370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group


caption= 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group emblem
dates= 1943-1945
2007-Present
country= USA
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
type= Air Expeditionary
role=
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison= Southwest Asia
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment= Colonel Mark Schmitz
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
anniversaries=

The United States Air Force's 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group (370 AEAG) is an Air Expeditionary unit located in Southwest Asia. The unit activation and assumption of command took place at New Al Muthana Air Base, Iraq, on 22 April 2007.

The 370 AEAG is made up of Airmen from a variety of career fields. It is suspected that the mission of the 370 AEAG is to restart the Iraqi Air Force by training Iraqi Air Force air crews how to operate, employ and maintain C-130 aircraft, and to maintain and operate as a self-sufficient air base.

The task of developing a comprehensive listing of Air Expeditionary units present in Southwest Asia and other combat areas is particularly difficult as the events of 11 September 2001 and the Global War on Terrorism has made such an effort significantly difficult. The USAF seeks to improve operational security (OPSEC) and to deceive potential enemies as to the extent of American operations, therefore a listing of which units deploying where and when is unavailable

History

Lineage

* 370th Fighter Group (1943-1945)
* 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group (2007-Present)

Stations Assigned

* Westover Field, MA 1 Jul 1943
* Groton AAFld, CT 19 Oct 1943
* Bradley Field, CT 5-20 Jan 1944
* RAF Aldermaston, England 12 Feb 1944 467
* RAF Andover, England 29 Feb-19 Jul 1944 406
* Cardonville, France 24 Jul 1944
* La Vielle, France 15 Aug 1944
* Lonray, France 6 Sep 1944
* Roye/Amy, France 11 Sep 1944
* Florennes/Juzaine, Belgium 26 Sep 1944
* Zwartberg, Belgium 27 Jan 1945
* Gutersloh, Germany 20 Apr 1945
* Sandhofen, Germany 27 Jun 1945
* Fritzlar, Germany 6 Aug-Sep 1945
* Camp Myles Standish, MA c. 6-7 Nov 1945
* Southwest Asia, April 2007-Present

Weapons Systems

* Lockheed P-38 Lightning
* North American P-51 Mustang
* Lockheed C-130 Hercules ?

Operational History

World War II

The unit was constituted as the 370th Fighter Group on 25 May 1943, and activated on 1 July 1943 at Westover Field, Massachusetts. Operational squadrons of the group were the 401st, 402d and 485th Fighter Squadrons.

The group trained with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts at several First Air Force training bases in New England then was deployed to RAF Aldermaston England during January and February 1944. In Europe, it was assigned to Ninth Air Force.

When the group arrived, the expected to receive P-47 Thunderbolts on which they had trained stateside. However, much to the amazement of the Group Commander, Colonel Howard Nichols, he was informed by IX Fighter Command that the group was to fly Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, a few of which arrived for training during the 18 days the group was in residence. However, this was only a temporary stationing and the 370th moved to RAF Andover as Aldermaston airfield was required for troop carrier operations.

From England, the group dive-bombed radar installations and flak towers, and escorted bombers that attacked bridges and marshalling yards in France as the Allies prepared for the invasion of the Continent. The group provided cover for Allied forces that crossed the Channel on 6 Jun 1944, and flew armed reconnaissance missions over the Cotentin Peninsula until the end of the month.

Assigned to the IX Tactical Air Command, the 370th moved to their Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Cardonville, France (ALG A-3) on 20 July to support the drive of ground forces across France and into Germany. Moving across France, the group hit gun emplacements, troops, supply dumps, and tanks near St Lo in July and in the Falaise-Argentan area in August 1944. Sent planes and pilots to England to provide cover for the airborne assault on Holland in September 1944. Struck pillboxes and troops early in October to aid First Army's capture of Aachen, and afterward struck railroads, bridges, viaducts, and tunnels in that area.

The 370th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission in support of ground forces in the Hurtgen Forest area on 2 December 1944 when, despite bad weather and barrages of antiaircraft and small-arms fire, the group dropped napalm bombs on a heavily defended position in Bergstein, setting fire to the village and inflicting heavy casualties on enemy troops defending the area. Flew armed reconnaissance during the Battle of the Bulge by attacking warehouses, highways, railroads, motor transports, and other targets.

The group converted to P-51 Mustangs during February - March 1945. Bombed bridges and docks in the vicinity of Wesel to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine, and patrolled the area as paratroops were dropped on the east bank on 24 Mar. Supported operations Of 2d Armored Division in the Ruhr Valley in Apr. Flew last mission, a sweep over Dessau and Wittenberg, on 4 May 1945.

The group returned to the United States during Sep-Nov 1945, and was inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.

Cold War

The 370th Fighter Group was allocated to the Colorado Air National Guard on 24 May 1946, and was redesignated as the 140th Fighter Group, being assigned to Buckley Field, Colorado. It was first called to active duty on 1 April 1951 as a result of the Korean War. It was equipped with F-51 Mustangs and assigned to Clovis AFB, New Mexico. The unit was released from active service on 1 January 1953 and returned to Colorado.

The 140th Fighter Wing has taken part in the Vietnam War, numerous NATO exercises, Operation Desert Storm and many other active duty deployments. With the conversion to the F-16 in September 1991, the 140th Wing had deployed to the Republic of Korea; the Commonwealth of Australia in March 1995; to Incirlik, Turkey, for Operation Provide Comfort II in April 1995; to Al Jaber AB, Kuwait, for Operation Southern Watch in June 1996; to Karup, Denmark, for NATO exercise Coronet Blade in August 1997 (with mini-deployments to Germany to fly with German MiG-29s and to the Republic of Slovenia for state-to-state partnership); and again to Al Jaber AB, Kuwait for Operation Southern Watch in January 1998. The unit deployed again to Incirlik, Turkey, in 2000 for Operation Northern Watch.

War On Terror

The 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group was activated as part of the Global War On Terror on 27 April 2007. It the mission of the 370 AEAG is to restart the Iraqi Air Force by training Iraqi Air Force air crews how to operate, employ and maintain Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft, and to maintain and operate as a self-sufficient air base. This mission is known as "CAFTT" for Coalition Air Forces Training Team.

The unit is made up of Airmen from a variety of career specialties and it is assigned to Second Air Force as part of Air Education and Training Command.

References

* Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994. After the Battle ISBN 0900913800
* Freeman, Roger A. (1996) The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle ISBN 1854092723
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.

See also

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2007/04/mil-070422-afpn01.htm 370th Group and squadron stand up]