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 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 and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.

Airlift training

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.

Airmanship training

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

The schools of the wing used primarily the Beechcraft AT-11 for bombardier training.
; 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