462d Bombardment Group

462d Strategic Aerospace Wing
SAC B-52 refueling from a KC-125A tanker
Active	1943–1946, 1963–1966, 2002-unknown
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Mobility Support
Part of	Air Mobility Command
Nickname(s)	Hellbirds
Motto(s)	With Malice Toward Some (WW II)
Engagements	Pacific Theater of Operations
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
462d Strategic Aerospace Wing Emblem (approved 7 February 1963)
Unofficial 462d Bombardment Group emblem

The 462d Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Air Mobility Command (AMC) to activate or inactivate as needed to meet operational requirements. Its last assignment was at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.

The unit began during World War II when the United States Army Air Forces activated the 462d Bombardment Group (462 BG) as one of the first Boeing B-29 Superfortress units in 1943. It served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater and China Burma India Theater of World War II as part of Twentieth Air Force. The 462 BG engaged in strategic bombardment operations against Japan. After its reassignment to the Mariana Islands in 1945, its aircraft were identified by a "U" and a triangle painted on the tail. They were more commonly known as the "Hellbirds".

In 1962 the 462d Strategic Aerospace Wing was activated by Strategic Air Command to perpetuate the lineage of inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records. It conducted strategic bombardment training operations flying B-52D Stratofortresses and maintained ICBM readiness with LGM-25C Titan II missiles to meet SAC commitments. The wing served as a deterrent force and also supported SAC's global mission until inactivated in 1966 due to the closing of Larson AFB.

The group and wing were consolidated into a single unit in 1984, remaining in inactive status. In 2002, they were converted to provisional status as the 462d Air Expeditionary Group and assigned to AMC, which activated the group at Diego Garcia. Its inactivation date has not been determined.