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332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group

The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing was inactivated at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, possibly Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, on 8 May 2012. As a result, the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group was also inactivated.

The 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group (332 EMXG) provided combat-ready aircraft and munitions to the Air Component Commander in support of Coalition forces throughout Iraq. The group consisted of 2 squadrons that were responsible for on- and off-aircraft maintenance and sortie generation in support of F-16 Fighting Falcons, C-130 Hercules, HH-60 Pave Hawks, MQ-1 Predators, and the MC-12 Liberty, as well as launch, recovery and servicing support for military and commercial transient aircraft. The group also had administrative control over an Air Mobility Command detachment, which was responsible for direct maintenance support of Air Force airlift assets.

Between August and December 2002, the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing was established to take control of all US Air Force operations in support of the upcoming Operation Iraqi Freedom. As part of the standing up of the unit, the new wing also took on the new Air Force combat-wing organizational structure, which included the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group. With the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the Group moved with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing first to Tallil Air Base in Iraq and then to Balad Air Base, Iraq in 2004.

By June 2009, the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group consisted of more than 850 active-duty, Guard, and Reserve Airmen, along with civilian contractors, working together at what had become Joint Base Balad in Iraq. These Airmen and civilians provided logistics and maintenance services for the variety of aircraft in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and then Operation New Dawn. These personnel were grouped primarily into 2 subordinate squadrons, the 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron.

The 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron provided flightline aircraft maintenance for F-16s and supported an alert-response capability to support time-critical targeting for the Combined Air Operations Center. The Squadron also provided flightline maintenance for the C-130 and HH-60G helicopters, as well as flightline and intermediate maintenance for MQ-1B Predators and MC-12W Liberty aircraft in support of manned and unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

The 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron provided full-range intermediate maintenance on F-16s, C-130s, MQ-1s, HH-60s and MC-12s by providing inspection, fabrication, accessories, armament, aerospace ground equipment and munitions capabilities. The Squadron was also responsible for the beddown of more than $20 million in equipment and safe storage, production and accountability of $150 million of munitions stockpiled at multiple sites in Iraq.

The 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group continued with its mission as part of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and departed with the Wing from what had become Joint Base Balad in 2011 as part of the US drawdown. It subsequently relocated with the Wing to an undisclosed location, possibly Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait.