439th Operations Group
Encyclopedia
The 439th Operations Group is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is the flying component of the Twenty-Second Air Force
439th Airlift Wing
, stationed at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts
The unit's World War II
predecessor unit, the 439th Troop Carrier Group was a C-47 Skytrain
transport unit assigned to Ninth Air Force
in Western Europe. During Operation Overlord
, two serials of aircraft, one of 45 and the other of 36 from the 439th TCG were dispatched late in the evening of 5 June to drop the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
during the first hour of the invasion behind Utah Beach
.
Difficult weather conditions and heavy anti-aircraft fire were encountered and three aircraft failed to return. A reinforcement mission with gliders was flown on the following day, with 50 C-47s towing 30 Horsa and 20 CG-4 Wacos. The 439th later received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its work during these two days.
The 439th Operations Group is capable of providing worldwide air movement of troops, supplies, equipment and medical patients. Airlift also involves airdrop and combat offloading operations.
Squadrons
Trained in the U.S. with C-47s, 1943-Jan1944. Moved to England, February–March 1944, for duty with Ninth Air Force.
The group began operations
by dropping paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division
in Normandy
on D-Day (6 June 1944) and releasing gliders
with reinforcements on the following day. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation and a French citation for these missions. After the Normandy invasion the group ferried supplies in the United Kingdom until the air echelon was sent to Italy
in July to transport cargo to Rome and evacuate wounded personnel. The detachment dropped paratroops of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment
along the Riviera
in support of the invasion of Southern France
on 15 August, and later towed gliders to provide reinforcements; for these missions the group earned another citation from the French government. After the air echelon returned to England on 25 August the group resumed its cargo missions.
After moving to France in September, the group dropped paratroops of the 82nd Airborne Division near Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on Holland
. In December, it participated in the Battle of the Bulge
by releasing gliders with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division near Bastogne
. When the Allies
made the air assault across the Rhine River in March 1945, each aircraft of the 439th towed two gliders with troops of the 17th Airborne Division and released them near Wesel
. The group also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals. It converted from C-47s to C-46s and the 439th used the new aircraft to transport displaced persons from Germany to France and Belgium
after V-E Day.
The group returned to the U.S. during the period July–September 1945, and trained with C-46 aircraft until inactivated.
Activated in the Reserve on 15 June 1952, the group trained in fighter-bomber operations until phased out in September 1957 when the wing adopted the Tri-Deputate organization.
On 8 January 1966 the 439th replaced the 1602d Air Transport Group at Rhein-Main AB, Germany. The group controlled assigned and attached Military Airlift Command airlift units at Rhein-Main, provided air transport and air evacuation services within and occasionally outside Europe. Earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for May–June 1967 support during the Middle East crisis.
Since 1 August 1992 the group has trained for and flown global airlift operations, transporting personnel, equipment, and supplies and participating in numerous exercises.
Twenty-Second Air Force
Twenty-Second Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of Air Force Reserve Command . It was activated on 1 July 1993 and is headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia....
439th Airlift Wing
439th Airlift Wing
The 439th Airlift Wing is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the Air Mobility Command Twenty-Second Air Force, and is based at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts....
, stationed at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
The unit's 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...
predecessor unit, the 439th Troop Carrier Group was a C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
transport unit assigned to 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....
in Western Europe. During Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, two serials of aircraft, one of 45 and the other of 36 from the 439th TCG were dispatched late in the evening of 5 June to drop the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
The 506th Infantry Regiment is a unit assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division. During World War II, the unit was designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment ....
during the first hour of the invasion behind Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
.
Difficult weather conditions and heavy anti-aircraft fire were encountered and three aircraft failed to return. A reinforcement mission with gliders was flown on the following day, with 50 C-47s towing 30 Horsa and 20 CG-4 Wacos. The 439th later received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its work during these two days.
Overview
The group operates 16 C-5s, flown by the 337th Airlift Squadron. The 16 C-5 Galaxies represent five percent of all America's total airlift. The peacetime mission includes recruiting, training and supervision of personnel to assure mission readiness.The 439th Operations Group is capable of providing worldwide air movement of troops, supplies, equipment and medical patients. Airlift also involves airdrop and combat offloading operations.
Units
The 439th Operations Group consists of the following units:- 337th Airlift Squadron337th Airlift SquadronThe 337th Airlift Squadron is part of the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. It operates C-5 Galaxy aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-Mission:-History:...
- 439th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
- 439th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
- 439th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
- 439th Operations Support Squadron
- 439th Airlift Control Flight
Lineage
- Established as 439 Troop Carrier Group on 14 May 1943
- Activated on 1 June 1943
- Inactivated on 10 June 1946
- Redesignated 439 Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 19 May 1949
- Activated in the Reserve on 27 June 1949
- Ordered to active service on 1 April 1951
- Inactivated on 3 April 1951
- Redesignated 439 Fighter-Bomber Group on 26 May 1952
- Activated in the Reserve on 15 June 1952
- Inactivated on 16 November 1957
- Redesignated 439 Military Airlift Group, and activated, on 27 December 1965
- Organized on 8 January 1966
- Inactivated on 24 December 1968
- Redesignated 439 Operations Group, and activated in the Reserve, on 1 August 1992.
Assignments
- I Troop Carrier CommandI Troop Carrier CommandThe I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training...
, 1 June 1943 - 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....
, c. 10 March 1944 - IX Troop Carrier CommandIX Troop Carrier CommandThe IX Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946...
, 26 August 1944 - I Troop Carrier CommandI Troop Carrier CommandThe I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training...
, September 1945 - IX Troop Carrier CommandIX Troop Carrier CommandThe IX Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946...
, c. December 1945 - Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical 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...
, 21 March 1946
- 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....
, unkn 1946-10 June 1946 - 439th Troop Carrier Wing, 27 June 1949 – 3 April 1951
- 439th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 15 June 1952 – 16 November 1957
- Military Air Transport ServiceMilitary Air Transport ServiceThe Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
, 27 December 1965 - 322d Air Division, 8 January 1966 – 24 December 1968
- 439th Airlift Wing439th Airlift WingThe 439th Airlift Wing is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the Air Mobility Command Twenty-Second Air Force, and is based at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts....
, 1 August 1992–present
Components
Group- 52d Military Airlift Group: attached 8 January 1966 – 24 December 1968
- 55th Military Airlift Group: 8 January 1966 – 24 December 1968
Squadrons
- 91st Troop Carrier Squadron (L4): 1 June 1943 – 10 June 1946; 27 June 1949-3 April 1951; 15 June 1952 – 1 April 1954
- 92d Troop Carrier Squadron (J8): 1 June 1943 – 10 June 1946; 27 June 1949-3 April 1951; 15 June 1952 – 1 April 1954
- 93d Troop Carrier Squadron (3B): 1 June 1943 – 10 June 1946; 27 June 1949-3 April 1951; 15 June 1952 – 16 November 1957
- 94th Troop Carrier Squadron (D8): 1 June 1943 – 10 June 1946; 27 June 1949-3 April 1951
- 337th Airlift Squadron: 1 August 1992–present
- 471st Troop Carrier Squadron: 1 April 1954 – 1 July 1957
- 472d Troop Carrier Squadron: 1 April 1954 – 16 November 1957
Stations
- Alliance Army Air Field, 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....
, 1 June 1943 - Sedalia Army Air Field, MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, 15 June 1943 - Alliance Army Air Field, 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....
, 2 August 1943 - Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air BaseLaurinburg-Maxton Army Air BaseLaurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base is an inactive United States Air Force base, approximately 6 miles east-northeast of Laurinburg, North Carolina. It was active during World War II as a I Troop Carrier Command training airfield....
, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
16 December 1943 - Baer Field, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, 2–14 February 1944 - RAF BaldertonRAF Baldertonthumb|Douglas C-47A of the 84th Troop Carrier Squadron.thumb|Douglas C-47A-80-DL Serial 43-15159 of the 94th Troop Carrier Squadron in Normady Invasion Markings.RAF Balderton was a World War II airfield in England...
(AAF-482), England, 10 March 1944 - RAF UpotteryRAF UpotteryRAF Station Upottery is a former World War II airfield in East Devon, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Honiton; about southwest of London...
(AAF-462), England, 26 April 1944 - Juvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France....
(A-68), France, 8 September 1944
- Lonray AirfieldLonray AirfieldLonray Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Lonrai in the Orne region of northern France....
(A-45), France, 28 September 1944 - Chateaudun Airfield (A-39), France, 4 November 1944 – 7 September 1945
- Baer Field, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, 22 September 1945 - Sedalia Army Air Field, MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, 7 October 1945 – 10 June 1946 - Selfridge AFB, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 27 June 1949 – 3 April 1951; 15 June 1952-16 November 1957 - Rhein-Main AB, West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, 8 January 1966 – 24 December 1968 - Westover ARB, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 1 August 1992–present
Aircraft
- C-47, 1943–1945
- C-46, 1945–1946
- TC-46, 1949–1951
- C-46, 1952–1955
- F-51, 1953–1954
- T-33, 1953–1954
- F-80, 1953–1956
- F-84, 1956–1957
- F-86, 1957
- TC-47, 1957
- C-119, 1957
- C-118, 1966–1968
- C-124, 1966–1968
- C-131, 1966–1968
- C-5, 1992–present
World War II
The group began operations
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
by dropping paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division (United States)
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
on D-Day (6 June 1944) and releasing gliders
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
with reinforcements on the following day. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation and a French citation for these missions. After the Normandy invasion the group ferried supplies in the United Kingdom until the air echelon was sent to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in July to transport cargo to Rome and evacuate wounded personnel. The detachment dropped paratroops of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment
517th Parachute Infantry Regiment
During World War II, the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment was a separate infantry regiment of the United States Army, at times attached to the 17th Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division and later, the 13th Airborne Division....
along the Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
in support of 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...
on 15 August, and later towed gliders to provide reinforcements; for these missions the group earned another citation from the French government. After the air echelon returned to England on 25 August the group resumed its cargo missions.
After moving to France in September, the group dropped paratroops of the 82nd Airborne Division near Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on Holland
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
. In December, it participated 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...
by releasing gliders with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division near Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
. When the Allies
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...
made the air assault across the Rhine River in March 1945, each aircraft of the 439th towed two gliders with troops of the 17th Airborne Division and released them near Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
. The group also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals. It converted from C-47s to C-46s and the 439th used the new aircraft to transport displaced persons from Germany to France and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
after V-E Day.
The group returned to the U.S. during the period July–September 1945, and trained with C-46 aircraft until inactivated.
Air Force Reserve
From June 1949, the group trained in troop carrier operations until mobilized in April 1951, its personnel being used as fillers for USAF organizations worldwide during the Korean WarKorean 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...
Activated in the Reserve on 15 June 1952, the group trained in fighter-bomber operations until phased out in September 1957 when the wing adopted the Tri-Deputate organization.
On 8 January 1966 the 439th replaced the 1602d Air Transport Group at Rhein-Main AB, Germany. The group controlled assigned and attached Military Airlift Command airlift units at Rhein-Main, provided air transport and air evacuation services within and occasionally outside Europe. Earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for May–June 1967 support during the Middle East crisis.
Since 1 August 1992 the group has trained for and flown global airlift operations, transporting personnel, equipment, and supplies and participating in numerous exercises.