Lineage. Established as 22 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated as: 22 Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 11 Feb 1944; 22 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 15 Jun 1946; 22 Bombardment Group, Medium, on 28 Jul 1948. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952. Redesignated as: 22 Air Refueling Group, Heavy, on 31 Jul 1985; 22 Operations Group on 29 Aug 1991. Activated on 1 Sep 1991.
Assignments. 2 (later, 2 Bombardment) Wing, 1 Feb 1940; I Bomber Command, 4 Sep 1941; United States Army Forces in Australia, Feb 1942; Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area, Apr 1942; V Bomber Command, 5 Sep 1942 (attached to 309 Bombardment Wing, 1-16 Feb 1944); Far East Air Forces (later, Pacific Air Command United States Army), Nov 1945; Eighth Air Force, 15 May 1946; 316 Bombardment Wing, c. 15 Jun 1946; Fifteenth Air Force, Jun 1948; 22 Bombardment Wing, Medium, 1 Aug 1948-16 Jun 1952 (detached 1 Aug 1948-30 Jun 1949, 14 Nov 1949-20 Feb 1950, 4 Jul-c. 31 Oct 1950; not operational, 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952). 22 Air Refueling Wing, 1 Sep 1991-.
Operational Components. Squadrons. 2 Bombardment: 1 Feb 1940-16 Jun 1952 (detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952). 6 Air Refueling: 1 Sep 1991-1 Jan 1994. 9 Air Refueling: 1 Sep 1991-1 Jan 1994. 18 Reconnaissance (later, 408 Bombardment): attached 1 Feb 1940-24 Apr 1942; assigned 24 Apr 1942-29 Apr 1946. 19 Bombardment: 1 Feb 1940-16 Jun 1952. 22 Air Refueling: 16 Jun 1950-16 Jun 1952. 33 Bombardment: 1 Feb 1940-16 Jun 1952. 64 Air Refueling; 1 Oct 2009-. 344 Air Refueling: 29 Apr 1994-. 349 Air Refueling: 1 Jan 1994-. 350 Air Refueling: 1 Jul 1994-. 384 Air Refueling: 1 Jan 1994-. 459 Airlift: 1 Apr-1 Oct 1993.
Stations. Mitchel Field, NY, 1 Feb 1940; Langley Field, VA, 14 Nov 1940; Muroc, CA, c. 9 Dec 1941-31 Jan 1942; Amberley Field, Australia, 1 Mar 1942; Garbutt Field, Australia, 5 Apr 1942; Woodstock, Australia, 5 Jul 1942; Iron Range, Australia, 2 Oct 1942; Woodstock, Australia, 4 Feb-3 Oct 1943; Dobodura, New Guinea, 9 Oct 1943; Nadzab, New Guinea, c. 13 Jan 1944; Owi Island, New Guinea, 11 Aug 1944; Leyte, Philippine Islands, 15 Nov 1944; Angaur, Palau Islands, 26 Nov 1944; Samar, Philippine Islands, 20 Jan 1945; Clark Field, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 12 Mar-4 Aug 1945; Motobu, Okinawa, 15 Aug 1945; Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 23 Nov 1945; Kadena AAB, Okinawa, 15 May 1946-29 Jun 1948; Smoky Hill AFB, KS, c. 29 Jun 1948 (detached to Marham and Lakenheath RAF Stations, England, 15 Nov 1948-Feb 1949); March AFB, CA, 1 May 1949-16 Jun 1952 (detached to Marham and Lakenheath RAF Stations, England, Dec 1949-Mar 1950; Kadena AB, Okinawa, Jul-Oct 1950). March AFB, CA, 1 Sep 1991; McConnell AFB, KS, 1 Jan 1994-.
Commanders. Lt Col Ross F. Cole, 1 Feb 1940; Lt Col John I. Moore, 2 Apr 1940; Maj Lewis M. Merrick, 20 Feb 1941; Maj Mark L. Lewis, Oct 1941; Lt Col Millard L. Haskin, 10 Dec 1941; Col Dwight D. Divine II, 20 May 1942; Lt Col George R. Anderson, Mar 1943; Lt Col Roger E. Phelan, 1 Jun 1943; Col Richard W. Robinson, Mar 1944; Col Rufus O. Miller (interim), 17 Aug 1944; Col Richard W. Robinson, 2 Oct 1944; Col Leonard T. Nicholson, 21 Jan 1945; Lt Col James E. Sweeney, 24 Sep 1945; Lt Col Charles W. Johnson, 7 Oct 1945; Maj John E. Pryor, 17 Oct 1945; None (not manned), 20 Oct 1945-Jun 1946; Col Joseph F. Carroll, Jun 1946; Lt Col Alvin J. H. Mueller, Jan 1947; Col Francis L. Rivard, Oct 1947; Col Walter E. Arnold, 24 Dec 1947; Lt Col Paul L. Barton, 7 Jun 1948; Capt William P. Lemme, 29 Jun 1948; Maj John W. Swanson, 3 Jul 1948; Lt Col Payne Jennings, 7 Jul 1948; Col James V. Edmundson, 19 Aug 1949; None (not manned), 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952. Col John J. McGuffee, 1 Sep 1991; Col Freneau B. Surguine III, 3 Sep 1992; Col John D. Hauck Jr., 6 Aug 1993; Col Lawrence H. Stevenson, 1 Jan 1994; Col Silvanus T. Gilbert III, 6 Aug 1996; Col Mark D. Shultz, 1 Sep 1997; Col Thomas F. Stickford, 10 Nov 1997; Col Donald Lustig, 23 Jul 1999; Col Steven E. Wayne, 13 Jul 2001; Col Diane Byrne, 14 Apr 2003; Col Jeffrey L. Stevenson, 22 Mar 2005; Col Raymond E. LeMarche, 14 Jul 2006; Col Bartholomew Weiss, 7 Jul 2008; Lt Col Billy R. Langford, 5 Jun 2009; Col Thomas J. Riney, 3 May 2011; Col Jennifer L. Uptmore, 16 Jul 2013-.
Aircraft. B-18, 1941-1942; B-25, 1940-1942, 1943-1944; B-26, 1941-1944; B-24, 1944-1945; A-20, 1945; A-26, 1945; B-29, 1946-1951. KC-10, 1991-1994; C-12, 1993-1995; C-21, 1993; KC-135, 1994-.
Operations. Flew training missions, 1940-1941. Flew antisubmarine patrols off the west coast of the United States, Dec 1941-Jan 1942. Moved to the Southwest Pacific early in 1942. In support of the Allied offensive there, attacked enemy shipping, installations, troop concentrations, and airfields in New Guinea and New Britain. Earned two Distinguished Unit Citations (DUC), one for air raids over enemy forces in Papua (Jul 1942-Jan 1943) and another for destroying enemy entrenchments that were preventing the advance of Australian ground forces in New Guinea (5 Nov 1943). In Feb 1944, traded two-engine for four-engine heavy bombers. Bombed Japanese airfields, shipping, and oil installations in Borneo, Ceram, and Halmahera. Began raiding the southern Philippines in Sep 1944 to neutralize Japanese bases in preparation for the invasion of Leyte. From Dec 1944 to Aug 1945, struck airfields and installations on Luzon, supported Australian ground forces on Borneo, and bombed railways and industries in Formosa and China. Moved to Okinawa in Aug 1945 and flew some armed reconnaissance missions over southern Japan. Transferred without personnel and equipment to the Philippines in Nov 1945 and to Okinawa in May 1946, where it was remanned and equipped with B-29s the next month. In May 1948, moved to the United States to serve Strategic Air Command. Deployed in the Korean War to Okinawa and attacked enemy marshalling yards, bridges, highways, airfields, and industries and supported United Nations ground forces, Jul-Oct 1950. Became a records unit in Feb 1951. After activation in 1991, commenced air refueling missions. Using KC-10 aircraft, the group airlifted humanitarian equipment and supplies to Somalia, 1992-1994. Deployed group aircrews and aircraft on other contingency operations in many parts of the world, including Haiti in 1994 and Serbia in 1999. The group also refueled aircraft enforcing no-fly zones over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the mid-1990s and over northern and southern Iraq between 1992 and 2002. After terrorist attacks in the United States in September 2001, deployed crews and aircraft for operations in Afghanistan. Conducted air refueling and airlifts as directed by wing, 2001-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; East Indies; Papua; New Guinea; Bismarck Archipelago; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; Western Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; China Offensive; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, 23 Jul 1942-23 Jan 1943; New Guinea, 5 Nov 1943. Meritorious Unit Awards: 1 Aug 2009-31 Jul 2010; 1 Aug 2010-31 Jul 2011; 1 Aug 2011-31 Jul 2012; 1 Aug 2012-31 Jul 2013. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jun 1994-31 May 1996; 1 Jul 1997-30 Jun 1999; 1 Aug 1999-31 Jul 2000; 1 Aug 2000-31 Jul 2001; 1 Aug 2002-31 Jul 2004; 1 Aug 2004-31 Jul 2005; 1 Aug 2005-31 Jul 2006; 1 Aug 2006-31 Jul 2008; 1 Aug 2008-31 Jul 2009. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (World War II). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 10 Jul-24 Oct 1950.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through Apr 2014.
Commanders through Jul 2013; Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Oct 2010.
Supersedes statement prepared on 31 Dec 2007.
Emblem. Approved on 9 Dec 2021.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.