57 Operations Group (ACC)

Lineage. Established as 57 Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated as 57 Fighter Group on 15 May 1942. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Activated on 15 Aug 1946. Redesignated as 57 Fighter-Interceptor Group on 20 Jan 1950. Inactivated on 13 Apr 1953. Redesignated as 57 Fighter Group (Air Defense), and activated, on 24 Feb 1961. Organized on 1 Apr 1961. Inactivated on 30 Sep 1968. Redesignated as: 57 Fighter-¬Weapons Group on 31 Jul 1985; 57 Operations Group on 1 Nov 1991. Activated on 1 Nov 1991.

Assignments. 7 Pursuit Wing, 15 Jan 1941; I Interceptor (later, I Fighter) Command, 1 Sep 1941: IX Fighter Command, c. 16 Jul 1942; U.S. Army Middle East Force, Jul 1942 (attached to Desert Air Task Force, 22 Oct 1942); IX Fighter Command, 12 Nov 1942 (attached to Western Desert Air Force, 21 Feb 1943; Desert Air Force, c. Apr 1943; 7 South African Air Force, 21 May 1943; XII Air Support Command, 22 Aug 1943): Twelfth Air Force, 30 Aug 1943; XII Air Support Command, 1 Sep 1943; 57 Bombardment Wing, 1 Nov 1943; unkn (probably XII Air Support Command), 2 Jan-4 Mar 1944 (attached to 64 Fighter Wing, 2 Mar 1944); XII Air Support Command (later, XXII Tactical Air Command), 5 Mar 1944 (remained attached to 64 Fighter Wing until 28 Mar 1944); 87 Fighter Wing, 23 Apr 1944; XII Tactical Air Command, 10 Sep 1944; XII Fighter (later, XII Tactical Air) Command, 15 Sep 1944; Twelfth Air Force, 7 Jun-7 Aug 1945; unkn, 8-22 Aug 1945; Third Air Force, 23 Aug-7 Nov 1945. Alaskan Air command, 15 Aug 1946 (attached to Yukon Sector, Alaskan Air Command, 16-21 Apr 1947; Headquarters, Fort Richardson, Alaska [later, 57 Fighter Wing, Provisional], 20 Nov 1947-19 Apr 1948); 57 Fighter Wing, 20 Apr 1948 (attached to 10 Air Division [Defense], 10 Dec 1950); Alaskan Air Command, 1 Jan 1951 (remained attached to 10 Air Division [Defense] until 1 Mar 1951); 10 Air Division (Defense), 1 Nov 1952-13 Apr 1953. Air Defense Command, 24 Feb 1961; Seattle Air Defense Sector, 1 Apr 1961-30 Sep 1968. 57 Fighter Wing (later, 57 Wing), 1 Nov 1991-.

Operational Components. Squadrons. 11 Reconnaissance: 29 Jul 1995-1 May 2007. 15 Reconnaissance: 1 Aug 1997-1 May 2007. 17 Reconnaissance: 8 Mar 2002-1 May 2007. 58 Rescue: 14 Jun 2002-1 Oct 2003. 64 Fighter (later 64 Fighter-Interceptor; 64 Aggressor): 15 Jan 1941-7 Nov 1945; 15 Aug 1946-13 Apr 1953; 1 Apr 1961-10 Jun 1966; 3 Oct 2003-15 Sep 2005. 65 Fighter (later, 65 Fighter-Interceptor): 15 Jan 1941-7 Nov 1945; 15 Aug 1946-13 Apr 1953. 66 Fighter (later, 66 Fighter-Interceptor): 15 Jan 1941-7 Nov 1945; 15 Aug 1946-13 Apr 1953. 66 Rescue: 1 Feb 1993-1 Oct 2003. 414 Combat Training: 4 Oct 2007-. 498 Fighter-Interceptor: 25 Jun 1966-30 Sep 1968. 548 Combat Training: 4 Oct 2007-. 549 Combat Training: 4 Oct 2007-. 561 Fighter: 1 Feb 1993-1 Oct 1996.

Stations. Mitchel Field, NY, 15 Jan 1941; Windsor Locks, CT, 19 Aug 1941; Boston, MA, 8 Dec 1941-c. 1 Jul 1942; Fort Dix, NJ, 5 Jul 1942; New York Port of Embarkation, NY, 15-16 Jul 1942; Muqeibile, Palestine, c. 20 Jul 1942; Landing Ground 174, Egypt, 16 Sep 1942; Daba, Egypt, 5 Nov 1942; Sidi Hanaish, Egypt, 8 Nov 1942; Sidi Azeiz, Libya, 12 Nov 1942; Gambit, Libya, 13 Nov 1942; Martuba, Libya, 16 Nov 1942; Belandah, Libya, 3 Dec 1942; Hamraiet, Libya, 3 Jan 1943; Darragh, Libya, 19 Jan 1943; Zuara, Tripolitania, 23 Feb 1943; Ben Gardane, Tunisia, 9 Mar 1943; Soltane, Tunisia, 21 Mar 1943; Hazbub, Tunisia, 4 Apr 1943; Chekira, Tunisia, 10 Apr 1943; El Djem, Tunisia, 14 Apr 1943; Hani, Tunisia, 21 Apr 1943; Bou Grara, Tunisia, May 1943; Malta, 27 Jun 1943; Pachino, Sicily, 19 Jul 1943; Scordia, Sicily, Aug 1943; Milazzo, Sicily, 12 Sep 1943; Messina, Sicily, 15 Sep 1943; Reggio, Italy, 16 Sep 1943; Rocca Bernardo, Italy, 17 Sep 1943; Gioia, Italy, c. 25 Sep 1943; Foggia, Italy, 30 Sep 1943; Amendola, Italy, c. 27 Oct 1943; Cercola, Italy, 1 Mar 1944; Corsica, France, 30 Mar 1944; Ombrene Airfield, Italy, 9 Sep 1944; Grossetto, Italy, 24 Sep 1944; Villafranca di Verona, Italy, 29 Apr 1945; Grossetto, Italy, 7 May 1945; Bagnoli, Italy, 15 Jul 1945; Naples, Italy, 5-6 Aug 1945; Camp Miles Standish, MA, 18 Aug 1945; Drew Field, FL, 23 Aug-7 Nov 1945. Shemya, AK, 15 Aug 1946; Elmendorf Field (later, Elmendorf AFB), AK, 25 Mar 1947-13 Apr 1953. Paine Field, WA, 1 Apr 1961-30 Sep 1968. Nellis AFB, NV, 1 Nov 1991; Creech AFB, NV, 3 Aug 2006; Nellis AFB, NV, 4 Oct 2007-.

Commanders. Maj Rueben C. Moffat, c. 15 Jan 1941; Maj Clayton B. Hughes, mid-1941; Maj Minthorne W. Reed, 13 Dec 1941; Lt Col Frank H. Mears, by Jun 1942; Col Arthur G. Salisbury, 20 Dec 1942; Col Archibald J. Knight, 23 Apr 1944; Lt Col William J. Yates, 23 May 1945; unkn, c. Aug-7 Nov 1945. Maj Benjamin H. King, 15 Aug 1946; Lt Col Gilmore V. Norris, 26 Dec 1946; Lt Col Harry L. Downing Jr., 10 Jan 1947; Col Morton D. Magoffin, 14 Nov 1947; Col Bingham T. Kleine, 22 Jan 1949; Col John W. Mitchell, c. Nov 1950; Lt Col Ollie O. Simpson, 19 Nov 1951; Col Thomas H. Beeson, 21 Nov 1951; none (not manned), 1 Nov 1952-13 Apr 1953. None (not manned), 24 Feb -31 Mar 1961; Col William F. Shaeffer, 1 Apr 1961; Col Kearie L. Berry Jr., 1 May 1962; Col Jack W. Williams, 27 Aug 1962; Lt Col Frank A. Downey, c. Jul 1964; Col Joseph H. Perry, 1 Aug 1964; Col Philip E. Joyal, 12 Jun 1965; Col James L. Price, 1 Jul 1967; Col Lee A. Sarter Jr., 16 Dec 1967; Col Timothy I. Ahern, 15 Feb 1968; Lt Col Richard D. Riddle, 3-30 Sep 1968. Col Coy D. Fink, 1 Nov 1991; Col Marvin G. Bass, 9 Dec 1991; Col William D. MacFarlane, 15 Jun 1992; Col Barry W. Barksdale, 21 Jun 1994; Col Thomas A. Oram, 14 Sep 1995; Col Larry D. New, 21 Mar 1997; Col Virgil F. Unger, 21 Dec 1998; Col James S. Davis, 17 Feb 1999; Col Michael S. Roller, 21 Jul 2000; Col Charles W. Lyon, 29 Apr 2002; Col Mark A. Morris, 5 Jun 2003; Col Michael E. McKinney, 28 Jun 2005-.

Aircraft. P-40, 1941-1944; P-47, 1944-1945. P-38, 1946; P-51, 1946-1948, F-80, 1948-1951; F-94, 1951-1952. F-102, 1961-1966; F-106, 1966-1968. F-16, 1991-1998, 2003-; F-15, 1993-1996-; F-4, 1992-1995; HH-60, 1993-2003; RQ-1A, 1995-2003; MQ-1-9, 2003-; F-22, 2004-; A-10, 2007-.

Operations. The group trained with P-40s on the east coast of the United States before and just after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It moved to the Middle East in Jul and Aug 1942 and trained with the Royal Air Force. In Oct 1942, it began combat operations. The group took part in the Battle of El Alamein and, as part of Ninth Air Force, supported the British Eighth Army's drive across Egypt and Libya, escorting bombers and flying strafing and dive-bombing missions against airfields, communications, and troop concentrations until Axis defeat in Tunisia in May 1943. After the group destroyed more than seventy of the enemy's transport and fighter aircraft in an aerial battle over the Gulf of Tunis on l8 Apr 1943, it received a Distinguished Unit Citation. The unit participated in the reduction of Pantelleria (May-Jun 1943) and the conquest of Sicily (Jul-Aug 1943). For front-line operations in direct support of the British Eighth Army from the Battle of El Alamein to the capitulation of enemy forces in Sicily, the group received another Distinguished Unit Citation. The group supported the British Eighth Army's landing at Termoli and subsequent operations in Italy (Oct 1943-Feb 1944) by flying dive-bombing strafing, patrol, and escort missions. Early in 1944, it converted to P-47 aircraft and flew interdiction operations in Italy. The group moved to Corsica on 30 Mar 1944 to operate as a separate task force. It flew interdiction missions against railroads, communication targets, and motor vehicles behind enemy lines, providing a minimum of forty-eight fighter-bomber sorties per day. During nine days of combat operations during early April 1944, the group exceeded fifty sorties per day. It earned a third Distinguished Unit Citation c. 14 Apr 1944 for attacks in the Florence-Arezzo area. The group participated in the French campaign against Elba in Jun 1944 and in the invasion of Southern France in Aug. It engaged in interdiction and support operations in northern Italy from Sep 1944 to May 1945. For its operations in the Mediterranean Theater, the group earned the French Croix de Guerre (Cross of War) with Palm (awarded in late 1967). Beginning in Aug 1946 it provided air defense in the Alaskan area. From Apr 1961-Sep 1968 it provided air defense for the Seattle, Washington, area. From Nov 1991-present the 57 Operations Group managed Air Force tactical training through Red Flag and Air Warrior exercises. Between Jul 1995 and Mar 2002, the group gained three reconnaissance squadrons equipped with Predator RQ-1A Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The Group deployed elements of the 11 and 15 Reconnaissance Squadrons in support of operations in Bosnia (Apr 2000), Kuwait (Oct 2000), and Pakistan, Sep 2001-Jan 2002 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The group's 66 Helicopter Squadron also deployed for operations in Northern Watch and Enduring Freedom. While at Nellis, the Group continued to provide air combat units for US and Allies with realistic, large force combat training at Red Flag.

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Egypt-Libya; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: North Africa and Sicily, 24 Oct 1942-17 Aug 1943; Tunis and Cape Bon Area, 18 Apr 1943; Italy, 14 Apr 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1995-31 May 1997; 1 Jun 1998-31 May 2000; 1 Jun 2001-31 May 2003; 1 Jun 2003-31 May 2004; 1 Jun 2004-31 May 2006. French Croix de Guerre with Palm: Oct 1942-May 1945.

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 15 Jul 2009.

Commanders through 15 Aug 2007, Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Dec 2002.

Supersedes statement prepared on 30 Jun 2008.

Emblem. Group will use the wing emblem withy the group designation in the scroll.

Prepared by Patsy Robertson.

Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.