Lineage. Established as 28 Composite Group on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated as 28 Bombardment Group (Composite) on 11 Dec 1943. Inactivated on 20 Oct 1945. Redesignated as 28 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 15 Jul 1946. Activated on 4 Aug 1946. Redesignated as: 28 Bombardment Group, Medium on 28 May 1948; 28 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 16 May 1949; 28 Strategic Reconnaissance Group on 1 Apr 1950; 28 Strategic Reconnaissance Group, Heavy on 16 Jul 1950. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952. Redesignated as: 28 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 31 Jul 1985; 28 Operations Group on 29 Aug 1991. Activated on 1 Sep 1991.
Assignments. 1 Wing (later, 1 Bombardment Wing), 1 Feb 1940; Alaska Defense Command, 23 Feb 1941 (attached to Air Field Forces, Alaska Defense Command, 21 May-16 Oct 1941; Air Force, Alaska Defense Command, 17 Oct 1941-14 Jan 1942); Alaskan (later, 11; Eleventh) Air Force, 15 Jan 1942 (attached to Provisional XI Bomber Command, c. 5 Feb 1942-18 Mar 1943); XI Bomber Command, 19 Mar 1943; Eleventh Air Force, 31 Mar 1944-20 Oct 1945. Fifteenth Air Force, 4 Aug 1946 (attached to Alaskan Air Command, 20 Oct 1946-); Strategic Air Command, 1 Jan 1947 (remained attached to Alaskan Air Command to 3 Feb 1947); Alaskan Air Command, 4 Feb 1947; Fifteenth Air Force, 10 Mar 1947; 28 Bombardment (later, 28 Strategic Reconnaissance) Wing, 15 Aug 1947-16 Jun 1952 (attached to 3 Air Division, 19 Jul-18 Oct 1948). 28 Wing (later, 28 Bomb Wing), 1 Sep 1991-.
Operational Components. Squadrons. 4 Airborne Command and Control: 1 Sep 1991-30 Sep 1992. 11 Pursuit (later, 11 Fighter): 2 Feb-7 Jun 1942. 18 Pursuit (later, 18 Fighter): 24 Feb 1941-7 Jun 1942. 21 Bombardment: attached 9 Jan 1942-c. 19 Sep 1943. 28 Air Refueling: 1 Sep 1991-1 Jun 1992. 34 Bomb: 19 Sep 2002-. 34 Pursuit: 1 Feb-30 Nov 1940. 36 Bombardment: 1 Feb 1940-19 Oct 1943. 37 Bombardment (later, 37 Bomb): 1 Feb 1940-23 Apr 1941; 1 Sep 1991-. 73 Bombardment: 3 May 1941-6 Oct 1943. 77 Bombardment (later, 77 Strategic Reconnaissance; 77 Bomb): 2 Jan 1942-20 Oct 1945; 4 Aug 1946-16 Jun 1952 (detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952); 1 Sep 1991-31 Mar 1995; 1 Apr 1997-19 Sep 2002. 404 Bombardment: attached c. 12 Jul-c. 20 Sep 1942, assigned c. 21 Sep 1942-20 Oct 1945. 406 Bombardment: attached c. Jun 1942-c. Oct 1943. 432 Attack: 1 Oct 2011-. 717 Bombardment (later, 717 Strategic Reconnaissance): 4 Aug 1946-16 Jun 1952 (detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952). 718 Bombardment (later, 718 Strategic Reconnaissance): 4 Aug 1946-16 Jun 1952 (detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952).
Stations. March Field, CA, 1 Feb 1940; Moffett Field, CA, 10 Dec 1940-12 Feb 1941; Elmendorf Field, Alaska, 23 Feb 1941; Adak, Aleutian Islands, 14 Mar 1943; Shemya, Aleutian Islands, 26 Feb 1944-20 Oct 1945. Grand Island AAFld, NE, 4 Aug-6 Oct 1946; Elmendorf Field, Alaska, 20 Oct 1946-25 Apr 1947; Rapid City AAB (later, Rapid City Afld; Rapid City AFB), SD, 3 May 1947-16 Jun 1952 (deployed at RAF Station Scampton, England, 19 Jul-19 Oct 1948). Ellsworth AFB, SD, 1 Sep 1991-.
Commanders. Lt Col William H. Crom, 1 Feb 1940; Maj Lotha A. Smith, 12 Feb 1940; Maj William O. Eareckson, 1 Sep 1940; Maj Donald W. Titus, 21 Oct 1940; Maj William O. Eareckson, 27 May 1941; Maj Norman D. Sillin, 7 Nov 1941; Lt Col William O. Eareckson, 1 Jan 1942; Col Earl H. DeFord, 23 Jan 1943; Maj Robert C. Orth, 19 Mar 1943; Lt Col Jack N. Donohew, 27 Mar 1943; Lt Col Ralph W. Rodieck, 18 Apr 1943; Lt Col John W. Massion, 27 Oct 1943; Lt Col Alexander W. Bryant, 4 Jan 1944; Col Robert H. Herman, 1 Apr 1944; Lt Col John W. Massion, 24 Jul 1944; Col Robert H. Herman, 26 Aug 1944; Lt Col John C. Larson, 26 May 1945; Col Robert H. Herman, 27 Jun 1945; Col Walter L. Wheeler, 21 Jul 1945; Lt Col John C. Larson, 27 Sep-20 Oct 1945. Col Richard M. Montgomery, 4 Aug 1946; Col Thomas J. Gent Jr., 23 Aug 1946; Lt Col Donald W. Lang, 15 Aug 1947; Lt Col Everett W. Best, 24 Dec 1947; Lt Col Frank W. Iseman Jr., 16 Apr 1948; Lt Col Solomon Cutcher, 27 Jun 1948; Col John B. Henry Jr., 10 Jul 1948; Lt Col Everett W. Best, 25 Apr 1949; Col William P. Brett, 2 May 1949; Lt Col Solomon Cutcher, 21 Mar 1950; Col Donald W. Isenhart, 3 Apr 1950; Col Frank W. Iseman Jr., 24 Jul 1950; Col Bertram C. Harrison, 18 Oct 1950; Col Richard E. Ellsworth, 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952 (additional duty). Col Phillip R. Lumpkin, 1 Sep 1991; Lt Col Anthony M. Beat, 24 Apr 1992; Col Michael A. Kenny, 8 May 1992; Col Stephen Luebbert, 30 Jun 1995; Col Glenn F. Spears, 19 Aug 1996; Col Richard Y. Newton III, 17 Jul 1998; unkn, 1 Jan-4 Mar 2000; Col David W. McFaddin, 5 Mar 2000; Col Joseph D. Brown IV, 17 Sep 2001; Col Timothy Leaptrott, 12 Aug 2003; Lt Col David B. Sumrell, 23 Nov 2004; Col Gerald P. Plourde, 25 Mar 2005; Col Karl J. Shawhan, 20 Jul 2007; Col William G. Eldridge, Jul 2009-.
Aircraft. B-18, 1940-1943; P-36, 1940, 1941-1942; B-25, 1941-1945; P-40, 1941-1942; A-29, 1942-1943; B-17, 1942-1943; B-24, 1942-1945; B-26, 1942-1943; LB-30, 1942; AT-23, 1944-1945; RB-34, 1944; B/TB-26, 1945. B-29, 1946-1950; B-36, 1949-1950; RB-29, 1950; RB-36, 1950-1951. B-1, 1991-; KC-135, 1991-1992; EC-135, 1991-1992; MQ-9, 2012-.
Operations. Organized in Feb 1940 after outbreak of World War II in Europe. Moved to Alaska one year later, where it trained for Arctic warfare and served to defend the territory after Japan attacked the United States at the end of 1941. The group helped force the withdrawal of Japanese ships that attacked Dutch Harbor in Jun 1942, flew missions against Kiska until the Japanese evacuated that island in Aug 1943, bombed and strafed enemy shipping, harbor facilities, canneries, fisheries, and military installations in the Kurils, and flew photographic reconnaissance missions. Earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for attacks on the Kurils that caused Japan to divert some of her air power to that northern area, weakening Japanese opposition to Allied forces to the south, Apr 1944-Aug 1945. Flew its last World War II bombing mission on 13 Aug 1945, but continued reconnaissance operations in the Kurils into Sep 1945. Inactivated in October, but activated a few months later in Nebraska. Trained in Alaska for Arctic bombardment missions. In 1949, switched to a strategic reconnaissance mission. Non-operational from 10 Feb 1951 to Jun 1952, when it inactivated. Activated in 1991 to manage 28 Bombardment Wing operations, with squadrons devoted to bombing, aerial refueling, and airborne command post missions. In 1992, it gave up its aerial refueling and airborne command and control squadrons. In 1993, the group operated the first B-1s to fly around the world. Engaged in a series of training exercises during the 1990s, deploying elements globally. Deployed B-1 crews and aircraft to Southwest Asia for show of force and combat operations against Iraq in 1997 and 1998. After terrorist attacks against the United States in Sep 2001, deployed B-1s and crews to Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean, for bombing missions against targets in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Deployed aircrews and aircraft on a mission to attack military targets in Libya, Mar 2011.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Japan; Aleutian Islands.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Kuril Islands, 1 Apr 1944-13 Aug 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V” Device: 1 Jun 2001-31 May 2003. Meritorious Unit Awards: 1 Jun 2009-31 May 2011; 1 Jun 2011-31 May 2013; 1 Jun 2013-31 May 2015. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Sep 1991-1 Jul 1993; 1 Jun-30 Nov 1994; 1 Jun 1997-31 May 1999; 1 Jun 2003-31 May 2005; 1 Jun 2007-31 May 2009.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 11 Apr 2018.
Commanders through Jul 2009; Aircraft, and Operations through Jan 2012.
Supersedes statement prepared on 8 Oct 2015.
Emblem. Approved on 7 Feb 2019.
Prepared by Daniel L. Haulman.