fighter bomber unit, the group initially trained in the air defense role. In 1957 the group began to upgrade to the North American F-86 Sabre. However, its time with this plane would be short. By 1956, the Joint Chiefs of Staff were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift. At the same time, about 150 Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars became available from the active force. Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed Continental Air Command to convert three fighter bomber wings to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. The group was inactivated 16 November 1957 and most of its personnel transferred to the 440th Troop Carrier Group, which was simultaneously activated. Strategic Airlift On 1 December 1991, the unit was activated as the 438th Operations Group as the operational component of the 438th Airlift Wing when Military Airlift Command implemented the Objective Wing organization. On 1 October 1993, the group's 30th Airlift Squadron moved on paper to Yokota Air Base, Japan, . It was replaced by the 13th Airlift Squadron which was transferred without personnel or equipment from the 18th Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. On 1 October 1994, the group was inactivated and replaced at McGuire by the 305th Operations Group which was transferred from Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana when Grissom became an Air Force Reserve Command base. Global War on Terrorism The group was redesignated the 438th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status in December 2001. The group was awarded an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device for actions in 2002 and 2003, however, its location and activities for this period are not certain. It was again activated as part of the Global War on Terrorism in 2007 at Al Asad Air Base in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Its mission was to provide close air support for coalition forces in the region with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. At Al Asad, the group joined the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). Its initial A-10s were deployed from the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base By September, the Moody "Warthogs" had been replaced by those of the 175th Wing of the Maryland Air National Guard. On 9 September, it made the first combat attack by an A-10C using the Joint Direct Attack Munition. The group was inactivated when its aircraft were moved to Bagram Air