43rd Air Mobility Operations Group

The 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group is an active duty air mobility unit at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina and is part of the Air Mobility Command under the USAF Expeditionary Center. The unit is composed of eight squadrons, including one of the only two active Air Force aeromedical evacuation squadrons based in the United States. The group's primary mission focuses on providing enroute operations and enabling global response and airborne support for Fort Bragg's 82nd Airborne Division.

The 43rd Operations Group was redesignated the 43rd Airlift Group on 1 March 2011 after the inactivation of the 43rd Airlift Wing and entered into an active associate arrangement with the Air Force Reserve Command's colocated 440th Airlift Wing.

In 2016, the 440th Wing was inactivated and both the 440th and the 43rd discontinued their airlift mission with Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft.

While the 440th was inactivated, the 43rd was reorganized as a non-flying unit, designated the 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group on 14 June 2016.

In the postwar era, the 43rd Bombardment Group was one of the first United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) units assigned to the Strategic Air Command on 1 October 1946, prior to the establishment of the United States Air Force as a redesignation of the 444th Bombardment Group due to the Air Force's policy of retaining only low-numbered groups on active duty after the war.

It conducted long-range test missions, including the first nonstop flight around the world (26 February-2 March 1949), accomplished in "Lucky Lady II", a B-50A Superfortress (AF Ser. No. 46–0010) commanded by Capt James G Gallagher.

The group became non-operational in February 1951 when its squadrons were attached to the 43rd Bombardment Wing. The group was inactivated in 1952 when the parent wing adopted the Tri-Deputate organization and assigned all of the group's squadrons directly to the wing.

It was redesignated as the 43rd Operations Group and activated, in 1992 when the 43rd Air Refueling Wing adopted the USAF Objective organization plan. From 1994 to 1997 the group was inactive when the wing was reduced to group size. In 2011, the wing was inactivated, and the group received its previous designation, the 43rd Airlift Group. Later, in 2016, the 43rd Airlift Group transitioned to a non-flying mission and was redesignated the 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group as it discontinued airlift operations and reorganized to inherit those non-flying responsibilities inherited from the 440th Airlift Wing following the latter's inactivation.