374th Airlift Wing
Encyclopedia
The 374th Airlift Wing (374 AW) is a unit of the United States Air Force
assigned to Fifth Air Force
. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base
, Japan. It is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
The 374th Airlift Wing is the only airlift wing in PACAF and provides airlift support to all DoD agencies in the Pacific theater of operation. It also provides transport for people and equipment throughout the Kanto Plain and the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The Wing participates in operations involving air, land and airdrop of troops, equipment, supplies, and support or augment special operations forces, when appropriate. It fields a provisional airlift wing or group headquarters (when required) to command airlift resources as units in support of contingencies or exercises. It also supports assigned, attached, and associate units on Yokota Air Base and satellite installations according to higher headquarters' direction.
The 374th Airlift Wing has never been stationed in the United States.
The 374th Troop Carrier Wing was established on 10 August 1948 and activated on 17 August. It operated Harmon Field, Guam, until March 1949, and provided troop carrier operations in the Pacific and Far East. It moved to Japan in March 1949, and assumed control over Tachikawa (later, Tachikawa AB), operating this facility until 1 January 1956.
The 374th Wing operated Harmon Field, Guam from August 1948 though March 1949, and provided troop carrier operations in the Pacific and Far East. It moved to Japan in March 1949, and assumed control over Tachikawa (later, Tachikawa AB), operating this facility until 1 January 1956.
broke out in June 1950, the 374th was the only air transport group in the Far East. During the war, the combat components of the unit were:
The Wing's assigned and attached components flew a variety of aircraft, including C-54s, C-46s, C-47s, C-119s, and C-124s, performing combat airlift, airdrops, and aeromedical evacuation in Korea throughout the war
The Wing performed routine transport operations. With assigned and attached components, the wing performed combat airlift, airdrops, and aeromedical evacuation in Korea throughout the war. For its work between 27 June and 15 September 1950, transporting vital cargo, personnel and evacuating wounded men, the 374th earned its fourth DUC
It also flew courier flights throughout the Pacific area. In April 1953, the 347th transported the first of several groups of repatriated prisoners of war from Korea to Japan (Operation Little Switch), and subsequently transported United Nations prisoners of war (Operation Big Switch) from North Korea
.
Following hostilities, the wing resumed its normal troop carrier and airlift operations in the Far East and Pacific area, including participation in tactical exercises and humanitarian missions.
Beginning in January 1954, the 374th airlifted wounded French troops from Indochina
to Japan, en route to France. Principal operations from 1955 until 1958 consisted of numerous mobility exercises, routine theater airlift, and occasional exercises throughout the Western Pacific region. It trained C-46 pilots of the Japanese Air Self Defense Force, from November 1954 through May 1955.
Nine years later, in August 1966, the 347th TAW was activated at Naha AB, Okinawa as part of the 315th Air Division
, and assumed a mission of airlift to Southeast Asia
, as well as intra-theater airlift for elements of the Pacific Command. In addition, the wing supported Army Special Forces training, participated in tactical exercises, and flew search and rescue and humanitarian missions as needed.
One of its three primary squadrons was the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron which supplied aircraft for the CIA. The Wing also supported "Blind Bat", "SPECTRE" and "Black Spot" operations. During the Vietnam War the 374th received the Presidential Unit Citation
and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, complementing the three Distinguished Unit Citations it received in World War II
.
On May 12, 1968 374th airlifters in Vietnam had their finest hour as they were called upon to evacuate the camp at Kham Duc. Although two C-130s were shot down and others were damaged, they manaqed to bring out about half of the camps defenders while US Army and USMC helicopters brought out the remainder who did not exfiltrate out on the ground. After the camp had been successfully evacuated, another C-130 was inexplicably ordered to land and discharge members of an airlift control team who had been evacuated earlier in the day. Two C-123s managed to land, but the first took off again without seeing the stranded airmen until they had become airborne. The second C-123 landed and picked them up. As the ranking man aboard the airplane, Lt. Col. Joe M. Jackson was awarded the Medal of Honor. The instructor pilot, who had been administeriing a check ride to Jackson, Major Jesse Campbell
, was awarded the Air Force Cross while the two enlisted crewmembers, Sergeants Truijo and Grubbs, were given the Silver Star
The wing had no aircraft from 27 April to 31 May 1971. It was revived with new resources at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base
Taiwan
and remained heavily committed in support of operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War
, and also continued routine airlift in other areas. One of the wing's humanitarian missions-flood relief in the Philippines-earned it a Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation in 1972.
In the spring of 1972, after most American ground forces had been withdrawn, the North Vietnam
ese Communists launched a major offensive as they invaded South Vietnam
during Easter
. Communist troops supported by tanks and artillery rolled down Highway 13 toward Saigon, only to be halted after passing the town of An Loc
, which fell under siege. Airlift forces in Southeast Asia had been withdrawn, with only the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing remaining of what had been several wings of C-130s, C-123s and C-7s. Vietnamese C-123s atttempted to supply the besieged garrison at An Loc, but were unsuccessful in the face of the heaviest ground fire yet encountered in the Vietnam War. Helicopter resupply was impossible due to the proliferation of automatic weapons in the area. In desperation, the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, ordered the 374th to begin a resupply effort of the camp.
The wing provided support in March 1973 for Operation Homecoming
, the repatriation of American prisoners from Hanoi
, North Vietnam
. In February, 1973, the POWs, some of whom had been held since 1965, were finally released. The Military Airlift Command
was given the honor of bringing the POWS home, but the MAC C-141 Starlifter
crews were upstaged by C-130 crewmen from the 374th TAW. In preparation for the release, several C-130 flights transported members of the negoitating team into Hanoi
. On the day of the release two C-130 crews flew into Gia Lam Airport
with members of the release team and an Air Force combat control team who brought in homing devices to help the MAC crews find the airfield. When the prisoners were released, the two C-130 crews were standing with nothing to do. Seeing that the first prisoners were the most badly injured, SSgt Ron Zogoda, a loadmaster, too the initiative as he stepped forward and took the arm of the first prisoner to be released, then escorted him across more than 100 feet of tarmac to where the MAC "freedom birds" waited. (The MAC C-141 crews were under strict instructions not to leave their airplanes.) The other members of the two crews followed Zgoda's lead. When the POWS got to their first stop at Clark AB, Philippines, they told Gen. Wiliam Moore, commander of 13th Air Force, how they appreciated the fact that the first Americans they talked too were combat crewmembes like themselves. Consequently, on subsequent releases, the C-130 crews were assigned escort duty with the returning prisoners.
The 347th maintained a forward operating location at Korat RTAFB Thailand
until 1976. While American combat participation in the Vietnam War ceased with the 1973 ceasefire, airlift continued to play a role in the ongoing war in nearby Laos
and Cambodia
. Throughout 1974 and into 1975 the United States maintained a major airlift of supplies to the besieged Cambodian city of Phnom Penh
. Fearful of the loss of an Air Force crew, the United States turned to the use of civilian contract crews, as they had done during the French IndoChina War. A company known as Bird Air (BirdAir) recruited former military airlifters to fly USAF C-130s provided "on loan" from the Air Force for the resupply effort. In spite of the airlift effort, Phnom Penh fell to the Communists in April, 1975, only a few days before Saigon also fell, bringing the long Vietnam War to a final conclusion.
The unit participated in Operation Baby Lift (evacuation of Vietnam orphans) and Operation NewLife (evacuation of Vietnamese refugees) in April 1975. During the recovery of the SS Mayaguez
from the Cambodia
ns in May 1975, a wing aircraft dropped a 15,000-lb bomb on Koh Tang Island
to create a helicopter
landing area.
On 31 March 1975, the 374th gained an aeromedical airlift mission in the Far East. In October 1978, it added a tactical airlift group to control the wing's units in Japan and South Korea
, and continued controlling aerial port facilities in South Korea
until November 1983, and then in the Philippines
and Japan.
It began supporting US Navy elements in the Indian Ocean area in 1980. From 30 December 1990 through 6 July 1991, the wing deployed C-130s and associated aircrews and support personnel for operations in Southwest Asia, and from 8 June through 1 July 1991 provided airlift and aeromedical airlift for the evacuation of Clark AB, Philippines, after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.
, which was inactivated under the "one base-one wing" organizational concept and became the host unit at Yokota. From 1992 to present, the 374th Airlift Wing conducted special operations, aeromedical evacuations, search and rescue operations, humanitarian relief and theater airlift missions in support of US and UN security interests throughout the Far East.
In 1996, the 374th deployed portions of the Air Transportable Hospital to Andersen AFB, Guam
to assist in Operation Pacific Haven, migrant operations of more than 2000 Kurdish nationals. Deployed to Utapao RTAFB
, Thailand from 28 December 2004 though 26 January 2005 as part of Operation Unified Assistance
, distributing humanitarian supplies to people and eleven nations devastated by an earthquake triggered tsunami
.
Squadrons
Flights
Detachments
, Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando
, Douglas C-54 Skymaster, C-124 Globemaster II, Fairchild C-119 "Flying Boxcar", Lockheed C-130 Hercules, McDonnell Douglas C-9, C-12 Huron
, C-21A, and Bell Helicopter Textron UH-1 Huey
References for commands and major units assigned, components and stations:
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...
assigned to Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base
Yokota Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the city of Fussa, one of 26 cities in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.The base houses 14,000 personnel. The base occupies a total area of and has a runway...
, Japan. It is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
The 374th Airlift Wing is the only airlift wing in PACAF and provides airlift support to all DoD agencies in the Pacific theater of operation. It also provides transport for people and equipment throughout the Kanto Plain and the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The Wing participates in operations involving air, land and airdrop of troops, equipment, supplies, and support or augment special operations forces, when appropriate. It fields a provisional airlift wing or group headquarters (when required) to command airlift resources as units in support of contingencies or exercises. It also supports assigned, attached, and associate units on Yokota Air Base and satellite installations according to higher headquarters' direction.
The 374th Airlift Wing has never been stationed in the United States.
Mission
The mission of the 374th Airlift Wing is to provide command and control of subordinate units for the execution of troop, cargo, military equipment, passengers, mail, and aeromedical evacuation/airlift to and from areas requiring such airlift.Units
- 374th Operations Group Tail Code: YJ
The 374th Operations Group maintains a forward presence by providing rapid responsive movement of personnel, equipment and operational support in the Asia-Pacific region. The group consists of:
- 374th Operations Support Squadron
- 36th Airlift Squadron (C-130H1) (YJ)
- 459th Airlift Squadron (UH-1N, C-12)
- 374th Maintenance Group
The 374th Maintenance Group maintains C-130H1, C-12 and UH-1N aircraft supporting intra-theater airlift and distinguished visitor transport for Pacific Air Forces.
- 374th Mission Support Group
The 374th Mission Support Group is responsible to the 374th Airlift Wing Commander for command, control and direction of support activities to 374 AW and 32 tenant units to include HQ US Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force.
- 374th Medical Group
The 374th Medical Group ensures medical readiness of 374 AW, 5 AF, and US Forces Japan personnel. They also maintain 64 War Reserve Materiel projects, including the USAF's largest Patient Movement Item inventory.
- Associate/Tenant Units
- U.S. Forces, Japan (USFJ)
- Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
(5AF) - 730th Air Mobility Squadron
- Air Force Band of the Pacific-Asia
- Stars & StripesStars and Stripes (newspaper)Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
- American Forces NetworkAmerican Forces NetworkThe American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
History
- For additional lineage and history, see 374th Operations Group374th Operations GroupThe 374th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 374th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
The 374th Troop Carrier Wing was established on 10 August 1948 and activated on 17 August. It operated Harmon Field, Guam, until March 1949, and provided troop carrier operations in the Pacific and Far East. It moved to Japan in March 1949, and assumed control over Tachikawa (later, Tachikawa AB), operating this facility until 1 January 1956.
The 374th Wing operated Harmon Field, Guam from August 1948 though March 1949, and provided troop carrier operations in the Pacific and Far East. It moved to Japan in March 1949, and assumed control over Tachikawa (later, Tachikawa AB), operating this facility until 1 January 1956.
Korean War
When the Korean WarKorean 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...
broke out in June 1950, the 374th was the only air transport group in the Far East. During the war, the combat components of the unit were:
- 1st Troop Carrier Group, Provisional: attached 26 August 1950 – 10 January 1951.
- 21st Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 29 June 1951 – 28 March 1952.
- 47th Troop Carrier Squadron, Provisional: attached 10–26 January 1951.
- 6142nd Air Transport Unit: attached 1 August – 1 October 1950.
- 6143rd Air Transport Unit: attached 26 July – 1 October 1950.
- 6144th Air Transport Unit: attached 26 July – 1 October 1950.
The Wing's assigned and attached components flew a variety of aircraft, including C-54s, C-46s, C-47s, C-119s, and C-124s, performing combat airlift, airdrops, and aeromedical evacuation in Korea throughout the war
The Wing performed routine transport operations. With assigned and attached components, the wing performed combat airlift, airdrops, and aeromedical evacuation in Korea throughout the war. For its work between 27 June and 15 September 1950, transporting vital cargo, personnel and evacuating wounded men, the 374th earned its fourth DUC
It also flew courier flights throughout the Pacific area. In April 1953, the 347th transported the first of several groups of repatriated prisoners of war from Korea to Japan (Operation Little Switch), and subsequently transported United Nations prisoners of war (Operation Big Switch) from North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
.
Cold War
Beginning in January 1954, the 374th airlifted wounded French troops from Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
to Japan, en route to France. Principal operations from 1955 until 1958 consisted of numerous mobility exercises, routine theater airlift, and occasional exercises throughout the Western Pacific region. It trained C-46 pilots of the Japanese Air Self Defense Force, from November 1954 through May 1955.
Vietnam War
Nine years later, in August 1966, the 347th TAW was activated at Naha AB, Okinawa as part of the 315th Air Division
315th Air Division
The 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated in April 1969.-History:...
, and assumed a mission of airlift to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, as well as intra-theater airlift for elements of the Pacific Command. In addition, the wing supported Army Special Forces training, participated in tactical exercises, and flew search and rescue and humanitarian missions as needed.
One of its three primary squadrons was the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron which supplied aircraft for the CIA. The Wing also supported "Blind Bat", "SPECTRE" and "Black Spot" operations. During the Vietnam War the 374th received the Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, complementing the three Distinguished Unit Citations it received in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
On May 12, 1968 374th airlifters in Vietnam had their finest hour as they were called upon to evacuate the camp at Kham Duc. Although two C-130s were shot down and others were damaged, they manaqed to bring out about half of the camps defenders while US Army and USMC helicopters brought out the remainder who did not exfiltrate out on the ground. After the camp had been successfully evacuated, another C-130 was inexplicably ordered to land and discharge members of an airlift control team who had been evacuated earlier in the day. Two C-123s managed to land, but the first took off again without seeing the stranded airmen until they had become airborne. The second C-123 landed and picked them up. As the ranking man aboard the airplane, Lt. Col. Joe M. Jackson was awarded the Medal of Honor. The instructor pilot, who had been administeriing a check ride to Jackson, Major Jesse Campbell
Jesse Campbell
Jesse Gilbert Campbell, Jr. is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, and the New York Giants. He played college football at North Carolina State University and was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 1991...
, was awarded the Air Force Cross while the two enlisted crewmembers, Sergeants Truijo and Grubbs, were given the Silver Star
The wing had no aircraft from 27 April to 31 May 1971. It was revived with new resources at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base
Ching Chuan Kang Air Base
Ching Chuan Kang Air Base is a Republic Of China Air Force base located on Taiwan. It is the home to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, with three squadrons of Ching-kou air-defense /attack fighters...
Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and remained heavily committed in support of operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and also continued routine airlift in other areas. One of the wing's humanitarian missions-flood relief in the Philippines-earned it a Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation in 1972.
In the spring of 1972, after most American ground forces had been withdrawn, the North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese Communists launched a major offensive as they invaded South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
during Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. Communist troops supported by tanks and artillery rolled down Highway 13 toward Saigon, only to be halted after passing the town of An Loc
An Loc
An Loc is a small town in Bình Phước Province in southern Vietnam, located approximately 90 km north of Saigon with a population of 15,000...
, which fell under siege. Airlift forces in Southeast Asia had been withdrawn, with only the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing remaining of what had been several wings of C-130s, C-123s and C-7s. Vietnamese C-123s atttempted to supply the besieged garrison at An Loc, but were unsuccessful in the face of the heaviest ground fire yet encountered in the Vietnam War. Helicopter resupply was impossible due to the proliferation of automatic weapons in the area. In desperation, the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, ordered the 374th to begin a resupply effort of the camp.
The wing provided support in March 1973 for Operation Homecoming
Operation Homecoming
Operation Homecoming was a series of diplomatic negotiations that in January 1973 made possible the return of 591 American prisoners of war held by North Vietnam. On Feb. 12, 1973, three C-141 transports flew to Hanoi, North Vietnam, and one C-9A aircraft was sent to Saigon, South Vietnam to pick...
, the repatriation of American prisoners from Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
. In February, 1973, the POWs, some of whom had been held since 1965, were finally released. The Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
was given the honor of bringing the POWS home, but the MAC C-141 Starlifter
C-141 Starlifter
The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter was a military strategic airlifter in service with the Air Mobility Command of the United States Air Force...
crews were upstaged by C-130 crewmen from the 374th TAW. In preparation for the release, several C-130 flights transported members of the negoitating team into Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
. On the day of the release two C-130 crews flew into Gia Lam Airport
Gia Lam Airport
Gia Lam Airport is one of two major airports in Hanoi, Vietnam, located in Gia Lâm District, on the eastern bank of the Red River. It is primarily a military field, used by the Vietnam People's Air Force , with MiG-21 fighters and Kamov Ka-28 helicopters stored in revetments. The airfield was...
with members of the release team and an Air Force combat control team who brought in homing devices to help the MAC crews find the airfield. When the prisoners were released, the two C-130 crews were standing with nothing to do. Seeing that the first prisoners were the most badly injured, SSgt Ron Zogoda, a loadmaster, too the initiative as he stepped forward and took the arm of the first prisoner to be released, then escorted him across more than 100 feet of tarmac to where the MAC "freedom birds" waited. (The MAC C-141 crews were under strict instructions not to leave their airplanes.) The other members of the two crews followed Zgoda's lead. When the POWS got to their first stop at Clark AB, Philippines, they told Gen. Wiliam Moore, commander of 13th Air Force, how they appreciated the fact that the first Americans they talked too were combat crewmembes like themselves. Consequently, on subsequent releases, the C-130 crews were assigned escort duty with the returning prisoners.
The 347th maintained a forward operating location at Korat RTAFB Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
until 1976. While American combat participation in the Vietnam War ceased with the 1973 ceasefire, airlift continued to play a role in the ongoing war in nearby Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Throughout 1974 and into 1975 the United States maintained a major airlift of supplies to the besieged Cambodian city of Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
. Fearful of the loss of an Air Force crew, the United States turned to the use of civilian contract crews, as they had done during the French IndoChina War. A company known as Bird Air (BirdAir) recruited former military airlifters to fly USAF C-130s provided "on loan" from the Air Force for the resupply effort. In spite of the airlift effort, Phnom Penh fell to the Communists in April, 1975, only a few days before Saigon also fell, bringing the long Vietnam War to a final conclusion.
The unit participated in Operation Baby Lift (evacuation of Vietnam orphans) and Operation NewLife (evacuation of Vietnamese refugees) in April 1975. During the recovery of the SS Mayaguez
Mayagüez incident
The Mayaguez incident between the Khmer Rouge and the United States from May 12–15, 1975, was the last official battle of the Vietnam War. The names of the Americans killed, as well as those of three Marines who were left behind on the island of Koh Tang after the battle and who were subsequently...
from the Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
ns in May 1975, a wing aircraft dropped a 15,000-lb bomb on Koh Tang Island
Koh Tang
Koh Tang is an island off the coast of Preah Sihanouk Province in the Gulf of Thailand. The island is approximately 43 km southwest off the coast of Cambodia...
to create a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
landing area.
On 31 March 1975, the 374th gained an aeromedical airlift mission in the Far East. In October 1978, it added a tactical airlift group to control the wing's units in Japan and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and continued controlling aerial port facilities in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
until November 1983, and then in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Japan.
It began supporting US Navy elements in the Indian Ocean area in 1980. From 30 December 1990 through 6 July 1991, the wing deployed C-130s and associated aircrews and support personnel for operations in Southwest Asia, and from 8 June through 1 July 1991 provided airlift and aeromedical airlift for the evacuation of Clark AB, Philippines, after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.
Modern era
On 1 April 1992 the 374th absorbed the personnel and mission of 475th Air Base Wing475th Air Base Wing
The 475th Air Base Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last duty station was at Yokota Air Base, Japan, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1992....
, which was inactivated under the "one base-one wing" organizational concept and became the host unit at Yokota. From 1992 to present, the 374th Airlift Wing conducted special operations, aeromedical evacuations, search and rescue operations, humanitarian relief and theater airlift missions in support of US and UN security interests throughout the Far East.
In 1996, the 374th deployed portions of the Air Transportable Hospital to Andersen AFB, 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...
to assist in Operation Pacific Haven, migrant operations of more than 2000 Kurdish nationals. Deployed to Utapao RTAFB
U-Tapao International Airport
-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...
, Thailand from 28 December 2004 though 26 January 2005 as part of Operation Unified Assistance
Operation Unified Assistance
Operation Unified Assistance is the name of the United States military's response to the tsunami of 2004.-Overview:On 28 December, the first elements of the Combined Support Force were deployed to Utapao, Thailand following that country's approval of the use of that base.More than 12,600...
, distributing humanitarian supplies to people and eleven nations devastated by an earthquake triggered tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
.
Lineage
- Established as 374th Troop Carrier Wing, Heavy, on 10 August 1948
- Activated on 17 August 1948
- Inactivated on 1 July 1957
- Redesignated 374th Troop Carrier Wing, and activated, on 27 June 1966
- Organized on 8 August 1966 from airlift elements of 315th Air Division315th Air DivisionThe 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated in April 1969.-History:...
- Redesignated: 374th Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 August 1967
- Redesignated: 374th Airlift Wing on 1 April 1992
- 374th Airlift Group assigned to wing as subordinate unit
Assignments
- Marianas Air Materiel Area (Provisional), 17 August 1948
- Attached to 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...
, 17 August 1948 –- Marianas Air Materiel Area, 1 February 1949
- Remained attached to 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...
to 5 March 1949- Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
, 5 March 1949
- Fifth Air Force
- Attached to: 1 Troop Carrier Task Force [Provisional], 5–9 September 1950
- Attached to: Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command, Provisional, 10 September 1950 –
- 314th Air Division314th Air DivisionThe 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....
, 1 December 1950
- 314th Air Division
- Remained attached to Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command, Provisional, to 25 January 1951
- 315th Air Division315th Air DivisionThe 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated in April 1969.-History:...
(Combat Cargo), 25 January 1951 – 1 July 1957 - Pacific Air Forces, 27 June 1966
- 315th Air Division315th Air DivisionThe 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated in April 1969.-History:...
(Combat Cargo), 8 August 1966 - 313th Air Division313th Air DivisionThe 313th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Kadena AB, Okinawa. It was deactivated on 1 October 1991.-History:...
, 1 November 1968 - 327th Air Division327th Air DivisionThe 327th Airlift Division is an inactive United States Air Force air division. It was assigned to Pacific Air Forces' Thirteenth Air Force throughout its existence. It was last stationed at Taipei AS, Taiwan...
, 31 May 1971 - Thirteenth Air ForceThirteenth Air ForceThe Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
, 15 November 1973 - Twenty-Second Air ForceTwenty-Second Air ForceTwenty-Second Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of Air Force Reserve Command . It was activated on 1 July 1993 and is headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia....
, 31 March 1975 - 834th Airlift Division834th Airlift DivisionThe 834th Airlift Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Military Airlift Command, assigned to Twenty-Second Air Force, being stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii...
, 1 October 1978 - Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
, 1 April 1992–present
Components
Groups- 1 Troop Carrier Group, Medium (Provisional) (later, Troop Carrier Group [Medium], No. 1, Provisional)1st Troop Carrier GroupThe 1st Troop Carrier Group|1st Troop Carrier Group was a United States Air Force unit that fought in the Korean War. The unit was attached to Far East Air Forces Fifth Air ForceOperational Units:...
: attached 26 August 1950 – 10 January 1951 - 316th Tactical Airlift Group: 1 October 1978 – 1 October 1989
- 374th Troop Carrier (later, 374th Operations) Group374th Operations GroupThe 374th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 374th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
: 17 August 1948 – 1 July 1957; 1 April 1992 – present
Squadrons
- Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium), No. 47, Provisional: attached 10–26 January 1951
- 21st Troop Carrier (later, 21st Tactical Airlift; 21st Airlift) Squadron21st Airlift SquadronThe 21st Airlift Squadron is part of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-Mission:...
: attached 29 June 1951 – 28 March 1952; attached 3 February 1956 – 1 July 1957; assigned 8 August 1966 – 1 April 1992 - 6475th (later, 6037th) Flying Training Squadron: attached 25 November 1954 – 18 May 1955
- 22d Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 3 February 1956 – 1 July 1957
- 6th Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 3 February 1956 – 1 July 1957
- 6485th Operations Squadron: attached 17 September 1956 – 1 July 1957.
- 35th Tactical Airlift Squadron: 8 August 1966 – 31 March 1971
- 41st Tactical Airlift Squadron: 8 August 1966 – 28 February 1971
- 817th Tactical Airlift Squadron: 8 August 1966 – 15 June 1970
- 815th Tactical Airlift Squadron: 1 November 1968 – 15 December 1969 (detached 1 November 1968 – 1 April 1969)
- 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron: assigned 31 May 1971 – 15 August 1973; attached 28 April – c. 6 June 1975
- 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron: 31 May 1971 – 1 October 1978; 1 October 1989 – 1 April 1992
- 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron: 31 May 1971 – 31 October 1975
- 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron: attached 16 May – 1 September 1972
- 36th Tactical Airlift Squadron: attached 16 May – 1 September 1972
- 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron: attached 29 November 1972 – 28 February 1973
- 38th Tactical Airlift Squadron: attached 1 September – 29 November 1972
- 772d Tactical Airlift Squadron: attached c. 10 May – 6 June 1973
- 773d Tactical Airlift Squadron: attached 28 February – c. 10 May 1973
- 7th Air Command and Control Squadron: 22 May 1974 – 31 March 1975 (detached)
- 20th Operations (later, 20th Aeromedical Airlift) Squadron: 31 March 1975 – 1 April 1992
- 13th Military Airlift Squadron: 1 October 1987 – 1 April 1992
- 1403d Military Airlift Squadron: 1 October 1989 – 1 April 1992
Flights
- 22 Helicopter: 1 April – 1 July 1992
- 6142 Air Transport: attached 1 August – 1 October 1950
- 6143 Air Transport: attached 26 July – 1 October 1950
- 6144 Air Transport: attached 26 July – 1 October 1950
Detachments
- Royal Thailand Air Force Detachment: attached 1953 – 1 July 1957.
Stations
- Harmon Field (later, AFB)Harmon Air Force BaseHarmon Air Force Base is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield, and postwar United States Air Force Base on Guam in the Mariana Islands. Originally named "Depot Field", it was renamed in honor of Lieutenant General Millard F. Harmon, who was killed on a routine flight from...
, 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...
, Marianas Islands, 17 August 1948 - Tachikawa (later, Tachikawa AB)Tachikawa Airfieldis an airfield in the city of Tachikawa, the western part of Tokyo, Japan. Currently under the administration of the Ministry of Defense, it has also served as the civil aviation with Japan's first scheduled air service.-Operations:...
, Japan, 5 March 1949 – 1 July 1957 - Naha Air BaseNaha Air BaseNaha Air Base is an airbase of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. It was formerly under control of the United States Air Force. It is located at Naha Airport, Okinawa, Japan....
, Okinawa, 8 August 1966 - Ching Chaun Kang ABChing Chuan Kang Air BaseChing Chuan Kang Air Base is a Republic Of China Air Force base located on Taiwan. It is the home to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, with three squadrons of Ching-kou air-defense /attack fighters...
, Taiwan, 31 May 1971 - Clark AB, Philippines, 15 November 1973
- Yokota AB, Japan, 1 October 1989–present
Aircraft
The 374th AW aircrews have flown a variety of aircraft, including the Douglas C-47 SkytrainC-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, Curtiss-Wright 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...
, Douglas C-54 Skymaster, C-124 Globemaster II, Fairchild C-119 "Flying Boxcar", Lockheed C-130 Hercules, McDonnell Douglas C-9, C-12 Huron
C-12 Huron
The C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
, C-21A, and Bell Helicopter Textron UH-1 Huey
References for commands and major units assigned, components and stations:
See also
- United States Army Air Forces in AustraliaUnited States Army Air Forces in AustraliaDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established a series of airfields in Australia for the collective defense of the country, as well as for conducting offensive operations against the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy...