Lineage. Authorized (established) as 2 Group (Observation), and organized, on 15 Aug 1919. Redesignated as: 5 Group (Observation) on 14 Mar 1921; 5 Group (Pursuit and Bombardment), c. 9 Jun 1922; 5 Group (Composite) on 11 Jul 1922; 5 Composite Group on unkn date; 5 Bombardment Group on 9 Mar 1938; 5 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 6 Dec 1939; 5 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 20 Nov 1940; 5 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 12 Sep 1944; 5 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 30 Apr 1946; 5 Reconnaissance Group, Very Long Range, Photographic on 11 Mar 1947; 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Group on 16 Jul 1949; 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Group, Heavy on 14 Nov 1950. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952. Redesignated as 5 Operations Group on 29 Aug 1991. Activated on 1 Sep 1991.
Assignments. Hawaiian Department, 15 Aug 1919; 18 Composite Wing (later, 18 Wing; 18 Bombardment Wing), 1 May 1931; VII Bomber Command, 29 Jan 1942; Thirteenth Air Force, 4 Jan 1943; XIII Bomber Command, 13 Jan 1943; Far East Air Forces (later, Pacific Air Command, U.S. Army), 15 Dec 1945; Thirteenth Air Force, 15 May 1946; 313 Bombardment Wing, 10 Jun 1946; Thirteenth Air Force, 5 Feb 1947; 313 Bombardment Wing, 15 Mar 1947 (attached to Thirteenth Air Force, 7 Aug-31 Dec 1947); Thirteenth Air Force, 1 Jan 1948; Far East Air Forces, 1 Dec 1948 (attached to 18 Fighter Wing, 1 Dec 1948-16 May 1949); Thirteenth Air Force, 16 May 1949; 311 Air Division, 26 May 1949; 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 16 Jul 1949-16 Jun 1952 (attached to 9 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 9 Nov 1949-10 Feb 1951). 5 Wing (later, 5 Bomb) Wing, 1 Sep 1991-.
Operational Components. Squadrons. 4 Aero (later, 4 Squadron; 4 Observation; 4 Reconnaissance; 394 Bombardment: 15 Dec 1919-31 Jan 1922 (detached 15 Dec 1919-23 Jan 1920); 11 Jan 1927-11 Oct 1938, attached 12 Oct 1938-24 Feb 1942, assigned 25 Feb 1942-29 Apr 1946. 6 Aero (later, 6 Squadron; 6 Pursuit): 15 Sep 1919-11 Jan 1927. 19 Pursuit: 15 Jan 1924-11 Jan 1927. 23 Squadron (later, 23 Bombardment; 23 Reconnaissance; 23 Strategic Reconnaissance; 23 Bombardment; 23 Bomb): 29 Mar 1922-7 May 1929, attached 8 May 1929-11 Oct 1938, assigned 12 Oct 1938-10 Mar 1947 (not operational, 1946-10 Mar 1947); assigned 20 Oct 1947-16 Jun 1952 (detached Aug 1948-16 Mar 1949 and 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952); 1 Sep 1991-. 26 Attack (later, 26 Bombardment): 1 Sep 1930-31 Jan 1940 (detached entire period). 31 Bombardment (later, 31 Strategic Reconnaissance; 31 Bombardment): 1 Feb 1938-10 Mar 1947; 1 Dec 1949-16 Jun 1952 (detached Dec 1949-16 Nov 1950 and 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952). 38 Reconnaissance: 20 Apr 1947-26 May 1949. 50 Observation (later, 50 Reconnaissance; 5 Reconnaissance): 1 Nov 1930-11 Oct 1938, attached 12 Oct 1938-31 Jan 1940; assigned 3 Feb-20 Oct 1947. 58 Bombardment: attached 1941-11 Jul 1942. 69 Bomb: 3 Sep 2009-. 72 Bombardment (later, 72 Strategic Reconnaissance; 72 Bombardment; 72 Bomb): 1 May 1923-7 May 1929, attached 8 May 1929-11 Oct 1938, assigned 12 Oct 1938-10 Mar 1947; assigned 28 Jun 1949-16 Jun 1952 (detached 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952); assigned 1 Dec 1994-1 Jul 1996. 338 Reconnaissance: 15 Mar 1947-26 May 1949. 906 Air Refueling: 1 Sep 1991-1 Jun 1992.
Stations. Luke Field, TH, 15 Aug 1919; Hickam Field, TH, 1 Jan 1939; Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 1 Dec 1942; Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 19 Aug 1943; Munda, New Georgia, 4 Feb 1944; Momote Afld, Los Negros, Admiralty Islands, 7 Apr 1944; Wakde, New Guinea, 17 Aug 1944; Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, 22 Sep 1944; Morotai, Halmahera, Molucca Islands, 16 Oct 1944; Samar, Philippine Islands, 5 Mar 1945; Clark Field, Luzon, Philippine Islands, Dec 1945-6 May 1949; Mountain Home AFB, ID, 26 May 1949; Fairfield-Suisun (later, Travis) AFB, CA, 9 Nov 1949-16 Jun 1952. Minot AFB, ND, 1 Sep 1991-.
Commanders. Capt George C. Furrow, 19 Aug 1919; Maj Hugh H. Knerr, 19 Sep 1919; Maj Sheldon H. Wheeler, 4 Nov 1919; Capt Harry H. Young, 13 Jul 1921; Maj John B. Brooks, 25 Jul 1921; Capt Robert Oldys, 31 Aug 1921; Maj George E. Stratemeyer, 12 Apr 1922; Maj George H. Peabody, 17 Jul 1922; Maj George E. Stratemeyer, 1 Nov 1922; Capt Robert Oldys (later, Olds), 16 Jan 1923; Capt Karl H. Gorman, 13 Apr 1923; Maj George E. Lovell Jr., 11 Aug 1923; Maj Arnold N. Krogstad, 7 Apr 1924; Maj George E. Lovell Jr., 9 Jan 1926; Maj Henry J. F. Miller, 26 May 1926; Maj Percy E. Van Nostrand, 26 Aug 1926; Capt Raymond E. O’Neill, 24 May 1929; Maj Maxwell Kirby, 21 Aug 1929; Capt James F. Powell, 17 Jun 1932; Maj Vincent B. Dixon, 23 Sep 1932; Capt Wolcott P. Hayes, 26 Oct 1934; Maj Asa N. Duncan, 12 Jan 1935; Lt Col Millard F. Harmon, Oct 1936; Col Shepler W. Fitzgerald, Sep 1938; Lt Col Edwin B. Bobzien, c. Aug 1941; Col Arthur W. Meehan, 1942; Col Brooke E. Allen, 1 Nov 1942; Col Marion D. Unruh, 10 Aug 1943; Lt Col Joseph E. Reddoch Jr., 31 Dec 1943; Col Thomas C. Musgrave Jr., 4 Apr 1944; Col Joseph E. Reddoch Jr., 21 Apr 1944; Col Thomas C. Musgrave Jr., 15 Aug 1944; Maj Albert W. James, 28 Feb 1945; Col Isaac J. Haviland, 15 Mar 1945; Lt Col Albert W. James, 5 Jul 1945-unkn; none (not manned), 1946-1947; Col Herbert K. Baisley, 16 Jan 1947-unkn; Col William E. Basye, 1949; Col Walter E. Arnold, 27 Feb 1950-9 Feb 1951 (permanent), 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952 (additional duty). Unkn, 1 Sep-30 Oct 1991; Col Thomas B. Goslin, 31 Oct 1991; Lt Col Roy R. Heddleston, 19 Jun 1992; Col Robert J. Elder Jr., 23 Jul 1993; Col Curtis M. Bedke, 5 Dec 1994; Col John G. Miller, 22 Jul 1996; Col Floyd L. Carpenter, 14 Jul 1998; Col Johnnie R. Madison, 17 Jul 2000; Col Daniel J. Charchian, 12 Aug 2002; Col Eric N. Single, 9 Mar 2004; Col Tom Gilbert, 9 Sep 2005; Col Parker W. Northrup, 10 Jul 2007; Col Charles W. Patnaude, 20 May 2009; Col Troy A. Vanbemmelen, 19 Nov 2010; Col Todd M. Copeland, 2 Jul 2012; Col Kiernan T. Denehan, 6 Jun 2014; Col Douglas W. Warnock Jr., 5 Jul 2016-.
Aircraft. DH-4, 1919-1929; HS-2L (flying boat), 1919-1926; N-9, 1919-1920; R-6, 1919-1920; Fokker D-VII, 1920-1926; JN-6, 1920-1929; MB-3, 1920 1926; NBS-1, 1922-1929; LB-5, 1923-1929; SE-5, 1924-1926; PW-9, 1927; B-4, 1929-1937; B-5, 1929-1937; LB-6, 1929-1937; OA-1, 1929-1937; O-19, 1929-1937; P-12, c. 1930-1937; B-12, c. 1934-1939; A-3, 1936-1938; B-18, 1938-1942; B-17, 1941-1943; B-24, 1943-1945; LB-30, 1942; C-46, 1947-1948, B/FB-17, 1947-1949; F-2, 1947-1949; F-9, 1947; F-13, 1947-1948; RB-29, 1948-1951; RB-36, 1951. B-52, 1991-; KC-135, 1991-1992; T-38, 1994-1995.
Operations. Took part in training exercises and maneuvers and staged aerial reviews in Hawaii, 1919-1941. In 1938, the group bombed Mauna Loa, a Hawaiian volcano, in order to divert a lava stream from the city of Hilo. Sowed seeds from the air for the Territorial Forestry Division in 1937-1938. On 7 Dec 1941, the group suffered the loss of B-17 and B-18 bombers when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, but it sent two B-17s to search vainly for the Japanese task force. Patrolled the Hawaiian Islands until November 1942, taking part in the Battle of Midway (3-6 Jun 1942). The group’s 72 Squadron moved to Espiritu Santo in Sep to join the 11 Bombardment Group as part of a Mobile Force, Pacific. By Jan 1943, all of the 5th group’s squadrons operated with the 11th group’s squadrons from Espiritu Santo or Guadalcanal. Served in combat with the Thirteenth Air Force during the Allied drive from the Solomon Islands to the Philippines. Crews flew long patrol and photographic missions over the Solomon Islands and the Coral Sea, attacked Japanese shipping off Guadalcanal, and raided enemy airfields in the northern Solomons until Aug 1943. Struck enemy installations on the islands of Bougainville, New Britain, and New Ireland. Earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for raiding the heavily defended Japanese base on Woleai in April and May 1944. The following summer the group attacked enemy bases on Yap, Truk, and the Palau Islands to prepare for the U.S. invasion of Peleliu and Leyte. Earned a second DUC for a mission through heavy flak and fighter defenses to bomb petroleum installations at Balikpapan, Borneo on 30 Sep 1944. Between October 1944 and the summer of 1945, the group raided enemy installations on Luzon, Ceram, Halmahera, and Formosa, supported ground forces in the Philippines and Borneo, and patrolled the Chinese coast. Unmanned between early 1946 and early 1947. Using aerial photography, the group mapped parts of the Philippines, Formosa, and the Pescadores, 1947-1949. In May 1949, the group moved from the Philippines to Idaho and later that year to California to perform strategic reconnaissance missions. Not operational from 10 Feb 1951 until 16 Jun 1952, when it was inactivated. After activation in North Dakota in 1991, the group trained for bombing missions and maintained bomber aircraft capable of delivering both nuclear and conventional weapons to strike targets worldwide. Briefly between 1991 and 1992, also administered an air refueling squadron. In the late 1990s, the group deployed aircrews and bombers to Southwest Asia and Europe for operations against Iraq and Serbia. After 11 Sep 2001, supported the war on terrorism.
Service Streamers. Global War on Terrorism (GWOT-S).
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Central Pacific; Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Eastern Mandates; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Woleai Island, 18 Apr-15 May 1944; Borneo, 30 Sep 1944. Presidential Unit Citation (Navy): South Pacific, [1–9 Dec] 1942. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V” Device: 1 Jun 1999-31 May 2001. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1991–30 Jun 1993; 1 Jun 1994-31 May 1996; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2004; 1 Jun 2004-31 May 2006; 1 Jan 2011-31 Dec 2012; 1 Jan 2013-31 Dec 2013. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WW II).
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 7 May 2018.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 7 May 2018.
Supersedes statement prepared on Sep 2013.
Emblem. Approved on 5 Feb 2019.
Prepared by Carl E. Bailey.