332nd Fighter Group
| 332d Expeditionary Operations Group | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the 332d Expeditionary Operations Group
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| Active | 1942–1945; 1947–1948; 1948–1949; 1998-2012; 2014- |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Provisional Expeditionary unit |
| Part of | United States Air Forces Central |
| Garrison/HQ | Southwest Asia |
| Engagements |
 
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Colonel Benjamin O Davis Jr., 8 October 1943 – 3 November 1944; 24 December 1944–9 June 1945 |
The 332d Expeditionary Operations Group (332 EOG) is a Provisional Air Expeditionary Group of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command, currently active. It was deactivated on 8 May 2012 and reactivated November 16,2014.
The 322d EOG forms part of the lineage of the World War II 332d Fighter Group, known as the Tuskegee Airmen. This title title refers to all who trained in the Army Air Forces African-American pilot training program at Moton Field and Tuskegee Army Airfield, Alabama, between 1941 and 1945. It includes pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors and personnel who kept aircraft flying.
The United States entered World War II with a military that was segregated by race and remained segregated until 1948. War Department planners generally placed White and African-American Army personnel in separate units during World War II.
The 332d Fighter Group was constituted on 4 July 1942, and activated on 13 October, predominantly manned with African-American personnel. Consisted of the 100th, 301st and 302d Fighter Squadrons at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama. Trained with P-39 Airacobra and P-40 Warhawk aircraft for an extended period of time as the Army Air Forces was reluctant to deploy African-American fighter pilots to an overseas combat theater. The 100th Fighter Squadron pre-dates the 332d Fighter Group, being formed on 19 February 1942. The 100th carried out advanced fighter training of graduates of the Tuskegee Institute primary and basic flight training programs for African-American flight cadets at nearby Moton Field. The first class (42-C) of twelve cadets included student officer Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., who served as Commandant of Cadets, began training on 19 July 1941.
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