308th Armament Systems Group
308th Armament Systems Group
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | |
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Insignia | |
308th Armament Systems Group emblem[note 1] | |
308th Bombardment Group emblem (World War II)[1] | ![]() |
The 308th Armament Systems Group is a unit of the
In October 1946, the group was redesignated the 308th Reconnaissance Group and assigned to
In May 2006, the group was consolidated with the Long Range Missile Systems Group At Eglin.
Mission
The unit's mission is to equip warfighters with long range, precision attack capabilities.
History
World War II
Constituted as 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942, and activated on 15 April. Assigned to
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/425th_Bombardment_Squadron_-_B-24_Liberator.jpg/220px-425th_Bombardment_Squadron_-_B-24_Liberator.jpg)
Deployed to
Once established in India, group aircraft made many trips over the
From its main base at Kunming and later
Received a
Major
The group moved to India in June 1945. Ferried gasoline and supplies over the Hump. After the Japanese Capitulation in August, the group remained in India in support United States forces in the CBI. Personnel sailed for the United States in December, leaving B-24s to the colonial Indian forces. The unit inactivated as a paper unit in January 1946.
Weather reconnaissance
"From October 1946 through January 1951, served with
Strategic Air Command
The group was once again designated as a bombardment group and activated on 10 October 1951 at
Missile development
In 2005, the Air Force relocated its Program Executive Offices at Air Force Materiel Command centers. The reorganization was known as the Air Force Materiel Command Transformation.[5] In conjunction with the new organization, the traditional center directorates were replaced by wings and groups. The Long Range Missile Systems Group was formed as one of the new groups at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in January 2005. In 2006 the 308th was consolidated with this group and the consolidated unit was shortly renamed the 308th Armament Systems Group.[3]
Lineage
- 308th Bombardment Group
- Established as the 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
- Activated 15 April 1942
- Redesignated 308th Bombardment Group, Heavy c. 1944
- Inactivated 6 January 1946
- Redesignated 308th Reconnaissance Group, Weather on 27 September 1946
- Activated 17 October 1946
- Inactivated 5 January 1951
- Redesignated 308th Bombardment Group, Medium on 4 October 1951
- Activated 10 October 1951
- Inactivated 16 June 1952
- Consolidated with the Long Range Missile Systems Group as the Long Range Missile Systems Group on 3 May 2006[3]
- 308th Armament Systems Group
- Established as the Long Range Missile Systems Group on 23 November 2004
- Activated 27 January 2005
- Consolidated with the 308th Bombardment Group on 3 May 2006
- Redesignated 308th Armament Systems Group on 15 May 2006[3]
Assignments
- Second Air Force, 15 April 1942
- Fourteenth Air Force, 10 March 1943
- United States Forces India-Burma Theater, August–December 1945
- Air Weather Service, 17 October 1946 – 5 January 1951
- 308th Bombardment Wing, 10 October 1951 – 16 January 1952
- Air to Ground Munitions Systems Wing (later 308th Armament Systems Wing), 27 January 2005 – present[3]
Components
- 36th Reconnaissance Squadron (later 425th Bombardment Squadron): 15 April 1942 – 6 January 1946
- 53d Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947
- 54th Reconnaissance Squadron: 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947
- 55th Reconnaissance Squadron: 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947
- 59th Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947
- 373d Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 21 July 1945; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 308th Bombardment Wing)[6]
- 374th Bombardment Squadron (later 374th Reconnaissance Squadron, 374th Bombardment Squadron): 15 April 1942 – 6 January 1946; 15 October 1947 – 19 December 1950; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 308th Bombardment Wing)[6]
- 375th Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 6 January 1946; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 308th Bombardment Wing)[6]
- 512th Reconnaissance Squadron: 15 October 1947 – 20 September 1948; 13 February-14 November 1949
- 513th Reconnaissance Squadron: 15 October 1947 – 20 September 1948; 10 August 1949 – 19 December 1950
- 2078th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 June 1948 – 20 March 1950[7]
Stations
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Aircraft
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
- Boeing WB-29 Superfortress, 1946–1951[3]
References
Notes
- Explanatory notes
- ^ The group uses the 308th Wing emblem with the group designation on the scroll. Robertson, Factsheet 308 Armament Systems Group. Maurer displays another emblem in its entry for the group, but this emblem was approved for the 308th Wing two months after the group was inactivated. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 182, 184.
- ^ Aircraft is Condsolidated B-24D-25-CO Liberator, serial 41-24251, "Chug-A-Lug".
- Citations
- ^ Watkins, pp. 84–85
- ^ "308 Armament Systems Group (AFMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Robertson, Patsy (27 December 2007). "Factsheet 308 Armament Systems Group (AFMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ Deaile, pp. 175–176
- ^ Mayer, Darryl (1 July 2010). "ASC inactivates aeronautical systems wings". 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ^ a b c Ravenstein, pp.156–158
- ^ Assignments in Robertson, Factsheet 308th Armament Systems Group, except as noted.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Deaile, Melvin G. (2007). The SAC Mentality: The Origins of Organizational Culture in Strategic Air Command 1946–1962. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Watkins, Robert A. (2017). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II. Vol. VI, China-Burma-India & The Western Pacific. Atglen,PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-5273-7.