442d Operations Group The 442d Operations Group is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit . It is the flying component of the Tenth Air Force 442d Fighter Wing , stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base , Missouri . The unit ' s World War II predecessor unit , the 442d Troop Carrier Group was a C - 47 Skytrain transport unit assigned to Ninth Air Force s in Western Europe . The 442d TCG group carried 82nd Airborne paratroopers into France for the 6 June 1944 , D - Day invasion . In September 1944 , the 442d flew units of the 101st Airborne into Belgium during Operation Market Garden . After D - Day , the 442d TCG flew resupply missions , hauled freight , and evacuated casualties in support of the Allied efforts in France and Belgium . While continuing its transport duties until V - E Day , it also released gliders filled with troops in the airborne assault across the Rhine River in March 1945 , carried supplies to ground forces in Germany during April and May , and evacuated liberated prisoners of war . Units . The 442d Operations Group ( Tail Code : KC ) , operates A - 10 Thunderbolt II Aircraft . History . World War II . The 442d trained in the United States with C - 47 Skytrain and C - 53 aircraft , then moved to England in March 1944 for duty with Ninth Air Force . The 442d was a group of Ninth Air Force ' s 50th Troop Carrier Wing , IX Troop Carrier Command . The Douglas C - 47 / C - 53 Skytrains of the group did not move in until 12 / 13 June although elements of the group had visited RAF Weston Zoyland during the precceding weeks . With 50 C - 47s on the airfield , there was a shortage of aircraft standings and , while many aircraft were parked on the turf , additional PSP standings were put down in case of wet weather . Haulage of freight to the Continent and casualty evacuation occupied the 442d until mid - July when the air echelons of three squadrons ( 303rd , 304th , 305th ) were sent to Follonica airfield in Italy from where they look part in the air drops for the invasion of southern France in August . In their absence , the 306th TCS continued with air haulage to and from France , being temporarily based at RAF Ramsbury for two weeks prior to the return of the MTO detachment on 24 August . For Operation " Market " , the 442d TCG air echelon moved to an advanced base at RAF Chilbolton to give better range and operated temporarily as part of 53rd TCW . The group suffered 13 crew casualties and lost 10 C - 47s during the missions in support of the air operations over Holland , all of which were flown from Chilbolton . It was then hack to supply carrying until the group was alerted that it would be going to its Advanced Landing Ground ( ALG ) Peray Airfield ( ALG A - 44 ) France . The main party moved out between 4 / 6 October , the 442d being the last of the 50th TCW groups to leave its English base . In France , the group flew resupply missions , hauled freight , and evacuated casualties in support of the Allied effort to breach the Siegfried Line . While continuing its transport duties until V - E Day , it also released gliders filled with troops in the airborne assault across the Rhine River in March 1945 , carried supplies to ground forces in Germany during April and May , and evacuated liberated prisoners of war . The group flew air transport missions throughout Europe and the Middle East until inactivated in 1946 . Air Force Reserve . Trained in the Reserve as a troop carrier group , June 1949 – March 1951 . Ordered to active service on 10 March 1951 , the group inactivated two days later , its personnel being distributed to other USAF organizations . Served as a Reserve troop carrier group again from June 1952 to April 1959 . Activated as an A - 10 fighter group in October 1982 . Trained for such missions as close air support , anti - armor operations , battlefield interdiction , and combat search and rescue . On a recurring basis beginning in December 1993 , deployed personnel and aircraft to Aviano AB , Italy , to participate in operations over Bosnia . Deployed aircraft and personnel to Kuwait in support of Operation Southern Watch , September – October 1998 .