380th Bombardment Group

380th Expeditionary Operations Group
Emblem of the 380th Expeditionary Operations Group
Active	1942–1946; 1947–1951; 2002–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force

The 380th Expeditionary Operations Group (380 EOG) is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. It is a provisional unit stationed at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, and is assigned to the United States Air Forces Central component of Air Combat Command (ACC).

The unit's World War II predecessor unit, the 380th Bombardment Group, operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment unit assigned to Fifth Air Force. In addition to flying combat missions, the group operated as a training unit for Royal Australian Air Force crews in B-24 operations. It was awarded both the United States Distinguished Unit Citation and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for its combat service in Borneo, New Guinea and the Philippines.

Reactivated in 2002, the 380 EOG conducts combat operations as part of the Global War on Terrorism.

The 380 EOG conducts effective combat air refueling, airborne C2, and ISR in a joint and coalition environment. Its component squadrons are:

The history of the 380th dates back to 28 October 1942 when the unit was established. The 380th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3 November 1942 at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona. Originally, the 380th BMG consisted of four bombardment squadrons, the 528th, 529th, 530th, and 531st. Shortly after being activated, the group moved to Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas where it underwent extensive combat training. After completing training, the 380th BMG moved to Lowry Field, Denver, Colorado to undergo final combat training. The 380th was part of the 5th Air Force, and was known as the FLYING CIRCUS and as the KING OF THE HEAVIES (note the lion in the insignia).