477 Fighter Group (AFRC)

Lineage.  Established as 477 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 13 May 1943.  Activated on 1 Jun 1943.  Inactivated on 25 Aug 1943.  Activated on 15 Jan 1944.  Redesignated 477 Composite Group on 22 Jun 1945.  Inactivated on 1 Jul 1947.  Redesignated:  477 Special Operations Group on 31 Jul 1985; 477 Expeditionary Special Operations Group, and converted to provisional status, on 24 Jan 2005.  Redesignated 477 Special Operations Group, and withdrawn from provisional status, on 11 Aug 2006.  Redesignated 477 Fighter Group on 21 Sep 2007.  Activated on 1 Oct 2007.   

Assignments.  Third Air Force, 1 Jun-25 Aug 1943.  First Air Force, 15 Jan 1944; Ninth Air Force, 1 Jan-1 Jul 1947.  Air Force Special Operations Command to activate or inactivate at any time after 24 Jan 2005; withdrawn from provisional status, 11 Aug 2006; Tenth Air Force, 1 Oct 2007-.

 

Operational Components.   Squadrons.  99 Fighter:  22 Jun1945-1 Jul 1947.  302 Fighter: 1 Oct 2007-.  616 Bombardment:  1 Jun-25 Aug 1943; 15 Jan 1944-22 Jun 1945.  617 Bombardment:  1 Jun-25 Aug 1943; 15 Apr 1944-1 Jul 1947.  618 Bombardment:  1 Jun-25 Aug 1943; 15 May 1944-8 Oct 1945.  619 Bombardment:  1 Jun-25 Aug 1943; 27 May 1944-22 Jun 1945.

Stations.   MacDill Field, FL, 1 Jun-25 Aug 1943.  Selfridge Field, MI, 15 Jan 1944; Godman Field, KY, 6 May 1944; Freeman Field, IN, 5 Mar 1945; Godman Field, KY, 26 Apr 1945; Lockbourne AAB, OH, 13 Mar 1946-1 Jul 1947.  Elmendorf AFB, AK, 1 Oct 2007-.

 

Commanders.   Lt Col Andrew O. Lerche, 1943.  Col Robert R. Selway Jr., 21 Jan 1944; Col Benjamin O. Davis Jr., 21 Jun 1945-1 Jul 1947.   Col Eric S. Overturf, 1 Oct 2007; Col Bryan Radliff, 27 Mar 2011; Col Tyler Otten, 4 Nov 2012-.

 

Aircraft.   B-26, 1943.  B-25, 1944-1947; P-47, 1945-1947.  F-22, 2007-

 

Operations.  One of only two African-American flying groups in the Army Air Forces during World War II, and the only African-American bombardment group.  The group had no African-American personnel assigned until its second period of activation, beginning in 1944.  Pilots of the group during its second active period had received primary, basic, and advanced flight training at Tuskegee, Alabama, but the group itself was never stationed there.  Although the 477th Bombardment Group did not deploy overseas and enter combat during World War II, like the 332d Fighter Group, it also contributed to the lifting of racial barriers within the U.S. armed forces.  When the 99th Fighter Squadron transferred from the 332d Fighter Group to the 477th Bombardment Group in 1945, the group was redesignated a composite group, and Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, who had commanded both the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332d Fighter Group, became commander of the 477th Composite Group.  He went on to become the first African-American general in the U.S. Air Force.  The group inactivated in 1947.  After serving briefly as a provisional group, the 477th was activated in October 2007 in Alaska, flying F-22 aircraft. 

 

Service Streamers.   American Theater, World War II.

 

Campaign Streamers.  None.

 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers.  None.

 

Decorations.  Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Oct 2007-14 Sep 2009.

 

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, Aircraft, and Honors through 31 Jan 2013.

 

Commanders and Operations through 31 Jan 2013. 

 

Supersedes statement prepared on 8 Apr 2005.

 

Emblem.   Approved on 5 Oct 2007. 

 

Prepared by Patsy Robertson.

 

Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.