48th Operations Group The 48th Operations Group ( 48 OG ) is the flying component of the 48th Fighter Wing , assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe . The group is stationed at RAF Lakenheath , England . Assigned Units . The 48th Operations Group ( Tail Code : LN ) consists of three flying squadrons of F - 15C / D / E aircraft capable of accomplishing fighter operations worldwide and one operations support squadron . Prepares aircrew and support personnel to accomplish USAFE , U . S . European Command and NATO war plans and contingency operations . Provides equipment , training , scheduling , analysis , weather , intelligence , standardization and evaluation , and command and control for an efficient flying operation . History . World War II . On 15 January 1941 , the United States Army Air Corps activated the 48th Bombardment Group ( Light ) at Hunter Field , Savannah , Georgia . On the same date , the Air Corps assigned the group ' s operational units : the 55th , 56th , and 57th Bombardment Squadrons ( Light ) and the 9th Reconnaissance Squadron ( Light ) . These activations resulted from the buildup of military forces known as the " First Aviation Objective , " in which the Air Corps activated 54 combat groups to prepare for the looming Second World War . Initially the 48th and its four flying squadrons served as a training unit , preparing its pilots and maintenance crews for eventual combat . After training , many of the group ' s members went on to serve in squadrons stationed in Europe and the Pacific , while the 48th remained in the states . Over the next two years the group moved from Hunter Field to Will Rogers Field , Oklahoma , back to Savannah , Georgia , then on to Key Field , Mississippi ; William Northern Field , Tennessee ; and Walterboro Army Airfield , South Carolina . Initially the men of the 48th trained with A - 20 and A - 18 twin - engine attack , light bombers . After moving to Key Field , the group used A - 24 , A - 31 , A - 35 , and A - 36 aircraft for training . While at Key Field , on 15 August 1943 , the group was redesignated the 48th Fighter - Bomber Group . The flying squadrons were redesignated the 492d , 493d , 494th , and 495th Fighter - Bomber Squadrons . Five days after these organizational changes , the 48th moved again , this time back to William Northern Field , Tennessee . With this move , the 48th abandoned its training mission and served strictly as an operational unit , flying in maneuvers with its first fighters , the P - 39 Airacobra and P - 40 Warhawk . In early 1944 , after years of training and flying across the US , the 48th returned to the East Coast . At first the group conducted coastal patrol missions and training in the single - seat fighter it would use throughout World War II , the P - 47 Thunderbolt . After three months in South Carolina , the group moved up to Camp Shanks , New York and prepared for its embarkation to Europe . On 21 March 1944 , the men of the 48th Fighter - Bomber Group boarded the RMS Queen Mary , bound for an unknown and uncertain service in World War II . After a week of sea travel , the contingent arrived at Gourock , Scotland . From there they traveled by train for two days to their first overseas base , RAF Ibsley in Southern England and was assigned to the Ninth Air Force . The 48th flew the Republic P - 47 Thunderbolt and had the following fighter squadrons and fuselage codes : Almost immediately after their arrival , members of the 48th began a rigorous training program , flying dive - bombing , glide bombing , night flying , low - level navigation , smoke laying , reconnaissance , and patrol convoy sorties . Over the next two months , the number of sorties steadily increased and the group flew its first combat missions on 20 April 1944 — an uneventful fighter sweep of the occupied French coast . The group and squadrons underwent another name change on 30 May 1944 , dropping the designation " bomber . " Thus , the names that would remain with the units until their inactivation were the 48th Fighter Group and the 492d , 493d , and 494th Fighter Squadrons . Unknown at the time to the pilots of the 48th , all of their training was specifically designed for a campaign against the German positions in Normandy . On 6 June 1944 , the 48th participated in a massive invasion of France , which included more than 14 , 000 sorties flown by the allied air forces . The three squadrons assisted the Normandy invasion by dropping bombs on bridges and gun positions , attacking rail lines and trains , and providing visual reconnaissance reports . Over the course of the Normandy campaign , the 48th flew nearly 2 , 000 sorties , dropping nearly 500 tons of bombs and fired more than 160 , 000 rounds of ammunition With the pocket in Northern France secured , the group quickly moved into the recently conquered territory . On 18 June , the 48th moved its operations , along with the 492d and 493d Fighter Squadrons to Deux Jumeaux Airfield ( A - 4 ) , France . The 494th Fighter Squadron followed on 4 July . From Deux Jumeaux , the 48th began a mission it would continue throughout the war : providing support for the United States First Army . In late July 1944 , attacks from the air helped the First Army break through the German positions at Saint - Lô , France . In saturation attacks , the 48th struck tanks , convoys , gun positions , and ammunition dumps as the allied ground forces pushed the German army back . Keeping up with the front lines , the 48th was constantly on the move . It arrived at Villacoublay Airfield ( A - 42 ) , France , on 29 August , Cambrai / Niergnies Airfield ( A - 47 ) , France , on 15 September , and Sint - Truiden Airfield ( A - 92 ) , Belgium , on 30 September . The 48th twice received the honor of being mentioned in Belgium ' s " Order of the Day " and assisted in the attack of German positions in the Netherlands . One of the 48th ' s most memorable attacks took place on 6 December 1944 . Despite difficult weather and heavy enemy fire , the 48th ' s pilots struck German buildings and troop concentrations in Julich , Germany , allowing ground forces to advance into the sector and earning the 48th a Distinguished Unit Citation . Two weeks later , the group was called on to hold back a massive German assault in the " Battle of the Bulge . " The 48th flew under heavy weather with its allies as the German military committed its forces in an all - out assault . Often flying as low as 20 feet off the ground , the men of the 48th strafed ground positions , holding back the Nazi armies in their last major offensive . The Commanding Officer during this period was Col . S . Paul Latiolais . By 1945 the allies had gained nearly complete air superiority , allowing the 48th to conduct its missions at will . As the front line moved eastward , so did the 48th Fighter Group : moving into Kelz Airfield ( Y - 32 ) , Germany , on 26 March ; Kassel - Rothwesten Airfield ( R - 12 ) , Germany , on 17 April ; and Illesheim Airfield ( R - 10 ) , Germany , on 29 April . Within a week of the group arriving at Illesheim , the allied nations celebrated Victory in Europe Day . Finally , on 8 May 1945 , the 48th flew its final mission from Illesheim . Captain Troy Smith observed the ground situation : " They were in retreat by the tens of thousands . They were walking on one side of the road , guns slung over their shoulders , and our guys were on the other side of the road in convoys going the other way . At that point , I knew it was really over . " A month after the war ended , the 48th retraced its steps as it headed toward home . On 5 July 1945 , the group arrived in Laon , France . After a few weeks back in France the group received orders to return to the US . With many of the group ' s members separating at port , those remaining set up the group headquarters at Seymour Johnson Field , North Carolina and was programmed for deployment to Okinawa to take part in planned Invasion of Japan . Training discontinued after Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the sudden end of the Pacific War . Two months later on 7 November 1945 , the 48th Fighter Group and its flying squadrons inactivated as part of the massive postwar draw down . Cold War . The US increased its combat wings in the early 1950s . Under this program , on 10 July 1952 the United States Air Force redesignated the Federalized Oklahoma Air National Guard 137th Fighter - Bomber Wing at Chaumont - Semoutiers Air Base , France as the 48th Fighter - Bomber Wing . The fighter squadrons being redesignated the 492d , 493d , and 494th respectively , the 58 F - 84Gs and support aircraft of the ANG were assigned to the 48th Fighter - Bomber Group under the Hobson Plan . The 48th FBW commanded the functions of both the support groups as well as the flying combat 48th FBG . The few National Guardsmen still with the wing departed and the last were released from active duty on 9 July , although a few reserve officers remained on active duty for an additional six to twelve months . Chaumont Air Base was still largely under construction at the time of the activation of the 48th FBG and living and working conditions were primitive . The men were billeted in tents that were heated by pot - bellied stoves ; all of the roads on the base were yet unpaved and were basically mud ruts through the turf . The only hardened facilities were a concrete runway and a handful of tarpaper shacks . Within two years , the wing headed up an engineering project that resulted in the construction of permanent barracks , a wing headquarters , flightline shops , and warehouses With the F - 84 , the 48 FBG supported NATO and the United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) , activities , participating in exercises with the US Seventh Army . With the F - 84 , the wing supported the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) and United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) , and participated in exercises with the Seventh United States Army . In addition , the wing conducted operational readiness exercises and tactical evaluations . The 48th frequently deployed to Wheelus Air Base , Libya , for training in bombing and gunnery skills . In September 1953 , the 48th FBG had become so proficient with the F - 84 that it assumed the role of the " Skyblazers " aerial demonstration team in Europe from the 86th Fighter - Bomber Group and commenced flying air shows throughout Western Europe . They would continue with their F - 84Gs until the spring of 1954 when the Group ' s Tunderjets were replaced by F - 86F Sabre s . In late 1956 , the Liberty Wing became USAFE ' s first unit to convert to the F - 100 Super Sabre . However , at this time the Chaumont runway was closed for repair , which resulted in the wing deploying to Berrechid Airfield , Morocco ( near Casablanca ) , to train with its new aircraft . The group was inactivated on 8 December 1957 when its component squadrons were assigned directly to the 48th Fighter - Bomber Wing as the Air Force reorganized its wings into the tri - deputate system . Modern era . On 31 March 1992 , the 48th Operations Group was activated as a result of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization . Upon activation , the 48th OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 48th Fighter - Bomber Group and its predecessor organizations . The 48th OG was assigned the Fighter Squadrons previously assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing upon activation , all equipped with the General Dynamics F - 111 F . it phased out the F - 111 aircraft and was equipped with F - 15 aircraft , at first 2 squadrons of " E " model Strike Eagles and then later adding a full squadron of " C " & " D " model Eagles . Lakenheath began to receive its first McDonnell Douglas F - 15E Strike Eagles in 1992 . With the departure of the F - 111s , the 495th Fighter Squadron was inactivated on 13 December 1991 . On 18 December 1992 the last F - 111F departed the base . Along with the departure of the F - 111 F ' s , the 493d Fighter Squadron was also inactivated . With the pending closure of Bitburg Air Base Germany on 25 February 1994 it was decided to reactivate the 493d as an F - 15C / D squadron . Aircraft were transferred from Eglin AFB Florida and the 493d was reactivated on 1 January . The 493rd ' s arrival meant that the 48th became the largest F - 15E / F - 15C composite unit in the U . S . Air Force . In August 1998 an F - 15D ( Serial 86 – 182 ) of the 493d Fighter Squadron paid a visit to Chaumont - Semoutiers Air Base ( now called Quartier General d ' Aboville ) , France for an open house static display . This was the first time a Statue of Liberty Wing aircraft was at its original air base in almost 40 years . Balkan / Middle East Deployments . With its new weapon systems , the group began a hectic pace of deployments that would keep at least one squadron constantly deployed for nearly six years . On 5 August 1993 , the 492d Fighter Squadron conducted the wing ' s first F - 15E deployment when it went to Incirlik Air Base , Turkey , under Operation PROVIDE COMFORT ( succeeded by NORTHERN WATCH ) . Thirteen days after the 492d ' s arrival in Turkey , Iraq violated the exclusion zone by placing surface - to - air missiles outside of the city of Mosul . In spite of repeated warnings to remove the missiles , Iraqi forces failed to comply . On the afternoon of 18 August , Liberty Wing F - 15Es struck the site , eliminating the missile threat . For the remainder of the decade , the 492d and 494th continually rotated to Turkey and to Aviano Air Base , Italy , for participation in Operation DENY FLIGHT , supporting operations in the Balkans . Providing combat air patrol with F - 15Cs , the 493d also rotated planes to Turkey and Italy . This series of deployments continued into the spring of 1999 . In February 1999 , while the wing served another rotation in Turkey , acts of aggression by Serbia — the core of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia — against its Albanian population in the province of Kosovo resulted in NATO intervention , culminating in Operation ALLIED FORCE . 3 Strikes against Serbian targets began on 24 March 1999 . Within 72 hours , the 493d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron , stationed at Cervia Air Base , Italy , recorded four aerial victories over Serbian Mikoyan MiG - 29s . The 492 and 494 FS flew combat mission from RAF Lakenheath and Aviono AB , Italy , respectively , and employed all the AGM - 130 against Serbian Air Defenses . At the same time , the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron , operating from Aviano Air Base , employed its precision guided munitions — including the first combat use of a GBU - 28 Bunker Buster by an Air Force F - 15E . Starting in May , the 492d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron launched combat operations directly from RAF Lakenheath , the first sustained combat operations flown from England since World War II . During the air war over Serbia , the wing deployed 1 , 011 personnel to 18 different locations . The group ' s pilots and aircraft flew combat missions from three locations , using 69 aircraft . Those remaining at RAF Lakenheath not only made up for the work of those deployed , but also launched combat missions . Furthermore , they served as a supply point for their deployed counterparts , sending 3 , 871 tons of equipment to various locations . In all , the pilots of the 48th serving under expeditionary squadrons flew 2 , 562 sorties for more than 11 , 000 combat hours in less than three months , dropping approximately 3 million pounds of munitions and scoring four out of five confirmed Air Force aerial victories . After ALLIED FORCE , the 48th was given a chance to reconstitute its forces for the first time in six years . During this period , the wing upgraded its F - 15E fleet with new Block E - 210 models . At the same time , the wing participated in training with its NATO allies through a series of deployments across continental Europe while receiving USAFE and NATO strike evaluations , tactical evaluations , and surety inspections . Yet the wing continued to prepare for future taskings , such as its Air Expeditionary Force ( AEF ) commitments . For the first time since the Gulf War , in December 2000 , the 48th ' s flying squadrons began deploying to the desert of Southwest Asia . As part of AEFs 2 and 4 respectively , the 494th and 492d Fighter Squadrons served as Operation SOUTHERN WATCH ' s precision guided munitions squadrons based at Ahmed Al Jabar Air Base , Kuwait . The units employed several munitions against Iraqi targets , racking up 690 sorties for 1 , 229 hours for the 494th in AEF 2 and 730 sorties for 1 , 173 . 9 hours for the 492d in AEF 4 . The 48therved as the lead wing force provider for the 363d Air Expeditionary Wing at Prince Sultan Air Base , Saudi Arabia , during AEF 4 . The 493d also deployed to Prince Sultan and served as SOUTHERN WATCH ' s air superiority squadron , flying 893 sorties for 2 , 201 . 9 hours . Global War on Terrorism . After the AEF 4 redeployment in June 2001 , the 48th moved into its 10 - month training period consisting of exercises and inspections , both at home and at events such as Weapons Training Deployments . However , this period was severely interrupted by 11 September 2001 . In response , President George W . Bush initiated Operation ENDURING FREEDOM — air and ground strikes against terrorist organizations and training camps in Afghanistan . " Great harm has been done to us . We have suffered great loss . And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment . Freedom and fear are at war , " stated President Bush . As part of this operation , the 492d and 493d Fighter Squadrons deployed to support the humanitarian airlift operations from Ramstein Air Base , Germany . The F - 15C and F - 15E squadrons ensured air superiority and supremacy for C - 17 aircraft delivering humanitarian daily rations to Afghan refugees in Afghanistan . On 21 March 2003 , Operation IRAQI FREEDOM began with airstrikes and ground attacks against the Iraqi military . Nearly 500 people from the Liberty Wing served in various roles and locations . Since that time , the 48th OG has deployed to support Air Expeditionary Force commitments in Southwest Asia . In late 2006 , the 48th expanded its mission by adding the 56th Rescue Squadron and its 5 HH - 60G PAVE HAWK helicopters . The 56 RQS moved to RAF Lakenheath from NAS Keflavik , Iceland . The HH - 60G Pavehawk Helo is used in CSAR , SAR and now , in place of the retiring MH - 53 PAVELOW fleet , spec - OPS infiltration and exfiltration . The aircraft carries a crew of 4 and a total fuel capacity of 4 , 800 lbs with internal auxiliary tanks installed and 2 , 400 without , with an aerial refueling probe attached to the nose of the aircraft that can mate with a refueling drouge extended from an MC - 130 / C - 130P , which are the only aircraft capable of flying slow enough for aerial refueling of the Sikorsky 60 based aircraft .