98th Operations Group
Encyclopedia
The 98th Operations Group (98 OG) is a component unit of the 98th Range Wing
, assigned to the United States Air Force
(USAF) Air Combat Command
. The group is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base
, Nevada
.
During World War II
, the group's predecessor unit, the 98th Bombardment Group was a Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomb group that fought in North Africa and Italy. Two of its members, Colonel John R. (Killer) Kane
and First Lieutenant Donald Pucket were awarded the Medal of Honor
for their actions in combat. The group flew a total of 417 missions, earning a total of 15 battle streamers as well as two Presidential Unit Citation
s.
In the postwar era, the 98th Bombardment Group was one of the first United States Army Air Forces
units assigned to the Strategic Air Command
on 1 July 1947, prior to the establishment of the USAF. Equipped with low-hour Boeing B-29 Superfortress surplus World War II aircraft, it was deployed to Far East Air Force in 1950 and flew combat missions over North Korea
early in the Korean War
. The group was inactivated in 1952 when the parent wing adopted the Tri-Deputate organization and assigned all of the group's squadrons directly to the wing. It was reactivated in 1987 as the 98th Air Refueling Group, Heavy; as an Air Force Reserve associate unit of the 434th Air Refueling Wing
.
(NTTR); directly supports Air Force, joint and multi-national test and training activities; and operates two Air Combat Command bombing ranges: NTTR and Leach Lake Tactics Range, near Barstow, California.
It prioritizes and schedules all range activities for all range users, provides ground control intercept operations, flight-following safety deconfliction, simulated threat command and control operations, communications, data link operations, and range access control. It also assists test customers by coordinating support activities, and coordinates airspace issues with military and federal agencies.
The group was alerted and departed for the Middle East on 15 July 1942, arriving in Palestine in late July 1942. The 98th was initially assigned to the USMEAF (United States Middle East Air Force). However, the USMEAF was dissolved on 12 November 1942. At that time, the 98th came under the 9th Air Force. It flew its first mission to Mersa Matruh, Libya on 1 August 1942, with the aircraft being serviced by Royal Air Force
personnel until 98th maintenance personnel arrived in mid-August 1942.
It supported the British Eighth Army
in its westward advance from Egypt
into Libya and Tunisia
. It bombed shipping and harbor installations in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Crete
, and Greece to cut enemy supply lines to Africa and to prepare for the Allied
invasion of Italy
. The 98th earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for action against the enemy in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sicily from August 1942 to August 1943. It received a second DUC for participation in a low-level bombing raid on enemy-held oil refineries at Ploesti
, Romania, on 1 August 1943. On this raid, of 47 B-24s launched, only 21 returned safely. One crashed on takeoff with the loss of all crewmembers except two. Six aborted before reaching the target. Seventeen went down in enemy territory. Two went down at sea. The Group Commander, Col. John R. (Killer) Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership.
The 98th was under the command of the 12th Air Force in September and October 1943. From 1 November 1943 it was under the 15th Air Force and moved to Italy. It flew many long-range missions to France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia
, Hungary, and Romania
to bomb enemy heavy industries, airdromes, harbors, oil fields, and communication centers. On another raid on Ploesti on 9 July 1944, Lt. Donald Pucket sacrificed his life trying to save three of his crewmembers who could not or would not bail out of their doomed B-24. Donald Pucket was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his sacrifice.
In the summer of 1944, the 98th participated in the invasion of southern France
, assisted in the Soviet advance into the Balkans
, and supported the partisans
and guerrillas
in Yugoslavia
and neighboring countries. It flew a total of 417 missions and earned a total of 15 battle streamers as well as two Presidential Unit Citations.
The group returned to the United States as the war was ending in Europe, where it trained in preparation for movement to the Pacific Theater
. It was re-designated the 98th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, but the war with Japan ended before redeployment.
The 98th was deactivated as a group on 10 November 1945. However, the 343rd, 344th, and 345th Squadrons were reassigned to B-29 groups. The 343d Squadron was assigned to the 40th Bomb Group at March Air Force Base, California. and deactivated on 27 November 1946. The 344th was assigned to the 444th Bomb Group at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona and deactivated on 1 October 1946. The 345th was assigned to the 462nd Bomb Group at McDill Field, Florida and deactivated on 31 March 1946.
During the deployment to England, the 98th practiced high level (35,000 ft) bombing missions on the Dutch Island of Helgoland. The aircraft were challenged by RAF and USAF fighters. The gunners were evaluated on gun camera film. The Bombardiers were rated on their performance as well as were other air crew members. As a result of the exercise, the 98th was rated very highly and combat ready.
In early 1950, the 98th was alerted for permanent change of stations to Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico. However, before the move was completed, the Korean War broke out and the 98th arrived at Yokota Air Base, Japan in the first week of August 1950, and was placed under the operational control of the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command (Provisional). It flew its first combat mission on 7 August, striking marshalling yards at Pyongyang, capital of North Korea. The Group attacked enemy communication lines and supported United Nations ground forces during the war. Targets included rail facilities, oil centers, bridges, roads, troop concentrations, airfields, and military installations. It became a paper unit in April 1951 when its operational squadrons were assigned directly to the wing as a result of the Air Force tri-deputate reorganization.
On 12–14 May 1989, the group was tasked to support USAF transport aircraft airlifting troops into Panama, which was the prelude to Operation Just Cause. In early August 1990 aircraft and crews of the 98th ARG again was called on to support operations in the Gulf War
. Following that operation, the 98th ARG was involved with President Bush’s code name SINBAD, a secret plan to monitor drug trafficking in South America.
Yet again the 98th ARG flew mercy missions into Mogadishu, Somalia delivering 491,610 pounds of supplies to the starving natives. Still operating in Operation Southern Watch the group flew missions along the southern border of Iraq in January 1993 until inactivated on 30 September 1994.
It was reactivated in October 2001, supporting the 98th Range Wing
in its operations at Nellis Air Force Base
, Nevada
.
98th Range Wing
The 98th Range Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Air Warfare Center. The unit is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada as a tenant unit....
, assigned to the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF) Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
. The group is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the group's predecessor unit, the 98th Bombardment Group was a Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomb group that fought in North Africa and Italy. Two of its members, Colonel John R. (Killer) Kane
John R. Kane
John Riley Kane was a colonel in the United States Army Air Forces and later the United States Air Force who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, in World War II. A native of Texas, Kane joined the Army Air Forces after graduating from Baylor University...
and First Lieutenant Donald Pucket were awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for their actions in combat. The group flew a total of 417 missions, earning a total of 15 battle streamers as well as two Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
s.
In the postwar era, the 98th Bombardment Group was one of the first United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
units assigned to the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
on 1 July 1947, prior to the establishment of the USAF. Equipped with low-hour Boeing B-29 Superfortress surplus World War II aircraft, it was deployed to Far East Air Force in 1950 and flew combat missions over North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
early in the 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...
. The group was inactivated in 1952 when the parent wing adopted the Tri-Deputate organization and assigned all of the group's squadrons directly to the wing. It was reactivated in 1987 as the 98th Air Refueling Group, Heavy; as an Air Force Reserve associate unit of the 434th Air Refueling Wing
434th Air Refueling Wing
The 434th Air Refueling Wing, is one of the key refueling units in the Air Force Reserve. The wing provides mid-air refueling with Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers to long-range bombers, fighters, and cargo aircraft....
.
Overview
The 98th OG is a non-flying unit that commands two squadrons with 55 military and civil service personnel and has functional responsibility for approximately 300 contract personnel. It provides day-to-day control of the Nevada Test and Training RangeNevada Test and Training Range
The Nevada Test and Training Range is a training facility of the United States Air Force located in the desert of southern Nevada in the United States. It is the largest of its kind in the US, and is operated by the USAF Warfare Center's 98th Range Wing...
(NTTR); directly supports Air Force, joint and multi-national test and training activities; and operates two Air Combat Command bombing ranges: NTTR and Leach Lake Tactics Range, near Barstow, California.
It prioritizes and schedules all range activities for all range users, provides ground control intercept operations, flight-following safety deconfliction, simulated threat command and control operations, communications, data link operations, and range access control. It also assists test customers by coordinating support activities, and coordinates airspace issues with military and federal agencies.
Components
- 98th Operations Support Squadron
- The 98th OSS is the scheduling, command and control and project support authority for NTTR operations. The Weapons and Tactics Flight provides qualified ground control intercept and Link 16 operations for more than 5,000 test and training sorties per year on the NTTR. The Current Operations Flight is responsible for range scheduling, range monitoring and advisory control (Blackjack), and provides a comprehensive debrief tool for combat air forces aircrews. The Operations Plans Flight coordinates all exercise, test and experimentation customer assistance.
- 98th Range Squadron
- The 98th RANS is responsible for technical support of Air Force, joint and multinational aircrew training on the NTTR. The Communications Flight provides small computer hardware and software support and all communications. The Operations and Maintenance Flight provides operation, maintenance and deployment of threat systems, mission control and debriefing systems, time-space-position indicator/scoring systems and Roulette (Red Forces Command and Control). The Engineering Flight conducts research, engineers, develops and manages hardware and software projects.
Lineage
- Established as 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
- Activated on 3 February 1942
- Redesignated: 98th Bombardment Group, Heavy on 1 July 1943
- Redesignated: 98th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 12 July 1945
- Inactivated on 10 November 1945
- Activated on 1 July 1947
- Redesignated 98th Bombardment Group, Medium on 12 July 1948
- Inactivated on 16 June 1952
- Redesignated 98th Air Refueling Group, Heavy on 12 May 1987
- Activated in the Reserve on 1 October 1987
- Redesignated: 98th Air Refueling Group on 1 February 1992
- Inactivated on 30 September 1994
- Redesignated: 98th Operations Group on 21 September 2001
- Activated on 29 October 2001.
Assignments
- Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 3 February 1942 - US Army Middle East Air Force, c. 25 July 1942
- 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....
, 12 November 1942 - Twelfth Air Force, 13 September 1943
- XII Bomber CommandXII Bomber CommandThe XII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based in Corsica, France...
, 19 September 1943 - 47th Bombardment Wing, 24 September 1943
- 5th Bombardment Wing, 1 November 1943
- 47th Bombardment Wing, 17 November 1943
- Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, c. 29 April-10 November 1945 - Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 1 July 1947 - Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 24 September 1947
- 98th Bombardment Wing, 10 November 1947 – 16 June 1952
- Attached to: 92d Bombardment Wing, 10 November 1947 – 24 August 1948
- Attached to: 32d Composite Wing, c. 25 August-10 December 1948
- Attached to: 92d Bombardment Wing, 10 December 1948 – 16 May 1949
- Attached to: 3d Air Division, 17 May-17 August 1949
- Attached to: 92d Bombardment Wing, 18 August 1949 – 15 April 1950
- Attached to: Far East Air Forces Bomber Command [Provisional], 7 August 1950 – 31 March 1951
- 434th Air Refueling Wing434th Air Refueling WingThe 434th Air Refueling Wing, is one of the key refueling units in the Air Force Reserve. The wing provides mid-air refueling with Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers to long-range bombers, fighters, and cargo aircraft....
, 1 October 1987 - 452d Air Refueling Wing, 1 August 1992
- 514th Airlift Wing, 1 October 1993 – 30 September 1994
- 98th Range Wing98th Range WingThe 98th Range Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Air Warfare Center. The unit is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada as a tenant unit....
, 29 October 2001–present
- 434th Air Refueling Wing
Components
Squadrons- 25th Reconnaissance (later, 415 Bombardment) Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 3 July 1945
- 78th Air Refueling Squadron78th Air Refueling SquadronThe 78th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 514th Air Mobility Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions as the reserve associate to the 305th Air Mobility Wing....
: 1 October 1987 – 1 August 1992 - 98th Air Refueling Squadron98th Air Refueling SquadronThe 98th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 92d Operations Group, based at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 1 July 1998.-History:...
: 16 August 1950 – 16 June 1952 (detached) - 343d Bombardment Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 10 November 1945; 1 July 1947-16 June 1952 (detached c. 1 April 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- 344th Bombardment Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 10 November 1945; 1 July 1947-16 June 1952 (detached c. 1 April 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- 345th Bombardment Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 10 November 1945; 1 July 1947-16 June 1952 (detached c. 1 April 1951 – 16 June 1952)
Stations
- MacDill Field, Florida, 3 February 1942
- Barksdale Field, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, 9 February 1942 - Fort Myers Army Airfield, Florida, 30 March 1942
- Drane Field, Florida, 17 May– July 1942
- RAF Ramat David, British Mandate of Palestine, 25 July 1942 (air echelon), 21 August 1942 (ground echelon)
- RAF FayidRAF FayidRAF Fayid is a former military airfield in Egypt, located approximately 23 km south of Ismailia ; 69 miles 116 km northeast of Cairo...
, Egypt, c. 11 November 1942 - Baheira AirfieldBaheira AirfieldBaheira Airfield, or Bir El Baheira is an abandoned military airfield in Libya, which is located in the eastern desert near the Egyptian border, about 48 km west of Bardīyah; 3 km west of Bi'r al Buhayrah....
, Libya, 29 January 1943 - Benina AirfieldBenina International AirportBenina International Airport serves Benghazi, Libya. It is located in the town of Benina, 19 km east of Benghazi, from which it takes its name. The airport is operated by the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Bureau of Libya and is the second largest in the country after Tripoli International...
, Libya, c. 14 February-26 March 1943; 4 Ap4-25 September 1943 - Berca AirfieldBerca AirfieldBerca Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Libya, which is located in the vicinity of the Al Birkah suburb of Benghazi. Its precise locatino is unknown as the urban growth of Benghazi has absorbed the former airfield's location....
, Libya, 26 March-4 April 1943 - Hergla AirfieldHergla AirfieldHergla Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia, which was located approximately 12 km north-northwest of Harqalah in al Janubiyah Wilayat provience, about 90 km south-southwest of Tunis....
, Tunisia, c. 25 September 1943 - Brindisi Airfield, Italy, c. 22 November 1943
- Manduria AirfieldManduria AirfieldManduria Airfield is a World War II airfield in Italy, located approximately 5 km north of Manduria, and about 390 km east-southeast of Naples...
, Italy, 19 December 1943
- Lecce AirfieldLecce AirfieldLecce Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, which is located approximately 5 km southeast of Lecce in the Salentine Peninsula. Built in 1943 by United States Army Engineers, the airfield was primarily a Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberator heavy bomber base used in...
, Italy, 17 January 1944 – 19 April 1945 - Fairmont Army AirfieldFairmont Army AirfieldFairmont State Airfield is a public use airport located three nautical miles south of the central business district of Fairmont, in Fillmore County, Nebraska, United States. It is owned by the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics. The airport serves the general aviation community, with no scheduled...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 8 May 1945 - McCook Army AirfieldMcCook Army AirfieldMcCook Army Airfield was activated on 1 April 1943. It is located nine miles northwest of McCook, a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States and is southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska. It was constructed in 1943...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 25 June-10 November 1945 - Andrews Field, MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, 1 July 1947 - Spokane AAFld (later, Spokane AFB, Fairchild AFB), Washington, 24 September 1947 – 16 June 1952
- Deployed at Kadena AB, Okinawa, c. 25 August-10 December 1948
- Deployed at RAF SculthorpeRAF SculthorpeRAF Sculthorpe is a military training facility for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, situated about west of Fakenham in Norfolk, England...
, England, 17 May-17 August 1949 - Deployed at Yokota AB, Japan, c. 5 August 1950 – 16 June 1952
- Barksdale AFB, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, 1 October 1987 – 30 September 1994 - Nellis AFB, NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, 29 October 2001–present
- Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
Aircraft assigned
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1945; 1947–1951
- McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, 1987–1994.
World War II
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.The group was alerted and departed for the Middle East on 15 July 1942, arriving in Palestine in late July 1942. The 98th was initially assigned to the USMEAF (United States Middle East Air Force). However, the USMEAF was dissolved on 12 November 1942. At that time, the 98th came under the 9th Air Force. It flew its first mission to Mersa Matruh, Libya on 1 August 1942, with the aircraft being serviced by Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
personnel until 98th maintenance personnel arrived in mid-August 1942.
It supported the British Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
in its westward advance from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
into Libya and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. It bombed shipping and harbor installations in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, and Greece to cut enemy supply lines to Africa and to prepare for the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
invasion of Italy
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
. The 98th earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for action against the enemy in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sicily from August 1942 to August 1943. It received a second DUC for participation in a low-level bombing raid on enemy-held oil refineries at Ploesti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, Romania, on 1 August 1943. On this raid, of 47 B-24s launched, only 21 returned safely. One crashed on takeoff with the loss of all crewmembers except two. Six aborted before reaching the target. Seventeen went down in enemy territory. Two went down at sea. The Group Commander, Col. John R. (Killer) Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership.
The 98th was under the command of the 12th Air Force in September and October 1943. From 1 November 1943 it was under the 15th Air Force and moved to Italy. It flew many long-range missions to France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Hungary, and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
to bomb enemy heavy industries, airdromes, harbors, oil fields, and communication centers. On another raid on Ploesti on 9 July 1944, Lt. Donald Pucket sacrificed his life trying to save three of his crewmembers who could not or would not bail out of their doomed B-24. Donald Pucket was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his sacrifice.
In the summer of 1944, the 98th participated in the invasion of southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, assisted in the Soviet advance into the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, and supported the partisans
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
and guerrillas
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and neighboring countries. It flew a total of 417 missions and earned a total of 15 battle streamers as well as two Presidential Unit Citations.
The group returned to the United States as the war was ending in Europe, where it trained in preparation for movement to the Pacific Theater
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
. It was re-designated the 98th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, but the war with Japan ended before redeployment.
The 98th was deactivated as a group on 10 November 1945. However, the 343rd, 344th, and 345th Squadrons were reassigned to B-29 groups. The 343d Squadron was assigned to the 40th Bomb Group at March Air Force Base, California. and deactivated on 27 November 1946. The 344th was assigned to the 444th Bomb Group at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona and deactivated on 1 October 1946. The 345th was assigned to the 462nd Bomb Group at McDill Field, Florida and deactivated on 31 March 1946.
Postwar era and Korean War
The 98th was re-activated on 1 July 1947 and equipped with B-29 Superfortresses at Spokane Army Airfield, Washington. In 1948, it carried out a 90 day deployment to Okinawa. During this period, the 98th lost two B-29s; and a C-54 returning to the USA with 98th personnel ditched in the Pacific. ANother 90 daydeployment was conducted in the summer of 1949 to Sculthorpe, England. During the training phase of the years 1947–1950, the 98th recorded six B-29 losses.During the deployment to England, the 98th practiced high level (35,000 ft) bombing missions on the Dutch Island of Helgoland. The aircraft were challenged by RAF and USAF fighters. The gunners were evaluated on gun camera film. The Bombardiers were rated on their performance as well as were other air crew members. As a result of the exercise, the 98th was rated very highly and combat ready.
In early 1950, the 98th was alerted for permanent change of stations to Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico. However, before the move was completed, the Korean War broke out and the 98th arrived at Yokota Air Base, Japan in the first week of August 1950, and was placed under the operational control of the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command (Provisional). It flew its first combat mission on 7 August, striking marshalling yards at Pyongyang, capital of North Korea. The Group attacked enemy communication lines and supported United Nations ground forces during the war. Targets included rail facilities, oil centers, bridges, roads, troop concentrations, airfields, and military installations. It became a paper unit in April 1951 when its operational squadrons were assigned directly to the wing as a result of the Air Force tri-deputate reorganization.
Modern era
The unit was reactivated in the Air Force Reserve on 1 October 1987 as the 98th Air Refueling Group (Heavy), stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana with McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aircraft. It consisted of the 78th Air Refueling Squadron and 98th Consolidated Maintenance Squadron under the command of the 452 Air Refueling Wing at March AFB, CA.On 12–14 May 1989, the group was tasked to support USAF transport aircraft airlifting troops into Panama, which was the prelude to Operation Just Cause. In early August 1990 aircraft and crews of the 98th ARG again was called on to support operations in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. Following that operation, the 98th ARG was involved with President Bush’s code name SINBAD, a secret plan to monitor drug trafficking in South America.
Yet again the 98th ARG flew mercy missions into Mogadishu, Somalia delivering 491,610 pounds of supplies to the starving natives. Still operating in Operation Southern Watch the group flew missions along the southern border of Iraq in January 1993 until inactivated on 30 September 1994.
It was reactivated in October 2001, supporting the 98th Range Wing
98th Range Wing
The 98th Range Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Air Warfare Center. The unit is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada as a tenant unit....
in its operations at Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
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