366th Operations Group
Encyclopedia
The 366th Operations Group (366 OG) is the flying component of the 366th Fighter Wing
, assigned to the United States Air Force
Air Combat Command
. The group is stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base
, Idaho
.
Group trained in P-47s in preparation for overseas duty. Entered combat from England in March 1944 with fighter sweeps over the Bayeaux-St. Aubin area of France. Participated in attacks on targets in France, Belgium, and Germany in preparation for the invasion of the Continent. Flew fighter sweeps over Normandy on 6 June 1944; targets included motor vehicle convoys, buildings, and gun emplacements. Moved to the Continent soon after D-Day. Received a DUC for three missions flown in support of ground forces on 11 July 1944: on a mission to destroy pillboxes near St. Lo, Normandy, France, discovered and destroyed portion of an enemy tank column unknown to Allied infantry; after rearming, the group returned to attack the tank column and prevented the enemy from accomplishing their mission. During the third mission, despite heavy rainfall, successfully attacked another Panzer battalion from minimum altitude. Group also supported Allied ground forces during the breakthrough at St. Lo in July 1944. In August 1944 attacked tanks, trucks, and troop concentrations as enemy retreated; provided armed reconnaissance for advancing Allied armored columns. During September 1944, attacked flak positions near Eindhoven during airborne landing in Holland; bombed enemy communications and transportation lines in western Germany. Flew armed reconnaissance missions over Battle of the Bulge during December 1944 – January 1945; group flew 600 sorties from 17–27 December 1944 that resulted in the destruction of 43 enemy aircraft, 37 tanks, 328 trucks, 18 armored vehicles, four gun positions, and 15 half-tracks. Provided cover for VII Corps in January 1945 and during action destroyed over 1,000 enemy vehicles. Flew missions against enemy transportation systems including motor vehicles, bridges, trains, railway bridges, and marshalling yards during February and March 1945. Moved to Germany in April 1945. On group's last mission of the war, attacked harbors at Kiel and Flensbury on 3 May 1945. Served in occupational status in Germany from May 1945 until group inactivated.
132d Fighter Bomber Group which was being returned to state control after a twenty-one month period of activation as a result of the Korean War
. The group was composed of the 389th, 390th, and 319st Fighter Squadrons. Initially using the former ANG F-51D Mustangs, the 366th received F-86F Sabres which were returned from Korea in the summer of 1953, then received new swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak
s in early 1954. On 18 March 1954, the KB-29 equipped 420th Air Refueling Squadron was attached to the Wing to provide air refueling for the Thunderstreaks. The B-29s were later replaced with KB-50 aerial tankers.
The group's squadrons became first TAC units to perform six-month TDY rotations with NATO at Aviano AB, Italy, with rotations continuing until group inactivated in September 1957 when parent wing adopted Tri-Deputate organization and assigned operational squadrons directly to the wing.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the consolidation of the Air Force's KC-135 and B-1 force led to the reallocation of the unit's bombers and tankers to McConnell AFB, Kansas, and Ellsworth AFB, S.D. The group was also home to F-16CJ Fighter Falcon aircraft from 1992 to March 2007. The F-16CJs left the base in another effort to consolidate from multiple airframes to one at Air Force installations across the country.
366th Fighter Wing
The 366th Fighter Wing is a Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho...
, assigned to the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
. The group is stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base
Mountain Home Air Force Base
Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in southwestern Idaho, United States. The base is in Elmore County, 12 miles southwest of the city of Mountain Home, which is 40 miles southeast of Boise, via Interstate 84.The host unit at Mountain Home since 1972...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
.
Overview
The 366th Operations Group is one of the most diverse operations groups in all of Air Combat Command. The group is responsible for planning, operations, intelligence, weapons training, and airfield services for seven squadrons assigned to the 366th Fighter Wing. It develops flying airspace and range schedules for more than 20,000 flying hours and 13,000 sorties annually. It also maintains combat readiness for short-notice worldwide Air Expeditionary Force and contingency operations.Assigned Units
The 366th Operations Group (Tail Code: MO) comprises seven squadrons: the 390th Electronic Combat Squadron, 389th, 391st and 428th Fighter Squadrons, 366th Operations Support Squadron, 726th Air Control Squadron and 266th Range Squadron.- 266th Range Squadron
- The 266 RANS is responsible for providing quality electronic simulations of ground-based air defense threats on Mountain Home Range Complex consisting of: Saylor Creek AF Range, Juniper Butte AF Range and Grasmere Electronic Combat Site. 266 RANS equipment and tactics closely parallel the integrated air defense systems of potential adversaries
- 366th Operations Support Squadron
- The 366 OSS "Pegasus" is responsible for all airfield activities and associated support of the 366th Fighter Wing's numerous fighter missions supporting F-15SG, F-15E, EA-6B, EA-18G and Air Control Squadron operations. The 366 OSS is a diverse squadron, consisting of 185 personnel in six unique flights: airfield operations, weapons and tactics, current operations, range, intelligence and weather.
- 389th Fighter Squadron
- The 389 FS "Thunderbolts" plan and conduct F-15E operations and contingency plans. The squadron maintains combat readiness of 71 personnel and 18 F-15E aircraft for short-notice, worldwide AEF operations. The squadron is mission ready to perform close air support, interdiction, strategic attack, suppression of enemy air defense and defensive counterair missions, employing the full array of U.S. Air Force capabilities including precision-guided munitionPrecision-guided munitionA precision-guided munition is a guided munition intended to precisely hit a specific target, and to minimize damage to things other than the target....
s, inertially-aided munitions, night vision goggles, fighter data link and Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN).
- 390th Electronic Combat Squadron
- The 390 ECS is assigned to the 366th Operations Group and is stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA. The 388 ECS is tasked to man, train, and equip USAF aircrew to employ expeditionary U.S. Navy EA-6B & EA-18G aircraft in support of Unified Commanders' plans with electronic attack/information ops capability designed to degrade or destroy enemy air defense systems by suppression of enemy radars and communications with complex, directional jamming and High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles
- 391st Fighter Squadron
- The 391 FS "Bold Tigers" plan and conduct F-15E operations and contingency plans. The squadron maintains combat readiness of 85 personnel and 24 F-15E aircraft for short-notice, worldwide AEF operations. The squadron is mission ready to perform close air support, interdiction, strategic attack, suppression of enemy air defense and defensive counterair missions, employing the full array of U.S. Air Force capabilities including precision-guided munitions, inertially-aided munitions, night vision goggles, fighter data link and Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN).
- 428th Fighter Squadron
- The 428 FS "Buccanners"
Lineage
- Established as 366th Fighter Group on 24 May 1943
- Activated on 1 June 1943
- Inactivated on 20 August 1946, aircraft, personnel and equipment being redesignated as 27th Fighter Group.
- Redesignated 366th Fighter-Bomber Group on 15 November 1952
- Activated on 1 January 1953
- Inactivated on 25 September 1957
- Redesignated 366th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985 (Remained inactive)
- Redesignated 366th Operations Group, and activated, on 1 March 1992
Assignments
- First Air ForceFirst Air ForceThe First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....
, 24 May 1943 - I Fighter CommandI Fighter CommandThe I Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Mitchel Army Airfield, New York...
, 1 June 1943
- Attached to Philadelphia Air Defense Wing, 1 June – 20 November 1943
- 71st Fighter Wing71st Fighter Wing (World War II)The 71st Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Missouri Air National Guard. It was inactivated on 31 October 1950.-Lineage:* Organized as 71st Fighter Wing on 11 Ocg 1943-Assignments:...
, 4 December 1943
- 71st Fighter Wing
- Attached to: IX Tactical Air CommandIX Tactical Air CommandThe IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
, 1 August 1944- XXIX Tactical Air CommandXXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XXIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Weimar, Germany...
(Provisional), 1 October 1944 - 70th Fighter Wing70th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 70th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with thr United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Neubiberg Air Base, Germany...
, 22 October 1944
- XXIX Tactical Air Command
- Attached to: IX Tactical Air CommandIX Tactical Air CommandThe IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
, 22 October 1944
- XXIX Tactical Air CommandXXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XXIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Weimar, Germany...
, 1 February – 21 June 1945
- Attached to XXIX Tactical Air CommandXXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XXIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Weimar, Germany...
, 28 January – 21 June 1945- XIX Tactical Air CommandXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
, 28 June 1945 - XII Tactical Air CommandXII Tactical Air CommandThe XII Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Bad Kissingen, Germany...
, 4 July 1945 – 20 August 1946 - 366th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 January 1953 – 25 September 1957
- 366th Wing (later, 366th Fighter Wing366th Fighter WingThe 366th Fighter Wing is a Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho...
), 1 March 1992–present
- XIX Tactical Air Command
Components
- 22d Air Refueling Squadron: 1 October 1992 – 30 August 2002
- 34th Bomb Squadron34th Bomb SquadronThe 34th Bomb Squadron is part of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It operates B-1 Lancer aircraft providing strategic bombing capability.-Mission:...
: 1 July 1992 – 19 September 2002 - 388th Electronic Combat Squadron388th Electronic Combat SquadronThe 388th Electronic Combat Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 366th Fighter Wing, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington as a Geographically Separated Unit .-History:...
: 15 December 2004 – 27 September 2010 - 389th Fighter (later, 389th Fighter-Bomber; 389th Fighter) Squadron (A6)389th Fighter SquadronThe 389th Fighter Squadron is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. It operates F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft conducting close air support missions.-Mission:...
: 1 June 1943 – 20 August 1946; 1 January 1953-25 September 1957; 11 March 1992–present - 390th Fighter (later, 390th Fighter-Bomber; 390th Electronic Combat; 390th Fighter; 390th Electronic Combat) Squadron (B2)390th Fighter SquadronThe 390th Fighter Squadron is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. It operates F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting an air superiority mission.-History:...
: 1 June 1943 – 20 August 1946; 1 January 1953-25 September 1957; 1 March 1992–present - 391st Fighter (later, 391st Fighter-Bomber; 391st Fighter) Squadron (A8)391st Fighter SquadronThe 391st Fighter Squadron is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. It operates F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft conducting close air support missions.-Mission:...
: 1 June 1943 – 20 August 1946; 1 January 1953-25 September 1957; 11 March 1992–present - 429th Electronic Combat Squadron429th Electronic Combat SquadronThe 429th Electronic Combat Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 27th Operations Group and stationed at Cannon AFB, New Mexico.The squadron was the last USAF unit to fly the General Dynamics F-111....
: 11 September 1992 – 22 June 1993.
Stations
- Richmond Army Air Base, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 1 June 1943 - Bluethenthal Field, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, 9 August 1943 - Richmond Army Air Base, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 6 December 1943 - Camp Myles StandishCamp Myles StandishCamp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts. It functioned as a prisoner-of-war camp, a departure area for about a million U.S...
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 17–28 December 1943 - RAF MemburyRAF MemburyRAF Station Membury is a former World War II airfield built in the civil parish of Lambourn in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately mi north-northwest of Hungerford, at the Membury services stop of the M4 motorway; about miles west-southwest of London...
(AAF-466), England, 10 January 1944 - RAF ThruxtonRAF ThruxtonRAF Station Thruxton is a former World War II airfield in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately west of Andover; about southwest of London...
(AAF-407), England, 1 March 1944 - Saint-Pierre-du-Mont AirfieldSaint-Pierre-du-Mont AirfieldSaint-Pierre-du-Mont Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield which is located in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northern France....
(A-1), France, 17 June 1944 - Dreux/Vernouillet Airfield (A-41), France, 24 August 1944
- Laon/Couvron Airfield (A-70), France, 8 September 1944
- Asch Airfield (Y-29), BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, 19 November 1944 - Münster-Handorf AirfieldMünster-Handorf AirfieldMünster-Handorf Airfield is a former military airfield located in Germany about 5 miles east-northeast of Münster ; approximately 250 miles west of Berlin....
(Y-94), Germany, 11 April 1945 - AAF Station Bayreuth/Bindlach, Germany, 25 June 1945
- AAF Station Fritzlar, Germany, 14 September 1945 – 20 August 1946
- Alexandria (later, England) AFB, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, 1 January 1953 – 25 September 1957 - Mountain Home AFB, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 1 March 1992–present
Aircraft assigned
- P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, 1943–1946 - F-51 Mustang, 1953
- F-86 SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 1953–1955 - F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
, 1954–1957 - F-15 EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
, 1992–present - F-16 Falcon, 1992 – present
- EF-111 Raven, 1992–1993
- KC-135, 1992–2002
- B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
, 1992–1994 - B-1 LancerB-1 LancerThe Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...
, 1994–2002 - EA-6 ProwlerEA-6 ProwlerThe Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, mid-wing electronic warfare aircraft modified from the basic A-6 Intruder airframe. The EA-6B has been in service with the U.S...
, 2004–present
World War II
Cold War
The group was reactivated on 1 January 1953 at Alexandria Air Force Base, Louisiana. It replaced the Federalized Iowa Air National GuardIowa Air National Guard
The Iowa Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Iowa. It is, along with the Iowa Army National Guard, an element of the Iowa National Guard.-Units:The Iowa Air National Guard consists of the following units:...
132d Fighter Bomber Group which was being returned to state control after a twenty-one month period of activation as a result of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. The group was composed of the 389th, 390th, and 319st Fighter Squadrons. Initially using the former ANG F-51D Mustangs, the 366th received F-86F Sabres which were returned from Korea in the summer of 1953, then received new swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak
F-84F Thunderstreak
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....
s in early 1954. On 18 March 1954, the KB-29 equipped 420th Air Refueling Squadron was attached to the Wing to provide air refueling for the Thunderstreaks. The B-29s were later replaced with KB-50 aerial tankers.
The group's squadrons became first TAC units to perform six-month TDY rotations with NATO at Aviano AB, Italy, with rotations continuing until group inactivated in September 1957 when parent wing adopted Tri-Deputate organization and assigned operational squadrons directly to the wing.
Modern era
Upon activation in 1992, assumed control of 366th Wing's operational units. Deployed assets to Southwest Asia throughout the 1990s support to Operation SOUTHERN WATCH; elements participated in Operations PROVIDE COMFORT I and PROVIDE COMFORT II in Turkey. Group's squadrons directly participated in Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and NOBLE EAGLE following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks.After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the consolidation of the Air Force's KC-135 and B-1 force led to the reallocation of the unit's bombers and tankers to McConnell AFB, Kansas, and Ellsworth AFB, S.D. The group was also home to F-16CJ Fighter Falcon aircraft from 1992 to March 2007. The F-16CJs left the base in another effort to consolidate from multiple airframes to one at Air Force installations across the country.