409th Bombardment Group
Encyclopedia
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...
unit assigned to Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
. It may be activated or inactivated at any time.
The 409 AEOG was assigned to Camp Sarafovo
Burgas Airport
Burgas International Airport , is the airport of Burgas , Bulgaria.In 2009, the airport handled 1,683,786 passengers. In 2010, it handled 1,872,618 passengers, a 11.2% increase compared to 2009.-Future plans and expansion:...
, Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
, Bulgaria during March–June 2003 as a logistics support organization. It was also responsible for refueling operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom using six KC-10 Extender
KC-10 Extender
The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is the military adaptation of the three-engined DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force . The KC-10 incorporates military-specific equipment for its primary roles of transport and aerial refueling. It was developed to supplement the KC-135 Stratotanker...
aircraft deployed from McGuire AFB, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to help keep coalition aircraft fueled and flying on their air routes through Bulgaria and on to the theater of war.
The current status of the unit is undisclosed.
Its World War II predecessor, the 409th Bombardment Group, was a Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
unit flying A-20 Havoc light bombers in Western Europe during the 1944 Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
and the 1945 Western Allied invasion of Germany.
Lineage
- Constituted as: 409th Bombardment Group (Light) on 1 June 1943
- Activated on 1 June 1943
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945
- Redesignated as: 409th Air Expeditionary Operations Group and converted to provisional status, 1 February 2003.
Assignments
- III Air Support CommandIII Air Support CommandThe III Air Support Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at Drew Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 16 March 1942.-Lineage:...
, 1 June 1943 - 97th Bombardment Wing97th Bombardment Wing (World War II)The 97th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the IX Bomber Command, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
, 7 March 1944 – August 1945 - Army Service ForcesArmy Service ForcesThe Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...
, 6 October-7 November 1945 - Air Mobility CommandAir Mobility CommandAir Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
to activate or inactivate anytime after 1 February 2003.
Components
- 640th Bombardment Squadron640th Bombardment SquadronThe 640th Bombing Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Westover Field, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 27 November 1945-History:...
(W5), 1 June 1943 – 7 November 1945 - 641st Bombardment Squadron641st Bombardment SquadronThe 641st Bombing Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Westover Field, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 27 November 1945-History:...
(7G), 1 June 1943 – 7 November 1945 - 642d Bombardment Squadron642d Bombardment SquadronThe 642d Bombing Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Westover Field, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 27 November 1945-History:...
(D6), 1 June 1943 – 7 November 1945 - 643d Bombardment Squadron643d Bombardment SquadronThe 643d Bombing Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Westover Field, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 27 November 1945-History:...
(5I), 1 June 1943 – 7 November 1945
Aircraft flown
- Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1943–1945
- Douglas A-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 1945 - Boeing KC-10 Extender, 2003
Stations
- Will Rogers Field, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, 1 June 1943 - Woodward Army Air FieldWest Woodward AirportWest Woodward Airport is a general aviation airport, located west of the City of Woodward, Oklahoma downtown business district....
, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, October 1943 - DeRidder Army Airbase, 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...
c. 10 December 1943 – 10 February 1944 - RAF Little WaldenRAF Little WaldenRAF Station Little Walden is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Saffron Walden; about north-northeast of London...
(AAF-165), England, 7 March 1944 - Bretigny Airfield (A-48), France, September 1944
- Laon-Couvron Airfield (A-70), France, February–June 1945
- Seymour Johnson 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...
, August 1945 - Westover Field, 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...
, ca. 6 October-7 November 1945 - Sarafovo Air BaseBurgas AirportBurgas International Airport , is the airport of Burgas , Bulgaria.In 2009, the airport handled 1,683,786 passengers. In 2010, it handled 1,872,618 passengers, a 11.2% increase compared to 2009.-Future plans and expansion:...
, Bulgaria (2003)
World War II
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
.
The 409th flew the A-20 "Havoc" light bomber and Douglas A-26
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
"Invader" medium bomber and was originally trained in low-level attack missions. However, the group was busy flying medium-altitude bombing runs from 10,000 ft. Over 100 missions were flown by the group, attacking coastal defenses, V-weapon sites, aerodromes, and other targets in France in preparation for the invasion of Normandy
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. The group supported ground forces during the Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
by hitting gun batteries, rail lines, bridges, communications, and other objectives. During July 1944, aided the Allied offensive at Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
and the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
with attacks on enemy troops, flak positions, fortified villages, and supply dumps.
The group moved to their Advanced Landing Ground in at Bretigny, France (A-48) to support Third Army's advance toward Germany on 10 September. A total of ten aircraft were lost by the group flying from Little Walden.
In February 1945 the 409th moved to Laon-Couvron Air Base
Laon-Couvron Air Base
Laon-Couvron Air Base is a former French and United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Aisne département of France, less than one mile southeast of the village of Couvron and 6 miles northwest of Laon; on the southwest side of the Autoroute des Anglais 1 Mile east of the...
(A-70) France, remaining until June. The group returned to the United States and was inactivated at Seymour Johnson AAF
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located to the southeast of Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for Navy test pilot Seymour Johnson, a native of Goldsboro...
North Carolina
North Carolina
North 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...
on 6 October 1945. It may be observed that that although the 409th was inactivated at Seymour-Johnson AFB, this would not be the last time "SJ" would claim them.
War on Terror
The 409th Air Expeditionary Group was activated in March 2003 as an aerial refueling unit at Sarafovo Air Base, Bulgaria as part of the War On TerrorWar on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. The 409th Group was responsible for refueling operations in support of the US-led Operation Iraqi Freedom and the mission included the use of six Boeing KC-10 Extender aircraft, deployed from McGuire AFB New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, to help keep coalition aircraft fueled and flying on their air routes through Bulgaria and on to the theatre of war. The 409th AEG was inactivated in June 2003.
The US originally purchased 60 KC-10(A) airframes; however, one was burned in a fire. At the time they were divided between Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina; and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Ultimately they were assigned to Travis AFB, California and McGuire AFB, New Jersey. The Camp Sarafavo planes included some of the aircraft originally assigned to Seymour-Johnson AFB. The New Jersey airmen joked casually upon arrival that the tail designator SJ (Seymour-Johnson) stood for South Jersey instead. Today there is an integration of both Seymour-Johnson and Barksdale airmen at both bases and the aerial refueling mission goes on across the generations and the globe.