34th Operations Group
The 34th Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated as the 34th Flying Training Wing and supervised training of bombardiers and pilots for multiengine aircraftuntil it was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at Midland Army Air Field, Texas. The wing was reactivated in 1978 as the 34th Tactical Airlift Training Group and conducted various courses for crews of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules until inactivating in December 1961. It was activated a third time in 1994 as the 34th Operations Group and conducted airmanship training at the United States Air Force Academy.
History
The wing supervised Training Command Flight Schools in Central and Northern Texas and Oklahoma. The assigned schools provided specialized training for bombardiers, and the wing was the home of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools.The wing also provided specialized schools for training on the two-engine Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber, and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator four-engine heavy bomber. After graduation Air Cadets were commissioned as Second Lieutenants, received their "wings" and were reassigned to Operational or Replacement Training Units operated by one of the four numbered air fores in the zone of interior.
As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated, inactivated, or transferred to meet them.
When the United States Air Force became a separate service in September 1947, former Air Corps units that had been disbanded, including this wing, were transferred to it.
The wing was reconstituted in 1978 as the 34th Tactical Airlift Training Group at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas and supervised training courses for the Lockheed C-130 Hercules until inactivating in 1991 with the implementation of the Objective Wing organization by its parent 314th Tactical Airlift Wing.
The group was again activated as the 34th Operations Group and supervised airmanship training for the 34th Training Wing at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado until inactivating in 2004 and transferring its mission to the 306th Flying Training Group
Lineage
- Established as the 34th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942
- Reconstituted 1978 as 34th Tactical Airlift Training Group
- Redesignated 34th Operations Group in 1994
Assignments
- AAF Gulf Coast Training Center, 8 January 1943 – 16 June 1946
- 314th Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 September 1978 – 1 December 1991
- 34th Training Wing, 1 October 1994 – 4 October 2004
Stations
- San Angelo Army Air Field, Texas, 8 January 1943
- Midland Army Air Field, Texas, 25 May 1945 – 16 June 1946
- Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, 15 September 1978 – 1 December 1991
- United States Air Force Academy, Colorado, 1 October 1994 – 4 October 2004
Training aircraft
The schools of the wing used primarily the Beechcraft AT-11 for bombardier training.- Two-Engine training was performed on the Martin B-26 Marauder
- Four-Engine training was performed on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Assigned Schools
; Big Spring Army Air Field, Big Spring, Texas; Childress Army Air Field, Childress, Texas
; Dodge City Army Air Field, Dodge City, Kansas
; Fort Worth Army Air Field, Fort Worth, Texas
; Laughlin Army Air Field, Del Rio, Texas
; Liberal Army Air Field, Liberal, Kansas
; Midland Army Air Field, Midland, Texas
; San Angelo Army Air Field, San Angelo, Texas