50th Mission Support Group

719-567-3700

50th Network Operations Group

719-567-2474

50th Operations Group

719-567-3000

The 50th Pursuit Group, as it was originally called, began in January of 1941. Soon after, it became a training unit at the newly formed Interceptor Command School to prepare other groups for nighttime tactics the Air Force predicted they would all need in the upcoming war. In April 1944, the group was stationed at RAF Lymington, England. After several bombing and escort missions over the next few months, the 50th was involved in the Normandy invasion on D-Day and by the end of the month arrived at its new station in Carentan, France. It continued to bomb strategic locations around Europe and served during the invasion at Saint-Lo, France, and helped to break the Siegfried Line in Germany in early 1945. This earned the group a Distinguished Unit Citation. For destroying aircraft while under fire in Munich, the group received another DUC. They deactivated in 1945 and it wasn’t until 1953 that the 50th, now called the Fighter-Bomber Group, was sent to Hahn Air Base in Germany. In more recent years, the group underwent two more name changes until it became the Operations Group, and has supported the 50th Space Wing in operations overseas including Operation Iraqi Freedom and the capture of Saddam Hussein. The 50th’s squadrons continue to maintain satellite communications and GPS systems from Schriever AFB today.

50th Space Wing

719-567-5000