497th Air Expeditionary Group | |
---|---|
Active | 1943–1946; 1962–1964; After 2000 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Type | Provisional Unit |
Role | Exercise Control |
Motto(s) | Parati Stamus Latin We Stand Ready |
Engagements | Pacific Theater of Operations |
Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
Insignia | |
497th Air Refueling Wing emblem (approved 7 February 1963)[1] | |
Emblem used by the 497th Bombardment Group[note 1] | |
Twentieth Air Force Tail Marking | Square A |
The 497th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to Pacific Air Forces to activate or inactivate as needed.
The unit was first activated in the United States Army Air Forces as the 497th Bombardment Group which was part of Twentieth Air Force during World War II. The 497th engaged in very heavy (B-29 Superfortress) bombardment operations against Japan and earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for its combat actions. Its aircraft were identified by an "A" and a square painted on the tail.
The unit was again active as the 497th Air Refueling Wing, which was an element of Strategic Air Command. It absorbed the personnel equipment, and mission of the 4108th Air Refueling Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York in January 1963 and was inactivated in September 1964.
In 1985 the 497th Bombardment Group and the 497th Air Refueling Wing were consolidated into a single unit. The unit was converted to provisional status and assigned to Pacific Air Forces which activated it to control exercises at Paya Lebar Airfield, Singapore various times between 2000 and 2006.
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).