444th Bombardment Group

444th Air Expeditionary Wing
Boeing B-29 Superfortress 44-70108 "Sweet Thing" of the 444th Bombardment Group. "Sweet Thing" set a speed record from Hawaii to California on her return to the US
Active	1943–1946: 2003
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Motto(s)	Per Victoriam Ad Libertatem: LIBERTY THROUGH VICTORY
Engagements	China Burma India Theater Pacific Theater of Operations
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V"
Insignia
444th Bombardment Group Insignia
Tail Marking (1945)	Triangle N

The 444th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed. It was last activated in 2003.

During World War II, the 444th Bombardment Group was a United States Army Air Forces combat organization. The group was the first Boeing B-29 Superfortress Group formed for the 58th Bombardment Wing, and served in the China Burma India Theater and Pacific Ocean Theater as part of the Twentieth Air Force. The group's aircraft engaged in very heavy bombardment operations against Japan. The group received the Distinguished Unit Citation for its combat operations on three occasions.

After returning to the United States, the 444th Bombardment Group became one of the original ten bombardment groups assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC). The unit was inactivated on 1 October 1946 at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona. Its B-29 aircraft and personnel were reassigned to the 43d Bombardment Group.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom the group was briefly activated as the 444th Air Expeditionary Group. The composition and stationing of the unit was never officially disclosed, and it was inactivated after the invasion of Iraq was completed.

The 444th Bombardment Group was activated on 1 March 1943 at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona. Its original squadrons were the 676th,677th,678th, and 679th Bombardment Squadrons. After a period of organization at Davis-Monthan the group moved to Great Bend AAF, Kansas. for training, initially flying Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Consolidated B-24 Liberators and Martin B-26 Marauders. After receiving its B-29s, the aircraft were ferried off to modification centers to correct design flaws. The 444th, under the command of Colonel Alva Harvey, was assigned to the first B-29 Superfortress wing, the 58th Bombardment Wing. After the planes were returned, the group engaged in training on the new aircraft and its mission of long range precision bombing. In November 1943 the 444th reorganized as a "Very Heavy" group and added four Bombardment Maintenance Squadrons and a Photographic Laboratory.