After training with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations, and began flying combat missions in late May 1944.

The group remained in England following V-E Day, but returned to the United States in the fall and was inactivated at the port of embarkation in December 1945.

It was again activated in July 1991 to replace the 479th Tactical Training Wing, which was winding down its operations at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, inactivating six months later.

It was stationed at Santa Maria Army Air Field, California Even though the defense of the US west coast initially took priority, it was decided to deploy Lightning squadrons to Britain for heavy bomber escort duty.

Strafed and dive-bombed troops, bridges, locomotives, railway cars, barges, vehicles, airfields, gun emplacements, flak towers, ammunition dumps, power stations, and radar sites while on escort or fighter-bomber missions as the Allies drove across France during the summer and fall of 1944.

The unit flew area patrols to support the breakthrough at Saint-Lô in July and the airborne attack on the Netherlands in September.

From February to April 1945 it continued to fly escort missions, but also provided area patrols to support the airborne attack across the Rhine in March.

Among the notable pilots of the 479th were its second group commander, Colonel Hubert Zemke, with 17.75 confirmed aerial victories and Major Robin Olds, who was officially credited with 12 German planes shot down and 11.5 others destroyed on the ground.

Under the postwar United States Air Force, the group was the operational component of the new 479th Fighter-Bomber Wing.

It participated in numerous exercises, augmented air defenses of the West Coast, and deployed overseas to support other commands.

The 49 FTS and 435 FTS also conducted an advanced pilot training and the Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) course for recently winged USAF Navigator/Combat Systems Officers en route to Weapons System Officer (WSO) assignments in the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft and recently winged pilots en route to the F-22, F-15C, F-15E, F-16, and A-10.