446th Airlift Wing
Encyclopedia
The 446th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. The wing is stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
, Washington. If ordered to Active Service, the unit would come under the Air Mobility Command
15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force.
for the United States military.
The Wing has three groups, 13 squadrons and five flights. While it mirrors the organization of the 62d Airlift Wing
, there are three units unique to the Reserve—the Airlift Control Flight, the Aeromedical Staging Squadron, and the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.
It mirrors its active duty counterparts in its participation in exercises, inspections and the Expeditionary Aerospace Force along with daily operational missions.
The 446 AW began by Training in troop carrier and tactical airlift operations, 1955-1972. The 446 AW was the first Air Force Reserve organization to implement the Air Reserve Technician (ART) plan, in 1958. By 1959, the wing transported and airdropped troops and supplies during training exercises. The 446 AW flew experimental drop missions in support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from 1962-1967. Between 1958 and 1972, the wing operated the USAF Combat Crew Training School, the first Air Force Reserve institution that trained active duty crews. They ferried C-130s to Taiwan
in 1966 and to Southeast Asia
, 1968-1970. Since 1973 the 446 AW has been co-located with 62d Airlift Wing
and used its aircraft. The wing flew special assignment, channel, and humanitarian
airlift missions worldwide, and took part in joint and combined training exercises involving airlift of troops and cargo. The wing's operational squadrons took part in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991.
Squadrons
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington. If ordered to Active Service, the unit would come under the Air Mobility Command
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....
15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force.
Mission
The primary mission of the 446 AW is to provide combat airliftAirlift (military)
An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via aircraft.Airlifting consists of two distinct types, strategic and tactical airlifting...
for the United States military.
The Wing has three groups, 13 squadrons and five flights. While it mirrors the organization of the 62d Airlift Wing
62d Airlift Wing
The 62d Airlift Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. It is assigned to the Eighteenth Air Force of Air Mobility Command and is active duty host wing on McChord. The wing is composed of more than 7,200 active duty military and civilian...
, there are three units unique to the Reserve—the Airlift Control Flight, the Aeromedical Staging Squadron, and the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.
It mirrors its active duty counterparts in its participation in exercises, inspections and the Expeditionary Aerospace Force along with daily operational missions.
Units
- 446th Operations Group446th Operations GroupThe 446th Operations Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 446th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington....
(446 OG)
- 97th Airlift Squadron97th Airlift SquadronThe 97th Airlift Squadron is part of the 446th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-History:...
(97 AS) - 313th Airlift Squadron313th Airlift SquadronThe 313th Airlift Squadron is located at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It is part of the 446th Airlift Wing and operationally flies the C-17 Globemaster jet transport. The mission of the 313 AS consists of airlift, aerial delivery, and aerial refueling on a worldwide basis...
(313 AS) - 728th Airlift Squadron728th Airlift SquadronThe 728th Airlift Squadron is located at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It is part of the 446th Airlift Wing and operates the C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft. The mission of the 728th AS is to provide mission-ready aircrews for operational support for strategic and tactical airlift,...
(728 AS) - 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (446 AES)
- 446th Operations Support Flight (446 OSF)
- 446th Airlift Control Flight (446 ALCF)
- 446th Maintenance Group (446 MXG)
- 446th Maintenance Squadron (446 MXS)
- 446th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (446 AMXS)
- 446th Mission Support Group (446 MSG)
- 36th Aerial Port Squadron (36 APS)
- 86th Aerial Port Squadron (86 APS)
- 446th Security Forces Squadron (446 SFS)
- 446th Mission Support Squadron (446 MSS)
- 446th Civil Engineering Squadron (446 CES)
- 446th Logistics Readiness Flight(446 LRF)
- 446th Services Flight (446 SVF)
- Other Units
- 446th Aerospace Medicine Squadron (446 AMDS)
- 446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (446 ASTS)
History
- For additional history and lineage, see 446th Operations Group446th Operations GroupThe 446th Operations Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 446th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington....
The 446 AW began by Training in troop carrier and tactical airlift operations, 1955-1972. The 446 AW was the first Air Force Reserve organization to implement the Air Reserve Technician (ART) plan, in 1958. By 1959, the wing transported and airdropped troops and supplies during training exercises. The 446 AW flew experimental drop missions in support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from 1962-1967. Between 1958 and 1972, the wing operated the USAF Combat Crew Training School, the first Air Force Reserve institution that trained active duty crews. They ferried C-130s to 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...
in 1966 and 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...
, 1968-1970. Since 1973 the 446 AW has been co-located with 62d Airlift Wing
62d Airlift Wing
The 62d Airlift Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. It is assigned to the Eighteenth Air Force of Air Mobility Command and is active duty host wing on McChord. The wing is composed of more than 7,200 active duty military and civilian...
and used its aircraft. The wing flew special assignment, channel, 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...
airlift missions worldwide, and took part in joint and combined training exercises involving airlift of troops and cargo. The wing's operational squadrons took part in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991.
Lineage
- Established as 446 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 11 April 1955
- Activated in the Reserve on 25 May 1955
- Redesignated 446 Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 July 1967
- Inactivated on 1 July 1972
- Redesignated 446 Military Airlift Wing (Associate) on 29 January 1973
- Activated in the Reserve on 1 July 1973
- Redesignated: 446 Airlift Wing (Associate) on 1 February 1992
- Redesignated: 446 Airlift Wing on 1 October 1994
Assignments
- 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....
, 25 May 1955 - 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....
, 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 ForceFourth Air ForceThe Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 8 October 1976–present
Components
Groups- 446th Troop Carrier (later, 446 Operations)446th Operations GroupThe 446th Operations Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 446th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington....
: 25 May 1955-14 April 1959; 1 August 1992–present - 908th Tactical Airlift Group: 1 December 1965-1 March 1968
- 917th Military Airlift Group: 21 April 1971-25 February 1972
- 924th Tactical Airlift Group: 17 January 1963-1 July 1972
- 925th Tactical Airlift Group: 17 January 1963-25 March 1968
- 926th Tactical Airlift Group: 17 January 1963-1 March 1968; 1 October 1969-1 July 1972
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 (later, 705 Tactical Airlift; 705 Tactical Airlift Training)705th Tactical Airlift SquadronThe 705th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 433d Tactical Airlift Wing, stationed at Ellington Air Force Base, Texas...
: 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.
Stations
- Ellington AFB, 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 1955-1 July 1972 - McChord AFB (later Joint Base Lewis-McChord), Washington, 1 July 1973–present
Aircraft
- C-45 ExpeditorBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
(1955–1958) - C-46 CommandoC-46 CommandoThe 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...
(1955–1958) - C-119 Flying BoxcarC-119 Flying BoxcarThe Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
(1957–1970) - C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
(1968–1972)
- RC-130 (1970–1972)
- C-124 Globemaster IIC-124 Globemaster IIThe Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shakey", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....
(1971 – 1972) - C-141 StarlifterC-141 StarlifterThe Lockheed C-141 Starlifter was a military strategic airlifter in service with the Air Mobility Command of the United States Air Force...
(1973 – 2002) - C-17 Globemaster IIIC-17 Globemaster IIIThe Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
(1999 - Present)
Deployments
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Operation Enduring FreedomOEFOEF may refer to:*Operation Enduring Freedom*Operational efficiency factor*Order of Ecumenical Franciscans*Obscene Extreme Festival...
- Joint Task Force KatrinaJoint Task Force KatrinaJoint Task Force Katrina was a joint operation between the United States Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency created on August 31, 2005 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi to organize relief efforts along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The operation was...
- Operation Urgent Fury
- Operation Desert Shield
- Operation Desert Storm