var container = document.getElementById(slotId); (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. In 2005, the Group was redesignated as the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group as part of the transition of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing to the US Air Force's new combat-wing organization structure. Decorations. The 332 Fighter Wing trained with P-47 Thunderbolts (later designated F-47s), ferried aircraft, and took part in Tactical Air Command exercises. Service Streamers. On 9 June 1944, Colonel Davis led 39 Thunderbolts escorting B-24s to targets at Munich, Germany. The group was first activated as the 32nd Air Base Group in 1940. Lauren M. Snyder), U.S. Air Force Brig. When Craigwell first enlisted, he was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group. [1], The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 24 March 1945 when the group escorted B-17s during a raid on the Daimler-Benz tank factory at Berlin, fought the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet interceptors that attacked the formation, and strafed transportation facilities while flying back to the base in Italy. [5] In return, the 463rd Bomb Group, one of the many B-17 groups the 332d were escorting, lost two bombers,[5] and the 332d lost three P-51s during the mission. Although the 477th Bombardment Group trained with North American B-25 Mitchell bombers, they never served in combat. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'stat_source_id', 44); The bombers struck objectives such as oil refineries, factories, airfields, and marshaling yards in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece. 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group - GlobalSecurity.org Charles Jackson Jr. poses for a photo outside the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group building at an undisclosed location somewhere in Southwest Asia Aug. 16, 2021. On March 6, 1942, this class graduated with Davis and five of the original twelve cadets, 2Lt. [5] In return, the 463rd Bomb Group, one of the many B-17 groups the 332d were escorting, lost two bombers,[5] and the 332d lost three P-51s during the mission. Have a belief in yourself and know that if youre committed to a particular goal, it's gonna happen, but you have to stay committed, because the obstacles are going to come.. In the meantime, he is eager to serve the men and women of the 332nd EOG. The 332d Expeditionary Operations Group is a provisional air expeditionary group of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command, currently active. The bombers struck objectives such as oil refineries, factories, airfields, and marshaling yards in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece. 332nd Fighter Group established, 4 Jul 1942 Activated, 13 Oct 1942 Inactivated, 19 Oct 1945 Activated, 1 Jul 1947 Inactivated, 1 Jul 1949 Redesignated 332nd Air Expeditionary Group, and converted to provisional status, 19 Nov 1998 Activated, 1 Dec 1998 Redesignated 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group, 12 Aug 2002 STATIONS During the height of operations, the 332d AEW contained nine groupsincluding four geographically separated groups at Ali AB, Sather AB, Al Asad AB, and Kirkuk ABas well as numerous detachments and operating locations scattered throughout Iraq. When Chief Master Sgt. Beginning in 2001, after Al Qaeda's attack on 9/11, the 332d Air Expeditionary Group participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. 524 Expeditionary Fighter: 1 Sep-13 Dec 2000, 7 Sep 2006-. It was also the only African-American flying group to deploy overseas and enter combat. And, you know, when you're listening to history like that, and you just become a sponge, because after he initially told me about his experiencesthose conversations really got real.. The HH-60 Pave Hawks performed combat search and rescue missions. Then when I got here, and just to see the pride that they have, with the Spit fire and all that.