500th Bombardment Group

500th Air Expeditionary Group
500th Bomb Group B-29 on its parking ramp, Saipan, 1945
Active	1943–1946; 1963–1964; short periods since 2002
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Air Refueling
Motto(s)	Semper Paratus ("Always Prepared")
Engagements	Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
500th Air Refueling Wing emblem (Approved 19 February 1964)
World War II Tail Marking	Square Z

The 500th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit. Its last known assignment was at Christchurch, New Zealand, where it was activated for the summer 2005-2006 season.

The unit's origins lie with its predecessor unit, the United States Army Air Forces 500th Bombardment Group, which was part of Twentieth Air Force during World War II. The 500th engaged in very heavy (Boeing B-29 Superfortress) bombardment operations against Japan. It was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations for actions in 1945.

The 500th Air Refueling Wing replaced the 4045th Air Refueling Wing as a Strategic Air Command tanker unit at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan on 1 January 1963. The two units were consolidated in 1984.

In 2002, the consolidated unit was converted to provisional status as the 500th Air Expeditionary Group. It has been activated several times to support operations in Antarctica.

The group was established as the 500th Bombardment Group in late 1943 at Gowen Field, Idaho. It was formed as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment group. The unit was initially composed of with four bombardment squadrons, the 881st, 882d, 883d, and 884th Bombardment Squadrons, the 29th, 30th, 31st and 32d Bombardment Maintenance Squadrons and the 18th Photographic Laboratory (Bombardment, Very Heavy).