122nd Operations Group

January 2026 January 2026 122nd Operations Group 60px|center F-16C Indiana ANG in commemorative paint 2008.jpg 300 Group F-16 Fighting Falcon in a commemorative paint schemePainted in a heritage scheme to honor the group’s lineage back to the Second World War when it was flying Republic P-47Ds in the European Theater. 2008. 1943–1945; 1946–1952; 1952–1974; 1993–present Indiana 25px  Air National Guard Fighter Indiana Air National Guard Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base, Indiana Orange TailsWatkins, Vol III, pp. 28-29 Conquer Above (Since 1954)Maurer, pp. 240-41 With Sword and Wings (World War II)Watkins, Vol II, pp. 76-77 European Theater of Operations Distinguished Unit CitationFrench Croix de Guerre with Palm 165px 122nd Operations Group emblemWhile assigned to the 122nd Wing, the group uses the wing emblem with the group designation on the scroll. AF Instruction 84-105, Organizational Lineage, Honors and History, 27 April 2017, paragraph 3.3.3. Approved 28 July 1954. Description: azure (light blue) a bordure or (Air Force yellow), overall and saltirewise an escutcheon in prospect, (per bend or and sable, in chief four mullets of the last [color]) and a jet type aircraft with exhaust fire all proper. 150px 358th Fighter Group emblem IN Tail code FW Former tail code The group was activated during World War II as the 358th Fighter Group. It trained in the United States. The group moved to England during October 1943, where it began combat operations on 20 December 1943. It served in combat with Eighth and later, Ninth Air Force until V-E Day. It earned three Distinguished Unit Citations and a French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its actions in combat. In July 1945, it returned to the United States for inactivation. In 1946, the group was allotted to the National Guard and organized later in the year as the 122nd Fighter Group. It was called to active duty for the Korean War, serving as an air defense unit in its home state of Indiana. It returned to state control in 1952. It was again called to active service for the Berlin Crisis of 1961, although it deployed aircraft and personnel to France, they became part of another unit and the group remained in the United States. The group was inactivated in a reorganization of National Guard wings in 1974, but was again activated in 1993 as the 122nd Operations Group. Mission January 2026 History World War II thumb|356th Fighter Squadron P-47 ThunderboltAircraft is Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt, Tarheel Hal IA-N, serial 44-33240. This airplane survived the war and was transferred to the 86th Fighter Group as part of the occupation forces. https://www.crouze.com/baugher/usaf_serials/1944_02.html Dirkx Marco 1944 USAF Serial Numbers 12 February 2024 Joe Baugher’s Serial Number List January 6, 2026. The group was first activated as the 358th Fighter Group at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia in January 1943. It was composed of the 365th,Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 452 366th,Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 453-54 and 367th Fighter Squadrons.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 455 Initially equipped with Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, it then trained with Republic P-47D Thunderbolts. Most of the group sailed for England on the Monterey on 8 October 1943, arriving at Liverpool on 20 October.Freeman, p. 252 The group was initially stationed at RAF Goxhill, but moved to RAF Leiston before it flew its first combat mission on 20 December.Freeman, p. 98 At the end of January 1944, the group traded bases and commands with the 357th Fighter Group, a North American P-51 Mustang unit, moving to RAF Raydon and becoming part of IX Fighter Command, whose fighter units flew Thunderbolts.This was with the exception of the 354th Fighter Group, which flew Thunderbolts for a while, but flew Mustangs for most of its time in England. The group primarily flew missions escorting heavy bombers through April 1944. Starting that month, the group dive bombed marshalling yards to prepare for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. During May, it continued attacks on enemy lines of communication, while still flying escort missions. On D-Day and the following day, it provided cover for Douglas C-47 Skytrains dropping paratroopers on the Cotentin Peninsula. and attacked trains, vehicles, and enemy troop concentrations for the rest of the month. In July, it moved to Cretteville Airfield, France, from which it supported Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo. It continued to fly close air support and interdiction missions during the Allied drive across northern France and into Germany. For its contributions to the liberation of France, the French government awarded the 358th the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. From 24 December 1944 to 2 January 1945, the group destroyed numerous Luftwaffe fighters participating in Operation Bodenplatte, the German attempt to cripple Allied tactical air forces by destroying their forward airfields. It simultaneously attacked rail lines, rolling stock, vehicles, and artillery batteries supporting Seventh Army during the Battle of the Bulge. For these actions, it was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). On 19 and 20 March 1945, the group destroyed or damaged large numbers of motor vehicles that the German Army was using in an attempt to evacuate its forces west of the Rhine River, severely hampering their operation. These attacks earned the group a second DUC. During the closing month of air combat in Europe, from 8 to 25 April 1945, the group attacked enemy airfields near Munich and Ingolstadt. It engaged remaining Luftwaffe forces in aerial combat, while continuing attacks on ground targets, earning a third DUC. Following V-E Day, The group departed Europe in July 1945. It arrived at La Junta Army Air Field on 3 August, where it was inactivated on 7 November. National Guard 122nd Fighter Wing In May 1946, the group was redesignated the 122nd Fighter Group and allotted to the National Guard. It was organized later in the year. In 1950, the Guard reorganized its combat units under the Wing Base Organization, http://www.kstope.ang.af.mil/ No byline 190th Air Refueling Wing History: Kansas Coyotes, The First 25 Years 2 March 2005 190th Air Refueling Wing https://web.archive.org/web/20080503134921/http://www.kstope.ang.af.mil/ May 3, 2008 May 14, 2024 and the group became the operational element of the new 122nd Fighter Wing. The wing and group were called to active duty in February 1951 as the 122nd Fighter-Interceptor Group and wing, serving in the air defense of the midwest.Cornett & Johnson, p. 63 However, Air Defense Command (ADC) was experiencing difficulty under the wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to the best advantage.Grant, p. 33 As a result, the 122nd was inactivated in February 1952, and its operational squadrons were transferred to regional air defense organizations.Cornett & Johnson, pp. 122-23 thumb|Group F-84F ThunderstreakAircraft is Republic F-84F-40-RE Thunderstreak, serial 52-7073. This airplance was later transferred to the Royal Hellenic Air Force. https://www.crouze.com/baugher/usaf_serials/1952.html Dirkx Marco 1952 USAF Serial Numbers 23 September 2025 Joe Baugher’s Serial Number List January 6, 2026. The group returned to the National Guard and was activated on 1 November 1952 as the 122nd Fighter-Bomber Group. Despite its new name, its mission remained augmenting ADC. This mission was recognized by a return to its fighter-interceptor designation in July 1955. In 1958, Its mission changed and it became the 122nd Tactical Fighter Group. In 1961, the group was again mobilized for the Berlin Crisis of 1961. Although it was planned to deploy the entire group to France, due to budget reductions, only its 163rd Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed to Chambley Air Base, where it became the operational element of the 7122nd Tactical Fighter Wing. Although other group members deployed to the 7122nd, the group and its headquarters remained in Indiana. The 163rd mission was to provide close air support for the Seventh Army. In May 1962, deployed members of the 122nd began to return from Chambley. However, the group's deployed Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks remained and were transferred to the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron, which was activated to replace the 163rd.McAuliffe, pp. 176-79 thumb|Group F-100D Super SabreAircraft is North American F-100D-45-NH Super Sabre, serial 55-2917. This aircraft was sent to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center on 31 May 1971. It was converted to a QF-100 target drone and shot down on 9 November 1990. https://www.crouze.com/baugher/usaf_serials/1955.html Dirkx Marco 1955 USAF Serial Numbers 23 September 2025 Joe Baugher’s Serial Number List January 6, 2026. Because it was not practical to put an entire wing on a single installation for day-to-day operations, group squadrons were located on bases as “augmented squadrons” containing support elements needed to sustain operations. By the law at the time Guardsmen could only be activated as members of a mobilized unit. This meant that, even if only operational and maintenance elements were needed for mobilization, the entire “augmented squadron” had to be called to active duty, including unneeded administrative personnel. The response was to replace the “augmented squadron” with a group including functional squadrons that could be mobilized as a group, or individually. In this reorganization, group squadrons not located at Baer Field were assigned to newly activated groups, and only the 163rd Tactical Fighter Squadron and support elements at Baer were assigned to the group. In 1974, the Air Force decided that tactical groups located on the same base as their parent wings constituted an additional and unneeded layer of management. As a result, on 9 December 1974, the group was inactivated and its elements were assigned directly to the wing. thumb|Group A-10 Thunderbolt II In 1992, the Air National Guard began to reorganize along the line of the Objective Wing Model. The group was redesignated the 122nd Operations Group and once again became the operational element of the 122nd Wing. It has flown General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, except for the period from 2010 to 2023, when it flew Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. Lineage Constituted as the 358th Fighter Group on 20 December 1942 Activated on 1 January 1943 Inactivated on 7 November 1945 Redesignated 122nd Fighter Group and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946 Activated on 16 October 1946 Extended federal recognition on 9 December 1946 Redesignated 122nd Fighter-Interceptor Group on 1 February 1951 Ordered to active service on 10 February 1951Cornett & Johnson, p. 75 Inactivated on 7 February 1952 Redesignated 122nd Fighter-Bomber Group and activated in the National Guard on 1 November 1952Lineage through 1952 in Maurer, pp. 240-41 Redesignated 122nd Fighter-Interceptor Group on 1 July 1955 Redesignated 122nd Tactical Fighter Group on 1 November 1958 Ordered into active service on 1 October 1961 Released from active service on 31 August 1962 Inactivated on 9 December 1974 Redesignated 122nd Operations Group Activated on 1 January 1993 Assignments I Fighter Command, 1 January–September 1943 (attached to Philadelphia Fighter Wing, after 28 April 1943) VIII Fighter Command), 21 October 1943 66th Fighter Wing, November 1944 IX Fighter Command, 31 January 1944 71st Fighter Wing (attached to IX Tactical Air Command), 1 August 1944 70th Fighter Wing (attached to IX Tactical Air Command), 1 October 1944 XIX Tactical Air Command, 16 January–July 1945 Second Air Force, 3 August – 7 November 1945 Indiana National Guard, 16 October 1946 55th Fighter Wing, 7 December 1947 66th Fighter Wing, August 1948 71st Fighter Wing, December 1948 55th Fighter Wing, c. 1950 122nd Fighter Wing (later 122nd Fighter-Interceptor Wing) c. 1 November 1950 – 7 February 1952 122nd Fighter-Bomber Wing (later 122nd Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 122nd Tactical Fighter Wing), 1 November 1952 – 9 December 1974 122nd Fighter Wing, c. 1 January 1993 – present Components 112th Fighter Squadron (later 112th Fighter-Interceptor, 112th Tactical Fighter Squadron), 1 October 1961 – 30 September 1962 113th Fighter Squadron (later 113th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 113th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 113th Tactical Fighter Squadron), 17 February 1947 – 6 February 1952,Cornett & Johnson, p. 122 – c. 1 February 1953 – 30 September 1962 122nd Operations Support Squadron, c. 1 January 1993 – present 163rd Fighter Squadron, see 365th Fighter Squadron 166th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 10 February 1951 -6 February 1952Cornett & Johnson, p. 123 365th Fighter Squadron (later 163rd Fighter Squadron, 163rd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 163rd Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 163rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 163rd Fighter Squadron): 1 January 1943 – 7 November 1945, 25 August 1947 – 6 February 1952, 1 November 1952 – 1 October 1961; 31 August 1962 – 9 December 1974; c. 1 January 1993 – present 366th Fighter Squadron: 1 January 1943 – 7 November 1945 367th Fighter Squadron: 1 January 1943 – 7 November 1945 Stations 20em Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 1 January 1943 Baltimore Municipal Airport, Maryland, 28 April 1943 Camp Springs Army Air Field, Maryland, 28 May 1943 Philadelphia Airport, Pennsylvania, 16 June 1943 Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 13 August – 25 September 1943 RAF Goxhill (AAF-345),Anderson, p. 24 England, 20 October 1943 RAF Leiston (AAF-373),Anderson, p. 26 England, 29 November 1943 RAF Raydon (AAF-157),Anderson, p. 22 England, 31 January 1944 RAF High Halden (AAF-411),Anderson, p. 28 England, 13 April 1944 Cretteville Airfield (A-14),Johnson, p. 14 France, 3 July 1944 Pontorson Airfield (A-28),Johnson, p. 69 France, 14 August 1944 Vitry Airfield (A-67),Johnson, p. 20 France, 14 September 1944 Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield (A-80),Johnson, p. 22 France, 16 October 1944 Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield (A-90),Johnson, p. 23 France, 9 November 1944 Mannheim/Sandhofen Airfield (Y-79),Johnson, p. 33 Germany, 2 April 1945 Reims/Champagne Airfield (A-62),Johnson, p. 19 France, c. 23 June–July 1945 La Junta Army Air Field, Colorado, 3 August – 7 November 1945 Stout Field, Indiana, 16 October 1946 Baer Field, Indiana, 1 May 1951 – 7 February 1952Stations through 1951 in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 240-41, except station numbers as noted. Baer Field, Indiana, 1 November 1952 – 9 December 1974 Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base, Indiana, c. 1 January 1993 – present Aircraft 20em Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1943 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, 1943–1945Aircraft through 1945 in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 240-41 North American F-51D Mustang, 1946–1951 North American F-51H Mustang, 1951–1954 Republic F-84B Thunderjet, 1951–1952 Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star, 1954–1956 North American F-86A Sabre, 1956–1958 Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, 1958–1962; 1964–1971McAuliffe, p. 176 Republic RF-84F Thunderflash, 1962–1964 North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1971–1974 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1993–2010 Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, 2010 – 2023 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 2023 – present References Notes Explanatory notes Citations 30em Bibliography Anderson Capt. Barry Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Timelines/World%20War%20II/usaaf_bases_in_united_kingdom.pdf?ver=2016-08-30-150752-303 1985 Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center Maxwell AFB, AL March 1, 2021 Cornett Lloyd H Johnson Mildred W. A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 - 1980 http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/handbookofadcorg.pdf 1980 Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center Peterson AFB, CO https://web.archive.org/web/20220626094249/https://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/handbookofadcorg.pdf June 26, 2022 December 8, 2024 http://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/101-150/AFD-090529-030.pdf Grant C. L. The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126 Research Studies Institute, USAF Historical Division, Air University June 26, 2017 Johnson 1st Lt. David C. U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Timelines/World%20War%20II/usaaf_european_airfields.pdf?ver=2016-08-30-150750-583 1988 Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center Maxwell AFB, AL July 24, 2022 Maurer, Maurer Air Force Combat Units of World War II 1961 http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf December 17, 2016 reprint 1983 Office of Air Force History Washington, DC 0-912799-02-1 61060979 9 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110609014922/http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/af_combat_units_wwii.pdf dead Maurer, Maurer Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II 1969 http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf reprint December 17, 2016 1982 Office of Air Force History Washington, DC 0-405-12194-6 72556 70605402 19 February 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230219223433/https://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf dead McAuliffe Lt Col Jerome J. U.S. Air Force in France 1950-1967 2005 Milspec Press San Diego, CA 978-0-9770371-1-7 Watkins Robert Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II II (VIII) Fighter Command 2008 Schiffer Publishing Ltd. Atglen, PA 0-7643-2535-3 Watkins Robert Battle Colors III Insignia and Markings of the Ninth Air Force In World War II 2008 Schiffer Publishing Ltd. Atglen, PA 978-0-7643-2938-8 Category:Military units and formations in Indiana