446th Airlift Wing
446th Airlift Wing |
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The 446th Airlift Wing is an Air Reserve component of the
Overview
The 446th Airlift Wing is Washington State's only Air Force Reserve flying unit and is headquartered at
The nearly 2,400 men and women assigned to the 446th support the Air Mobility Command mission around the world on a daily basis, performing 44 percent of all C-17 missions leaving McChord Field. The 446th is an associate unit of the 62d Airlift Wing, and blends into active-duty operations when called upon.[2]
Units
The 446th Airlift Wing consists of the following major units:
- 97th Airlift Squadron
- 313th Airlift Squadron
- 728th Airlift Squadron
- 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
- 446th Mission Support Group
- 446th Maintenance Group
- 446th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
- 446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
- 446th Maintenance Squadron
History
- For related history and lineage, see 446th Operations Group
Initial activation and Detached Squadron Concept
Following the
At the same time, the Air Force began detaching Air Force Reserve squadrons from their parent wing locations to separate sites. The concept offered several advantages: communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning. As it finally evolved in the spring of 1955, the Continental Air Command's plan called for placing Air Force Reserve units at fifty-nine installations located throughout the United States.
The wing trained under the supervision of the 2578th Air Force Reserve Training Center in troop carrier operations. In the summer of 1956, the wing participated in Operation Sixteen Ton during its two weeks of active duty training. Sixteen Ton was performed entirely by reserve troop carrier units and moved
The 706th Squadron at Donaldson was inactivated in November 1957 and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the
In 1958, the 2578th Center was inactivated and some of its personnel were absorbed by the wing. In place of active duty support for reserve units, ConAC adopted the Air Reserve Technician Program, in which a cadre of the unit consisted of full-time personnel who were simultaneously civilian employees of the Air Force and held rank as members of the reserves. The 446th was the first reserve organization to implement this program.[10]
By 1959, the wing transported and airdropped troops and supplies during training exercises.
The 706th Squadron joined the wing again when it was reactivated at
Organization of groups under the wing
Although the dispersal of flying units under the Detached Squadron Concept was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. Under this concept, all support organizations were located with the wing headquarters, not with the squadrons.
The 446th flew experimental drop missions in support of the
Wing reservists called to active duty during the
Reserve associate unit
One year later the 446th was reactivated and redesignated the 446th Military Airlift Wing (Associate) at McChord AFB, Washington, being co-located with
In 1983, in support of the Grenada Operation, the 446th flew the 82d Airborne Division back to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 1986, crew from the 446th repatriated remains of American missing in action from Southeast Asia. The following year, the 40th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (now 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron) and the 313th Airlift Squadron evacuated burn victims from a San Juan, Puerto Rico, hotel fire.[11]
December 1989 saw several 446th crews called to participate in
Post Cold War era
In 1992, the wing flew humanitarian relief missions to the former Soviet Union and also provided support to Operation Provide Hope. The wing also flew humanitarian relief supplies in for victims of Hurricane Andrew. In February 1992, the wing was re-designated again, this time as the 446th Airlift Wing.[11]
In 1993, Reservists from the 446th flew into war-torn Croatia as part of a huge relief effort. Two members of the 40th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (now 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron) assisted in airlifting Army Warrant Officer Michael Durant out of Mogadishu, Somalia, after he was released from being held captive when his helicopter was shot down. An aircrew from the 97th Airlift Squadron flew into Kathmandu, Nepal, to provide humanitarian aid after two weeks of flooding cuts off supplies.[11]
As part of 1994's Operation Uphold Democracy, wing aircrews flew in support of Haitian intervention. Twenty-three medical professionals from the 446th Airlift Wing also spent their two-week annual tour in an isolated, Honduras village and provided medical and dental care while receiving training in the management of tropical diseases. The 446th also took part in Operation Support Hope, ferrying in supplies and food for Rwandan refugees.[11]
In 1995, the wing took part in
In 1996, aircrews from the 446th Airlift Wing elect to stay on for extra duty flying out of Germany to allow active-duty aircrews to return to the United States as part of
In 1997, the 728th AS flew into Beijing, China, to repatriate what is believed to be five service members listed as missing in action from World War II. Nearly 70 medical professionals from the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and 446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron were among 2,000 people participated in the massive medical exercise Patriot Medstar at Westover Air Reserve Base, MA. Aircrew members from the 313th AS and 728th AS airlifted four victims from the Korean Air jetliner crash in Guam to hospitals at Kelley AFB, Texas. Aircrews from all three flying squadrons flew supplies and equipment to Antarctica in Operation Deep Freeze, a presidential mandated mission to support the National Science Foundation's experiments at the South Pole. Aeromedical crews from the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron flew their first C-17 aerovac mission airlifting an 8-month-old baby. One aeromedical aircrew from the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron was called up to deploy to Southwest Asia in support of the military buildup in the Middle East.[11]
In 1999, a combined Air Force Reserve and active-duty
On 30 July 1999, the first
In 2000, two C-17 pilots from the 728th Airlift Squadron flew U.S. military aircraft into Mozambique delivering critically needed aid to the flood victims in Southern Africa 1 March. They delivered 85,000 pounds of supplies. That same year, Eight Air Force Reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing assisted in identifying the remains of the 19 marines killed in April's MV-22 plane crash in Arizona. Aircrews from the 728th Airlift Squadron and 313th Airlift Squadrons also flew Army firefighters to Idaho and Montana to help battle the Western wildfires in the worst wildfire season to hit the United States in 50 years. Two members from the 446th Airlift Control Flight performed ground support for aircrews battling the wildfires in the West.[11]
Lineage
- Established as the 446th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 11 April 1955
- Activated in the reserve on 25 May 1955
- Redesignated 446th Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 July 1967
- Inactivated on 1 July 1972
- Redesignated 446th Military Airlift Wing (Associate) on 29 January 1973
- Activated in the reserve on 1 July 1973
- Redesignated: 446th Airlift Wing (Associate) on 1 February 1992
- Redesignated: 446th Airlift Wing on 1 October 1994[1]
Assignments
- Fourteenth Air Force, 25 May 1955
- Tenth Air Force, 25 March 1958
- Fourth Air Force Reserve Region, 1 September 1960
- Central Air Force Reserve Region, 31 December 1969 – 1 July 1972
- Western Air Force Reserve Region, 1 July 1973
- Fourth Air Force, 8 October 1976 – present[1]
Components
- Groups
- 446th Troop Carrier Group (later 446 Operations Group): 25 May 1955 – 14 April 1959; 1 August 1992 – present
- 908th Troop Carrier Group(later 908th Tactical Airlift Group): 1 December 1965 – 1 March 1968
- 917th Military Airlift Group: 21 April 1971 – 25 February 1972
- 924th Troop Carrier Group (later 924th Tactical Airlift Group): 17 January 1963 – 1 July 1972
- 925th Troop Carrier Group (later 925th Tactical Airlift Group): 17 January 1963 – 25 March 1968
- 926th Troop Carrier Group (later 926th Tactical Airlift Group): 17 January 1963 – 1 March 1968; 1 October 1969 – 1 July 1972
- 932d Aeromedical Airlift Group, 1 August 1992 – 1 October 1994[1]
- Squadrons
- 97th Military Airlift Squadron: 1 July 1973 – 1 August 1992
- 313th Military Airlift Squadron: 1 July 1973 – 1 August 1992
- 357th Troop Carrier Squadron: 14 April 1959 – 8 May 1961
- 704th Troop Carrier Squadron: 14 April 1959 – 17 January 1963
- 705th Troop Carrier Squadron (later 705 Tactical Airlift Squadron, 705 Tactical Airlift Training Squadron): 14 April 1959 – 17 January 1963; 25 March 1968 – 1 July 1972
- 706th Troop Carrier Squadron: 14 April 1959 – 17 January 1963
- 728th Military Airlift Squadron: 1 January – 1 August 1992[1]
Stations
- Ellington Air Force Base, Texas, 25 May 1955 – 1 July 1972
- McChord Air Force Base (later part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord), Washington, 1 July 1973 – present[1]
Aircraft
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References
- Notes
- ^ Under this plan flying squadrons reported to the wing Deputy Commander for Operations and maintenance squadrons reported to the wing Deputy Commander for Maintenance
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Robertson, Patsy (19 November 2012). "Factsheet 446 Airlift Wing (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
- ^ 446th Airlift Wing website[failed verification]
- ^ Cantwell, p. 146
- ^ a b Cantwell, p. 156
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 709
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 709–710
- ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 710
- ^ Cantwell, pp. 149–150
- ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 444
- ^ Cantwell, p. 163
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "446th Airlift Wing Library: History". 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 280–381
- ^ a b Cantwell, pp. 189–191
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946–1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556.
- Further reading
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Rogers, Brian. (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.