455 Air Expeditionary Wing (ACC)

Lineage.  Established as 455 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 May 1943.  Activated on 1 Jun 1943.  Redesignated as 455 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 20 Aug 1943.  Inactivated on 9 Sep 1945.  Redesignated as 455 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 5 Mar 1947.  Activated in the Reserve on 25 Mar 1947.  Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949.  Redesignated as 455 Fighter-Day Group on 7 May 1956.  Activated on 25 Jul 1956.  Inactivated on 1 Jul 1957.  Consolidated (31 Jan 1984) with the 455 Fighter-Bomber Wing, which was established on 23 Mar 1953.  Redesignated as 455 Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM-Minuteman), and activated, on 28 Jun 1962.  Organized on 1 Nov 1962.  Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1968.  Redesignated as 455 Air Expeditionary Group, and converted to provisional status, on 4 Dec 2001.  Activated on 26 Apr 2002.  Redesignated as 455 Air Expeditionary Wing on 26 Jul 2002.

Assignments.  II Bomber Command, 1 Jun 1943; I Bomber Command, 4 Oct 1943; Fifteenth Air Force, Jan 1944; 304 Bombardment Wing, 25 Jan 1944-9 Sep 1945.  Tenth Air Force, 25 Mar 1947; 309 Bombardment Wing (later, 309 Air Division), 17 Oct 1947-27 Jun 1949.  Ninth Air Force, 25 Jul 1956-1 Jul 1957 (attached to 342 Fighter Day Wing, 25 Jul-19 Nov 1956; attached to 354 Fighter Day Wing, 19 Nov 1956-1 Jul 1957).    Strategic Air Command, 28 Jun 1962; 810 Strategic Air Division, 1 Nov 1962-25 Jun 1968.  9 Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force, 26 Jul 2002-. 

 

Operational Components.  Group.  455 Expeditionary Operations: 26 Jul 2002-.  Squadrons: 740 Bombardment (later, 740 Fighter; 740 Strategic Missile): 1 Jun 1943-9 Sep 1945; 25 Mar 1947-27 Jun 1949; 25 Jul 1956-1 Jul 1957; 1 Nov 1962-25 Jun 1968.  741 Bombardment (later, 741 Fighter; 741 Strategic Missile): 1 Jun 1943-9 Sep 1945; 26 Jun 1947-27 Jun 1949; 25 Jul 1956-1 Jul 1957; 1 Dec 1962-25 Jun 1968.  742 Bombardment (later, 742 Fighter, 742 Strategic Missile) : 1 Jul 1943-9 Sep 1945; 9 Sep 1947-27 Jun 1949; 25 Jul 1956-1 Jul 1957; 1 Jan 1963-25 Jul 1968.  743 Bombardment: 1 Jul 1943-9 Sep 1945; 15 Oct 1947-27 Jun 1949.

 

Stations.  Alamogordo AAFld, NM, 1 Jun 1943; Kearns AAB, UT, 9 Sep 1943; Langley Field, VA, 5 Oct-13 Dec 1943; Tunisia, Jan 1944 (air echelon); Italy, 14 Jan 1944 (ground echelon); San Giovanni, Italy, 21 Jan 1944-9 Sep 1945 (ground echelon), 1 Feb 1944-9 Sep 1945 (air echelon).  Hensley Field, TX, 25 Mar 1947-27 Jun 1949.  Myrtle Beach AFB, SC, 25 Jul 1956-1 Jul 1957.  Minot AFB, ND, 1 Nov 1962-25 Jun 1968.  Bagram AB, Afghanistan, 26 Jul 2002-. 

Commanders.  None (apparently not manned), 1 Jun-Jul 1943; Col Kenneth A. Cool, 8 Jul 1943; Col William L. Snowden, c. 26 Sep 1944; Lt Col William R. Boutz, May 1945; Maj Jerome Hoss, c. 5 Jul 1945-unkn.  Unkn, 25 Mar 1947-27 Jun 1949.  Maj John C. Smith, 25 Jul 1956; Maj Charles E. Cook Jr., 8 Nov 1956; Maj Jack H. Bond, 1 Apr-1 Jul 1957.  None (not manned), 28 Jun-31 Oct 1962; Col Gilbert F. Friederichs, 1 Nov 1962; Col John P. Couch, c. 1 Aug 1964; Col B. H. Davidson, 23 Jun 1967-25 Jun 1968.  Brig Gen Gregory J. Ihde, 26 Jul 2002; Brig Gen James A. Whitmore, 24 Apr 2003; Brig Gen James P. Hunt, 19 May 2004; Brig Gen Bruce E. Burda, 15 May 2005; Brig Gen Christopher D. Miller, 8 May 2006; Brig Gen James W. Hyatt, 27 Apr 2007; Brig Gen James M. Holmes, 10 Mar 2008; Brig Gen Steven L. Kwast, 18 Apr 2009; Brig Gen Jack L. Briggs, 20 Apr 2010; Brig Gen Darryl Roberson, 22 Apr 2011; Brig Gen Thomas H. Deale (interim), 1 Mar 2012; Brig Gen Joseph T. Guastella Jr., 12 Jul 2012; Brig Gen Patrick C. Malackowski, 8 Jul 2013; Brig Gen Mark D. Kelly, 3 Jul 2014; Brig Gen David J. Julazedeh, 1 Jul 2015; Brig Gen James R. Sears Jr., 3 Jun 2016; Brig Gen Craig R. Baker, 3 Jun 2017-. 

 

Aircraft.  B-24, 1943-1945.  Unkn, 1947-1949.  None, 1956-1957.  Minuteman I, 1963-1968.  MC-12, 2002-; HH-50, 2002-; A-10, 2002-; F-15, 2002-; F-16, 2002-; C-130, 2002-; EC-130, 2002-. 

 

Operations.  Trained with B-24s, Jul-Nov 1943.  Moved to the Mediterranean Theater, with the ground echelon of the Group arriving in Italy in mid-Jan 1944.  The flight echelon flew to Tunisia and trained for a month before joining the rest of the Group in Italy on 1 Feb 1944.  Served in combat with Fifteenth Air Force from Feb 1944 to Apr 1945.  Engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets such as factories, marshalling yards, oil refineries, storage areas, harbors, and airdromes in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Balkans.  Received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a mission on 2 Apr  1944 when the group contributed to Fifteenth Air Force’s campaign against enemy industry by attacking a ball-bearing plant at Steyr, Austria.  Although meeting severe fighter opposition and losing several of its bombers on 26 Jun 1944, the group proceeded to attack an oil refinery at Moosbierbaum, Austria, receiving a second DUC for this performance.  In addition to strategic missions in the Balkans, the group bombed troop concentrations, bridges, marshalling yards, and airdromes during the Fall of 1944 to hamper the enemy’s withdrawal from the region.  The group also supported ground forces at Anzio and Cassino in Mar 1944; knocked out gun positions in preparation for the invasion of southern France in Aug 1944, and assisted the final Allied drive through Italy in Apr 1945 by hitting such targets as bridges, gun positions, and troop concentrations.  Inactivated in Italy on 9 Sep 1945.  Served as a Reserve training unit, Mar 1947-Jun 1949.  Activated as a fighter group in Jul 1956, but was only in the process of manning when inactivated on 1 Jul 1957.  As a strategic missile wing, the 455th prepared for operational capability with intercontinental ballistic missiles, Nov 1962-Mar 1964.  The first missile arrived on 6 Sep 1963 and was emplaced three days later.  The 150th missile was emplaced in its silo on 26 Feb 1964 and by late Mar 1964, the wing became combat ready.  Maintained combat readiness until replaced by the 91st Strategic Missile Wing in Jun 1968.  Since 2002, operated a variety of combat aircraft on counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan. 

 

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, EAME.  Afghanistan: Consolidation I; Consolidation II; Consolidation III. 

 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers.  None.

 

Decorations.  Distinguished Unit Citations: Steyr, Austria, 2 Apr 1944; Austria, 26 Jun 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 Oct 2009-30 Sep 2010; 1 Oct 2010-30 Sep 2011; 1 Oct 2011-30 Sep 2012; 1 Jul 2012-30 Jun 2013; 1 Jul 2013-30 Jun 2014; 1 Oct 2014-30 Sep 2015; 1 Oct 2015-31 Mar 2017.  Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with “V” for Valor: [26 Apr]-15 Sep 2002; 16 Sep 2002-15 Sep 2003.  

 

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 14 Nov 2017. 

 

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 14 Nov 2017. 

 

Supersedes statement prepared on 9 Nov 2017. 

 

Emblem.  Approved on 3 Aug 2017.

 

Prepared by John M. Lacomia.

 

Reviewed by Daniel L. Haulman.