514th Operations Group
The 514th Operations Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit, assigned to the 514th Air Mobility Wing. It is stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The first predecessor of the group was the 4th Combat Cargo Group, which served in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II Its second predecessor was first activated in the reserve in 1947 as the 514th Troop Carrier Group The group was called to active dute for the Korean War and served in the United States as a training unit for Curtiss C-46 Commando Aircraft . After the war, it returned to the reserve, serving until 1959, when it was inactivated as the reserves reorganized under the dual deputy concept. The group was again activated in 1992 under the United States Air Force's Objective Wing reorganization. The two groups were consolidated in 2001. Overview. The group is the flying component of the 514th Air Mobility Wing. The group flies aircraft assigned to the active-duty 305th Air Mobility Wing, also based at McGuire. The 514th shares the responsibility of maintaining and flying the McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. History. The  514th trained in the U.S. with Curtiss C-46 Commando and Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft before moving to India in November 1944, beginning operations in early December as part of the combined Combat Cargo Task Force. It transported reinforcements and supplies for Allied forces in Burma until May 1945. Operations included moving equipment and materials for the Ledo Road in December 1944; transporting men, mules, and boats when the Allies crossed the Ayeyarwady River in February 1945; and dropping Gurkha paratroops during the assault on Rangoon in May. The group moved to Burma in June and hauled ammunition, gasoline, mules, and  men to China until the war ended. The group trained in the Reserve for troop carrier operations, May 1947 until the establishment of the wing in 1949 and from then until February 1953 first at Birmingham Municipal Airport, Alabama under supervision of the 2587th Air Force Reserve Training Center but moved without personnel or equipment to Mitchel Air Force Base, New York during its first year. The wing was ordered to active duty in May 1951. From then until February 1953, the wing performed troop carrier missions in tactical exercises and joint training operations. It operated a C-46 Commando combat  crew training school from 15 September 1952 to 20 January 1953. Activated in the Reserve in Aug 1992 to fly strategic airlift missions. Provided trained personnel to augment active force in emergencies. Personnel assigned to its squadrons participated in contingency airlift operations, some to Africa, and in training exercises. The group also began flying air refueling missions in 1994.