64 Air Expeditionary Group (ACC)

Lineage. Established as 64 Transport Group on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 4 Dec 1940. Redesignated as 64 Troop Carrier Group on 1 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 31 Jul 1945. Activated on 19 May 1947. Inactivated on 10 Sep 1948. Redesignated as 64 Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 3 Jul 1952. Activated on 14 Jul 1952. Inactivated on 21 Jul 1954. Redesignated as: 64 Military Airlift Group on 31 Jul 1985; 64 Operations Group on 1 May 1991. Activated on 15 May 1991. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1997. Redesignated as 64 Air Expeditionary Group, and converted to provisional status, on 4 Dec 2001.
 
Assignments. Fourth Air Force, 4 Dec 1940; 50 Transport Wing, 31 Mar 1942; 51 Transport (later, 51 Troop Carrier) Wing, 1 Jun 1942; Eighth Air Force, 18 Aug 1942; 51 Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Sep 1942; Twelfth Air Force, 4 Sep 1942; 51 Troop Carrier Wing, 25 Oct 1942; 52 Troop Carrier Wing, 15 Jun 1943; 51 Troop Carrier Wing, 11 Jul 1943 (air echelon attached to Tenth Air Force, c. 7 Apr-c. 15 Jun 1944); Air Transport Command, 25 May-31 Jul 1945. Tactical Air Command, 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948. 64 Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Jul 1952-21 Jul 1954 (attached to 443 Troop Carrier Wing, 19 Jul-16 Oct 1952; 63 Troop Carrier Wing, 15 Oct 1953-15 Feb 1954). 64 Flying Training Wing, 15 May 1991-1 Apr 1997. Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate at anytime after 4 Dec 2001.
 
Operational Components. Squadrons. 4 Liaison: attached 22 Jul 1952-23 Jan 1953. 7 Liaison: attached 20 Oct 1952-9 Jan 1953. 16 Troop Carrier: 11 Dec 1940-31 Jul 1945; 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948. 17 Troop Carrier: 11 Dec 1940-31 Jul 1945; 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948; 14 Jul 1952-21 Jul 1954. 18 Troop Carrier: 11 Dec 1940-31 Jul 1945; 14 Jul 1952-21 Jul 1954. 33 Flying Training: 15 Dec 1991-1 Oct 1992. 35 Transport (later 35 Troop Carrier, 35 Tactical Airlift, 35 Flying Training): 9 Jun 1942-31 Jul 1945; 14 Jul 1952-21 Jul 1954; 15 Dec 1991-31 Jul 1996. 52 Flying Training: 15 Dec 1991-1 Apr 1997. T-1A Flying Training Squadron, Provisional, 52: attached 15 Dec 1991-1 Oct 1992. 54 Transport (later 54 Troop Carrier, 54 Flying Training): 1-11 Jun 1942; 15 Dec 1991-1 Apr 1997.
 
Stations. Duncan Field, TX, 4 Dec 1940; March Field, CA, c. 13 Jul 1941; Hamilton Field, CA, 1 Feb 1942; Westover Field, MA, 8 Jun-31 Jul 1942; Ramsbury, England, Aug-Nov 1942; Maison Blanche, Algeria, 11 Nov 1942 (air echelon); Blida, Algeria, 17 Nov 1942 (air echelon), c. 30 Nov 1942 (ground echelon); Kairouan, Tunisia, 28 Jun 1943; El Djem, Tunisia, 26 Jul 1943; Comiso, Sicily, 29 Aug 1943; (air echelon on detached service to Lalmai, India, c. 10 Apr-c. 15 Jun 1944); Ciampino, Italy, 10 Jul 1944; Rosignano Airfield, Italy, 10 Jan-23 May 1945; Waller Field, Trinidad, 4 Jun-31 Jul 1945. Langley Field, VA, 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948. Donaldson AFB, SC, 14 Jul 1952-21 Jul 1954. Reese AFB, TX, 15 May 1991-1 Apr 1997.
 
Commanders. Lt Col Malcolm S. Lawton, c. Dec 1940; Col Tracey K. Dorsett, by Jul 1942; Lt Col Claire B. Collier, 1 Mar 1943; Col John Cerny, 16 May 1943-1945. Unkn (probably unmanned), 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948. Col Steward H. Nichols, 14 Jul 1952; Col David E. Kunkel Jr., c. Nov 1953; Lt Col William G. Forwood, unkn-1954. Col Robert M. Negley Jr., 15 May 1991; Col Larry W. Driskill, 1 Jan 1992; Col F. Randall Starbuck, 21 Sep 1992; Lt Col Julius R. McRee, 28 Jun 1993; Col Frank K. Geisler Jr., 24 Sep 1993; Col Randall C. Gelwix, 15 Jul 1994; Col Bruce E. Burda, 28 Jul 1995; Lt Col Kenneth A. Montague, 16 Jan-1 Apr 1997.
 
Aircraft. C-47, 1940-1945. C-82, 1952-1953; L-20, 1952-1953; C-119, 1953-1954. T-37, 1991-1996; T-38, 1991-1997; T-1, 1992-1997.
 
Operations. Activated on 4 Dec 1940. Used C-47s for training and flying transport missions in the US. After Jul 1942, trained with paratroop and glider units in airborne operations. Moved to England Jul-Aug 1942 and trained for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. On 10 Nov the air echelon flew from England via Gibraltar and on 11 Nov landed personnel of the British 3 Parachute Battalion at Maison Blanche, near Algiers. By mid-Dec, the ground echelon joined the air echelon at Blida, Algeria. The group dropped paratroops to capture airfields and destroy bridges, during the battle for Tunisia, the invasion of Sicily in Jul 1943, and Italy in Sep 1943. By Apr 1944, most of the group was detached to India where it aided in the Allied offensive in Burma. Returning to Sicily in mid-Jun 1944, it moved to Italy the following month and participated in the assault on southern France in Aug 1944, releasing gliders and paratroops. It moved to Trinidad, without aircraft, in May-Jun 1945 and inactivated in July 1945. Assigned to Tactical Air Command and activated in May 1947, the group remained a paper organization, unmanned, until its inactivation on 10 Sep 1948. Activated at Donaldson AFB, SC on 14 Jul 1952, the 64 Troop Carrier Group transported personnel and equipment worldwide and participated in joint training operations with the 82 Airborne Division until inactivation on 21 Jul 1954. Activated in May 1991, and conducted undergraduate pilot training 1991-1997. In 1996, began preparing Reese AFB, TX for closure. Graduated last pilot training class in Jan 1997 and inactivated on 1 Apr 1997.
 
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.
 
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; India-Burma; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley.
 
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
 
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: CBI Theater, 7 Apr-15 Jun 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Oct 1995-[1 Apr] 1997.
 
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 4 Dec 2001.
 
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 1 Apr 1997.
 
Supersedes statement prepared on 4 Dec 2001.
 
Emblem. Approved on 16 Jun 1942.
 
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
 
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.