436th Operations Group The 436th Operations Group is an active United States Air Force unit . It is the flying component of the Eighteenth Air Force 436th Airlift Wing , stationed at Dover Air Force Base , Delaware . The unit ' s World War II predecessor unit , the 436th Troop Carrier Group was a C - 47 Skytrain transport unit assigned to Ninth Air Force in Western Europe . The group earned the Distinguished Unit Citation for its first missions 6 – 7 June , the Normandy Invasion . On subsequent missions the 436th dropped troops and supplies and inserted gliders into Southern France and the Netherlands . In March 1945 , the unit was a part of the Allied push across the Rhine and into Germany ' s heartland . Following the war , the 436th evacuated patients and prisoners of war until it was inactivated in November 1945 . Overview . The 436OG consists of two flying squadrons , the 3d and 9th Airlift Squadron s , and the Operations Support Squadron . It trains on its 18 assigned Lockheed C - 5 Galaxy aircraft , known as " the free world ' s largest airlifter , " and two Boeing C - 17 Globemaster III aircraft . History . World War II . The 436th trained for duty in Europe with the Ninth Air Force during 1943 . It continued training in England from January – May 1944 . The group began combat operations in June 1944 and participated in five major airborne operation s by May 1945 . The 436th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its Operation Neptune missions , which were flown during the Normandy invasion ; dropping paratroop s of 101st Airborne Division inland from the Utah beachhead early on 6 June ; releasing 82nd Airborne Division gliders with reinforcement troops and supplies in the evening of D - Day ; and carrying out re - supply drops and glider delivery the following day . The group ' s aircraft flew supplies into Normandy as soon as suitable landing strips were available , evacuating casualties to England on their return flights . They also picked up undamaged gliders on the coast . In July 1944 , the group deployed 49 aircraft and crews to Italy to take part in the invasion of southern France , Operation Dragoon , releasing gliders carrying 82nd Airborne Division paratroops in the assault area on 15 August . It flew several resupply missions to France and then dropped supplies to Allied forces in Italy . The deployed element returned to England late in August , and in September the group carried out airborne operations over the Netherlands , dropping paratroops of 101st Airborne Division and releasing gliders with reinforcements of troops and equipment during Operation Market Garden . At the end of December 1944 , the group flew missions during Operation Repulse , the re - supply of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge . It towed gliders to Wesel on 24 March 1945 to provide troops for the airborne assault across the Rhine , Operation Varsity . Further , it carried gasoline to the front lines and evacuated patients , 30 – 31 March . The 436th also flew transport missions almost daily when not engaged in airborne operations , hauling such things as gasoline , ammunition , medical supplies , rations , clothing , and evacuated the wounded to hospitals in England and France . After V - E Day , the group continued to evacuate patients and prisoners of war , and flew practice missions with French paratroops before being redeployed to the U . S . and inactivated . Cold War . Trained primarily with C - 47s in the Reserves June 1949 – April 1951 , ordered to active service during Korean War and inactivated almost immediately , personnel serving as fillers for other USAF units . Trained again in the Reserves , 1955 – 1958 , being inactivated when parent unit adopted Air Force Tri - Deputate organization . Modern era . Activated in 1991 when 436 AW implemented the Objective Organization Plan , assigning all operational flying squadrons to Operations Group . Began flying worldwide airlift , including mail and other high priority cargo , aero - medical evacuation , personnel transport , and humanitarian and diplomatic missions . Served as the only combat - ready C - 5 unit capable of airdrop and special operations procedures in support of tactical forces and national objectives . Provided special mortuary airlift missions from Iraq and Afghanistan 2001 to present . Provided strategic global airlift capability for the worldwide support of contingency and emergency war plans required to support Department of Defense objectives . This was expertly demonstrated by its support in airlifting troops , equipment and supplies in response to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks . The 436 OG functions as the " big horses " in the logistics chain for the war on terrorism and is currently playing a major role in aerial resupply for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom .