37th Operations Group
37th Operations Group
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| Active | 1940-1943; 1953; 1991-1992 |
| Country |
 United States
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| Branch |
 United States Air Force
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| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Engagements | American Theater of World War II |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Insignia | |
| 37th Operations Group emblem |  |
| 37th Fighter Group emblem |  |
The 37th Operations Group is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was last active at Tonopah Test Range Airport, Nevada, where it operated F-117 Nighthawk fighters. Its history and honors have been temporarily bestowed upon the 37th Training Wing.
The group was first activated in 1940 as the 37th Pursuit Group and participated in the defense of the Panama Canal during World War II until the reduced threat to the canal led to it being disbanded in 1943.
It was active briefly in 1953 as the 37th Fighter-Bomber Group, but never was equipped before being inactivated.
The group was most recently active when the USAF implemented the Objective Wing reorganization and was the operational element of the 37th Fighter Wing. It was inactivated when USAF moved its F-117 Nighthawk aircraft to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, where they were assigned to the 49th Operations Group.
The 37th Operations Group was first activated as the 37th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), which was constituted on 22 December 1939 as part of the United States Army Air Corps 54 Group Program. The unit was activated at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone on 1 February 1940. Its mission was the defense of the Panama Canal.
Like other newly formed units in the buildup of the Army Air Corps prior to the United States entrance into World War II, the 37th Pursuit Group was equipped with a mixture of hand-me-down aircraft which was transferred from existing units both in the Canal Zone as well as from the United States. It was assigned 25 Boeing P-26A Peashooters; two North American BC-1 trainers and two Northrop A-17 attack aircraft. The Group was one of the first Caribbean Air Force units to be placed on "Readiness" alert between 23 February and 1 March 1941 from 05:00 - 18:00 daily.
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