The 44th Fighter Group (44 FG) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The 44 FG is an associate unit of the active duty 325th Fighter Wing (325 FW) of the Air Combat Command (ACC). If mobilized to active duty, the 44 FG is operationally gained by ACC. Otherwise, the 44 FG operates as a geographically separated unit (GSU) of AFRC's 301st Fighter Wing (301 FW) at NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 44th Bombardment Group (44 BG), was the first VIII Bomber Command B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group stationed in England. It was initially stationed at RAF Cheddington on 11 September 1942 and moved to RAF Shipdham in October. The 44 BG operated from England for a longer period than any other B-24 group, sustained the highest Aircraft Missing in Action losses of all Eighth Air Force B-24 groups, claimed more enemy fighters than any other Eighth Air Force B-24 group, and was the first group in the VIII Bomber Command to be awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for actions on 14 May 1943 for an extremely hazardous mission against naval installations at Kiel, Germany
Colonel Leon W. Johnson, USAAF, while commander of the 44th Bombardment Group, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Ploesti Raid on 1 August 1943.
In the postwar era, the 44th Bombardment Group was one of the original ten USAAF bombardment groups assigned to Strategic Air Command on 21 March 1946.
Overview
Administratively, the 44 FG is a component of AFRC's 301st Fighter Wing (301 FW), based at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (formerly Carswell Air Force Base), Texas. Within AFRC channels, the 301 FW is responsible for the 44 FG and its 301st Fighter Squadron (301 FS), flying the F-22 Raptor as an associate unit to the active duty 325th Operations Group (325 OG) of the 325th Fighter Wing (325 FW) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
In April 2010, the 44th Fighter Group, Detachment 2 was activated at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. On 1 October 2012, it was transferred to the 325 FW, forming a classic association with the 325 FW while the 325 FW was under the claimancy of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). Detachment 2 helped lead the transition of the F-22A Raptor combat coded mission from Holloman AFB to Tyndall AFB.
The 44 FG supports operations, flying training and maintenance. The group also supported Northrop T-38 Talon operations at Holloman AFB in which they played the role of adversary aircraft in F-22 training exercises.
In 2012, it was also announced that all F-22A aircraft, pilots and support personnel assigned to Holloman AFB would transfer to Tyndall AFB in the spring of 2013 to comply with USAF's F-22 fleet consolidation plan and the reassignment of the 325 FW from AETC to Air Combat Command (ACC). Due to U.S. congressional action, this transfer was subsequently delayed until January 2014.
Concurrent with relocation of Holloman's active duty F-22A operations to Tyndall AFB, the group shifted its headquarters and main body to Tyndall AFB, replacing Detachment 2 as a reserve associate unit to the 325 FW, operating and maintaining the F-22A at that location while establishing/retaining its Detachment 1 at Holloman in support of MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper training and operations as a reserve associate element in support of ACC's active duty 49th Wing (49 WG).
Units
301st Fighter Squadron 9 April 2010 – present
44th Maintenance Squadron
44th Aerospace Medical Flight
History
For additional history and lineage, see 44th Missile Wing
World War II
The 44th Bomb Group (44 BG) was activated 15 January 1941 at MacDill Field, Florida. The unit was assigned B-24 Liberator aircraft in its B-24C variant. Moving to Barksdale Field, Louisiana on 16 February 1942, it acted as training unit for 98th, 93rd, and 90th Bomb Groups. During same period, the 44 BG took part in anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico and was credited with the destruction of one German Kriegsmarine U-boat. On 26 July 1942, the 44 BG moved to Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma and prepared for overseas movement. The ground echelon departed the United States via the on 4 September 1942. The air echelon was based at Grenier Field, New Hampshire and remained there until the first aircraft left for the United Kingdom late in September 1942. The 404th Bomb Squadron originally part of the Group was reassigned while in the United States.