 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2012) |
22nd Operations Group
 | |
|---|---|
 KC-135R Stratotanker taking off[note 1] | |
| Active | 1940–1952; 1991–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | McConnell AFB |
| Nickname(s) | Red Raiders (World War II) |
| Motto(s) | Ducemus Latin We Lead |
| Engagements | Southwest Pacific Theater Korean War |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Col Brent Toth |
| Insignia | |
| 22nd Operations Group emblem[note 2] |  |
| Red Raider marking used by the 22nd Bombardment Group[2] |  |
The 22nd Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 22nd Air Refueling Wing. It is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, and is part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)'s Eighteenth Air Force.
The group's primary mission is to provide global reach by conducting air refueling and airlift where and when needed. The group directs the 22nd Wing's Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker refueling and airlift operations in support of worldwide AMC, United States Transportation Command, Air Force, Department of Defense, and allied operations anywhere in the world.
During World War II, as the 22nd Bombardment Group, the unit was one of the first Army Air Forces units to be deployed into the Pacific Theater after Pearl Harbor with the Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber. It operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater as a North American B-25 Mitchell unit assigned to Fifth Air Force. It was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for its combat service in China, the Netherlands East Indies, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago; the Western Pacific; Leyte and Luzon.
The group was reactivated as part of Strategic Air Command (SAC). During the early years of the Cold War, the group moved temporarily to Okinawa in July 1950 and was attached to Far East Air Forces for duty in the Korean War. It began combat immediately, and until October 1950 attacked marshalling yards, bridges, highways, airfields, and industries and supported United Nations ground forces in Korea. It was inactivated in a SAC program to eliminate groups and assign operational squadrons directly to wings.
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).
- ^ Robertson, Patsy (6 February 2015). "Factsheet 22 Operations Group (AMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ Watkins, p. 72