451 Air Expeditionary Group (ACC)

Lineage.  Established as 451 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 Apr 1943.  Activated on 1 May 1943.  Redesignated as 451 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 10 May 1943.  Inactivated on 26 Sep 1945.  Consolidated (31 Jan 1984) with the 451 Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM-Titan), which was established, and activated, on 26 Apr 1961.  Organized on 1 Jul 1961.  Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1965.  Redesignated as 451 Air Expeditionary Group, and converted to provisional status, on 3 May 2002.  Activated on 6 May 2002. Redesignated as 451 Air Expeditionary Wing on 26 Jun 2009; 451 Air Expeditionary Group on 1 Apr 2014.             

Assignments.   II Bomber Command, 1 May 1943; Second Air Force, 6 Oct 1943; 47 Bombardment Wing, c. 11 Dec 1943; 49 Bombardment Wing, 7 Apr 1944; Air Transport Command, Jun-26 Sep 1945.  Strategic Air Command, 26 Apr 1961; 13 Air (later, 13 Strategic Missile) Division, 1 Jul 1961-25 Jun 1965.  9 Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force, 6 May 2002;455 Air Expeditionary Wing, 1 Apr 2014-.       

 

Operational Components.   Squadrons.  30 Expeditionary Reconnaissance: 1 Apr 2014-.  62 Expeditionary Reconnaissance (later, 62 Expeditionary Attack): 1 Apr 2014-.  361 Expeditionary Reconnaissance (later, 361 Expeditionary Attack): 1 Apr 2014-.  724 Bombardment: 1 May 1943-26 Sep 1945; 1 Jul 1961-25 Jun 1965.  725 Bombardment: 1 May 1943-26 Sep 1945; 1 Jul 1961-25 Jun 1965.  726 Bombardment: 1 May 1943-26 Sep 1945.  727 Bombardment: 1 May 1943-26 Sep 1945. 

 

Stations.   Davis-Monthan Field, AZ, 1 May 1943; Dyersburg AAFld, TN, 3 Jun 1943; Wendover Field, UT, 22 Jul 1943; Fairmont AAFld, NE, c. 11 Sep 1943; Camp Patrick Henry, VA, 28 Nov-2 Dec 1943 (ground echelon); Telergma, Algeria, Dec 1943 (air echelon); Gioia del Colle, Italy, c. 3 Jan 1944 (ground echelon), 20 Jan 1944 (air echelon); San Pancrazio, Italy, c. 5 Mar 1944; Castelluccio, Italy, c. 6 Apr 1944-c. 3 Jun 1945; Dow Field, ME, 18 Jun-26 Sep 1945.  Lowry AFB, CO, 1 Jul 1961-25 Jun 1965.  Kandahar AFld, Afghanistan, 6 May 2002-.

 

Commanders.  Maj Donald T. Jones, May 1943; Capt James B. Beane, Jun 1943; Capt Linnon R. Blackmon, 15 Jun 1943; Col Robert E. L. Eaton, c. 20 Jun 1943; Col James B. Knapp, 19 Sep 1944; Col Leroy L. Stefonowicz, Dec 1944-unkn; Maj William H. McGuire, unkn-26 Sep 1945.  None (not manned), 26 Apr-30 Jun 1961; Col John P. Proctor, 1 Jul 1961; Col Julius Pickoff, 13 Mar 1962; Col Donald W. Johnson, 9 Jan-c. 25 Jun 1965. 

 

Aircraft and Missiles.  B-24, 1943-1945.  Titan I, 1962-1965. 

 

Operations.  Prepared in the United States for bombardment operations, May-Nov 1943.  Moved to Mediterranean theater, Nov 1943-Jan 1944, the air echelon training in Algeria for a few weeks before joining the ground echelon in Italy.  As an element of Fifteenth Air Force, the group conducted strategic bombardment raids against targets such as oil refineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories, bridges, and airfields in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Albania, and Greece, Jan 1944-May 1945.  Earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for each of three 1944 air raids: to an aircraft factory at Regensburg, Germany, on 25 Feb; to oil refineries and marshalling yards at Ploesti, Rumania, on 5 Apr; and to an airdrome in Vienna, Austria, on 23 Aug.  Although encountering large numbers of enemy fighters and heavy antiaircraft fire during each of these missions, the group inflicted serious damage on the assigned targets and shot down many interceptors.  Flying interdiction missions, the group also helped prepare for and support the Allied invasion of southern France in Aug 1944.  It transported supplies to troops in Italy in Sep 1944 and supported the final advance of Allied armies in northern Italy in Apr 1945.  Returned to the United States in Jun, where it inactivated in late Sep 1945.  Conducted missile training and coordinated Titan I facility construction, Jul 1961-Oct 1962.  The first wing missile complex became operational in Apr 1962.  The wing inactivated in Jun 1965 after a phase-down period beginning in late March of the same year.                 

 

Service Streamers.  None.     

 

Campaign Streamers.   World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater.  Afghanistan:  Consolidation I; Consolidation II; Consolidation III.

 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers.  None.

 

Decorations.  Distinguished Unit Citations: Regensburg, Germany, 25 Feb 1944; Ploesti, Rumania, 5 Apr 1944; Vienna, Austria, 23 Aug 1944.  Meritorious Unit Awards:  16 Sep 2003-30 Sep 2004; 1 Oct 2004-30 Sep 2005; 1 Oct 2005-1 Sep 2006; 1 Oct 2006-30 Sep 2007; 1 Oct 2007-30 Sep 2008; 1 Oct 2008-30 Sep 2009; 1 Jun 2011-31 Jan 2012; 1 Feb 2012-31 Jan 2013; 1 Apr-30 Jun 2014; 1 Oct 2014-30 Sep 2015; 1 Oct 2015-31 Mar 2017.  Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V” Device: 1 Nov 2001-15 Sep 2002; 16 Sep 2002-15 Sep 2003.  Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Jul 1963-30 Jun 1964.    

 

Unclassified Lineage and Honors through 3 May 2018.

 

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 25 Jun 1965.

 

Emblem.  Approved on 20 Jun 1962; newest rendition approved 20 Mar 2018.

 

Prepared by John M. Lacomia.

 

Reviewed by James M. Musser and Daniel L. Haulman.