Lineage. Established as First Army Observation Group, and organized, on 6 Sep 1918. Demobilized in Apr 1919. Reestablished, consolidated (13 Jan 1994) with the organization established as 1 Army Observation Group, and organized, on 1 Oct 1919. Redesignated 7 Group (Observation) on 26 Mar 1921. Inactivated on 30 Aug 1921. Redesignated: 7 Observation Group on 25 Jan 1923; 7 Bombardment Group on 24 Mar 1923. Activated on 1 Jun 1928. Redesignated: 7 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 Dec 1939; 7 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 15 Oct 1944. Inactivated on 6 Jan 1946. Redesignated 7 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, and activated, on 1 Oct 1946. Redesignated 7 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 20 Jul 1948. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952. Redesignated 7 Operations Group on 29 Aug 1991. Activated on 1 Sep 1991. Inactivated on 1 Jan 1993. Activated on 1 Oct 1993.
Assignments. Air Service, First Army, 6 Sep 1918-Apr 1919. 2 Wing, 1 Oct 1919-30 Aug 1921. IX Corps Area, 1 Jun 1928; 1 Bombardment Wing, c. 30 Oct 1931; IX Corps Area, c. 1 Oct 1933; 1 Wing, 1 Mar 1935; 20 Bombardment Wing, 18 Dec 1940; II Bomber Command, 5 Sep 1941; Far East (later, Fifth) Air Force, c. 22 Dec 1941; Tenth Air Force, Mar 1942; Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, 12 Jun-c. 7 Dec 1945 (attached to India China Division, Air Transport Command, 15 Jun-18 Sep 1945); New York Port of Embarkation, 5-6 Jan 1946. Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Oct 1946; Eighth Air Force, 1 Nov 1946; 7 Bombardment Wing, 17 Nov 1947-16 Jun 1952. 7 (later, 7 Bomb) Wing, 1 Sep 1991-1 Jan 1993. 7 (later, 7 Bomb) Wing, 1 Oct 1993-.
Operational Components. Squadrons: 1 Aero (later, 1 Squadron): 1 Oct 1919-30 Aug 1921 (detached 6 May-30 Aug 1921). 7 Air Refueling: 1 Sep 1991-1 Jun 1992. 9 Aero (later, 9 Bombardment; 9 Bomb): Sep-Nov 1918; 1 Apr 1931-6 Jan 1946 (detached 28 Jun-c. 4 Oct 1942); 1 Oct 1946-16 Jun 1952 (detached 16 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952); 1 Sep 1991-15 Aug 1992; 1 Oct 1993-. 11 Bombardment: 1 Jun 1928-15 Sep 1942 (detached 26 Apr-2 May 1942). 12 Aero (later, 12 Squadron): 1 Oct 1919-24 Mar 1920 (detached 13 Oct 1919-24 Mar 1920). 13 Bomb: 14 Jun 2000-9 Sep 2005. 14 Bombardment: 2 Dec 1941-6 Jan 1946 (detached 2 Dec 1941-May 1942; not manned May 1942-6 Jan 1946). 20 Bomb: 1 Sep 1991-18 Dec 1992. 22 Bombardment: 20 Oct 1939-15 Sep 1942 (detached 26 Apr-28 May 1942). 24 Aero: 6 Sep 1918-Apr 1919. 28 Bomb: 1 Oct 1994-. 31 Bombardment: attached 1 Apr –29 Jun 1931, assigned 30 Jun 1931-1 Feb 1938. 32 Bombardment: apparently attached c. 8-16 Dec 1941. 39 Airlift: 1 Oct 1993-1 Apr 1997. 40 Airlift: 1 Oct 1993-1 Apr 1997. 50 Aero: attached c. Oct 1919-23 Mar 1920, assigned 24 Mar 1920-10 Feb 1921. 88 Aero (later, 88 Reconnaissance; 436 Bombardment): attached c. Oct 1919-23 Mar 1920, assigned 24 Mar 1920-10 Feb 1921; attached 28 Sep 1935-24 Feb 1942 (air echelon detached 10 Dec 1941-14 Mar 1942), assigned 25 Feb 1942-6 Jan 1946; assigned 1 Oct 1946-16 Jun 1952 (detached 16 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952). 91 Aero: 6 Sep-Nov 1918. 95 Pursuit: attached 1 Jun 1928-29 Oct 1931. 186 Aero: Unkn [apparently, 1918-1919]. 337 Bomb: 1 Oct 1993-1 Oct 1994. 492 Bombardment: 25 Oct 1942-6 Jan 1946; 1 Oct 1946-16 Jun 1952 (detached 16 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952). 493 Bombardment: 25 Oct 1942-6 Jan 1946.
Stations. Gondreville, France, 6 Sep 1918; Vavincourt, France, 22 Sep 1918-Apr 1919. Park Field, TN, 1 Oct 1919; Langley Field, VA, 28 Oct 1919-30 Aug 1921. Rockwell Field, CA, 1 Jun 1928; March Field, CA, 30 Oct 1931; Hamilton Field, CA, 5 Dec 1934; Merced Field, CA, 5 Nov 1935; Hamilton Field, CA, 22 May 1937; Ft Douglas, UT, 7 Sep 1940-13 Nov 1941; Brisbane, Australia, 22 Dec 1941-4 Dec 1942 (air echelon operated from Java, c. 14 Jan-1 Mar 1942); Karachi, India, 12 Mar 1942; Dum-Dum, India, 30 May 1942; Karachi, India, 9 Sep 1942; Pandaveswar, India, 12 Dec 1942; Kurmitola, India, 17 Jan 1944; Pandaveswar, India, 6 Oct 1944; Tezpur, India, 7 Jun 1945; Kudhkundi, India, 31 Oct-7 Dec 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 5-6 Jan 1946. Fort Worth AAFld (later, Carswell AFB), TX, 1 Oct 1946-16 Jun 1952. Carswell AFB, TX, 1 Sep 1991-1 Jan 1993. Dyess AFB, TX, 1 Oct 1993-.
Commanders. Lt Col John N. Reynolds, 6 Sep 1918-unkn. Unkn, 1919-1921. Capt Frank H. Pritchard, Jun 1928; Maj Carl A. Spaatz, 1 May 1929-29 Oct 1931; Maj Joseph T. McNarney, by 4 Dec 1931-Dec 1934; Col Clarence L. Tinker, by 15 Apr 1935; Lt Col Davenport Johnson, Jan 1937-c. Mar 1938; Lt Col George E. Stratemeyer, unkn-Aug 1938; Lt Col Ralph Royce, Oct 1938-c. May 1941; Maj Stanley K. Robinson, 1941; Maj Austin A. Straubel, 29 Jan 1942; 1Lt James E. Tull, 7 Feb 1942 (acting); Col Cecil E. Combs, 22 Mar 1942; Col Conrad F. Necrason, 1 Jul 1942; Lt Col William A. Delahay, Feb 1944; Col Aubrey K. Dodson, 27 Mar 1944; Col Harvey T. Alness, 6 Nov 1944; Col Howard F. Bronson Jr., 24 Jun 1945-unkn. Col John G. Erickson, 1 Oct 1946; Col Hewitt T. Wheeless, 16 Dec 1946; Col Alan D. Clark, 27 Jun 1947 (additional duty after 17 Nov 1947); Col Charles D. Farr, 7 Feb 1949; Col John A. Roberts, 17 Aug 1949; Col Richard T. Black, 24 Oct 1950; none (not manned, 16 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952. Col Charles R. Hardesty, 1 Sep 1991; Col Joseph F. Czarkowski, 7 Apr 1992-1 Jan 1993. Col Thomas A. O’Riordan, 1 Oct 1993; Col Andrew M. Gessner, 14 Feb 1994; Col Anthony M. Beat, 18 May 1995; Col Anthony F. Przybyslawski, 23 Aug 1996; Col Douglas L. Raaberg, 19 May 1998; Col Christopher Miller, 3 Apr 2000; Col Michael R. Moeller, 17 Aug 2001; Col Jeffrey K. Beene, 22 Jul 2003; Col Scott A. Vander Hamm, 8 Jul 2005-.
Aircraft. Breguet 14, DH-4, Salmson 2 in addition to Spad XIII and Sopwith FE-2, 1918-1919. Unkn, 1919-1921. OA-2, 1928-unkn; LB-7, 1929-unkn; B-3, B-4, O-19, O-38, 1931-1934; B-12, 1934-1936; B-10, 1936-1937; B-18, 1937-1940; B-17, 1939-1942; B-25, LB-30, 1942; B-24, 1942-1945. B-29, 1946-1948; B-36, 1948-1951. B-52, 1991-1993; KC-135, 1991-1993. B-1, 1993-; C-130, 1993-1997.
Operations. The First Army Observation Group, made up of the 24th and 91st Aero [Observation] and the 9th Aero [night observation] Squadrons, performed photographic reconnaissance and day and night visual reconnaissance of the battle field area, especially in the enemy’s rear areas opposite the area of attack, Sep-Nov 1918. Demobilized in France in Apr 1919. Consolidated (1994) with the organization established as the 1st Army Observation Group on 1 Oct 1919 at Park Field, TN. Inactivated less than two years later, on 30 Aug 1921. Activated again as the 7 Bombardment Group on 1 Jun 1928. For the next eleven years, engaged in training activities, flights of mercy, experimentation with air refueling and air transport of supplies, and participation in various exercises and air shows. Group was in the process of moving to the Philippines when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941. Six of the Group’s B-17 aircraft reached Hawaii during the enemy attack but landed safely. The ground echelon, on board a ship in the Pacific Ocean, was diverted to Australia. The air echelon moved its B-17s via North Africa and India to Java, where from 14 Jan to 1 Mar 1942, it operated against the Japanese advancing through the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies. Received the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for its action against enemy aircraft, ground installations, warships and transports. Reunited with the ground echelon in India in Mar 1942, the group resumed combat under Tenth Air Force against targets in Burma. It received B-25s and LB-30s in early 1942 but by the end of the year had converted entirely to B-24s. From then through Sep 1945, bombed airfields, fuel and supply dumps, locomotive works, railways, bridges, docks, warehouses, shipping, and troop concentrations in Burma and struck oil refineries in Thailand, power plants in China and enemy shipping in the Andaman Sea. Ceased bombing operations in late May 1945 and was attached to the Air Transport Command to haul gasoline from India over the Himalayas to China. Received second DUC for damaging enemy’s line of supply in southeast Asia with an attack against rail lines and bridges in Thailand on 19 Mar 1945. Returned to US in Dec 1945 and inactivated the following month. Activated on 1 Oct 1946 as a B-29 bombardment group. Received its first B-36 aircraft in late 1948 and by mid-1949 completed conversion. Began flying B-36Ds equipped with jet pods in Aug 1950 but on 16 Feb 1951 became a paper organization. With all assigned flying squadrons reassigned directly to the 7 Bombardment Wing, the group inactivated on 16 Jun 1952. As part of a major Air Force-wide reorganization, the Group was redesignated 7 Operations Group and again became the combat element of the 7 Wing. It controlled two B-52 squadrons and one KC-135 air refueling squadron. When flying operations ended at Carswell AFB, TX in Dec 1992, the group inactivated the following month. Upon activation of the 7 Wing at Dyess AFB, TX on 1 Oct 1993, the group again activated as the combat element of the wing. Equipped with B-1B and C-130 aircraft, the group’s mission included bombardment and tactical airlift. It lost its airlift responsibilities in Apr 1997. At that time it also gained a conventional bombing mission. In Nov 1998, deployed several aircraft to Oman in support of Operation Desert Fox, where the B-1 flew its first combat missions on 17 and 18 Dec 1998. Since 1999, trained bomber aircrews for global conventional bombing.
Service Streamers. None
Campaign Streamers. World War I: St Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Lorraine. World War II: Burma; East Indies; India-Burma; China Defensive; Central Burma; China Offensive.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Netherlands East Indies: 14 Jan-1 Mar 1942; Thailand: 19 Mar 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jun 1996-31 May 1998; 1 Jun 1998-31 May 2000; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2004; 1 Jun 2005-31 May 2007.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 8 Oct 2015.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 1 Dec 2006.
Supersedes statement prepared in Nov 2013.
Emblem. Approved on 13 Aug 2019.
Prepared by Daniel Haulman.