363d Air Expeditionary Operations Group The 363d Air Expeditionary Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit . It was last assigned to the 363d Air Expeditionary Wing , stationed at Prince Sultan AB , Saudi Arabia . It was inactivated on 24 August 2003 . History . The 363d Air Expeditionary Operations Group has its origins to World War II 363d Fighter Group , being activated on 1 August 1943 at Hamilton Field , California . Initially a IX Fighter Command tactical fighter group , the unit was credited with 41 victories but lost 43 of its own aircraft in the process . The pressing need for tactical aerial reconnaissance during the Normandy Campaign led the group to be converted to a photo - reconnaissance Group with the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group being formed at Le Mans , France in late 1944 . The 363d TRG was the ' eyes ' of General George S . Patton ' s Third Army during its advance through France , and later during the Allied invasion of Germany in 1945 . Reactivated in 1948 , the 363d TRG flew photographic , electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces during the early years of the Cold War . During the modern era , the unit was reactivated in 1993 as part of the USAF Objective Wing organization as the 363d Operations Group , and in Southwest Asia as the 363d Expeditionary Operations Group , flying a variety of fighter aircraft ( F - 16 , A - 10 , F - 15 and others ) on operational missions . World War II . 363d Fighter Group . The 363d Training Group has its origins as the 363d Fighter Group , being activated on 1 August 1943 at Hamilton AAFld , California . The original fighter squadrons ( 380th , 381st , 382d ) trained with Bell P - 39 Airacobra s at Hamilton and other airfields in California and served as part of the air defense force . The group moved to England in December 1943 for duty with the Ninth Air Force . At RAF Keevil , the group was re - equipped with North American P - 51 Mustang in January 1944 and entered combat in February . Squadron designations were changed to 160th ( A9 ) , 161st ( B3 ) and 162d ( C3 ) Fighter Squadrons and assigned Fuselage Codes . The group escorted bombers and fighter - bombers to targets in France , Germany , and the Low Countries ; strafed and dive - bombed trains , marshalling yards , bridges , vehicles , airfields , troops , gun positions , and other targets on the Continent . The 363d supported the D - Day invasion of Normandy in June 1944 by escorting troop carriers and gliders and by attacking enemy positions near the front lines , and moved to the Continent at the end of June to take part in the Allied drive to the German border . In the two weeks following D - Day , the 363d experienced the most fruitful period of its service in the European Theater of Operations when patrols over France brought it actions with a total of 19 confirmed victories . However , a similar number of Mustangs were lost , albeit mostly to ground fire . During operations from England , the group was credited with 41 victories but lost 43 of its own aircraft in the process . 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group . On the continent , the 363d was reorganized into a Reconnaissance group flying the F - 5 photo - reconnaissance version of the P - 38 Lightning and the F - 6 photo - reconnaissance version of the P - 51 Mustang at Le Mans airfield , France ( A - 35 ) . The 380th , 381st and 382nd squadrons were redesignated as the 160th , 161st and 162nd Reconnaissance Squadrons respectively . The group flew photographic missions to support both air and ground operations ; directed fighter - bombers to railway , highway , and waterway traffic , bridges , gun positions , troop concentrations , and other opportune targets ; adjusted artillery fire ; and took photographs to assess results of Allied bombardment operations . It received two Belgian citations for reconnaissance activities , including the group ' s support of the assault on the Siegfried Line and its participation in the Battle of the Bulge ( December 1944 – January 1945 ) . The 363d assisted Ninth Army ' s drive across the Rhine and deep into Germany during the period from February 1945 to V - E Day , eventually being stationed at Wiesbaden , Germany ( Y - 80 ) at the end of hostilities in May The 363d returned to the United States in December 1945 and was inactivated on 11 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer , New Jersey . Cold War . The 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was reactivated on 29 July 1946 at Brooks AAFld , Texas . Equipped initially with two squadrons ( 161st & 162d Reconnaissance Squadron ) flying Lockheed FP - 80A Shooting Stars for daylight ( 161st RS ) and Douglas FA - 26C Invaders ( 162d RS ) for night reconnaissance . In June 1948 , the FP - 80A was redesignated the RF - 80A , and the FA - 26C to RB - 26C . The FA / RB - 26C was a B - 26 with all guns removed and cameras installed throughout the aircraft . Additionally , aircraft intended for night reconnaissance were equipped with photo flash bombs . Some aircraft were also modified for electronic reconnaissance with the installation of radar and signal intelligence gathering equipment . The FP / RF - 80A was an F - 80A , with a longer and deeper nose to house cameras in place of the guns in the nose of the aircraft . After the end of the Korean War , the RF - 80As were partially brought up to F - 80C standards . These RF - 80Cs had improved camera installations in a nose of modified contour The group was placed under the newly activated 363d Reconnaissance Wing on 15 August 1947 . It was reassigned to Langley AAFld , Virginia in December 1947 by the newly established USAF . It was redesignated the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 27 August 1948 . For budgetary reasons unit was inactivated on 26 April 1949 , however it was again activated on 1 September 1950 at Langley . Due to the pressing needs of Far East Air Forces in Japan the 162nd TRS , flying RB - 26s , and the photo - processing 363d Reconnaissance Technical Squadron ( RTS ) were reassigned from Langley to Itazuke AB Japan for Korean War service and began operations in August 1950 as part of the 543rd Tactical Support Group . On 1 April 1951 , the 363d TRG was transferred to Shaw AFB , South Carolina . The group ' s mission was to fly photographic , electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces . In 1954 , the RF - 84F Thunderflash was assigned to the 363d TRG . The RF - 84F was the photographic reconnaissance version of the F - 84F Thunderstreak . It had many components in common with the F - 84F , but differed in having the jet engine fed by a pair of wing root air intakes , the nose being taken up by a bank of cameras . The USAF was in need of a replacement for its aging Lockheed RF - 80 Shooting Star unarmed reconnaissance aircraft , and concluded that the F - 84F with its wing root air intakes made a good camera - carrying reconnaissance aircraft . The aircraft camera bay in the nose could accommodate up to six cameras in forward - facing , trimetrogen and individual oblique and vertical installations . The vertical camera bay had hydraulically operated retractable doors , and behind these doors was an aperture for a vertical viewfinder with a periscope presentation on the cockpit panel . Photoflash ejectors could be carried in underwing tanks for nighttime photographic reconnaissance missions . Deliveries of the RF - 84F Thunderflash began in March 1954 , with the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing being the first USAF recipient . The service life of the RF - 84F with the 363d TRW was relatively short , and were replaced by the McDonnell RF - 101 Voodoo aircraft in 1957 / 1958 . The first USAF RB - 66Bs were issued to the 9th TRS in January 1956 . They replaced the obsolescent RB - 26 Invader for night reconnaissance missions . Two more squadrons were equipped with RB - 66Bs by the end of the year . The RB - 66B very soon became the primary night photographic reconnaissance weapon system of the Tactical Air Command . In addition to the RB - 66B , RB - 66C models entered service with the 9th TRS in February 1956 . RB - 66C models carried additional ECM equipment in wingtip pods . Chaff dispensing pods could be carried underneath the wing outboard of the engine nacelles . Later examples had the tail turret removed and replaced by additional ECM equipment installed in an extended tailcone . After the tail guns were removed , the gunner ' s position was usually left empty unless occupied by an instructor pilot or instructor navigator . In January 1953 , the USAF had asked McDonnell to develop an unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the F - 101 Voodoo as a possible replacement for the Republic RF - 84F Thunderflash . The first RF - 101A was delivered to the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 6 May 1957 as a replacement for the subsonic RF - 84F . The RF - 101A had a redesigned and longer nose housing four cameras designed for low - altitude photography . In addition , two high - altitude cameras were mounted behind the cockpit in place of the ammunition boxes of the fighter variant . In September 1957 , the RF - 101C began deliveries to Shaw . The C model combined the strengthened structure of the F - 101C with the camera installation of the RF - 101A . In addition , the RF - 101C differed from the RF - 101A in being able to accommodate a centerline nuclear weapon , so that it could carry out a secondary nuclear strike mission if ever called upon to do so . The RF - 101Cs served for a brief time alongside the RF - 101A , but quickly replaced them by May 1958 . In a reorganization on 8 February 1958 , the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were assigned directly to the 363d TRW . Modern era . On 1 May 1992 , the 363d Operations Group ( 363 OG ) was activated as a result of the 363d Fighter Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization . Upon activation , the 363 OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group . The 36th OG was assigned the Fighter Squadrons of the Wing upon activation . All aircraft carried the " SW " Tail Code . With the closure of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base South Carolina and the inactivation of the 354th Fighter Wing , the 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated at Shaw and received 30 Republic A / OA - 10 Thunderbolt II s from the inactivating 355th Fighter Squadron on 1 April 1992 . All A - 10 aircraft with the 21st TFS were designated as OA - 10A . As a result of the August 1992 destruction of Homestead AFB Florida by Hurricane Andrew in September 1992 , the 31st Fighter Wing ' s 309th Fighter Squadron was initially evacuated to Shaw AFB prior to the hurricane making landfall . With Homestead unusable for an extended period after the hurricane , on 1 October 1992 the squadron was permanently assigned to the 363 OG . The 33rd TRS was inactivated on 15 November 1993 . Its F - 16C / D aircraft were transferred to the Air National Guard . As a result of the end of the Cold War , the Air Force made several dramatic changes with the inactivation and re - designation of wings and their units . The 363d OG and all of its squadrons were inactivated on 1 January 1994 , being replaced at Shaw by the 20th Operations Group , being reassigned to Shaw from RAF Upper Heyford , England . The 363d Expeditionary Operations Group ( 363 EOG ) was activated on 1 December 1998 when the United States Air Force inactivated all MAJCOM wings . The 363 EOG was the primary United States Air Force Air Expeditionary Group responsible for Operation SOUTHERN WATCH ( OSW ) , which involved patrolling the Southern No - Fly Zone over Iraq below the 33rd Parallel . The Wing was inactivated after the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom when all American combat forces left Saudi Arabia in 2003 Components . Expeditionary Squadrons *