4239th Strategic Wing

449th Air Expeditionary Group
Airmen from the 449th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron prepare an HC-130 for a Combined Task Force-Horn of Africa mission.
Active	1943–1946; 1963–1977; Unknown after 2003
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Part of	United States Air Forces Europe
Nickname(s)	Flying Horsemen World War II
Motto(s)	Nunquam non Paratus (Never Unprepared)
Engagements	Mediterranean Theater of Operations Global War on Terrorism
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
449th Air Expeditionary Group Emblem
World War II Tail Marking	Triangle within a White Disc

The 449th Air Expeditionary Group (449 AEG) is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Third Air Force supporting United States Africa Command. It is stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.

Its most recent assignment was to support the Africa Command and Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa supporting varied U.S. objectives in the area.

The group begin as the World War II 449th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in the spring of 1943. The group prepared for combat with Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers. It moved to Italy by January 1944, and was assigned to the 47th Bombardment Wing of Fifteenth Air Force. The group operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization. The group earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for its combat actions. After returning to the United States at the end of May 1945, the unit was assigned to Second Air Force, transitioned to B-29 Superfortresses, and was redesignated a Very Heavy bomb group.

In the postwar era, the 449th Bombardment Group was one of the original ten bombardment groups assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC). The unit was inactivated on 4 August 1946 at Grand Island Army Air Field, Nebraska and its mission, aircraft, and personnel were transferred to the 28th Bombardment Group which was simultaneously activated.