434th Operations Group The 434th Operations Group ( 434 OG ) is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit . It is the flying component of the Fourth Air Force 434th Air Refueling Wing , stationed at Grissom Air Reserve Base , Indiana . The unit ' s World War II predecessor unit , the 434th Troop Carrier Group was a C - 47 Skytrain transport unit assigned to Ninth Air Force in Western Europe . The group flew combat paratroopers on airborne assaults on Normandy ( Operation Overlord ) ; Southern France ( Operation Dragoon ) ; Holland ( Operation Market - Garden ) , and Germany ( Operation Varsity ) . It also flew combat resupply missions in the relief of Bastogne in 1945 . Overview . The mission of the 434 OG is to provide mid - air refueling to long - range bombers , fighters , and cargo aircraft . It flies the Boeing KC - 135R Stratotanker . The 434 OG is one of the key refueling units in the Air Force Reserve . The group regularly participates in exercises and front - line operations to support America ' s national interests . It is composed of the following squadrons : History . World War II . Established as the 434th Troop Carrier Group on 30 January 1943 . Trained in the U . S . , moving to England , late September – October 1943 , for operations with Ninth Air Force . Moved to RAF Fulbeck , England in October 1943 . The 434th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing . Shortly after its arrival at Fulbeck , the group was reassigned to RAF Aldermaston in the Salisbury Plain area to co - locate with 101st Airborne Division in preparation for the invasion of northern France . The 434th was one of the groups trained and designated to deliver gliders on D - Day . As the assigned delivery group for Mission Chicago , the 52 C - 47s of the 434th TCG each towed a Waco CG - 4A glider to Normandy , losing one aircraft to flak in the darkness . For this , and two follow - up missions with gliders and supplies , the group was later awarded the coveted Distinguished Unit Citation . The 434th TCG spent the summer of 1944 mainly in carrying freight , fuel and troops to France . It was not involved in the invasion of southern France ( as were several of the UK based C - 47 groups ) and its next combat operation was ` Market ' , the airborne operation in Holland on 17 September . Two serials ( the term for a specifically briefed formation ) of 45 C - 47s each dropped paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division in the Veghcl sector . Heavy flak shot down four aircraft and damaged 10 of the first serial and another plane was lost from the second serial plus nine damaged . Next day , 80 of the group ' s aircraft towed gliders to a landing zone in the Son area . Seven gliders landed prematurely , two of them in the sea , and flak brought down two C - 47s and damaged 33 . Some 82 aircraft towing gliders were despatched on 19 September and one C - 47 failed to return . A total of 20 gliders were lost before reaching release point . This most intensive period of troop carrier operations continued on the 20th when 53 C - 47s took off on a re - supply mission to Overasselt . The drop was scattered but all aircraft returned . A final re - supply mission was carried out from Ramsbury but by now the situation on the ground was beyond retrieval . The 434th remained at Aldermaston until 12 February 1945 when the group moved to an Advanced Landing Ground ( ALG ) at Mourmclon - le - Grand airfield ( ALG A - 80 ) in France . From France , the group participated in the airborne assault across the Rhine , dropping paratroops over the east bank on 24 March . In addition to these airborne operations , the group reinforced ground troops in the St Lo area during the breakthrough in July 1944 ; provided supplies for Third Army during its drive across France in Aug , an action for which the group was cited by the French Government ; and resupplied troops at Bastogne in December 1944 in the effort to stop the German offensive in the Ardennes . Also engaged in numerous transport missions , hauling mail , rations , clothing , and other supplies from England to bases in France and Germany , and evacuating the Allied wounded . After V - E Day , transported gasoline to Allied forces in Germany and evacuated prisoners of war to relocation centers in France and Holland . Returned to the US , July – August 1945 . Trained with C - 46 ' s . Inactivated on 31 July 1946 . Cold War . Trained with airborne troops after moving to South Carolina in February 1946 . Activated in the Reserve in March 1947 , but possibly not manned from March 1947 until July 1949 , after creation of the 434th Troop Carrier Wing . Called to active duty during the Korean War . Airlifted and exercised with Army paratroops , May 1951 – January 1953 . Also provided C - 46 combat crew training in support of Far East requirements , September 1952 – January 1953 . Remanned in the Reserve in February 1953 . Trained , using C - 46s as primary training aircraft to January 1957 and C - 119s until 1959 when inactivated due to implementation of Tri - Deputate organization by 434th TCW . Modern era . Activated as 434th Operations Group when Objective Wing organization implemented by 434th Wing on 1 August 1992 . Performed air refueling missions worldwide since August 1992 . Deployed personnel and aircraft periodically since late 1993 to Italy and other western European locations in support of NATO operations in the Balkans .