31st Operations Group

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31st Operations Group
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[2]
Insignia
31st Operations Group emblem[note 2]
Patch with 31st Fighter Group emblem as first approved on 28 June 1941[1]
F-16C Block 40K (90-0772) and Block 40J (90-0775) of the 555th Fighter Squadron

The 31st Operations Group is the flying component of the

United States Air Forces in Europe. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base
, Italy.

The 31st Operations Group ensures the combat readiness of two

F-16CG Falcon
squadrons, one air control squadron, and one operational support squadron conducting and supporting worldwide air operations. The group prepares fighter pilots, controllers, and support personnel to execute U.S. and NATO war plans and contingency operations.

It trains, equips, plans, and provides weather, intelligence, standardization/evaluation, and command and control sustaining global flying operations.

Components

The 31st Operations Group was reactivated in late October 1991 at

Block 40 F-16C/D Fighting Falcons
and in October of that year the wing resumed its original title (one month short of 44 years since the unit had formed) of 31st Fighter Wing, with the 31 OG as its flying component.

On 24 August 1992 the effects of

86th Fighter Wing at Ramstein Air Base
, Germany, which were equipped with F-16CG/DG Block-40s were inactivated as the 86th Wing became an airlift organization. These squadrons transferred their equipment and personnel to the new squadrons at Aviano.

Both use the tail code "AV" for AViano. Each F-16 has a tail markings in the squadron colors – Green with the words "Triple Nickel" in white for the 555th FS and Purple with the words "Buzzards" in white for the 510th FS.

The Block 40s (as well as the Block 42 F-16's) are equipped with the Martin–Marietta Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infra-Red for Night (LANTIRN) system. This consists of two pods, a AAQ-13 navigation pod carried on the left-hand chin pylon and an AAQ-14 targeting pod on the right-hand chin pylon. To differentiate this version the USAF has applied the designation F-16CG/DG.

Non-flying squadrons of the 31st OG are:

  • 603rd Air Control Squadron "Scorpions"
  • 31st Operations Support Squadron

History

The group's origins begin just before World War II, when the 31st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 22 December 1939 and was activated on 1 February 1940 with the 39th, 40th and 41st Pursuit squadrons. The group fought in North Africa and Italy during the war, returning to Drew Field Florida in August 1945 where it was Inactivated.

A SAC Fighter-Escort group during the early years of the Cold War, the group was inactivated again in 1952. It was reactivated as the 31st Operations Group in 1991.

World War II

P-39Ds of the 31st PG at Selfridge Field in 1941
Spitfire V of the 309th Fighter Squadron

The 31st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) was constituted on 22 December 1939 and activated on 1 February 1940, at

Harold H. George, previously commander of the 94th Pursuit Squadron, also at Selfridge. The group trained and participated in Army maneuvers. The unit was redesignated the 31st Fighter Group on 15 May 1942 and was deployed to the European Theater. Most of the group moved to RAF Atcham England where it was assigned to Eighth Air Force
. The stationing of the group personnel and aircraft was very haphazard, being assigned to various RAF stations in Kent and the East Midlands throughout its tenure in England.

The group consisted of the following squadrons and fuselage codes:

The group arrived in the UK without its assigned aircraft as the

Supermarine Spitfire Vbs by the Royal Air Force
.

The 31st Fighter Group was the first group to commence operations with VIII Fighter Command.

It flew its first sorties with the RAF on 26 July, and its first squadron operation on 5 August. The 31st's first combat operation was on 19 August 1942, when it supported the

Dieppe
, France.

In August 1942, the 31st moved to

Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria on 8 November 1942 as part of Twelfth Air Force to take part in Operation Torch
, the invasion of North Africa.

Once in North Africa, the group attacked motor transports, gun positions, and troop concentrations during the campaign for Algeria and French Morocco. It supported ground troops in Tunisia and provided cover for bomber and

naval convoys in the Mediterranean and bombers on raids to Pantelleria. It supported landings on Sicily in July, at Salerno in September, and at Anzio in January 1944. The group provided close air support
of Allied ground forces in Italy and flew patrol and escort missions.

In April 1944, after being assigned to

Distinguished Unit Citation for a 21 April 1944 mission to cover a raid on production centers in Romania. It escorted reconnaissance and cargo aircraft participating in the airborne invasion of southern France. The unit strafed airdromes and communications targets. As part of a Fifteenth Air Force task force, it attacked targets in Romania while flying to Russia on 22 July 1944. After escorting Lockheed P-38 Lightning
aircraft from a Russian base for a raid on an airdrome in Poland on 25 July, it attacked a German fighter-bomber force and a truck convoy, earning a second Distinguished Unit Citation. In April 1945, when Allied forces pursued their final offensive in northern Italy, the group strafed enemy rail and highway traffic.

The 31st Fighter Group returned to Drew Field Florida in August 1945, where it was inactivated on 7 November.

Occupation duty

F-84C 47-1512 at Turner AFB, 1949
General Motors F-84F-25-GK Thunderstreaks of the 31st Fighter Escort Group, about 1952. Serial 51-9378 identifiable

The 31st Fighter Group was reactivated at

AAF Station Kitzingen
on 30 September where it continued to operate both P-51Ds and P-80Bs.

Strategic Air Command

After a year, the group's personnel and equipment were stood down, and the group was transferred without personnel or equipment, to Turner Field, Georgia on 20 November 1947. At Turner the 31st Fighter Group became the operational component of the newly established United States Air Force 31st Fighter Wing on 20 November under Tactical Air Command, and was equipped with surplus P-51D Mustangs. The group consisted of the 307th, 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons.

At Turner, the 31st FG trained to achieve tactical proficiency from 1947–1950. In the summer of 1948, the 31st Fighter Group became the second Tactical Air Command unit to receive the

Republic P-84C Thunderjet
. The designation was changed to F-84C on 11 June 1948.

Effective 20 June 1950, Turner was transferred to

Boeing B-29 and Boeing B-50 Superfortress
bomber fleet.

Along with the reassignment to SAC, the 31st was upgraded to the new F-84E model, which was designed for bomber escort duties. As the F-84E model was still a brand-new aircraft, the 31st FEW was charged with performing accelerated service test on them. For these evaluations, the group utilized the air-to-ground gunnery range at

Hunter Air Force Base
near Savannah.

Beginning in December 1950 through July 1951, all tactical and most support components deployed to

153d Fighter-Bomber Squadrons
.

Between 1 June 1951 and 15 June 1942, the 31st Fighter-Escort Group was reduced to a "paper" status when the operational squadrons were assigned directly to the 31st FEW. In June 1952 the group was inactivated when the Wing completed implementation of the dual deputate organization.

Reactivation

General Dynamics F-16A Block 15Q Fighting Falcon 83-1080 of the 308th FS

On 1 November 1991, the unit, which had been redesignated the 31st Operations Group, was activated as a result of the 31st Fighter Wing implementing the USAF Objective Wing organization. The 31st Group was assigned the flying components of the wing with a mission to train combat-ready fighter crews for deployment in any part of the world.

On 24 August 1992, much of Homestead Air Force Base's physical plant was destroyed or severely damaged by Hurricane Andrew. Just prior to the storm's landfall in Southeast Florida, the 31st dispersed its fighter squadrons to safe areas away from the storm's path. These locations were:

The effects of Hurricane Andrew caused the almost total destruction of Homestead Air Force Base. Although both President George H. W. Bush and President Clinton promised to rebuild Homestead, the BRAC designated the installation for realignment to the Air Force Reserve, with the 31st Operations Group's squadrons being permanently reassigned to their dispersal bases, Moody AFB and Shaw AFB on 1 October 1992. The remaining wing elements worked to clean up and salvage government property at Homestead.

The 31st Group was reassigned to Italy in April 1994 without personnel and equipment, replacing the 401st Operations Group, to control flying operations for the 31st Fighter Wing.

From May 1994 – December 2004, the group participated in the major

Operation Iraqi Freedom
.

Lineage

  • Established as the 31st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 22 December 1939
Activated on 1 February 1940
Redesignated 31st Fighter Group on 15 May 1942
Inactivated on 7 November 1945
  • Activated on 20 August 1946
Redesignated: 31st Fighter-Bomber Group on 20 January 1950
Redesignated: 31st Fighter-Escort Group on 16 July 1950
Inactivated on 16 June 1952
  • Redesignated: 31st Tactical Training Group on 31 July 1985 (remained inactive)
  • Redesignated: 31st Operations Group on 28 October 1991
Activated on 1 November 1991
Inactivated on 1 April 1994

Assignments

Components

  • 31st Operations Support Squadron: 1 April 1994 – present[4]
  • 39th Pursuit Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 15 January 1942
  • 40th Pursuit Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 15 January 1942
  • 41st Pursuit Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 15 January 1942
  • 56th Rescue Squadron: May 2018 – present
  • 57th Rescue Squadron: May 2018 – present
  • 307th Pursuit Squadron (later 307th Fighter Squadron 307th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 307th Fighter-Escort Squadron, 307th Fighter Squadron): 30 January 1942 – 7 November 1945; 20 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 27 July 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 November 1991 – 20 November 1992 (detached c. 11 September – 20 November 1992)
  • 308th Pursuit Squadron (later 308th Fighter Squadron 308th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 308th Fighter-Escort Squadron, 308th Fighter Squadron): 30 January 1942 – 7 November 1945; 20 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 27 July 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 November 1991 – 20 November 1992 (detached c. 11 September – 20 November 1992)
  • 309th Pursuit Squadron (later 309th Fighter Squadron 309th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 309th Fighter-Escort Squadron, 309th Fighter Squadron): 30 January 1942 – 7 November 1945; 20 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 27 July 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 November 1991 – 20 November 1992 (detached 28 August – 20 November 1992)
  • 510th Fighter Squadron: 1 April 1994 – present
  • 555th Fighter Squadron: 1 April 1994 – present[2]
  • 606th Air Control Squadron: 1 November 2016 – present[5]
  • 731st Expeditionary Attack Squadron: 2021 - present[6]

Stations

Air echelon operated from
Gozo Island (near Malta
), c. 28 June – 13 July 1943
  • Ponte Olivo Airfield, Sicily, c. 13 July 1943
  • Agrigento Airfield, Sicily, 21 July 1943
  • Termini Airfield, Sicily, 2 August 1943
  • Milazzo Airfield, Sicily, 2 September 1943
  • Montecorvino Airfield
    , Italy, 21 September 1943
  • Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, 14 October 1943
  • Castel Volturno Airfield, Italy, 19 January 1944
  • San Severo Airfield
    , Italy, 2 April 1944
  • Mondolfo Airfield, Italy, 3 March 1945
  • Triolo Airfield
    , Italy, 15 July–August 1945
  • Drew Field
    , Florida, c. 25 August – 7 November 1945
  • AAF Station Giebelstadt, Germany, 20 August 1946
  • AAF Station Kitzingen, Germany, 30 September 1946 – 25 June 1947
  • Langley Field
    , Virginia, 25 June 1947
  • Turner Field(later Turner Air Force Base), Georgia, 4 September 1947 – 16 June 1952
  • Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, 1 November 1991 – 1 April 1994
  • Aviano Air Base, Italy, 1 April 1994 – present[2]

Aircraft

  • Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1942
  • Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1942
  • Supermarine Spitfire, 1942–1943
  • North American P-51 (later F-51) Mustang, 1943–1945, 1947–1949
  • Lockheed P-80, 1946–1947; P-51
  • Republic F-84 Thunderjet, 1948–1952
  • General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1991–1992, 1994–present

References

Notes
  1. ^ Aircraft is General Dynamics F-16C Block 40A, serial 89-30.
  2. ^ The group uses the 31st Fighter Wing emblem with the group designation on the scroll. Bailey, Factsheet 31 Operations Group.
Citations
  1. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 83–85
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bailey, Carl E. (28 November 2007). "Factsheet 31 Operations Group (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  3. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 117–118
  4. ^ "606th Air Control Squadron". aviano.af.mil. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  5. ^ "606th Air Control Squadron". aviano.af.mil. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  6. ^ "31st Operations Group Change of Command". Aviano AB Aviation Friends Group. 9 July 2021.
  7. ^ a b Station number in Anderson

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links
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