page_title: 457th Air Expeditionary Group
hierarchical_section_title: 457th Air Expeditionary Group
caption_attribution_description: B-52H of the USAF Reserve 917th Wing takes off on a unique mission with new equipment, April 7, 2003. The mission they are preparing for will be the first "real world" mission where a Lightning 2 Pod is used for laser-guided bomb delivery. The base at which the aircrew is deployed is currently the home of the 457th Air Expeditionary Group, which has been positioned to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
context_page_description: The United States Air Force's 457th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe to activate or inactivate as needed. It has been activated to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, joint operations with the Tanzania Air Force Command and for Operation Odyssey Dawn.
  The group was activated during World War II as the 457th Bombardment Group. It flew Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress from England, entering the strategic bombing campaign during Big Week. It flew 7,086 sorties before returning to the United States for inactivation in the summer of 1945. It was again active from 1993 to 1994 as the 457th Operations Group, controlling Air Mobility Command's air refueling operations at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The 457th was converted to provisional status in 2001.
context_section_description: The United States Air Force's 457th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe to activate or inactivate as needed.  It has been activated to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, joint operations with the Tanzania Air Force Command and for Operation Odyssey Dawn.
  The group was activated during World War II as the 457th Bombardment Group. It flew Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress from England, entering the strategic bombing campaign during Big Week. It flew 7,086 sorties before returning to the United States for inactivation in the summer of 1945.  It was again active from 1993 to 1994 as the 457th Operations Group, controlling Air Mobility Command's air refueling operations at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma.  The 457th was converted to provisional status in 2001.
caption: A B-52H Stratofortress takes off from the 457th Group's base in April 2003[note 1]
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