331st Air Expeditionary Group
The 331st Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit with a World War II bomber-group lineage and a brief 2008 disaster-relief activation.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The 331st Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force organization whose lineage reaches back to the 331st Bombardment Group formed during World War II. It is not a commercial consumer brand or independent company. Rather, it is a numbered military unit that Air Combat Command may activate for a specific operational requirement and inactivate when that requirement ends. The unit was first constituted in July 1942 as the 331st Bombardment Group, Heavy. It initially operated from Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, before moving to Casper Army Air Field, Wyoming. Its first mission was heavy-bomber aircrew training. The group trained replacement crews for Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress operations and later for Consolidated B-24 Liberator operations. This replacement-training role reflected the Army Air Forces' wartime need to prepare aircrews for deployment to combat theaters. In April 1944, a broader reorganization replaced many large training organizations with more functionally structured base units, and the original group was inactivated. The group was reactivated in July 1944 under the designation 331st Bombardment Group, Very Heavy. It trained with Boeing B-29B Superfortresses, a version optimized for speed and long-range bombing. The B-29B removed most defensive gun positions and relied on a radar-directed tail gun, reducing weight and increasing performance. The group trained first at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, and then at McCook Army Air Field, Nebraska. In 1945 it deployed to Northwest Field on Guam and joined the 315th Bombardment Wing of the Twentieth Air Force. From Guam, the group conducted very-heavy-bomber missions against Japanese-held targets during the final phase of the Pacific War. Its operations included attacks on petroleum, refinery, storage, and coal-liquefaction facilities on Japan's home islands, as well as an earlier strike against Truk. Missions were carried out in difficult conditions involving weather, antiaircraft fire, and the risk of fighter interception. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its combat performance. After Japan's surrender, its aircraft and personnel also participated in humanitarian operations by dropping food and supplies to Allied prisoners of war in Japan. The wartime group was inactivated on Guam in April 1946. The lineage was later converted to provisional status. In September 2008, the organization was activated at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and attached to First Air Force to support relief operations following Hurricane Ike. Personnel and resources came from active-duty and reserve Air Force organizations as well as the United States Navy. The emergency assignment ended within the same month, and the group was inactivated on 16 September 2008. The 331st's significance therefore lies in its institutional lineage, wartime bomber operations, training role, and temporary expeditionary use rather than in products, commercial sales, or market positioning. Its latest documented activation was in 2008, and it is not currently presented as an active standing unit.
History
The 331st's lineage began with its constitution as the 331st Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 1 July 1942 and activation on 6 July at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah. The group included the 461st, 462d, 463d, and 464th Bombardment Squadrons. In September 1942 it moved to Casper Army Air Field, Wyoming, where it trained replacement crews for heavy-bomber combat units. The group initially used Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and later transitioned to Consolidated B-24 Liberators. Replacement Training Units were large organizations intended to train aircrews before overseas deployment. As the Army Air Forces refined its wartime organizational system, it concluded that these training missions were better handled through more specialized base structures. The 331st was consequently inactivated on 1 April 1944, with the 211th Army Air Forces Base Unit taking over the Casper training mission, personnel, and equipment. The group returned to service on 12 July 1944 after being redesignated the 331st Bombardment Group, Very Heavy. Assigned initially to Second Air Force, it trained for combat with Boeing B-29B Superfortresses. The group operated first from Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, and then from McCook Army Air Field, Nebraska. The B-29B was a limited-production configuration designed for high-speed, unescorted bombing. Its reduced defensive armament and radar-controlled tail gun were intended to improve speed and efficiency against late-war Japanese targets. In spring 1945 the group moved to Northwest Field on Guam in the Mariana Islands and joined the 315th Bombardment Wing under the Twentieth Air Force. It flew an operation against Truk in June and began missions against the Japanese home islands on 9 July 1945. Its principal targets included petroleum and fuel infrastructure: a coal-liquefaction facility at Ube, the Mitsubishi-Hayama petroleum complex at Kawasaki, and refinery and storage installations at Shimotsu. The group operated through difficult weather and faced Japanese antiaircraft fire and fighter threats. Its World War II service earned a Distinguished Unit Citation. Following the Japanese surrender, the group performed a humanitarian mission by dropping food and other supplies to Allied prisoners of war in Japan. It was inactivated on Guam on 15 April 1946. The World War II lineage was later carried forward through a provisional designation. On 10 September 2008, the organization was redesignated the 331st Air Expeditionary Group, converted to provisional status, and assigned to Air Combat Command for activation or inactivation as required. The 2008 activation took place at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in response to Hurricane Ike. The group was attached to First Air Force and assembled personnel from active and reserve Air Force components and the Navy. Its role was emergency relief support rather than combat aviation. The short-term assignment ended on 16 September 2008, after which the group was inactivated. No later activation is identified in the cited reference material.
- 2008
Converted to provisional expeditionary status
[1]The lineage was redesignated the 331st Air Expeditionary Group and assigned to Air Combat Command for use when needed.
- 2008
Supported Hurricane Ike relief
[1]The group was activated at Randolph Air Force Base from 10 to 16 September to support Hurricane Ike relief efforts.
- 1946
Inactivated after World War II
[1]After postwar prisoner-of-war supply drops, the group was inactivated on Guam on 15 April.
- 1945
Deployed to Guam
[1]The group moved to Northwest Field, Guam, and joined the 315th Bombardment Wing of the Twentieth Air Force.
- 1945
Began missions against Japan
[1]The group flew its first mission against the Japanese home islands on 9 July and subsequently attacked petroleum-related targets.
- 1944
Inactivated during training-unit reorganization
[1]The original training group was inactivated on 1 April as the Army Air Forces reorganized replacement-training activities.
- 1944
Reactivated as a very-heavy bombardment group
[1]The unit returned to service on 12 July as the 331st Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, and began B-29B training.
- 1942
Constituted and activated as a heavy bombardment group
[1]The 331st Bombardment Group, Heavy, was constituted on 1 July and activated on 6 July at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah.
- 1942
Moved to Casper for replacement training
[1]The group relocated to Casper Army Air Field, Wyoming, where it trained replacement crews for B-17 and later B-24 operations.
Products and positioning
A provisional United States Air Force operational unit maintained for activation when a specialized expeditionary, emergency-response, or other mission requirement arises.
Training aircraft
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The group used B-17 heavy bombers during its initial replacement-training period in Wyoming, preparing aircrews for deployment to operational theaters.
Training aircraft
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The B-24 replaced the B-17 in the group's training program during 1943 as the organization prepared replacement crews for heavy-bomber combat service.
Combat aircraft
Boeing B-29B Superfortress
The group trained and fought with the B-29B, a streamlined Superfortress variant with reduced defensive armament, improved speed, and a radar-directed tail-gun system. It was used for long-range very-heavy-bomber missions against Japanese targets.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008Hurricane Ike relief operations
United States
The provisional expeditionary group coordinated personnel and support from Air Force active, reserve, and Navy organizations for disaster-relief activity after Hurricane Ike.
Outcome. The emergency assignment concluded and the group was inactivated on 16 September 2008.
- 1945Pacific strategic bombing campaign
Japan · Pacific Ocean theater
From Guam, the group conducted B-29B operations against Japanese-held targets, including petroleum, refinery, storage, and coal-liquefaction facilities on Honshu, as well as a strike against Truk.
Outcome. The group completed wartime bombing operations, received a Distinguished Unit Citation, and later supported supply drops to Allied prisoners of war.
Recent events
- 2008
331st Air Expeditionary Group activated for Hurricane Ike relief[1]
Other
The provisional group was activated at Randolph Air Force Base to support relief efforts after Hurricane Ike. Its personnel and supporting resources were drawn from active and reserve Air Force elements and from the Navy.
- 2008
Hurricane Ike relief assignment concluded[1]
Other
The temporary expeditionary organization completed its Hurricane Ike support mission and was inactivated on 16 September 2008.
Sources1 sources
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