434th Operations Group

434th Operations Group
434th Group KC-135R Stratotankers
Active	1943-1946; 1947-1953; 1953-1959; 1992-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Air Refueling
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	Grissom Air Reserve Base
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation French Croix de Guerre with Palm
Insignia
434th Operations Group emblem (Approved 5 June 1995)
Tail marking	Red band with "Grissom" in white

The 434th Operations Group (434 OG) is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is the flying component of the Fourth Air Force 434th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana.

The unit's World War II predecessor unit, the 434th Troop Carrier Group was a C-47 Skytrain transport unit assigned to Ninth Air Force in Western Europe. The group flew combat paratroopers on airborne assaults on Normandy (Operation Overlord); Southern France (Operation Dragoon); the Netherlands (Operation Market-Garden), and Germany (Operation Varsity). It also flew combat resupply missions in the relief of Bastogne in 1945.

The mission of the 434 OG is to provide mid-air refueling to long-range bombers, fighters, and cargo aircraft. It flies the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker.

The 434 OG is one of the key refueling units in the Air Force Reserve. The group regularly participates in exercises and front-line operations to support America's national interests. It is composed of the following squadrons:

Established as the 434th Troop Carrier Group on 30 January 1943. Trained in the U.S., moving to England, late September–October 1943, for operations with Ninth Air Force. Moved to RAF Fulbeck, England in October 1943.

The 434th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing. Shortly after its arrival at Fulbeck, the group was reassigned to RAF Aldermaston in the Salisbury Plain area to co-locate with 101st Airborne Division in preparation for the invasion of northern France.

The 434th was one of the groups trained and designated to deliver gliders on D-Day. As the assigned delivery group for Mission Chicago, the 52 C-47s of the 434th TCG each towed a Waco CG-4A glider to Normandy, losing one aircraft to flak in the darkness. For this, and two follow-up missions with gliders and supplies, the group was later awarded the coveted Distinguished Unit Citation.