305th Operations Group The 305th Operations Group ( 305th OG ) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing . It is stationed at Joint Base McGuire - Dix - Lakehurst , New Jersey . During World War II , the group ' s predecessor unit , the 305th Bombardment Group was one of the first VIII Bomber Command B - 17 Flying Fortress units in England and was one of the most decorated USAAF heavy bombardment groups in the European Theater . 1st Lt William R . Lawley , Jr . and 1st Lt Edward S . Michael , pilots in the 364th Bomb Squadron , each received the Medal of Honor . While commanded by Colonel Curtis LeMay the Group pioneered many bomber flying formations and bombing procedures that became the standard operating procedures in the Eighth Air Force . It suffered the heaviest loss of 14 October 1943 Schweinfurt – Regensburg mission , and for this reason was given the Nazi flag found flying in the city when it was captured by the US troops in April 1945 . Overview . The mission of the 305th Operations Group is to deploy worldwide from Air Mobility Command ' s Eastern Gateway , Joint Base McGuire - Dix - Lakehurst ( JB MDL ) , to perform aerial refueling and airlift , in support of tactical , strategic , reconnaissance , transport , and bombardment forces in high - threat and chemical warfare environments . The group flies the C - 17 Globemaster III and KC - 10 Extender in support of worldwide operations . Components . The group comprises the following squadrons : History . World War II . Activated 1 March 1942 at Salt Lake City AB , Utah . They trained there until 2 March 1943 . Then moved to Geiger Field , Washington on 11 June 1942 Intensive training at Muroc Lake AB , California from the 29t to 20 June August 1942 . The ground unit went by train to at Fort Dix , New Jersey . The ground unit sailed on the Queen Mary on 5 September 1942 , and disembarked from Greenock on 12 September 1942 . the Aircraft assembled at Syracuse , New York and spent six weeks in advance flight training . They received new B - 17F bombers , and left for the United Kingdom in October 1942 via the presque Isle , and Gander to Prestwick . Deployed to England in September 1942 and formed at RAF Grafton Underwood as part of VIII Bomber Command 40th Bombardment Wing . Was assigned group tail code " Triangle - G " . At Grafton Underwood , the group began combat on 17 November 1942 and attacked such targets as submarine pens , docks , harbours , shipyards , motor works , and marshalling yards in France , Germany , and the Low Countries . During December 1942 , the group was transferred to RAF Chelveston . On 27 January 1943 , the group participated in the Eighth Air Force ' s first raid on Germany . During the winter of 1942 / 43 , the 305th was commanded by Colonel Curtis LeMay and pioneered many of the techniques of daylight bombing used by the USAAF over Nazi - controlled Europe . These fundamental procedures and techniques were later adapted to the B - 29 Super Fortresses which fought the war to its conclusion in the Pacific . The 305th BG bombed the navy yards at Wilhelmshaven on 27 January 1943 when heavy bombers of Eighth AF made their first penetration into Germany . Through mid - 1943 , the group attacked strategic targets as submarine pens , docks , harbors , shipyards , motor works , and marshaling yards in France , Germany , and the Low Countries . The 305th BG received the Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on April 1943 when an industrial target in Paris was bombed with precision in spite of pressing enemy fighter attacks and heavy flak . During the second half of 1943 , the unit began deeper penetration into enemy territory to strike heavy industry . Significant objectives included aluminum , magnesium , and nitrate works in Norway , industries in Berlin , oil plants at Merseburg , aircraft factories at Anklam , shipping at Gdynia , and ball - bearing works at Schweinfurt . A second Distinguished Unit Citation was awarded to the 305th for withstanding severe opposition to bomb aircraft factories in central Germany on 11 January 1944 . The unit participated in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week , 20 – 25 February 1944 . In addition to bombardment of strategic targets , the 305th BG often flew tactical interdictory missions and supported infantry units . Prior to the Normandy invasion in June 1944 , it helped to neutralize enemy installations such as V - weapon sites , airfields , and repair shops . On D - Day , 6 June , the unit bombed enemy strongholds near the battle area . During the Battle of Normandy the 305th attacked enemy positions in advance of ground forces at Saint - Lô in July 1944 and struck antiaircraft batteries to cover the airborne invasion of Holland in September . After V - E Day , the 305th moved to St Trond Air Base , Belgium in July 1945 where it conducted photo - mapping flights which was called Project : Casey Jones over Europe and North Africa . On 15 December 1945 moved to Lechfeld , Germany which they had bombed on 18 March 1944 . The 364th Bomb Squadron was inactivated on 1 July 1946 . The 423 Bomb Squadron of the 306th Bomb Group was attached to the Group after this date but by the end of October 1946 the Group ceased all operations . Officially the unit was inactivated on 25 December 1946 . On the Continent it was assigned to Ninth Air Force and inactivated on 15 November 1945 . Cold War . Not operational from 16 October - 25 December 1946 . During two periods of activation , between July 1947 and September 1948 and between January 1951 and June 1952 , the group was manned only from 2 January - 9 February 1951 when the Air Force reorganized its wings into the tri - deputate system . Modern era . On 1 September 1991 , the 305th Operations Group activated under the " Objective Wing " concept adapted by the Air Force as the lines between tactical and strategic forces blurred . The flying components of the 305th Air Refueling Wing were reassigned to the newly established group . Upon activation , the 305 OG was bestowed the history , lineage and honors of the 305th Bombardment Group from the wing . The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure ( BRAC ) directed realignment of Grissom AFB to the Air Force Reserve and the 305th OG phased out operations there in 1994 . The KC - 135R equipped 70th and 305th ARS were inactivated . In addition , the EC - 135G / L radio relay aircraft as part of the PACCS system were also retired . The 305th was moved without personnel or equipment to McGuire AFB , New Jersey , replacing the 438th Operations Group on 1 October 1994 . At McGuire , the group controls three squadrons of Boeing C - 17A Globemaster III transports and Douglas KC - 10A Extender air refueling aircraft .