8 Operations Group (PACAF)

Lineage.   Authorized on the inactive list as the 8 Pursuit Group on 24 Mar 1923.  Redesignated as 8 Pursuit Group, Air Corps, on 8 Aug 1926.  Activated on 1 Apr 1931.  Redesignated as:  8 Pursuit Group on 1 Sep 1936; 8 Pursuit Group (Fighter) on 6 Dec 1939; 8 Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 12 Mar 1941; 8 Fighter Group on 15 May 1942; 8 Fighter Group, Single Engine, 20 Aug 1943; 8 Fighter-Bomber Group on 20 Jan 1950.  Inactivated on 1 Oct 1957.  Redesignated as:  8 Tactical Fighter Group on 31 Jul 1985; 8 Operations Group on 1 Feb 1992.  Activated on 3 Feb 1992.

Assignments.  2 Bombardment (later, 2; 2 Bombardment) Wing, 1 Apr 1931; 7 Pursuit Wing, 18 Dec 1940; I Interceptor Command, 31 Aug 1941; US Army Forces in Australia, c. 6 Mar 1942; AAF Southwest Pacific Area, Apr 1942; Fifth Air Force, Sep 1942; V Fighter Command, Nov 1942; 315 Composite Wing, c. 31 May 1946; 8 Fighter (later, 8 Fighter-Bomber) Wing, 18 Aug 1948-1 Oct 1957 (attached to 6131 Fighter [later, 6131 Tactical Support] Wing, 14 Aug-1 Dec 1950).   8 Fighter Wing, 3 Feb 1992-.

 

Operational Components.  Squadrons:  33 Pursuit: 25 Jun 1932-Aug 1941.  35 Pursuit (later, 35 Fighter, 35 Fighter-Bomber, 35 Fighter): 25 Jun 1932-1 Oct 1957; 3 Feb 1992-.  36 Pursuit (later, 36 Fighter, 36 Fighter-Bomber):  1 Apr-30 Jun 1931; 15 Jun 1932-1 Oct 1957.  55 Pursuit:  1 Apr 1931-15 Jun 1932.  68 Fighter (later, 68 Fighter-All Weather): 15 Dec 1945-19 Feb 1947.  80 Pursuit (later, 80 Fighter, 80 Fighter-Bomber; 80 Tactical Fighter; 80 Fighter): 10 Jan 1942-26 Dec 1945; 20 Feb 1947-30 Sep 1957, (detached 24 Aug-25 Sep 1950; 25 Sep-27 Oct 1950; 29 Oct 1954-10 Feb 1955; 10 Feb 1955-18 Oct 1956); 3 Feb 1992-.

 

Stations.  Langley Field, VA, 1 Apr 1931; Mitchel Field, NY, c. 5 Nov 1940-26 Jan 1942; Brisbane, Australia, 6 Mar 1942; Townsville, Australia, 29 Jul 1942; Milne Bay, New Guinea, 18 Sep 1942; Mareeba, Australia, Feb 1943; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 16 May 1943; Finschhafen, New Guinea, 23 Dec 1943; Cape Gloucester, New Britain, c. 20 Feb  1944; Nadzab, New Guinea, 14 Mar 1944; Owi, Schouten Islands, 17 Jun 1944; Morotai, 19 Sep 1944; San Jose, Mindoro, 20 Dec 1944; Ie Shima, 6 Aug 1945; Fukuoka, Japan, 22 Nov 1945; Ashiya, Japan, 20 May 1946; Itazuke, Japan, Sep 1946; Ashiya, Japan, 13 Apr 1947; Itazuke, Japan, 25 Mar 1949; Tsuiki, Japan, 11 Aug 1950; Suwon, South Korea, 7 Oct 1950; Kimpo, South Korea, 28 Oct 1950; Pyongyang, North Korea, 25 Nov 1950; Seoul, South Korea, 3 Dec 1950; Itazuke, Japan, 10 Dec 1950; Kimpo, South Korea, 25 Jun 1951; Suwon, South Korea, 24 Aug 1951; Itazuke, Japan, 20 Oct 1954-1 Oct 1957.  Kunsan AB, South Korea, 3 Feb 1992-.

 

Commanders.  None (not manned) 1 Apr 1931-24 Jun 1932; Maj Byron Q. Jones, 25 Jun 1932; Capt Albert M. Guidera, 31 Mar 1934; Lt Col Adlai H. Guilkeson, 1 Jul 1935; Lt Col William E. Kepner, 7 Jul 1938; Lt Col Edward M. Morris, 1 Feb 1940; Lt Col Frederic H. Smith Jr., 17 Jan 1941; Lt Col William H. Wise, 22 May 1942; Lt Col Leonard B. Storm, 8 Mar 1943; Lt Col Emmett S. Davis, 18 Jan 1944; Lt Col Philip H. Greasley, 28 Jun 1944; Col Earl H. Dunham, 8 Aug 1944; Lt Col Emmett S. Davis, 16 Jun 1945; Lt Col Robert L. Harriger, Dec 1945; Lt Col Fergus C. Fay, 24 May 1946; Lt Col Luther H. Richmond, Jul 1946; Col Stanley R. Stewart, Feb 1947; Col Henry G. Thorne Jr., 12 Apr 1947; Col Charles T. Olmstead, c. 28 May 1948; Lt Col Richard C. Banbury, 18 Aug 1948; Lt Col Woodrow W. Ramsey, 18 Mar 1949; Lt Col Charles D. Chitty Jr., 21 May 1949; Col William T. Samways, 1 May 1950; Col Edward O. McComas, 19 May 1951; Col Harvey L. Case Jr., 31 Jul 1951; Col Levi R. Chase, 22 Jan 1952; Col Walter G. Benz Jr., 12 Sep 1952; Col John L. Locke, 16 Sep 1953; Lt Col Walter A. Rosenfield, 13 May 1954; Col Woodrow B. Wilmot, 16 Jul 1954; Lt Col Charles A. Appel, Sep 1956; Col William F. Barns, Oct 1956; none (not manned), 1 Feb-1 Oct 1957.   Lt Col Kerry B. May, 3 Feb 1992; Col Jack Clark II, 3 Aug 1992; Col Ronald S. Willke, 21 Jul 1993; Col Ronald E. Fly, Jul 1994; Col Charles E. Byrd Jr., 21 Jul 1995; Col Stephen G. Wood, 12 Jul 1996; Col Dana T. Atkins, 20 Jun 1997; Col Gregory W. Lewis, 26 Jun 1998; Col Stephen P. Mueller, 2 Aug 1999; Col Timothy J. Collins, 14 Jul 2000; Col Philip M. Ruhlman, 13 Jul 2001; Col Scott D. West, 30 Jul 2002; Lt Col Steven E. Armstrong, 18 Dec 2002; Col Kurt F. Neubauer, 4 Jun 2003; Col Paul C. Strickland, 21 May 2004; Col Eric H. Best, 3 Jun 2005; Col Jon A. Norman, 18 May 2006; Col Kenneth Rizer, 18 May 2007; Col Peter E. Gersten, 21 May 2008; Col Barre R. Sequin, 13 May 2009; Col Stephen D. Pedrotty, 8 Jul 2010; Col Craig S. Leavitt, 1 Jul 2011; Col James G. Sturgeon, 29 Jun 2012; Col Peter M. Bilodeau, 28 Jun 2013-. 

 

Aircraft.   Prior to 1940:  P-6, P-12, PB-2A, and P-36.   P-40, 1940-1941; 1943-1944; P-39, 1941-1943; P-38, 1943-1946; P-47, 1943-1944; P-51, 1946-1950;  P-80, 1949-1950; 1950-1953; F-86, 1953-1957; F-100. 1957.   F-16, 1992-.

 

Operations.  Prior to 1941, the Group trained, took part in maneuvers and reviews, and tested planes and equipment.  In Dec 1941, it became part of the defense force for the New York metropolitan area.  Established a headquarters in Australia in Mar 1942 and sent detachments to New Guinea for operations.  In Sep 1942 the group moved to New Guinea and served in combat in Feb 1943.  Resumed operations in Apr 1943; served in the theater through the rest of the war, provided cover for Allied landings, escorted bombers, and attacked enemy airfields.  It supported operations of the Marines at Cape Gloucester, Feb-Mar 1944; flew long-range escort and attack missions to Borneo, Ceram, Halmahera, and the southern Philippines; provided cover for convoys; and attacked enemy shipping.  The organization won a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for strafing a Japanese naval force off Mindoro (26 Dec 1944); covered landings at Lingayen; supported ground forces on Luzon; escorted bombers to targets on the Asian mainland and on Formosa; and, in the last days of the war, attacked enemy airfields and railways in Japan.  After V-J Day, the group remained as part of the occupation force.  It began operations in the Korean War on 26 Jun 1950 by providing cover for the evacuation of US personnel from Seoul, entering into combat the next day.  Served in combat until the end of the war, attacking airfields, supply lines, and troop concentrations.  Following the war, it performed air defense in Japan and maintained a quick reaction strike force. The group was not operational from 1 Feb 1957 until its inactivation in Oct 1957.   Activated again in 1992, and assumed responsibility for flight operations of the 8 Fighter Wing.

 

Service Streamers.  None.

 

Campaign Streamers.  World War II:  East Indies; Papua; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; ; New Guinea; Leyte; Luzon with Arrowhead; Southern Philippines; China Defensive; China Offensive; Air Offensive, Japan;.   Korea:  UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer-Fall 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953.

 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers.  None.

 

Decorations.   Distinguished Unit Citations:  Papua, [Sep] 1942-23 Jan 1943; Philippine Islands, 26 Dec 1944; Korea, 16 Sep-2 Nov 1950.  Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards:  1 Aug 1995-31 Jul 1997; 1 Oct 2003-30 Sep 2005; 1 Oct 2005-30 Sep 2007; 1 Nov 2009-31 Oct 2011.  Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.   Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations; 27 Jun 1950-31 Jan 1951; 1 Feb 1951-31 Mar 1953.

 

Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through Dec 2013.

 

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Jun 2013.

 

Supersedes statement prepared on 14 Mar 2007.

 

Emblem.  Approved on 1 Dec 2020.

 

Prepared by Patsy Robertson.

 

Reviewed by Carl E. Bailey.