376th Expeditionary Operations Group

376th Expeditionary Operations Group
A 376th airman directs a KC-135 Stratotanker taxiing for a refueling mission at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan
Active	1942–1945; 1947–1948; 1951–1952; 2001–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Air Refueling and Airlift
Part of	United States Air Forces Central
Garrison/HQ	Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan
Motto(s)	Liberandos
Engagements	Mediterranean Theater of Operations Global War on Terrorism
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device
Insignia
376th Air Expeditionary Wing emblem
376th Bombardment Group emblem (approved 8 November 1951)

The 376th Expeditionary Operations Group is a provisional United States Air Force Air Combat Command unit. It is currently stationed at the Transit Center at Manas International Airport, Kyrgyz Republic.

Originally activated in World War II as the 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy), it was the first B-24 Liberator group to be based on European Continent. The group engaged in combat as part of the Ninth, Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces in the Egypt-Libya and Italian Campaigns. The group was awarded Distinguished Unit Citations for operations over North Africa and Sicily, November 1942–17 August 1943; Ploiești, Romania, 1 August 1943 and Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, 16 June 1944. The B-24D "Lady Be Good" was assigned to the 514th Bombardment Squadron.

The 376th is the lead Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker air refueling unit for Afghanistan operations. Other USAF aircraft supporting the mission include Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs.

The 376th Bombardment Group has its origins in the British Mandate of Palestine, as a result of the buildup of American air power in the Middle East in January 1942.