405th Air Expeditionary Operations Group The 405th Air Expeditionary Operations Group ( 405 AEOG ) is the flying component of the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing . It is a provisional unit assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . Its current status and location is undisclosed . The group ' s World War II predecessor unit , the 405th Fighter Group was assigned to Ninth Air Force in England , flying its first combat mission on 1 May 1944 . The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission in France on 24 September 1944 ; answering a request from Third Army for support near Laneuveville - en - Saulnois , two squadrons flying on instruments through rain and dense overcast , were directed by ground control toward a furious tank battle where , in spite of severe ground fire , one squadron repeatedly bombed and strafed enemy tanks ; the second squadron , unable to find this target because of the weather , attacked a convoy of trucks and armored vehicles ; later the same day , the third squadron hit warehouses and other buildings and silenced ground opposition in the area . It flew its last mission in early May 1945 . Overview . The 405 AEOG is believed to control Boeing B - 1B Lancer and B - 52 Stratofortress operations over combat areas in the Middle East and Central Asia as part of the Global War on Terrorism . Aircraft and personnel are drawn from both CONUS - based units as well as units assigned to USAFE or PACAF on regular deployment cycles . The group ' s organization structure has not been disclosed . History . World War II . The 405th Fighter Group was a fighter bomber unit of the United States Army Air Force in World War II . They group flew P - 47 Thunderbolts in the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) starting with the buildup to the Invasion of Normandy ( " D - Day " ) through the end of the war in Europe . The 405th was a unit of the Ninth Air Force , IX Fighter Command , IX Tactical Air Command , 84th Fighter Wing . The 405th was primarily assigned to support Patton ' s Third Army . The group consisted of the 509th , 510th , and 511th Fighter Squadrons , plus headquarters elements . The group consisted of 73 aircraft . The 405th Bombardment Group ( Dive ) was organized on 4 February 1943 , at Drew Field near Tampa , Florida , and activated on 1 March 1943 . The group was initially equipped with a few Douglass Dauntless and Curtis Helldiver dive bomber s . The group gained some P - 39 Airacobra s before they left Drew . The group was redisignated as the 405th Fighter Bomber Group on 15 August 1943 . In September 1943 the group moved to Walterboro , South Carolina . In Walterboro the group was outfitted with the original " razorback " design P - 47 Thunderbolts . In February 1944 the group moved by train to a point of embarkation ( POE ) camp near New York City . The group soon embarked the RMS " Mauritania for transport to England . After six days at sea , two of them in hurricane conditions , the group disembarked in Liverpool . The group traveled by train to Southampton then via lorrie to Christchurch , Dorset . From March to 29 June 1944 , the 405th operated out of the RAF Christchurch . After setting up camp and training over England , the group began combat operations over France . During this period their primary task was ground attack ahead of the coming Operation Overlord invasion of Normandy . The group disrupted German positions and transportation infrastructure . Train locomotives were a favorite target . The group destroyed the Seine River bridge at Mantes - Gassicourt , northeast of Paris , just before the invasion , to inhibit movement of German materiel . The group was grounded during the 6 June invasion activities because Allied command was concerned that inexperienced anti - aircraft batteries would mistake P - 47s for the German FW - 190 . The 405th resumed flying on 10 June , providing close air support to the beachhead . On 18 June 1944 , the group was redesignated to the 405th Fighter Group . A few weeks after the invasion , the 405th packed up and moved to a POE near Southampton . While encamped at Christchurch , the Group officers bivouaced in Bure Homage , an English manor adjacent to the airfield that was requisitioned by the British Ministry of Defence for the war . The group ' s most notable action was the destruction of an entire German armored division near the town of Avaranches , France on 29 July 1944 . After immobilizing leading and trailing elements of the 3 mile ( 4 . 8 km ) long column , the rest of the tanks and trucks were systematically destroyed with multiple sorties . The 405th also accepted the surrender of the highly decorated Luftwaffe ace , Hans Rudel , and his officers at the end of the war . Cold War . The 405th Fighter - Bomber Wing and Group were activated on 1 December 1952 at Godman AFB , Kentucky . The 405th was an active - duty replacement for the Federalized New Jersey Air National Guard 108th Strategic Fighter Group which returned to state control after its activation during the Korean War . When activated the group redesignated the ANG 141st , 149th , and 153d Strategic Fighter Squadrons as the 509th , 510th , and 511th Fighter - Bomber Squadrons in numerical order . Initially equipped with F - 47Ds and F - 47N Thunderbolt s inherited from the Air National Guard , the 405th being the last active duty USAF Thunderbolt fighter group . On 1 May 1953 , the F - 47s were withdrawn and sent to AMARC , and the 405th was reassigned to Langley AFB , Virginia due to the programmed closing of Godman AFB on 1 September . At Langley , the 405th replaced the provisional 4430th Air Base Wing and was re - equipped with Republic F - 84F Thunderstreak jet aircraft . Also attached to the group was the 422d Bombardment Squadron with B - 26 Invader light bombers ( 1 May – 20 December 1953 ) and the 429th Air Refueling Squadron ( 19 July 1954 – 8 October 1957 ) with KB - 29 Superfortress tankers . The group was heavily involved with operational training of TAC Thunderstreak pilots , both in gunnery and tactical bombardment , along with providing firepower demonstrations . The wing was committed to the TAC concept of the Composite Air Strike Force ( CASF ) , which was , in part , to be prepared for rapid worldwide deployments . In September 1955 the 405th participated in Operation Mobile Able , a transatlantic exercise from Langley AFB to RAF Burtonwood , England . This was followed by Operation Sharkbait , which used McGuire AFB , New Jersey as a staging base en route to RAF Wethersfield , England . Replaced F - 84Fs with North American F - 100 Super Sabre in December 1956 , becoming TAC ' s first F - 100 unit . Inactivated on 8 October 1957 when 405th FBW adopted Tri - Deputate organization plan and assigned all operational squadrons directly to the Wing . Modern era . Reactivated as a provisional Air Expeditionary Operations Group after the 9 / 11 / 2001 terrorist attacks assigned to the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing , as part of Air Combat Command United States Air Forces Central . Assigned B - 1B Lancer and possibly B - 52H Stratofortress aircraft , along with various tankers . The unit engaged in combat operations during Operation Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) in 2001 , and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 . During the first phase of Operation Iraqi Freedoms " Shock and Awe " campaign , the 405th launched 10 aircraft and struck all their 240 planned targets with Global Positioning System - guided JDAMS 2 , 000 - pound bombs . Since then , the unit conducted almost daily bombing missions as well as responding to calls for close air support from ground units . Currently , it is believed that the unit is stationed at Thumrait AB , Oman . Its current mission and operational components are undetermined , however it appears to be flying strategic bombers and support aircraft supporting friendly ground forces in combat areas of operations .