The 508th Fighter Group was activated late in World War II. The group was designed as a long range fighter escort unit, but when Japanese fighter defenses weakened, the group instead provided air defense of the Hawaiian Islands and training for other fighter units in the Pacific. It was inactivated in late 1945 and its personnel and equipment were used to form the 15th Fighter Group. The group was redesignated the 508th Tactical Fighter Group and activated in the Air Force Reserve, in 1973. It trained pilots in fighter tactics until 1982, when its resources were used to form the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing.