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.

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 Squadron
• 439th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
• 439th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
• 439th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
• 439th Operations Support Squadron
• 439th Airlift Control Flight

History

For additional lineage and history, see 439th Airlift Wing

Lineage

• Established as 439 Troop Carrier Group on 14 May 1943

Activated on 1 Jun 1943

Inactivated on 10 Jun 1946

• Redesignated 439 Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 19 May 1949

Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949

Ordered to active service on 1 Apr 1951

Inactivated on 3 Apr 1951

• Redesignated 439 Fighter-Bomber Group on 26 May 1952

Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jun 1952

Inactivated on 16 Nov 1957

• Redesignated 439 Military Airlift Group, and activated, on 27 Dec 1965

Organized on 8 Jan 1966

Inactivated on 24 Dec 1968

• Redesignated 439 Operations Group, and activated in the Reserve, on 1 Aug 1992.

Assignments

• I Troop Carrier Command, 1 Jun 1943
• Ninth Air Force, c. 10 Mar 1944
• IX Troop Carrier Command, 26 Aug 1944
• I Troop Carrier Command, Sep 1945
• IX Troop Carrier Command, c. Dec 1945
• Tactical Air Command, 21 Mar 1946

• Third Air Force, unkn 1946-10 Jun 1946
• 439th Troop Carrier Wing, 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951
• 439th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 15 Jun 1952-16 Nov 1957
• Military Air Transport Service, 27 Dec 1965
• 322d Air Division, 8 Jan 1966-24 Dec 1968
• 439th Airlift Wing, 1 Aug 1992-Present

Components

Group

• 52d Military Airlift Group: attached 8 Jan 1966-24 Dec 1968
• 55th Military Airlift Group: 8 Jan 1966-24 Dec 1968

Squadrons

• 91st Troop Carrier Squadron (L4): 1 Jun 1943-10 Jun 1946; 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951; 15 Jun 1952-1 Apr 1954
• 92d Troop Carrier Squadron (J8): 1 Jun 1943-10 Jun 1946; 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951; 15 Jun 1952-1 Apr 1954
• 93d Troop Carrier Squadron (3B): 1 Jun 1943-10 Jun 1946; 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951; 15 Jun 1952-16 Nov 1957
• 94th Troop Carrier Squadron (D8): 1 Jun 1943-10 Jun 1946; 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951
• 337th Airlift Squadron: 1 Aug 1992-Present
• 471st Troop Carrier Squadron: 1 Apr 1954-1 Jul 1957
• 472d Troop Carrier Squadron: 1 Apr 1954-16 Nov 1957

Stations

• Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska, 1 Jun 1943
• Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, 15 Jun 1943
• Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska, 2 Aug 1943
• Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North Carolina 16 Dec 1943
• Baer Field, Indiana, 2-14 Feb 1944
• RAF Balderton (AAF-482), England, 10 Mar 1944
• RAF Upottery (AAF-462), England, 26 Apr 1944
• Juvincourt Airfield (A-68), France, 8 Sep 1944

• Lonray Airfield (A-45), France, 28 Sep 1944
• Chateaudun Airfield (A-39), France, 4 Nov 1944-7 Sep 1945
• Baer Field, Indiana, 22 Sep 1945
• Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, 7 Oct 1945-10 Jun 1946
• Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951; 15 Jun 1952-16 Nov 1957
• Rhein-Main AB, West Germany, 8 Jan 1966-24 Dec 1968
• Westover ARB, Massachusetts, 1 Aug 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

Operations

World War II

Trained in the U.S. with C-47s, 1943-Jan1944. Moved to England, Feb-Mar 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.

Air Force Reserve

From Jun 1949, the group trained in troop carrier operations until mobilized in Apr 1951, its personnel being used as fillers for USAF organizations worldwide during the Korean War

Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jun 1952, the group trained in fighter-bomber operations until phased out in Sep 1957 when the wing adopted the Tri-Deputate organization.

On 8 Jan 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-Jun 1967 support during the Middle East crisis.

Since 1 Aug 1992 the group has trained for and flown global airlift operations, transporting personnel, equipment, and supplies and participating in numerous exercises.

References

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924
• Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
• , 439th Operations Group

External links