330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing
Encyclopedia
The 330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing (330 ASW) is a wing
of the United States Air Force
based out of Robins Air Force Base
, Georgia
.
Primary activities include engineering,worldwide logistics, weapon system readiness, and wartime support. Manages aircraft overhaul, modernization and modification programs, and unscheduled depot level maintenance for the C-130 aircraft to include foreign military sales.
The 330 ASW also provides weapon system logistics support, oversee unscheduled and programmed
depot maintenance, and manage modification efforts for the Air Force’s fleet of C-5, C-130, C-17, F-15, U-2, and E-8C Joint STARS aircraft, Global Hawk, Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS), MC-130, HC-130 and various special operations combat search and rescue aircraft and helicopters to include AC-130H/U, MC-130E/H/P/W, EC-130J, MH-53J/M, HH-60G, UH-1N, TH-1H, and HC-130P/N.
as a B-24 Liberator
Operational Training Unit (OTU) and later as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). The group performed this training at Alamogordo Army Airfield in New Mexico, then later at Biggs Field near El Paso, Texas.
With the drawdown of heavy bomber training in 1944, the group was redesignated as the 330th Bombardment Group and was designated as a B-29 Superfortress
operational bomb group being assigned to the 314th Bombardment Wing
, to be sent to the Pacific Theater as part of the war against the Japanese Empire. The group was assigned to Walker AAF, Kansas for equipping and training.
The group deployed to Guam
in late 1944, and was assigned to XXI Bomber Command of the Twentieth Air Force
. It entered combat on 12 Apr 1945 with an attack on the Hodogaya chemical plant at Koriyama, Japan
. From April to May 1945, it struck airfields from which the Japanese were launching suicide planes against the invasion force at Okinawa. After that, operations were principally concerned with incendiary attacks against urban-industrial areas of Japan. It received a Distinguished Unit Citation for incendiary raids on the industrial sections of Tokushima and Gifu
and for a strike against the hydroelectric power center at Kofu, Japan, in July 1945. Another DUC was received for attacking the Nakajima-Musashino aircraft engine plant near Tokyo in August 1945. The unit dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners and participated in several show-of-force missions over Japan after the war.
The Group remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft were scrapped on Tinian
; others flown to storage depots in the United States. the group was inactivated in December 1945.
for training with B-29 Superfortress
es of the active-duty Strategic Air Command 22d Bombardment Wing, being activated on 27 June 1949. The wing was assigned to Fifteenth Air Force on 27 June 1949. (Attached to the 22nd Bomb Wing 27 June 1949 to 30 April 1951) As a result of the Korean War
its personnel were activated into Federal Service on 1 May 1951 and deployed to Kadena AB, Okinawa for combat duty. (Attached to the 12th Air Division from 1 May to 16 June 1951). With its personnel deployed overseas, the wing was inactivated on 16 June.
The 330th was again redesignated as the 330th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) and allotted to 1st Air Reserve District at Greater Pittsburgh Airport
, Pennsylvania
on 14 Jun 1952. The unit may have just existed on paper and wasn't manned. It was also possibly equipped with Curtiss C-46 Commando
aircraft. Nevertheless, it was inactivated on 14 Jul 1952.
Reactivated in 2000 as a Depot Support Wing at Robina AFB.
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
based out of Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of and adjacent to the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, SSE of Macon, Georgia, and about SSE of Atlanta, Georgia...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Mission
The group serves as single focal point for cradle-to-grave sustainment management for the C-130 aircraft to sustain mission effectiveness throughout the system’s life cycle. Responsible for all sustainment activities required to ensure C-130 aircraft availability is adequate for the weapon system to fulfill its assigned missions.Primary activities include engineering,worldwide logistics, weapon system readiness, and wartime support. Manages aircraft overhaul, modernization and modification programs, and unscheduled depot level maintenance for the C-130 aircraft to include foreign military sales.
The 330 ASW also provides weapon system logistics support, oversee unscheduled and programmed
depot maintenance, and manage modification efforts for the Air Force’s fleet of C-5, C-130, C-17, F-15, U-2, and E-8C Joint STARS aircraft, Global Hawk, Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS), MC-130, HC-130 and various special operations combat search and rescue aircraft and helicopters to include AC-130H/U, MC-130E/H/P/W, EC-130J, MH-53J/M, HH-60G, UH-1N, TH-1H, and HC-130P/N.
World War II
The 330th Bombardment Group was constituted on 1 July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah. It was assigned to Second Air ForceSecond Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
as a B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
Operational Training Unit (OTU) and later as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). The group performed this training at Alamogordo Army Airfield in New Mexico, then later at Biggs Field near El Paso, Texas.
With the drawdown of heavy bomber training in 1944, the group was redesignated as the 330th Bombardment Group and was designated as a B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
operational bomb group being assigned to the 314th Bombardment Wing
314th Air Division
The 314th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Osan AB, South Korea. It was inactivated in September 1986....
, to be sent to the Pacific Theater as part of the war against the Japanese Empire. The group was assigned to Walker AAF, Kansas for equipping and training.
The group deployed to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
in late 1944, and was assigned to XXI Bomber Command of the Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
. It entered combat on 12 Apr 1945 with an attack on the Hodogaya chemical plant at Koriyama, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. From April to May 1945, it struck airfields from which the Japanese were launching suicide planes against the invasion force at Okinawa. After that, operations were principally concerned with incendiary attacks against urban-industrial areas of Japan. It received a Distinguished Unit Citation for incendiary raids on the industrial sections of Tokushima and Gifu
Gifu, Gifu
is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...
and for a strike against the hydroelectric power center at Kofu, Japan, in July 1945. Another DUC was received for attacking the Nakajima-Musashino aircraft engine plant near Tokyo in August 1945. The unit dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners and participated in several show-of-force missions over Japan after the war.
The Group remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft were scrapped on Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
; others flown to storage depots in the United States. the group was inactivated in December 1945.
Cold War
With the end of World War II, the 330th was allocated to the Air Force Reserve. It was redesignated as the 330th Bombardment Group (Medium) and assigned to March Air Force Base, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for training with B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
es of the active-duty Strategic Air Command 22d Bombardment Wing, being activated on 27 June 1949. The wing was assigned to Fifteenth Air Force on 27 June 1949. (Attached to the 22nd Bomb Wing 27 June 1949 to 30 April 1951) As a result of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
its personnel were activated into Federal Service on 1 May 1951 and deployed to Kadena AB, Okinawa for combat duty. (Attached to the 12th Air Division from 1 May to 16 June 1951). With its personnel deployed overseas, the wing was inactivated on 16 June.
The 330th was again redesignated as the 330th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) and allotted to 1st Air Reserve District at Greater Pittsburgh Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on 14 Jun 1952. The unit may have just existed on paper and wasn't manned. It was also possibly equipped with Curtiss C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
aircraft. Nevertheless, it was inactivated on 14 Jul 1952.
Reactivated in 2000 as a Depot Support Wing at Robina AFB.
Lineage
- Constituted as 330th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 1 Jul 1942
- Activated on 6 July 1942
- Inactivated on 1 Apr 1944
- Redesignated 330th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and activated on 1 Apr 1944
- Inactivated on 3 Jan 1946
- Redesignated 330th Bombardment Group (Medium) and activated in the reserve on 27 Jun 1949
- Ordered to active duty on 1 May 1951
- Inactivated on 16 Jun 1951
- Redesignated 330th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) and activated in the reserve on 14 Jun 1952
- Inactivated on 14 Jul 1952
- Redesignated 330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing and activated on 1 Oct 2000
Assignments
- II Bomber CommandII Bomber CommandThe II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
, 6 Jul 1942-1 Apr 1944 - Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 1 Apr 1944 - 314th Bombardment Wing, 6 Jun 1944
- Twentieth Air ForceTwentieth Air ForceThe Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
, 16 Jul 1945 - Army Service ForcesArmy Service ForcesThe Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...
, 15 Nov 1945-3 Jan 1946 - Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 27 Jun 1949 - Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 1 May 1951-26 Jun 1951 - Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 14 Jun 1952-14 Jul 1952 - Air Force Materiel CommandAir Force Materiel CommandAir Force Materiel Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. AFMC was created July 1, 1992 through the reorganization of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command....
, 1 Oct 2000–Present
Components
- 457th Bombardment (later Troop Carrier) Squadron457th Airlift SquadronThe 457th Airlift Squadron is part of the 375th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. It operates C-21 aircraft providing executive airlift.-History:...
, 6 Jul 1942-3 Jan 1946; 27 Jun 1949=16 Jun 1951; 14 Jun 1952-14 Jul 1952 - 458th Bombardment (later Troop Carrier) Squadron458th Airlift SquadronThe 458th Airlift Squadron is part of the 375th Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It operates C-21 aircraft providing executive airlift and aeromedical evacuation.-History:...
, 6 Jul 1942-3 Jan 1946; 27 Jun 1949=16 Jun 1951; 14 Jun 1952-14 Jul 1952 - 459th Bombardment (later Troop Carrier) Squadron459th Airlift SquadronThe 459th Airlift Squadron is part of the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It operates UH-1 Iroquois and C-12J Huron aircraft providing aeromedical evacuation and search and rescue missions.-History:...
, 6 Jul 1942-3 Jan 1946; 27 Jun 1949=16 Jun 1951; 14 Jun 1952-14 Jul 1952 - 460th Bombardment Squadron460th Bombardment SquadronThe 460th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 333d Bombardment Group, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. It was inactivated on 28 May 1946.-History:...
, 6 Jul 1942-1 10 May 1944
Stations
- Salt Lake City Army Air Base, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 6 Jul 1942 - Alamogordo Army Air Field, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, 1 Aug 1942 - Biggs Field, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, 2 Sep 1942 - Alamogordo Army Air Field, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, 29 Nov 1942 - Biggs Field, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, 5 Apr 1943-1 Apr 1944 - Walker Army AirfieldWalker Army Airfield (Kansas)Walker Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located north of Interstate 70 in Ellis County, 4 miles northeast of Victoria, Kansas....
, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 1 Apr 1944 - Dalhart Army Air Field, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, 25 May 1944
- Walker Army AirfieldWalker Army Airfield (Kansas)Walker Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located north of Interstate 70 in Ellis County, 4 miles northeast of Victoria, Kansas....
, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 1 Aug 1944-7 Jan 1945 - North Field, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Northern Mariana IslandsNorthern Mariana IslandsThe Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
, 18 Feb-19 Nov 1945 - Camp AnzaCamp AnzaCamp Anza was a United States Army installation near Riverside, California during World War II. Construction began on July 3, 1942, and was completed on February 15, 1943....
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, c. 18-27 Dec 1945 - March AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 27 Jun 1949-16 Jun 1951 - Greater Pittsburgh Airport, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 14 Jun-14 Jul 1952 - Robins Air Force BaseRobins Air Force BaseRobins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of and adjacent to the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, SSE of Macon, Georgia, and about SSE of Atlanta, Georgia...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, 1 Oct 2000–Present
Aircraft assigned
- B-17 Flying Fortress (1942, 1944)
- B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
(1942–1944) - B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
(1944–1945, 1949–1951) - Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1951