45th Operations Group

45th Operations Group

Cassini–Huygens spacecraft launch, 15 October 1997
Active 1941-1942, 1991-present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Commanders
Current
commander		 Col Thomas Falzarano[1]As of 15 July 2014
Insignia
Patch with 45th Operations Group emblem (Approved 19 July 1967 for Air Force Eastern Test Range)[note 1]
45th Bombardment Group emblem (Approved 6 January 1943)[2][note 2]

The 45th Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 45th Space Wing, stationed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Up until 2003, the 45th Operations Group was responsible for program management and operation of up to five squadrons which perform all Eastern Range launch operations including Delta II, Delta III, Atlas II, Atlas III, Titan IV, Space Shuttle, Pegasus, and Athena space launch vehicles.

The Operations Group provides support to Naval Ordnance Test Unit operations. In support of space launch operations, the Operations Group coordinates training for the wing, manages all wing spacecraft services systems and facilities, and manages the Patrick AFB air traffic complex, handling more than 24,000 aircraft operations annually.

Components

History

See 45th Space Wing and 45th Launch Group for additional lineage and history information

Organized in early 1941 as a First Air Force bombardment group equipped with A-20 Havocs, and later B-18 Bolos. After the United States entered World War II the group was ordered to search for German U-Boats and to fly aerial coverage of friendly convoys off mid and southeast Atlantic east coast from Delaware, then from South Florida, expanding its patrols to the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits.

Reassigned to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command in October 1942 and inactivated shortly afterwards, its component squadrons being redesignated Antisubmarine Squadrons and reassigned to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing.

Reactivated and re-designated in 1991 under Air Force Space Command. Operated "Down-Range" facilities at Antigua, Ascension Island, and Cape Canaveral, Florida; launched DOD payloads into orbit; and collected flight data for evaluation of ballistic missile systems launched from Eastern Launch sites for DOD, NASA, and commercial customers. Provided support for DOD, NASA, and commercial manned and unmanned space programs.

There were several organizational changes in the Wing in 1997 and 1998. Detachments 1 and 2 of the 45th Operations Group were inactivated on Antigua and Ascension on 1 June 1997, but they were replaced by Detachments 1 and 2 of the 45th Logistics Group on the same day. The 5th Space Launch Squadron was inactivated at Cape Canaveral Air Station on 29 June 1998, and its resources were absorbed by the 3rd Space Launch Squadron.

Launch operations were reassigned to the 45th Launch Group on 1 December 2003.

Lineage

Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 45th Bombardment Group (Medium) in December 1941
Inactivated on 8 December 1942
Activated on 12 November 1991[4]

Assignments

Squadrons

World War II
Since 1991

Stations

Commanders

  • Col James N. Posey, 12 November 1991[4]
  • Col Michael R. Spence, 31 Jan 1992[4]
  • Col Glenn C. Waltman, 20 August 1993[4]
  • Col Gary R. Harmon, 28 April 1995[4]
  • Col Philip G. Benjamin II, 9 June 1997[4]
  • Col Darphaus L. Mitchell, 24 May 1999[4]
  • Col Cameron S. Bowser, 11 June 2001[4]
  • Col Gregory M. Billman, 7 March 2003[4]
  • Col David D. Thompson, 29 June 2005[4]
  • Col Bernard J. Gruber, 12 July 2007[4]
  • Col James Ross, 21 May 2009
  • Col Denette Sleeth,[7] 14 January 2011
  • Col Douglas Schiess, 30 July 2012[7]
  • Col Rob Quigg (Interim), 9 April 2014
  • Col Thomas Falzarano, 10 July 2014 – present [1]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Currently the emblem for the 45th Space Wing. The group uses the wing emblem with the group designation on the scroll. Robertson, Factsheet 45 Space Wing (AFSPC).
  2. ↑ Heraldry: Azure, three aerial bombs or, a chief potentee of the last. Motto: De Astra Latin From the Stars.

Citations

  1. 1 2 "45th OG change of command". 45th Space Wing Public Affairs. July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ Maurer, p. 103
  3. ↑ Wallace, 1 Lt Alicia (13 July 2015). "45th SW says Farewell to Antigua Air Station". 45th Space Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Robertson, Patsy (September 9, 2008). "Factsheet 45 Operations Group (AFSPC)". 45th Space Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  5. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 789
  6. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 120
  7. 1 2 "Col. Doug Schiess Assumes Command of 45th Operations Group". 45th Space Wing Public Affairs. August 2, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2015.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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