19th Operations Group
The 19th Operations Group was a United States Air Force operational flying unit and the most recent successor to a historic Army Air Forces bombardment organization.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The 19th Operations Group was an operational flying organization of the United States Air Force and the most recent organizational successor to the 19th Bombardment Group, one of the oldest combat air groups in American military aviation. In its final form, the group served as the flying component of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, operating Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports for the Air Mobility Command mission. Its responsibilities included tactical and global airlift, delivery of personnel and equipment, humanitarian relief, airdrop operations, and support to contingency operations in difficult or hostile environments. The group’s lineage reaches back to the 19th Observation Group, constituted in 1927 and redesignated the 19th Bombardment Group in 1929. The organization became active at Rockwell Field, California, in 1932, initially flying Keystone B-3A bombers on coastal-defense training missions. It moved to March Field in 1935 and transitioned to Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses in 1940. In May 1941, crews from the group completed a notable mass ferry operation, flying 21 B-17s from California to Hawaii to equip another Army Air Forces formation. The group entered the Pacific theater shortly before the United States entered World War II. Elements deployed to the Philippines in late 1941, and Japanese attacks on Clark Field on 8 December destroyed many of its aircraft and caused heavy casualties. Surviving aircraft and personnel continued operations from dispersed bases in the Philippines, Java, Australia, and New Guinea. The unit conducted reconnaissance, bombing, supply, and evacuation missions against Japanese forces and participated in operations associated with the defense of the Philippines, the Netherlands East Indies, the Battle of the Coral Sea, and the campaigns in New Guinea and the South Pacific. Captain Harl Pease, a member of the group, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in August 1942. After returning to the United States, the organization served as a replacement-training unit before being reactivated in 1944 as a very-heavy bombardment group equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. From Guam, it began attacks against the Japanese home islands in February 1945. During the final months of World War II, it flew strategic bombing and incendiary missions against Japanese cities and attacks against airfields supporting kamikaze operations. By the end of the war, it had completed 65 raids over Japan. The unit also served in the postwar western Pacific and in the Korean War. In 1950, operating from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, the 19th Bombardment Group became the first B-29 group committed to combat in that conflict. It attacked transportation networks, industrial facilities, airfields, bridges, supply centers, and troop positions in North Korea, completing nearly 650 combat missions before being inactivated on 1 June 1953. The 19th Operations Group was reactivated in 1991 during implementation of the Objective Wing structure. Its post-Cold War activities included support to United States Special Operations Command, tanker operations in support of Saudi Arabia, NATO air-refueling activity during the Bosnia conflict, and deployments connected with Operations Southern Watch and Provide Comfort. In 1996, following the inactivation of the 19th Air Refueling Wing, the group was redesignated the 19th Air Refueling Group. The lineage was later associated with the airlift mission at Little Rock Air Force Base, where the 19th Operations Group most recently operated as the 19th Airlift Wing’s flying component. The group is now inactive. Its historical honors include nine Presidential Unit Citations, two Air Force Meritorious Unit Awards, ten Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
History
The lineage of the 19th Operations Group begins with the 19th Observation Group, constituted by the United States Army Air Corps on 18 October 1927 without personnel or equipment. Its paper designation changed to the 19th Bombardment Group in 1929, and it was activated at Rockwell Field, California, in June 1932. The group’s early squadrons flew Keystone B-3A bombers on coastal-defense training along the California coast. In 1935 it moved to March Field and became part of the 1st Wing during the reorganization that placed United States aviation combat units under General Headquarters Air Force. The organization adopted the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in 1940. In May 1941, it made an important long-distance ferrying contribution by flying 21 B-17s from California to Hawaii for another Army Air Forces group. Later that year, two of its squadrons moved to the Philippines by a demanding trans-Pacific route that passed through Hawaii, Midway, Wake Island, Papua New Guinea, northern Australia, and Luzon. A further squadron arrived from the Philippines-based 4th Composite Group, and the organization was preparing for combat when Japan attacked the Philippines on 8 December 1941. The attack on Clark Field destroyed most of the group’s B-17s located there and caused substantial casualties. Aircraft and personnel that escaped continued operations from dispersed locations. During the opening phase of the Pacific War, the group performed reconnaissance, bombing, supply transport, and evacuation missions. Its aircraft operated from the Philippines, Java, and Australia against Japanese shipping, airfields, landing forces, communications, and ground installations in the Netherlands East Indies and New Guinea. It took part in operations related to the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Japanese campaign in Papua New Guinea. Captain Harl Pease was captured and later killed after a 7 August 1942 mission; he was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. The 19th Bombardment Group returned to the United States late in 1942 and became a replacement-training organization, first at Pocatello Army Air Base, Idaho, and then at Pyote Army Airfield, Texas. It was inactivated in April 1944 but activated again the same day at Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas, as a very-heavy bombardment group. The reconstituted unit trained with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Production delays, aircraft modifications, and the construction of Pacific bases postponed its deployment until January 1945, when it moved to North Field, Guam, as part of the 314th Bombardment Wing. The group flew its first B-29 mission against Japan on 25 February 1945, attacking the Tokyo area. Early high-altitude missions were affected by the jet stream and produced limited bombing accuracy. The organization subsequently participated in the shift toward incendiary attacks against Japanese urban-industrial areas, as well as tactical missions against Kyushu facilities supporting the Okinawa campaign. It completed 65 raids against the Japanese home islands before the end of World War II. During the late 1940s, the group performed sea-search, photographic mapping, and training missions in the western Pacific. When the Korean War began in June 1950, it deployed from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, and became the first B-29 group to conduct combat operations in that war. It attacked North Korean storage sites, rail facilities, bridges, ports, industrial installations, hydroelectric targets, airfields, troop concentrations, and supply centers. The group flew nearly 650 combat missions and suffered at least 33 reported aircraft losses. It was inactivated on 1 June 1953, with its squadrons assigned directly to the 19th Bombardment Wing. The organization was reactivated in 1991 as the 19th Operations Group during the transition to the Objective Wing structure. In the early 1990s, it supplied an EC-137 aircraft and crews for United States Special Operations Command support and later supported a Saudi tanker task force. It provided air-refueling support to NATO fighters during operations connected with Bosnia in September and October 1995. Tankers also deployed to Southwest Asia for Operation Southern Watch in early 1996 and to Turkey for Operation Provide Comfort later that year. Following the inactivation of the 19th Air Refueling Wing on 1 July 1996, the group was redesignated the 19th Air Refueling Group. In its latest reported configuration, the 19th Operations Group served as the operational flying element of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, operating C-130 Hercules aircraft for air mobility, airdrop, humanitarian relief, and contingency missions. The group is now inactive.
- 1996
Redesignated as the 19th Air Refueling Group
[1]After the 19th Air Refueling Wing was inactivated on 1 July, the group’s functions were transferred to the redesignated 19th Air Refueling Group.
- 1991
Reactivated as the 19th Operations Group
[1]The organization returned to active status during adoption of the Objective Wing structure.
- 1953
Bombardment group inactivated
[1]The 19th Bombardment Group was inactivated on 1 June and its squadrons were assigned directly to the 19th Bombardment Wing.
- 1950
Entered Korean War combat
[1]Operating from Kadena, the group became the first B-29 group to conduct combat missions in the Korean War.
- 1945
First B-29 raid over Japan
[1]From Guam, the group conducted its first B-29 raid against the Tokyo area on 25 February.
- 1944
Reactivated as a B-29 group
[1]The organization was reactivated at Great Bend Army Air Field as a very-heavy bombardment group for B-29 training.
- 1942
Continued Pacific combat operations
[1]The group operated from Java and Australia against Japanese shipping, airfields, communications, and ground forces.
- 1941
Deployed to the Philippines
[1]Two squadrons ferried B-17 aircraft across the Pacific to the Philippines shortly before the Japanese attack.
- 1941
Clark Field attacked
[1]Japanese forces attacked Clark Field on 8 December, destroying many group aircraft and causing heavy casualties.
- 1940
Transitioned to the B-17 Flying Fortress
[1]The group received the B-17B, the first production version of the Flying Fortress.
Products and positioning
A military operational organization rather than a commercial brand, positioned within the United States Air Force as a deployable air-mobility and airlift capability with a long lineage of combat, transport, humanitarian, and contingency-support missions.
Military transport aircraft
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
The C-130 Hercules was the group’s most recent principal aircraft. In the airlift role, it supported transport of personnel, equipment, and supplies, while also enabling airdrop missions and humanitarian assistance in locations where conventional logistics infrastructure was limited or unavailable.
Strategic bomber
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 equipped the group after its 1944 reactivation as a very-heavy bombardment organization. From Guam, the group used the aircraft in strategic and incendiary bombing operations against Japan during the final months of World War II.
Heavy bomber
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The B-17 was the group’s principal heavy bomber during its prewar and early Pacific War period. The organization used several B-17 variants for long-range ferrying, reconnaissance, bombing, supply, and combat missions across the Pacific.
Heavy bomber
B-24 Liberator and LB-30
During the 1942 Pacific campaigns, surviving elements of the organization also operated B-24 and LB-30 aircraft alongside or in place of B-17s for attacks against Japanese positions and transportation networks.
Command and support aircraft
EC-137
An EC-137 and associated crews were provided in the early 1990s to support United States Special Operations Command as part of the group’s post-Cold War operational responsibilities.
Aerial refueling aircraft
KC-135R Stratotanker
KC-135R tankers associated with the group’s air-refueling period deployed in support of operations in Southwest Asia and Turkey, and supported NATO aircraft during the Bosnia-related mission in 1995.
Marketing campaigns
- 1996Operation Southern Watch
Southwest Asia
Several KC-135R tankers deployed to Southwest Asia from January through March 1996 to provide air-refueling support.
Outcome. The group fulfilled tanker-support duties during the deployment.
- 1996Operation Provide Comfort
Turkey · Northern Iraq region
The group deployed tanker aircraft to Turkey from April through June 1996 in support of Operation Provide Comfort.
Outcome. The deployment provided aerial refueling support for the operation.
- 1995Bosnia air-refueling support
Bosnia · Europe
The group provided air-refueling support to NATO fighters during operations connected with the Bosnia conflict in September and October 1995.
Outcome. The deployment supported NATO air operations.
- 1950Korean War air campaign
Korean Peninsula · Kadena Air Base
The group attacked North Korean transportation, industrial, military, port, airfield, and communications targets while supporting United Nations ground forces.
Outcome. It flew nearly 650 combat missions before being inactivated in 1953; at least 33 aircraft losses were reported.
- 1945Strategic bombing of Japan
Japan · Mariana Islands
From Guam, the B-29-equipped group flew strategic bombing and incendiary missions against Japan, beginning with a raid against Tokyo on 25 February 1945.
Outcome. The group completed 65 raids against the Japanese home islands before the end of World War II.
- 1942Netherlands East Indies and New Guinea operations
Java · Australia · New Guinea · Southwest Pacific
Operating B-17s, B-24s, and LB-30s from Java and Australia, the group attacked Japanese airfields, shipping, communications, troop concentrations, and ground installations.
Outcome. The group was evacuated from Java to Australia in March 1942 and continued operations from Australian bases.
- 1942Battle of the Coral Sea support
Southwest Pacific
The group participated in air operations associated with the Battle of the Coral Sea and the broader effort to impede Japanese movement and support the defense of Allied positions.
Outcome. The operation formed part of the Allied effort to halt Japanese expansion in the Southwest Pacific.
- 1941Defense of the Philippines
Philippines · Pacific theater
The group conducted reconnaissance, bombing, supply, and evacuation missions after the Japanese attack on the Philippines. Its aircraft and personnel operated from increasingly dispersed bases as Japanese forces advanced.
Outcome. The organization suffered severe aircraft and personnel losses, but surviving elements continued operations before withdrawing through the Netherlands East Indies and Australia.
Brand decisions
1996
Transfer of wing functions and redesignationStrategyBackground
The 19th Air Refueling Wing was inactivated on 1 July 1996 as part of an Air Force organizational change.
Action taken
The group assumed the wing’s functions and was redesignated the 19th Air Refueling Group.
Aftermath
The organization continued its tanker-related operational lineage under the new designation.
1991
Reactivation under the Objective Wing structureStrategyBackground
The United States Air Force reorganized wings around operational groups and related support structures after the end of the Cold War.
Action taken
The 19th Operations Group was reactivated to serve as an operational component of the 19th Air Refueling Wing.
Aftermath
The group assumed air-refueling and specialized operational-support duties, including support to United States Special Operations Command.
Sources1 sources
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