423d Air Base 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 located at RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
near the town of Huntingdon
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Its mission is to support operations at RAF Alconbury and the nearby bases of RAF Molesworth
RAF Molesworth
RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917.Its runway and flight line facilities were closed in 1973 and demolished to support ground-launched cruise missile operations in the early 1980s...
and RAF Upwood
RAF Upwood
RAF Upwood was a United States Air Force installation adjacent to the village of Upwood, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom.It is a non-flying station which was under the control of the United States Air Force, and one of three RAF stations in Cambridgeshire currently used by the United States...
. Its primary customer is the Joint Analysis Center
Joint Analysis Center
The Joint Analysis Center is a Joint Intelligence Center serving as a focal point of military intelligence for the United States European Command located at RAF Molesworth, Huntingdonshire, UK. The area of responsibility includes 77 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.-External links:*...
located at RAF Molesworth.
The 423 ABG began life as the 423d Air Base Squadron when it was activated on 12 July 1995 at RAF Molesworth. The 423 ABS replaced the inactivated 710th Air Base Wing. Exactly 10 years later, the 423d ABS was reorganized as the 423d Air Base Group. This was part of a larger reorganization of many geographically separated units within the United Kingdom as components of the 501st Combat Support Wing
501st Combat Support Wing
The 501st Combat Support Wing is a United States Air Forces in Europe unit based at RAF Alconbury, England. The wing traces its history to a World War II bombardment group which served in the Pacific, mostly bombing mainland Japan, in 1944–45...
also located at RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
. At this time, 423 ABG headquarters officially moved to RAF Alconbury.
As of 2006 the 423 ABG employed approximately 350 military personnel as well as several hundred US and British civilians.