigned to the 363 OG. The 33rd TRS was deactivated on 15 November 1993. Its F-16C/D aircraft were transferred to the Air National Guard.
As a result of the end of the Cold War, the Air Force made several dramatic changes with the inactivation and re-designation of wings and their units. The 363d OG and all of its squadrons were inactivated on 1 January 1994, being replaced at Shaw by the 20th Operations Group, being reassigned to Shaw from RAF Upper Heyford, England.
The 363d Expeditionary Operations Group (363 EOG) was activated on 1 December 1998 when the United States Air Force inactivated all MAJCOM wings. The 363 EOG was the primary United States Air Force Air Expeditionary Group responsible for Operation SOUTHERN WATCH (OSW), which involved patrolling the Southern No-Fly Zone over Iraq below the 33rd Parallel. The Wing was inactivated after the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom when all American combat forces left Saudi Arabia in 2003
*Note: Became subordinate component of 363d Reconnaissance Wing on 29 July 1947
Expeditionary Squadrons*
Expeditionary squadrons were active between 1 December 1998-26 August 2003 (undetermined varying dates)
* Note: Other squadrons assigned to the 363d Expeditionary Operations Group are undetermined.
363d Air Expeditionary Wing
The 363d Air Expeditionary Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 363d Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed at Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia...
, stationed at Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia. It was inactivated on 24 August 2003.
History
The 363d Air Expeditionary Operations Group has its origins to World War II 363d Fighter Group, being activated on 1 August 1943 at Hamilton Field, California. Initially a IX Fighter Command tactical fighter group, the unit was credited with 41 victories but lost 43 of its own aircraft in the process.The pressing need for tactical aerial reconnaissance during the Normandy Campaign led the group to be converted to a photo-reconnaissance Group with the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group being formed at Le Mans, France in late 1944. The 363d TRG was the 'eyes' of General George S. Patton's Third Army during its advance through France, and later during the Allied invasion of Germany in 1945.
Reactivated in 1948, the 363d TRG flew photographic, electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces during the early years of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
During the modern era, the unit was reactivated in 1993 as part of the USAF Objective Wing organization as the 363d Operations Group, and in Southwest Asia as the 363d Expeditionary Operations Group, flying a variety of fighter aircraft (F-16, A-10, F-15 and others) on operational missions. Today the unit trains airmen of allied and friendly nations.
363d Fighter Group
The group moved to England in December 1943 for duty with the Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
. At RAF Keevil
RAF Keevil
RAF Keevil is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles east of Trowbridge, Wiltshire.The airfield was built on a site previously ear-marked for the purpose in the mid 1930s...
, the group was re-equipped with North American P-51 Mustang in January 1944 and entered combat in February. Squadron designations were changed to 160th (A9), 161st (B3) and 162d (C3) Fighter Squadrons and assigned Fuselage Codes. The group escorted bombers and fighter-bombers to targets in France, Germany, and the Low Countries; strafed and dive-bombed trains, marshalling yards, bridges, vehicles, airfields, troops, gun positions, and other targets on the Continent.
The 363d supported the D-Day invasion of Normandy
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
in June 1944 by escorting troop carriers and gliders and by attacking enemy positions near the front lines, and moved to the Continent at the end of June to take part in the Allied drive to the German border.
In the two weeks following D-Day, the 363d experienced the most fruitful period of its service in the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
when patrols over France brought it actions with a total of 19 confirmed victories. However, a similar number of Mustangs were lost, albeit mostly to ground fire.
During operations from England, the group was credited with 41 victories but lost 43 of its own aircraft in the process.
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group
On the continent, the 363d was reorganized into a Reconnaissance group flying the F-5 photo-reconnaissance version of the P-38 Lightning and the F-6 photo-reconnaissance version of the P-51 Mustang at Le MansLe Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
airfield, France (A-35). The 380th, 381st and 382nd squadrons were redesignated as the 160th, 161st and 162nd Reconnaissance Squadrons respectively. The group flew photographic missions to support both air and ground operations; directed fighter-bombers to railway, highway, and waterway traffic, bridges, gun positions, troop concentrations, and other opportune targets; adjusted artillery fire; and took photographs to assess results of Allied bombardment operations.
It received two Belgian citations for reconnaissance activities, including the group's support of the assault on the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
and its participation in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
(December 1944 – January 1945). The 363d assisted Ninth Army's drive across the Rhine and deep into Germany during the period from February 1945 to V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
, eventually being stationed at Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, Germany (Y-80) at the end of hostilities in May
The 363d returned to the United States in December 1945 and was inactivated on 11 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
Cold War
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
(162d RS) for night reconnaissance. In June 1948, the FP-80A was redesignated the RF-80A, and the FA-26C to RB-26C.
The FA/RB-26C was a B-26 with all guns removed and cameras installed throughout the aircraft. Additionally, aircraft intended for night reconnaissance were equipped with photo flash bombs. Some aircraft were also modified for electronic reconnaissance with the installation of radar and signal intelligence gathering equipment.
The FP/RF-80A was an F-80A, with a longer and deeper nose to house cameras in place of the guns in the nose of the aircraft. After the end of the Korean War, the RF-80As were partially brought up to F-80C standards. These RF-80Cs had improved camera installations in a nose of modified contour
The group was placed under the newly activated 363d Reconnaissance Wing on 15 August 1947. It was reassigned to Langley AAFld, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in December 1947 by the newly established USAF. It was redesignated the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 27 August 1948. For budgetary reasons unit was inactivated on 26 April 1949, however it was again activated on 1 September 1950 at Langley.
Due to the pressing needs of Far East Air Forces in Japan the 162nd TRS, flying RB-26s, and the photo-processing 363d Reconnaissance Technical Squadron (RTS) were reassigned from Langley to Itazuke AB Japan for Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
service and began operations in August 1950 as part of the 543rd Tactical Support Group.
On 1 April 1951, the 363d TRG was transferred to Shaw AFB, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. The group's mission was to fly photographic, electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces.
In 1954, the RF-84F Thunderflash
F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
was assigned to the 363d TRG. The RF-84F was the photographic reconnaissance version of the F-84F Thunderstreak. It had many components in common with the F-84F, but differed in having the jet engine fed by a pair of wing root air intakes, the nose being taken up by a bank of cameras. The USAF was in need of a replacement for its aging Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Star unarmed reconnaissance aircraft, and concluded that the F-84F with its wing root air intakes made a good camera-carrying reconnaissance aircraft.
The aircraft camera bay in the nose could accommodate up to six cameras in forward- facing, trimetrogen and individual oblique and vertical installations. The vertical camera bay had hydraulically-operated retractable doors, and behind these doors was an aperture for a vertical viewfinder with a periscope presentation on the cockpit panel. Photoflash ejectors could be carried in underwing tanks for nighttime photographic reconnaissance missions.
Deliveries of the RF-84F Thunderflash began in March 1954, with the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing being the first USAF recipient. The service life of the RF-84F with the 363d TRW was relatively short, and were replaced by the McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo
F-101 Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
aircraft in 1957/1958.
The first USAF RB-66Bs were issued to the 9th TRS in January 1956. They replaced the obsolescent RB-26 Invader for night reconnaissance missions. Two more squadrons were equipped with RB-66Bs by the end of the year. The RB-66B very soon became the primary night photographic reconnaissance weapon system of the Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
.
In addition to the RB-66B, RB-66C models entered service with the 9th TRS in February 1956. RB-66C models carried additional ECM equipment in wingtip pods. Chaff dispensing pods
Chaff (radar countermeasure)
Chaff, originally called Window by the British, and Düppel by the Second World War era German Luftwaffe , is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin pieces of aluminium, metallized glass fibre or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of secondary...
could be carried underneath the wing outboard of the engine nacelles. Later examples had the tail turret removed and replaced by additional ECM equipment installed in an extended tailcone. After the tail guns were removed, the gunner's position was usually left empty unless occupied by an instructor pilot or instructor navigator.
In January 1953, the USAF had asked McDonnell to develop an unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the F-101 Voodoo
F-101 Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
as a possible replacement for the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash. The first RF-101A was delivered to the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 6 May 1957 as a replacement for the subsonic RF-84F. The RF-101A had a redesigned and longer nose housing four cameras designed for low-altitude photography. In addition, two high-altitude cameras were mounted behind the cockpit in place of the ammunition boxes of the fighter variant.
In September 1957, the RF-101C began deliveries to Shaw. The C model combined the strengthened structure of the F-101C with the camera installation of the RF-101A. In addition, the RF-101C differed from the RF-101A in being able to accommodate a centerline nuclear weapon, so that it could carry out a secondary nuclear strike mission if ever called upon to do so. The RF-101Cs served for a brief time alongside the RF-101A, but quickly replaced them by May 1958.
In a reorganization on 8 February 1958, the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were assigned directly to the 363d TRW.
Modern era
With the closure of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force facility, located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was established in 1940 as a World War II training base and was also used for coastal patrols during the war...
South Carolina and the deactivation of the 354th Fighter Wing
354th Fighter Wing
The 354th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force wing that is part of Pacific Air Forces . It is the host wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force .-Overview:...
, the 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated at Shaw and received 30 Republic A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
s from the deactivating 355th Fighter Squadron
355th Fighter Squadron
The 355th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was that of a subordinate unit of the 354th Fighter Wing based at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, flying the Republic A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft...
on 1 April 1992. All A-10 aircraft with the 21st TFS were designated as OA-10A.
As a result of the August 1992 destruction of Homestead AFB Florida by Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
in September 1992, the 31st Fighter Wing's 309th Fighter Squadron was initially evacuated to Shaw AFB prior to the hurricane making landfall. With Homestead unusable for an extended period after the hurricane, on 1 October 1992 the squadron was permanently assigned to the 363 OG. The 33rd TRS was deactivated on 15 November 1993. Its F-16C/D aircraft were transferred to the Air National Guard.
As a result of the end of the Cold War, the Air Force made several dramatic changes with the inactivation and re-designation of wings and their units. The 363d OG and all of its squadrons were inactivated on 1 January 1994, being replaced at Shaw by the 20th Operations Group, being reassigned to Shaw from RAF Upper Heyford, England.
The 363d Expeditionary Operations Group (363 EOG) was activated on 1 December 1998 when the United States Air Force inactivated all MAJCOM wings. The 363 EOG was the primary United States Air Force Air Expeditionary Group responsible for Operation SOUTHERN WATCH (OSW), which involved patrolling the Southern No-Fly Zone over Iraq below the 33rd Parallel. The Wing was inactivated after the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom when all American combat forces left Saudi Arabia in 2003
Lineage
- Constituted as 363d Fighter Group on 11 February 1943
- Activated on 1 March 1943
- Redesignated as 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group 4 September 1944
- Redesignated as 363d Reconnaissance Group in June 1945
- Inactivated on 11 December 1945
- Activated on 29 June 1946*
- Redesignated as 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group in June 1948
- Inactivated on 26 April 1949
- Reactivated on 1 September 1950
- Inactivated on 8 February 1958
- Redesignated as 363d Operations Group on 1 May 1992 and activated
- Inactivated on 30 December 1993
- Converted to provisional status and allocated to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate any time after 1 October 1998.
- Redesignated as 363d Air Expeditionary Operations Group on 1 December 1998 and activated
- Inactivated on 26 August 2003
*Note: Became subordinate component of 363d Reconnaissance Wing on 29 July 1947
Assignments
- IV Fighter CommandIV Fighter CommandThe IV Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fourth Air Force, based at Oakland Airport, California...
, 4 March 1943 - 70th Fighter Wing70th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 70th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with thr United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Neubiberg Air Base, Germany...
- Attached to: IX Air Support CommandIX Tactical Air CommandThe IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
, 23 December 1943- 100th Fighter Wing
- Attached to: XIX Tactical Air CommandXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
, August 1944- XXIX Tactical Air CommandXXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XXIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Weimar, Germany...
, 1 October 1944 - Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
, 20 November – 11 December 1945
- XXIX Tactical Air Command
- Twelfth Air Force, 29 June 1946
- 363d Reconnaissance (later Tactical Reconnaissance) Wing, 29 July 1947 – 26 April 1949
- 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 September 1950 – 8 February 1958
- 363d Fighter Wing, 1 May 1992 – 30 December 1993
- 363d Air Expeditionary Wing363d Air Expeditionary WingThe 363d Air Expeditionary Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 363d Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed at Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia...
, 1 December 1998 – 26 August 2003
Components
- 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron9th Tactical Reconnaissance SquadronThe 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, being stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina...
: 11 November 1953 – 8 February 1958 - 10th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 19 October 1950 – 1 December 1950
- 12th Reconnaissance Squadron12th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 12th Reconnaissance Squadron is a United States Air Force reconnaissance unit based at Beale Air Force Base, near Marysville, California. It is a component of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing and operates the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle...
: 29 July 1946 – 24 July 1947 - 17th Reconnaissance (later Fighter) Squadron17th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 17th Reconnaissance Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 57th Operations Group, and stationed at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada.-Overview:...
: 2 April 1951 – 8 February 1958; 1 May 1992-30 December 1993 - 19th Fighter Squadron19th Fighter SquadronThe 19th Fighter Squadron is part of the 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.-Mission:The 19th FS operates the F-22 Raptor aircraft conducting strategic attack, interdiction, offensive counterair , suppression of enemy air defenses, as well as offensive and defensive counterair ...
, 1 May 1992 – 30 December 1993 - 21st Fighter Squadron21st Fighter SquadronThe 21st Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training for the pilots of Republic of China .-Mission:...
1 April 1992 – 30 December 1993 - 22d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Attached), 29 Jul – 31 Aug 1946
- 31st Reconnaissance Squadron: 23 May – 25 June 1945
- 33rd Reconnaissance (later Fighter) Squadron: 30 October 1944 – 17 May 1945; 1 May 1992-15 November 1993
- 39th Reconnaissance Squadron: 23 May – 25 June 1945
- 45th Reconnaissance Squadron45th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 45th Reconnaissance Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 55th Operations Group and stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.-Overview:...
: 23 May – 12 July 1945 - 84th Bombardment Squadron: 17 October 1949 – 1 September 1950
- 85th Bombardment Squadron: 17 October 1949 – 1 September 1950
- 155th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron: 23 May – 12 July 1945
- 160th (formerly 380th Fighter, later 16th Reconnaissance) Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 March 1943 – 15 November 1945; 24 July 1947-26 April 1949, 1 September 1950 – 8 February 1958
- 161st (formerly 381st Fighter, later 18th Reconnaissance) Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 March 1943 – 15 November 1945; 24 July 1947-26 April 1949, 1 September 1950 – 8 February 1958
- 162d (formerly 382d Fighter) Reconnaissance Squadron162d Tactical Reconnaissance SquadronThe 162d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 543d Tactical Support Group being stationed at Komaki Airfield, Japan...
: 1 March 1943 – 29 September 1944; 29 July 1946-18 August 1950. - 309th Fighter Squadron309th Fighter SquadronThe 309th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:...
: 1 October 1992 – 30 December 1993
Expeditionary Squadrons*
- 160th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron - Equipped with F-16 Falcons
- 363d Expeditionary Advance Air Control Squadron - AWACS squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Air Command & Control Squadron - JSTARS squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron - C-130 squadron
- Det 1. 363d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron - C-21A squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Operational Support Squadron
- 363d Electronic Air Reconnaissance Squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Contracting Squadron
- 363d Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron
Expeditionary squadrons were active between 1 December 1998-26 August 2003 (undetermined varying dates)
* Note: Other squadrons assigned to the 363d Expeditionary Operations Group are undetermined.
Stations
- Hamilton Field, California, 1 March 1943
- Santa Rosa Army Airfield, California, August 1943
- Mather Field, California, October-c. 3 December 1943
- RAF KeevilRAF KeevilRAF Keevil is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles east of Trowbridge, Wiltshire.The airfield was built on a site previously ear-marked for the purpose in the mid 1930s...
(AAF-471), England, c. 23 December 1943 - RAF RivenhallRAF RivenhallRAF Station Rivenhall is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southeast of Braintree; about northeast of London...
(AAF-168), England, January 1944 - RAF StaplehurstRAF StaplehurstRAF Staplehurst is a former World War II airfield in Kent, England. The airfield is located approximately northeast of Staplehurst; about southeast of London...
(AAF-413), England, April 1944 - Maupertus-sur-Mer Airfield (A-15), France, c. 9 July 1944
- Azeville AirfieldAzeville AirfieldAzeville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Azeville in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-7), France, August 1944 - Montreuil AirfieldMontreuil AirfieldMontreuil Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Montreuil in the Centre region of northern France....
(A-38), France, September 1944 - Sandweiler Airfield (A-97), LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, c. 4 October 1944 - Le Culot Airfield (A-89), Belgium, c. 29 October 1944
- Venlo Airfield (Y-55), Netherlands, March 1945
- Gütersloh Airfield (Y-99), Germany, c. 15 April 1945
- Brunswick/Waggum Airfield (R-37), Germany, C. 22 April 1945
- AAF Station Wiesbaden, Germany, May 1945
- AAF Station Eschwege, Germany, August 1945
- AAF Station Darmstadt/Griesheim, Germany, September-c. 2 December 1945
- Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, c. 9–11 December 1945 - Brooks FieldBrooks City-BaseBrooks City-Base was a United States Air Force facility located in San Antonio, Texas, southeast of Downtown San Antonio.In 2002 Brooks Air Force Base was renamed Brooks City-Base when the property was conveyed to the Brooks Development Authority as part of a unique project between local, state,...
, Texas, 29 July 1946 - Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, December 1947 - Shaw AFB, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, c. 2 April 1951 – 8 February 1958; 1 May 1992-30 December 1993 - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia, 1 December 1998 – 26 August 2003
Aircraft operated
- Bell P-39 Airacobra
- Lockheed F-5 (P-38) Lightning
- North American P-51B/F-6 (P-51) Mustang
- Lockheed RF-80A Shooting Star
- Douglas RB-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
- Republic RF-84F Thunderjet
- Martin RB-57A CanberraB-57 CanberraThe Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
- North American RF-101A/C Voodoo
- Douglas R/E/B-66 DestroyerB-66 Destroyer|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Baugher, Joe. USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bomber Aircraft: Third Series of USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bombers, 2001. Retrieved: 27 July 2006....
- Lockheed U-2 DragonladyLockheed U-2The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
- Grumman EA-6B Prowler (USN & USMC assets)
- General Dynamics F-16A/B/C/D Fighting Falcon
- Boeing F-15A/B/C/D EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
- Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle
- Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIA-10 Thunderbolt IIThe Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...