The group was first organized at Duncan Field, Texas in 1942 as the 45th Air Depot Group. After training in the United States, it moved to England, where it supported units of Ninth Air Force. Its main components were a Supply Squadron and a Repair Squadron, although it also included non-Air Corps units from ordnance, quartermaster, and chemical branches.
It moved to the continent of Europe in 1944. There, a number of mobile reclamation squadrons were assigned for brief periods. Following V-E Day, the group remained in Germany as part of the occupation forces until inactivating in 1947.
Depot support in France
The unit, redesignated the 73rd Air Depot Wing was organized at Kelly Field. Once organized, it moved to France to operate the Chateauroux Air Depot. However, it was inactivated in 1953 and replaced by the 7373rd Air Depot Wing, as the Air Force converted many support units to table of distribution units.
Support in England
The 423rd Air Base Group was activated on 12 May 2005, when it replaced the 423rd Air Base Squadron, which had been activated on 12 July 1995 at RAF Molesworth. The 423 ABS replaced the inactivated 710th Air Base Wing, briefly active at Alconbury to replace the 10th Air Base Wing, which had moved to Colorado on 1 November 1994. Exactly 10 years later, the 423rd ABS was replaced by the 423rd Air Base Group. This was part of a larger reorganization of many geographically separated units within the United Kingdom as components of the 501st Combat Support Wing also located at RAF Alconbury. At this time, 423 ABG headquarters officially moved to RAF Alconbury.
In 2012, the group included around 400 personnel, including about 277 active duty military, 140 Department of Defense civilians and 170 Non-Appropriated Fund employees, as well as 255 Ministry of Defence employees.[3]
Organization
The group is organized into a group staff and six squadrons. The squadrons include the 423rd Communications Squadron, 423rd Medical Squadron (initiated 2007),[4] 423rd Security Forces Squadron, 423rd Force Support Squadron, and 423rd Civil Engineer Squadron. The 426th Air Base Squadron is also under the 423rd Air Base Group but is geographically separated and physically located at Stavanger Air Base, Norway.[3]
Lineage
Constituted as the 45th Air Depot Group on 31 January 1942
Activated on 13 March 1942
Redesignated 45th Air Depot c. 1 January 1946
Inactivated c. 31 August 1947
Redesignated 73rd Air Depot Wing
Activated on 9 January 1951
Inactivated on 15 November 1953
Disbanded on 15 June 1983
Reconstituted on 22 March 2005 and redesignated 423rd Air Base Group
