439th Airlift Wing
Encyclopedia
The 439th Airlift Wing is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the Air Mobility Command
Twenty-Second Air Force
, and is based at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts
.
The peacetime mission includes recruiting, training and supervision of personnel to assure mission readiness. The wing is also responsible for the management of aircraft maintenance and all assigned Air Force combat support real property, equipment and supplies.
The 439th has two units that are designated Geographically Separated Units (GSU). They are the 250 reservists serving as members of the 85th Aerial Port Squadron, Hanscom Air Force Base, MA, and 100 more comprise the 722nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Fort Hamilton, NY.
439th Operations Group (439 OG)
439th Maintenance Group (439 MXG)
439th Mission Support Group (439 MSG)
Squadrons
It replaced the 901st and 905th Tactical Airlift Groups at Westover Air Reserve Base in April 1974 and assumed tactical
airlift, special operations
, satellite
support, and aeromedical evacuation missions. It has since taken part in tactical exercises
, global airlift, and humanitarian
missions. It gained two tactical groups and the responsibility for operating the military portion of Niagara Falls International Airport
on 25 January 1976 and Pittsburgh International Airport
on 1 October 1980, but relinquished control of those groups in 1992. During the 1980s, the wing took part in various training exercises involving tactical airlift and rotated personnel and aircraft to Panama
. It also provided airlift support for the movement and training of other units and conducted local proficiency flying training missions. At the conclusion of the Iran–Iraq War in 1989, the wing transported United Nations
ceasefire
observers to the Persian Gulf
area. It airlifted troops and equipment to Panama during the incursion into Panama at the end of the year. The 439th airlifted troops, equipment, and supplies to support global contingency, humanitarian, and anti-drug operations during the 1990s. Additionally, its airlifts included troops and cargo to Europe
and the Persian Gulf area before and during the Gulf War
, and Patriot missiles to Israel
in 1991.
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
Twenty-Second Air Force
Twenty-Second Air Force
Twenty-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....
, and is based at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
The peacetime mission includes recruiting, training and supervision of personnel to assure mission readiness. The wing is also responsible for the management of aircraft maintenance and all assigned Air Force combat support real property, equipment and supplies.
The 439th has two units that are designated Geographically Separated Units (GSU). They are the 250 reservists serving as members of the 85th Aerial Port Squadron, Hanscom Air Force Base, MA, and 100 more comprise the 722nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Fort Hamilton, NY.
Units
The wing consists of the following component groups:439th Operations Group (439 OG)
- 337th Airlift Squadron337th Airlift SquadronThe 337th Airlift Squadron is part of the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. It operates C-5 Galaxy aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-Mission:-History:...
(337 AS) C-5A/B Galaxy - 439th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (439 ASTS)
- 439th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (439 AES)
- 439th Operations Support Squadron (439 OSS)
- 439th Airlift Control Flight (439 ACF)
439th Maintenance Group (439 MXG)
- 439th Maintenance Squadron (439 MXS)
- 439th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (439 AMXS)
- 439th Maintenance Operations Flight (439 MOF)
439th Mission Support Group (439 MSG)
- 42d Aerial Port Squadron (42 APS)
- 58th Aerial Port Squadron (58 APS)
- 85th Aerial Port Squadron (85 APS) (Hanscom Air Force BaseHanscom Air Force BaseHanscom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of Bedford, Massachusetts. The facility is a joint use civil airport/military base with Hanscom Field which provides general aviation and charter service.The host unit at Hanscom is the non-flying...
) - 439th Civil Engineering Squadron (439 CES)
- 439th Communications Squadron (439 CS)
- 439th Mission Support Squadron (439 MSS)
- 439th Security Forces Squadron (439 SFS)
- 439th Services Squadron (439 SVS)
- 439th Logistics Readiness Squadron (439 LRS)
Lineage
- Established as 439 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 19 May 1949
- Activated in the Reserve on 27 June 1949
- Ordered to active service on 1 April 1951
- Inactivated on 3 April 1951
- Redesignated 439 Fighter-Bomber Wing on 26 May 1952
- Activated in the Reserve on 15 June 1952
- Inactivated on 16 November 1957
- Redesignated 439 Tactical Airlift Wing on 14 March 1974
- Activated in the Reserve on 1 April 1974
- Redesignated: 439 Military Airlift Wing on 1 October 1987
- Resesignated: 439 Airlift Wing on 1 February 1992.
Assignments
- 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 June 1949-3 April 1951; 15 June 1952-16 November 1957 - Eastern Air Force Reserve Region, 1 April 1974
- Fourteenth Air ForceFourteenth Air ForceThe Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....
, 8 October 1976 - 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....
, 1 July 1993-.
Components
Group- 439 Troop Carrier (later, 439 Fighter-Bomber; 439 Military Airlift; 439 Operations): 27 June 1949-3 April 1951; 15 June 1952-16 November 1957; 1 August 1992–present
- 911 Tactical (later Military) Airlift Group: 1 October 1980-1 August 1992
- 914 Tactical (later Military) Airlift Group: 25 January 1976-1 August 1992
Squadrons
- 337 Tactical (later Military) Airlift Squadron: 1 April 1974-1 August 1992
- 731 Tactical (later Military) Airlift Squadron731st Airlift SquadronThe 731st Airlift Squadron is part of the 302d Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. It operates C-130 Hercules aircraft providing global airlift.-History:...
: 1 April 1974-1 October 1982.
Stations
- Selfridge AFB, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 27 June 1949-3 April 1951; 15 June 1952-16 November 1957 - Westover AFB (later, ARB), MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 1 April 1974–present
Aircraft
- TC-46, 1949–1951
- C-46, 1952–1955
- T-28, 1953–1955
- F-51, 1953–1954
- T-33, 1953–1957
- F-80, 1953–1956
- F-84, 1956–1957
- F-86, 1957
- TC-47, 1957
- C-119, 1957
- C-123, 1974–1982
- C-130, 1974–1988
- C-5, 1987–present
Operations
Under supervision of the 2242nd Air Force Reserve Training Center, the newly established wing trained as a troop carrier organization from 1949 until 1951 and for fighter-bomber missions from 1952 to 1957.It replaced the 901st and 905th Tactical Airlift Groups at Westover Air Reserve Base in April 1974 and assumed tactical
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
airlift, special operations
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
, satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
support, and aeromedical evacuation missions. It has since taken part in tactical exercises
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
, global airlift, and humanitarian
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
missions. It gained two tactical groups and the responsibility for operating the military portion of Niagara Falls International Airport
Niagara Falls International Airport
-Traffic figures:Niagara Falls International received 56,943 passengers in 2008. As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 660 passenger boardings in calendar year 2005 and 1,409 unscheduled enplanements in 2006....
on 25 January 1976 and Pittsburgh International 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...
on 1 October 1980, but relinquished control of those groups in 1992. During the 1980s, the wing took part in various training exercises involving tactical airlift and rotated personnel and aircraft to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. It also provided airlift support for the movement and training of other units and conducted local proficiency flying training missions. At the conclusion of the Iran–Iraq War in 1989, the wing transported United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
observers to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
area. It airlifted troops and equipment to Panama during the incursion into Panama at the end of the year. The 439th airlifted troops, equipment, and supplies to support global contingency, humanitarian, and anti-drug operations during the 1990s. Additionally, its airlifts included troops and cargo to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Persian Gulf area before and during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, and Patriot missiles to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1991.
Expeditions
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld 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...
- Operation Just Cause
- Operation Desert Shield
- Operation Desert StormGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
- Operation Iraqi Freedom