440th Operations Group The 440th Operations Group is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit . It is the flying component of the Twenty - Second Air Force 440th Airlift Wing , stationed at Pope Air Force Base , North Carolina . The unit ' s World War II predecessor unit , the 440th Troop Carrier Group was a C - 47 Skytrain transport unit assigned to Ninth Air Force in Western Europe . The 440th TCG dropped paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division near Carentan on the Cotentin Peninsula of France on 6 June 1944 and by transporting gasoline , ammunition , food , and other supplies to the same area on 7 June , being awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for completing these missions during the Invasion of Normandy . Units . The 440th Operations Group ( Tail Stripe Bragg - Pope ) consists of the following units flying C - 130 Hercules aircraft : History . World War II . Trained in the US and moved to England , February – March 1944 , for duty with Ninth Air Force 50th Troop Carrier Wing , IX Troop Carrier Command . Began operations by dropping paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division near Carentan on the Cotentin Peninsula on 6 June 1944 and by transporting gasoline , ammunition , food , and other supplies to the same area on 7 June , being awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for completing these missions during the invasion of Normandy . Began flying supply and evacuation missions between England and France after the invasion of the Continent . In July 1944 most of the group was sent to Italy where it transported supplies to Rome until August 1944 . The " detachment " in Italy participated in the invasion of southern France , dropping paratroops of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment near Le Muy on 15 August and towing gliders carrying reinforcements to that area later in the day . Meanwhile those remaining in England continued to haul cargo , and on 10 August 1944 dropped supplies to an infantry battalion encircled at Mortain in northern France . The detachment returned to England on 25 August 1944 . The air echelon moved to France on 11 September 1944 , but returned immediately to England to participate in the airborne invasion of Holland . Dropped paratroops of the 82d Airborne Division near Groesbeek on 17 September 1944 and released gliders with reinforcements on 18 and 23 September By the end of Sep , the entire group had completed the move to France . On 26 December 1944 , during the Battle of the Bulge , the group hauled gliders filled with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division encircled at Bastogne . In March 1945 it towed gliders with troops of the 17th Airborne Division to the battle area near Wesel during the airborne assault across the Rhine . Between 21 April and 14 May 1945 , the group ' s air echelon operated from Conflans , France , to be closer to the front . The group transported food , clothing , medical supplies , gasoline , ammunition , and other cargo to the front lines and evacuated casualties to rear - zone hospitals . After the war transported liberated prisoners and displaced persons . Inactivated in Europe on 18 October 1945 . Air Force Reserve . Activated in the US on 3 September 1947 . Trained for troop carrier operations in the Reserve . Became part of the 440th Troop Carrier Wing when it activated in June 1949 . Called to active duty on 1 May 1951 and inactivated four days later with its personnel and equipment being reassigned to other units as a result of the Korean War . Activated again in the Reserve as a Fighter - Bomber Group the following year . Transitioned from fighter aircraft to C - 119s , beginning in April 1957 . In November 1957 the 440th Wing and the 95th Squadron moved on paper to Wisconsin , leaving the 440th Group and the 96th Squadron in Minnesota . The Group inactivated on 14 April 1959 as a result of the Tri - Deputate organization implementation . Activated on 1 August 1992 . Personnel participated in exercises , humanitarian and other airlift missions , worldwide .