The United States Air Force's 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group is a provisional unit assigned to United States Air Forces Central to activate or inactivate as needed. It was last active in Al Anbar province, Iraq to provide close-air support to coalition forces in the region with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. It was composed of deployed aircraft, equipment and personnel from Air Force units around the world. The unit was first activated during World War II as the 438th Troop Carrier Group, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain unit. It saw combat in the European Theater of Operations as part of IX Troop Carrier Command. The group earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions on D-Day during Operation Overlord. After VE Day, the group returned to the United States and was inactivated in December 1945. The group was again activated in the Air Force Reserves in 1949. It was called to active duty for the Korean War, but its personnel were used as fillers for other units and the group was inactivated. During the mid 1950s, the group was again active in the Reserve as the 438th Fighter-Bomber Group. It remained inactive until 1991, when it became the 438th Operations Group at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey when the 438th Airlift Wing was reorganized under the Objective Wing model. It was inactivated with the wing in 1994. History World War II Training in the United States The group was first activated at Baer Field, Indiana in June 1943 as the 438th Troop Carrier Group, with the 87th, 88th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 89th and 90th Troop Carrier Squadrons assigned. Two weeks later it moved to Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, to begin training, primarily with Douglas C-47 Skytrains, but also with other military models of the DC-3. After processing through Baer Field, the group departed for England in January 1944. Combat in the ETO The group arrived at RAF Langar, England in February 1944 and assigned to the 53d Troop Carrier Wing After a month the group was moved south to a new station at RAF Greenham Common. Until June, the 438th TCG trained for and participated in airborne operations, flew resupply and reinforcement missions to combat zones, evacuated casualties, and hauled freight. The 438th was selected to be the first group of IX Troop Carrier Command's force, following the pathfinder group in the American airborne landings in Normandy. Prior