Lineage

Established as 440 Troop Carrier Group on 25 May 1943. Activated on 1 Jul 1943. Inactivated on 18 Oct 1945. Activated in the Reserve on 3 Sep 1947. Redesignated 440 Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to Active Duty on 1 May 1951. Inactivated on 4 May 1951. Redesignated 440 Fighter-Bomber Group on 26 May 1952. Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jun 1952. Redesignated 440 Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 8 Sep 1957. Inactivated on 14 Apr 1959. Redesignated: 440 Tactical Airlift Group on 31 Jul 1985; 440 Operations Group on 1 Aug 1992. Activated in the Reserve on 1 Aug 1992.

Assignments

I Troop Carrier Command, 1 Jul 1943; 53 Troop Carrier Wing, Jul 1943; 61 Troop Carrier Wing, c. 20 Jul 1943; 60 Troop Carrier Wing, c. 31 Dec 1943; IX Troop Carrier Command, 25 Mar 1944; 50 Troop Carrier Wing, Mar 1944; United States Air Forces in Europe, c. 29 Sep-18 Oct 1945. 322 Troop Carrier Wing (later, 322 Air Division), 3 Sep 1947; 440 Troop Carrier Wing, 27 Jun 1949-4 May 1951. 440 Fighter-Bomber (later, 440 Troop Carrier) Wing, 15 Jun 1952-14 Apr 1959. 440 Airlift Wing, 1 Aug 1992-.

Components

Squadrons. 95 Troop Carrier (later, 95 Fighter-Bomber; 95 Troop Carrier; 95 Airlift): 1 Jul 1943-18 Oct 1945; 3 Sep 1947-4 May 1951; 15 Jun 1952-14 Apr 1959 (detached 16 Nov 1957-14 Apr 1959); 1 Aug 1992-. 96: 1 Jul 1943-18 Oct 1945; 3 Sep 1947-4 May 1951; 15 Jun 1952-14 Apr 1959. 97: 1 Jul 1943-18 Oct 1945; 15 Sep 1947-4 May 1951; 15 Jun 1952-1 Jul 1957; 16 Nov 1957-25 Mar 1958. 98: 1 Jul 1943-18 Oct 1945; 15 Sep 1947-4 May 1951.

Stations

Baer Field, IN, 1 Jul 1943; Sedalia AAFld, MO, 10 Jul 1943; Alliance AAFld, NE, 7 Sep 1943; Pope Field, NC, 4 Jan 1944; Baer Field, IN, 14-22 Feb 1944; Bottesford, England, c. 11 Mar 1944 (air echelon), 23 Mar 1944 (ground echelon); Exeter, England, 26 Apr 1944; Reims, France, 11 Sep 1944; Le Mans, France, 30 Sep 1944; Orleans/Bricy, France, 2 Nov 1944-18 Oct 1945. Wold-Chamberlain Muni (later, Minneapolis-St Paul Intl) Aprt, MN, 3 Sep 1947-4 May 1951. Ft Snelling, MN, 15 Jun 1952; Minneapolis-St Paul Intl Aprt, MN, 8 Jan 1953-14 Apr 1959. Gen Mitchell IAP-ARS, WI, 1 Aug 1992-.

Commanders

Maj Charles H. Young, 5 Jul 1943; Lt Col Frank X. Krebs, 7 Jul 1943; Lt Col Loyd C. Waldorf, 18 Sep 1944; Col Frank X. Krebs, 29 Oct 1944; Lt Col Chester C. Bridgman Jr., 14 Jul 1945-unkn. Col Carl A. Hustad, 3 Sep 1947; Maj Peter J. O'Carroll, 27 Jun 1949; Lt Col Frank E. Lardent, by Jun 1950; Lt Col Clarence E. Becker, Dec 1950-unkn. Col B. H. Berryman, by Aug 1953; Lt Col R. J. Whempner, by Dec 1956; Maj Kenneth O. Thompson, by Jun 1957; Col Russell F. Gustke, 16 Nov 1957-unkn. Col Norman H. Bowman Jr., 1 Aug 1992; unkn, 3 Feb 1995-27 Jan 1996; Lt Col Eric W. Crabtree, 28 Jan 1996; Col Robert A. Gualtieri, 28 Sep 1997-.

Aircraft

C-47, 1943-1945; C-53, 1944-1945; C-109, 1945. Unkn, 1947-1948; T-6, 1948-1950; T-11, 1948-1951; C-47, 1948; C-46, 1949-1951; T-7, 1950-1951. T-6, 1952-1955; C-46, 1952-1957; F-51, 1953-1954; T-33, 1954-1957; F-80, 1954-1957; C-119, 1957-unkn. C-130, 1992-.

Operations

Trained in the US and moved to England, Feb-Mar 1944, for duty with Ninth Air Force. Began operations by dropping paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division near Carentan on the Cotentin Peninsula on 6 Jun 1944 and by transporting gasoline, ammunition, food, and other supplies to the same area on 7 Jun, being awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for completing these missions during the invasion of Normandy. Began flying supply and evacuation missions between England and France after the invasion of the Continent. In Jul 1944 most of the group was sent to Italy where it transported supplies to Rome until Aug 1944. The "detachment" in Italy participated in the invasion of southern France, dropping paratroops of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment near Le Muy on 15 Aug and towing gliders carrying reinforcements to that area later in the day. Meanwhile those remaining in England continued to haul cargo, and on 10 Aug 1944 dropped supplies to an infantry battalion encircled at Mortain in northern France. The detachment returned to England on 25 Aug 1944. The air echelon moved to France on 11 Sep 1944, but returned immediately to England to participate in the airborne invasion of Holland. Dropped paratroops of the 82d Airborne Division near Groesbeek on 17 Sep 1944 and released gliders with reinforcements on 18 and 23 Sep. By the end of Sep, the entire group had completed the move to France. On 26 Dec 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, the group hauled gliders filled with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division encircled at Bastogne. In Mar 1945 it towed gliders with troops of the 17th Airborne Division to the battle area near Wesel during the airborne assault across the Rhine. Between 21 Apr and 14 May 1945, the group's air echelon operated from Conflans, France, to be closer to the front. The group transported food, clothing, medical supplies, gasoline, ammunition, and other cargo to the front lines and evacuated casualties to rear-zone hospitals. After the war transported liberated prisoners and displaced persons. Inactivated in Europe on 18 Oct 1945. Activated in the US on 3 Sep 1947. Trained for troop carrier operations in the Reserve. Became part of the 440th Troop Carrier Wing when it activated in Jun 1949. Called to active duty on 1 May 1951 and inactivated four days later. Activated again in the Reserve as a Fighter-Bomber Group the following year. Transitioned from fighter aircraft to C-119s, beginning in Apr 1957. In Nov 1957 the 440th Wing and the 95th Squadron moved on paper to Wisconsin, leaving the 440th Group and the 96th Squadron in Minnesota. The Group inactivated on 14 Apr 1959. Activated on 1 Aug 1992. Personnel participated in exercises, humanitarian and other airlift missions, worldwide.

Service Streamers

None.

Campaign Streamers

World War II: Normandy; Rome-Arno; Southern France; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers

None.

Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citation: France, [6-7] Jun 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 2 Oct 1992-2 Oct 1993; 1 Jun 1997-30 Sep 1998.


Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 24 Jul 2001.

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 30 Sep 2001.

Emblem

Group will use the wing emblem with the group designation in the scroll.