| 315th Operations Group | |
|---|---|
 C-17 Globemaster IIIs of the 315th Operations Group | |
| Active | 1942–1945; 1947–1948; 1952–1955; 1962–1966; 1992–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Airlift |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Charleston Air Force Base |
| Motto(s) | Adveniam Latin I Will Arrive |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations Vietnam War |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Diane Patton |
| Insignia | |
| 315th Operations Group emblem[note 1] |  |
| 315th Air Commando Group emblem |  |
| 315th Troop Carrier Group emblem (approved 22 May 1942)[1] |  |
The 315th Operations Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 315th Airlift Wing. The unit is stationed at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. The 315th Group controls all operational McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III flying squadrons of the 315th Airlift Wing. It was activated in 1992, when Air Force Reserve Command implemented the Objective Wing organization.
The unit was first activated during World War II as the 315th Troop Carrier Group, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport unit assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command in Western Europe. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its combat parachute infantry drops during the Invasion of France (Operation Overlord); the airborne invasion of the Netherlands (Operation Market-Garden); and the airborne crossing of the Rhine River, (Operation Varsity).
The group was reactivated in Japan during the Korean War in 1952, replacing the 437th Troop Carrier Group, a reserve unit that had been called to active duty for the war, when the 437th was returned to reserve status. It was inactivated three years later, when US flying operations at Brady Air Base ended. The group again was activated in 1962, when it replaced the Combat Cargo Group, Provisional 6492d in managing airlift operations during the Vietnam War. After being redesignated the 315th Air Commando Group in 1965, the group was inactivated and replaced by the larger 315th Air Commando Wing in 1966, when airlift operations in Vietnam expanded.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Maurer 1983, pp. 192–193.