506th Air Expeditionary Group
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The 506th Air Expeditionary Group (506 AEG) is a provisional
The 506 AEG secures the base, conducts safe flight operations and supports the nation builders in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and other US Air Forces Central and US Central Command contingency plans. As a provisional unit, the 506 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time.
The group's lineage begins in 1944 as the 301st Fighter Group which flew
Units
The 506 AEG is composed of:
- 506th Expeditionary Medical Services Squadron
- 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron
- 506th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron
- 506th Expeditionary Logistic Readiness Squadron
- 506th Expeditionary Communications Squadron[1]
- 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, inactivated 28 May 2010[2]
- 506th Expeditionary Services Squadron
- Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team, or PRT.
Approximately 1,000 active-duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard Airmen were assigned to the 506 AEG during any given Air and Space Expeditionary Force rotation. Additionally, approximately 5,000 Soldiers were assigned to Forward-Operating Base Warrior.
Among the base agencies the 506 AEG actively supported are:
- 52d Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron
- 521st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, advised Iraqi Air Forces' 1st and 3rd Sqdns, inactivated 10 January 2010[3]
- 521st Base Support Unit
- 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, Detachment 1
History
World War II
The 506th AEG traces its history back to the 506th Fighter Group, Single Engine, which was established on 5 October 1944 and activated on 21 October 1944, at
Flying almost all models P-51 Mustang which could be sent to Lakeland for training, the group's training regiment centered on learning cruise control techniques that would produce maximum range from the Mustangs. It also included practice scrambles, assembly and landing procedures, escort formations, aerial gunnery and bombing practice, and an occasional dogfight. A month after the 506th started flying, the USAAF produced document 50–100, which was the training directive for Very Long Range operations. The group had already met many of the requirements by then, two glaring exceptions being instrument flying and rocket firing. The final weeks of training were concentrated on mastering those tasks.
On 19 February 1945 the air echelon of the 506th FG aboard a train bound for California, where the aircraft carrier
The air echelon joined the ground echelon at Iwo Jima in May 1945. From Iwo Jima, the 506th's squadrons attacked airfields, antiaircraft emplacements, shipping, barracks, radio and radar stations, railway cars, and other targets in the Bonin Islands and Japan. The group also provided air defense of Iwo Jima and escorted B-29s bombers in raids against Japan.
In December 1945 the group moved to Camp Anza, California, and was inactivated 16 December 1945.
Cold War
The 506th was established as a
SAC was founded by men who had flown bomb raids against Germany during World War II. They usually encountered swarms of enemy fighters and knew the importance of having fighter escorts, so they had fighter wings placed under their own operational control. Although assigned to SAC, the group was associated with
The wing was deployed to
The wing remained at Dow for just over a year until being reassigned to
In 1956 SAC got out of the fighter business and the 506th was reassigned to Tactical Air Command on 1 July 1957. Under TAC, the wing was redesignated as the 506th Fighter-Day Wing and was re-equipped with new F-100D Super Sabres. From 1957 to 1958 the 506th participated in tactical exercises and rotated squadrons to Europe.
The wing was redesignated as the 506th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1958 as part of an Air Force-Wide redesignation of units. It was inactivated on 1 April 1959 due to budget constraints.
The 506th was reactivated and redesignated the 506th Tactical Fighter Group on 4 May 1972 and activated in the
Global War on Terrorism
The 506th was redesignated the 506th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status on 22 April 2003, and assigned to Kirkuk AB. The group has been supporting
The 506th Air Expeditionary Group was assigned to Kirkuk Regional Air Base on 23 April 2003, nearly one month after Operation Iraqi Freedom started. At that time, the group flew
By May 2006, the unit was attempting to discuss turnover of base fence guard and other associated duties to the
Lineage
- Constituted as 506th Fighter Group on 5 October 1944
- Activated on 21 October 1944
- Inactivated on 16 December 1945
- Established as 506th Strategic Fighter Wing on 20 November 1952
- Activated on 20 January 1953 by redesignation of 4004th Air Base Squadron
- Redesignated: 506th Fighter-Day Wing on 1 July 1957
- Redesignated: 506th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 1 January 1958
- Redesignated: 506th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1958
- Inactivated on 1 April 1959
- Redesignated as 506th Tactical Fighter Group on 4 May 1972
- Activated in the reserve on 8 July 1972
- Inactivated on 25 March 1973
- Redesignated 506th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status on 22 April 2003
Assignments
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Components
- 457th Fighter (later Strategic Fighter; Fighter-Day; Fighter-Bomber) Squadron, 21 October 1944 – 16 December 1945; 20 January 1953 – 1 April 1959 (detached 20 March–c. 19 August 1958)
- 458th Fighter (later Strategic Fighter; Fighter-Day; Fighter-Bomber) Squadron, 21 October 1944 – 16 December 1945; 20 January 1953 – 1 April 1959 (detached c. 13 August 1958–c. 18 February 1959)
- 462d Fighter (later Strategic Fighter; Fighter-Day; Fighter-Bomber) Squadron, 21 October 1944 – 16 December 1945; 20 January 1953 – 1 April 1959.
- 470th Fighter-Day (later Fighter-Bomber) Squadron, 25 September 1957 – 1 April 1959
- 506th Air Refueling Squadron: 25 September 1953 – 1 March 1955
Stations
- Lakeland Army Airfield, Florida, 21 October 1944 – 16 February 1945
- North Field, Iwo Jima, 24 April – 3 December 1945
- Camp Anza, California, 15–16 December 1945
- Dow AFB, Maine, 20 January 1953
- Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, 20 March 1955 – 1 April 1959
- Carswell AFB, Texas, 8 July 1972 – 25 March 1973
- Kirkuk Air Base (later Joint Base Balad), Iraq, since 22 April 2003
Aircraft
- P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945
- F-84 Thunderjet, 1953–1957
- KB-29 Superfortress(Tanker), 1954–1955
- F-100 Super Sabre, 1957–1958
- F-105 Thunderchief, 1972–1973
See also
- List of B-29 Superfortress operators
References
Citations
- ^ Bloem, Mindy (31 January 2010). "Comm squadron teaches Iraqi counterparts networking skills". 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
- ^ Moore, Martie (1 June 2010). "Air Force security transfers authority to Army". 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ^ US Air Advisory Squadron inactivates, Iraqi Air Force Squadron stands up[usurped], 13 January 2010
- ^ Air Force Security transfers responsibility to Army, 31 May 2010.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- 506th Air Expeditionary Group at globalsecurity.org
External links
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