6th Air Mobility Wing
Encyclopedia
The United States Air Force
's 6th Air Mobility Wing (6 AMW) is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base
, Florida. It is part of Air Mobility Command
's (AMC) Eighteenth Air Force
.
The wing's 6th Operations Group
is a successor organization of the 6th Group (Composite), one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II.
and United States Special Operations Command
. It is a force capable of rapidly projecting air refueling power anywhere in the world. The Wing is organized into four unique groups and three operational flying squadrons to carry out its mission to be America’s premier mobility team providing world-class air refueling, responsive airlift and airbase support.
and an airplane flying overhead.
Squadrons
Established as 6 Bombardment Wing, Medium on 20 December 1950. Activated on 2 January 1951 as a result of the Korean War
, being equipped with the Convair B-36D (later B-36J) Peacemaker at Walker AFB, New Mexico
. The B-36 was flown by men of the 24th, 39th and 40th Bombardment Squadrons. At Walker, the wing was bestowed the history and honors of the USAAF 6th Bombardment Group in 1952. Operations consisted of strategic bombardment training with air refueling as additional mission in 1951–1952, and again from April 1958. The Boeing B-52E Stratofortress replaced the wing's B-36 in September 1957.
In September 1959, the 24th and 30th Bombardment Squadrons joined the newly assigned 4129th Combat Crew Training Squadron to train B-52 and KC-135 crews.
As the Soviet missile threat increased, so did the 6th's mission. On 1 May 1962, with the arrival of the wing's first Atlas-F SM65 intercontinental ballistic missile, came another name change—the 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing. The missiles lasted until 1965, when Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced base closure of Walker AFB and wing inactivation of the 6th.
The inactivation never happened as the 6th transferred to Eielson AFB, Alaska, without equipment and personnel on 25 March 1967, to become the 6th Strategic Wing. The 6th had gone full circle and was back in reconnaissance as it had been in 1919, only with modern, state-of-the-art RC-135S jet aircraft.
Notable events during the 6th SRW's tenure were:
The 6th Strategic Wing also maintained a detachment at Shemya AFB, Alaska, in addition to maintaining the Alaskan Tanker Task Force to support strategic reconnaissance and the NORAD Alaskan ballistic missile early warning station. On 1 April 1988, SAC renamed the wing the 6th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. During this time it flew the RC–135S and TC-135.
The Wing won the P.T. Cullen Award for greatest contributions to the photo and signal intelligence efforts of Strategic Air Command, 1973, 1978, and 1983.
The 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron left Eielson AFB on 7 July 1992. The wing has lost its operational mission and was inactivated on 1 September 1992 and the mission of the 6th SRW and assigned aircraft were transferred to the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Nebraska
.
, and the mission of the Alaskan Tanker Task force was terminated.
Following the 1991 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission
's decision to terminate the 56th Fighter Wing's mission at MacDill AFB Florida by the end of 1993, on 1 January 1994, the Air Mobility Command
6th Air Base Wing was activated at MacDill with a mission to operate the base and provide support services for CENTCOM, SOCOM, and the large and growing number of other tenant units, as well as to provide services for transient air units.
On 22 December 1993 the 6th was redesignated the 6th Air Base Wing and activated on 4 January 1994 at MacDill AFB Florida with a primary mission of supporting two unified commands, U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command. On 1 October 1996 the wing returned to its flying mission and was renamed the 6th Air Refueling Wing. On 1 January 2001 the 6th ARW reorganized and became the 6th Air Mobility Wing (6th AMW).
Efforts of the wing to highlight MacDill's airfield capabilities and in-place support units resulted in a redirect of the 1991 and 1993 DBCRC laws regarding the closure and transfer of MacDill's airfield. 1995 DBCRC laws called for the retention of the airfield as part of MacDill AFB (to be operated by the Air Force), and directed the relocation of the 43d Air Refueling Group's mission to transfer from Malmstrom AFB, Montana
, to MacDill beginning in October 1996.
With the arrival of KC-135R aircraft, the 6th Air Base Wing was redesignated the 6th Air Refueling Wing. The wing also assumed support responsibility for EC-135 command post aircraft supporting the CENTCOM and SOCOM commanders at MacDill and a CT-43 aircraft supporting the SOUTHCOM commander in Miami. Both non-tanker aircraft types were later replaced by the C-37. On 1 October 1996 the wing again changed names, this time to 6th Air Mobility Wing, assigned to Air Mobility Command
's Eighteenth Air Force
.
The 6th has twice won the Air Mobility Rodeo
Best Air Mobility Wing Award; in 2000 and 2005.
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...
's 6th Air Mobility Wing (6 AMW) is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...
, Florida. It is part of 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....
's (AMC) Eighteenth Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
.
The wing's 6th Operations Group
6th Operations Group
The 6th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida....
is a successor organization of the 6th Group (Composite), one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II.
Mission
The 6th Air Mobility Wing provides day-to-day mission support to more than 3,000 personnel along with more than 50 Mission Partners, including the United States Central CommandUnited States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
and United States Special Operations Command
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
. It is a force capable of rapidly projecting air refueling power anywhere in the world. The Wing is organized into four unique groups and three operational flying squadrons to carry out its mission to be America’s premier mobility team providing world-class air refueling, responsive airlift and airbase support.
Units
The 6th Air Mobility Wing consists of:- 6th Maintenance Group
- 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 6th Maintenance Operations Squadron
- 6th Maintenance Squadron
- 6th Operations Group
- 6th Operations Support Squadron
- 91st Air Refueling Squadron91st Air Refueling SquadronThe 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
- 911th Air Refueling Squadron911th Air Refueling SquadronThe 911th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is geographically separated from the 6th AMW and operates as the active duty associate to the 916th Air Refueling Wing from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North...
(Seymour Johnson AFBSeymour Johnson Air Force BaseSeymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located to the southeast of Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for Navy test pilot Seymour Johnson, a native of Goldsboro...
, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
) - 310th Airlift Squadron310th Airlift SquadronThe 310th Airlift Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates C-37 aircraft providing executive airlfit for Combatant Commanders.-Mission:...
- 6th Medical Group
- 6th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
- 6th Dental Squadron
- 6th Medical Operations Squadron
- 6th Medical Support Squadron
- 6th Mission Support Group
- 6th Civil Engineer Squadron
- 6th Communications Squadron
- 6th Contracting Squadron
- 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron
- 6th Mission Support Squadron
- 6th Security Forces Squadron
- 6th Services Squadron
Heraldry
The Wing's emblem, approved in 1924, reflects its origins with a ship sailing through the Gaillard CutGaillard Cut
The Gaillard Cut, or Culebra Cut, is an artificial valley that cuts through the continental divide in Panama. The cut forms part of the Panama Canal, linking Lake Gatún, and thereby the Atlantic Ocean, to the Gulf of Panama and hence the Pacific Ocean...
and an airplane flying overhead.
Lineage
- Established as 6th Bombardment Wing, Medium on 20 December 1950
- Activated on 2 January 1951
- Redesignated: 6th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 16 June 1952
- Redesignated: 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 May 1962
- Redesignated: 6th Strategic Wing on 25 March 1967 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4157th Strategic Wing (Inactivated).
- Redesignated: 6th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 1 April 1988
- Inactivated on 1 September 1992
- Redesignated 6th Air Base Wing on 22 December 1993
- Activated on 4 January 1994
- Redesignated: 6th Air Refueling Wing on 1 October 1996
- Redesignated: 6th Air Mobility Wing on 1 January 2001
Assignments
- Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, 2 January 1951 - 47th Air (later, 47th Strategic Aerospace) Division, 10 February 1951
- Attached to 3d Air Division, 31 October 1955-26 January 1956
- 22d Strategic Aerospace Division22d Strategic Aerospace DivisionThe 22d Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico...
, 1 July 1963 - 12th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 July 1965
- 18th Strategic Aerospace Division18th Strategic Aerospace DivisionThe 18th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 2 July 1968....
, 25 March 1967 - 12th Strategic Aerospace Division, 2 July 1968
- 14th Strategic Aerospace Division, 30 June 1971
- 22d Strategic Aerospace Division
- 47th Air Division, 1 October 1976
- 14th Air Division, 1 October 1985
- 3d Air Division, 9 August 1990
- 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 April-1 September 1992 - Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
, 4 January 1994 - Twenty-First Air ForceTwenty-First Air ForceThe 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command. It is headquartered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey$3...
, 1 October 1996 - Eighteenth Air ForceEighteenth Air ForceEighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
, 1 October 2003–present
Stations
- Walker AFB, 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...
, 2 January 1951 – 25 March 1967 - Eielson AFB, Alaska, 25 March 1967 – 1 September 1992
- MacDill AFB, Florida, 4 January 1994–present
Operational Components
Groups- 6th Bombardment (later, 6th Operations Group)6th Operations GroupThe 6th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida....
: 2 January 1951-16 June 1952; 1 October 1996–present
Squadrons
- 6th Air Refueling Squadron6th Air Refueling SquadronThe 6th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
: 3 January 1958-25 January 1967 - 24th Bombardment (later, 24 Strategic Reconnaissance) Squadron24th Strategic Reconnaissance SquadronThe 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with the 68th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Lake Charles Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 16 January 1953.-History:...
: attached 2 January 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-25 January 1967; assigned 25 March 1967-7 July 1992 - 39th Bombardment Squadron: attached 2 January 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-15 September 1963
- 40th Bombardment Squadron: attached 2 January 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-25 January 1967
- 307th Air Refueling Squadron307th Air Refueling SquadronThe 307th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 410th Bombardment Wing, stationed at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. It was inactivated on 1 August 1990.-History:...
: attached c. 1 August 1951-16 June 1952 - 310th Air Refueling Squadron310th Air Refueling SquadronThe 310th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Plattsburgh AFB, New York...
: 25 June 1965-25 January 1967 - 579th Strategic Missile Squadron579th Strategic Missile SquadronThe 579th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing, stationed at Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 25 March 1965-World War II:...
: 1 September 1961-25 March 1965 - 4129 Combat Crew Training Squadron: 1 August 1959-15 September 1963.
Cold 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...
, being equipped with the Convair B-36D (later B-36J) Peacemaker at Walker AFB, New Mexico
New Mexico
New 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...
. The B-36 was flown by men of the 24th, 39th and 40th Bombardment Squadrons. At Walker, the wing was bestowed the history and honors of the USAAF 6th Bombardment Group in 1952. Operations consisted of strategic bombardment training with air refueling as additional mission in 1951–1952, and again from April 1958. The Boeing B-52E Stratofortress replaced the wing's B-36 in September 1957.
In September 1959, the 24th and 30th Bombardment Squadrons joined the newly assigned 4129th Combat Crew Training Squadron to train B-52 and KC-135 crews.
As the Soviet missile threat increased, so did the 6th's mission. On 1 May 1962, with the arrival of the wing's first Atlas-F SM65 intercontinental ballistic missile, came another name change—the 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing. The missiles lasted until 1965, when Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced base closure of Walker AFB and wing inactivation of the 6th.
The inactivation never happened as the 6th transferred to Eielson AFB, Alaska, without equipment and personnel on 25 March 1967, to become the 6th Strategic Wing. The 6th had gone full circle and was back in reconnaissance as it had been in 1919, only with modern, state-of-the-art RC-135S jet aircraft.
Notable events during the 6th SRW's tenure were:
- 1 February 1959 – Captain Perry Amidon, suspecting the aircraft he was in to be out of control, ejected from the B-58 HustlerB-58 HustlerThe Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was designed by Convair engineer Robert H. Widmer and developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command during the 1960s...
at 24,000 feet. The aircraft’s pilot thought otherwise, however, and landed the plane at Eielson a few minutes later. The uninjured Captain Amidon, flew back to base about an hour later in a helicopter.
- 21 April 1964 – A WB-47B-47 StratojetThe Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
belonging to Detachment 1 of the 55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron crashed on takeoff. Three of the five crewmembers died in the accident.
- 30 September 1965 – An Eielson helicopter crew rescued two Baptist ministers after their light plane crashed between NomeNome, AlaskaNome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
and Moses Point. Throughout the 1960s, Eielson crews averaged several rescues each year.
- 17 November 1967 – The quick response of the 5010th Combat Support Group to the Chena RiverChena RiverThe Chena River is a 100-mile-long river in the Interior region of the U.S. state of Alaska. It flows generally west from the White Mountains to the Tanana River near the city of Fairbanks, which is built on both sides of the river...
flood (12–21 August 1967) and the subsequent help provided to Fairbanks and other communities led to the 5010th’s third Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
- On 4 October 1968, exactly 11 years to the day after the launch of Sputnik-1, Team-2 Ravens with Rivet Ball (RC-135S, #59-1491) and crew successfully captured the first photographic evidence of a Soviet ICBM test with three Multiple Reentry Vehicles (MRVs).
- On 13 January 1969 Rivet Ball (RC-135S, #59-1491) hydroplaned off the end of runway 28 on Shemya while attempting to land after an operational mission. The aircraft was totally destroyed. No one was seriously injured.
- 5 June 1969 – Rivet AmberRivet AmberRivet Amber, an RC-135E, 62-4137, operating out of Shemya AFB, went down in the Bering Sea on June 5, 1969. Despite a thorough search of the area, no wreckage and no survivors were ever found. The best theory is that the plane suffered some sort of catastrophic mechanical failure, as the last radio...
, an RC-135E assigned to Eielson, crashed in the Bering SeaBering SeaThe Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
minutes after leaving ShemyaShemyaShemya or Simiya is a small island in the Near Islands group of the Semichi Islands chain in the Aleutian Islands archipelago southwest of Alaska, at . It has a land area of 5.903 sq mi , and is about 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska.The Russian vessel Saint Peter and Paul wrecked at...
Air Force Base. Nineteen crewmembers died. Amber Hall, the headquarters building at Eielson, was named for the crew a year later.
- On 3 October 1969 the 6th SW held a dining-In at the Eielson, AFB Officer's Club to celebrate its 50th Anniversary (1919–1969).
- 8 July 1971 – When Lieutenant Colonel James O. Swanson became commander of the reincarnated 25th Tactical Air Support Squadron, he had a borrowed desk, a telephone, and a promise for nine aircraft and accompanying personnel. It took two months to get the first O-2O-2 SkymasterThe O-2 Skymaster is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster utilized as an observation and forward air control aircraft...
A "Mosquito," and the unit’s complement of 14 officers and eight NCOs would not be complete until June 1972.
- 9 December 1974 – An O-2A, assigned to the 25th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Eielson, crashed while on a routine training mission on the Fort GreelyFort GreelyFort Greely is a United States Army launch site for anti-ballistic missiles located approximately 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. It is also the home of the Cold Regions Test Center , as Fort Greely is one of the coldest areas in Alaska, and can accommodate cold, extreme cold, or...
training area near Delta JunctionDelta Junction, AlaskaDelta Junction is a city in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 897. The city is located a short distance south of the confluence of the Delta River with the Tanana River, which is at Big Delta...
. The pilot and co-pilot were both killed.
- 29 November 1975 – President Gerald R. Ford stopped at Eielson en route to China. Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Henry KissingerHenry KissingerHeinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
accompanied Ford, only the second President to visit Interior Alaska and the first to tour Eielson.
- 7 December 1975 – All crewmembers died when a KC-135 assigned to Plattsburgh AFB in New York crashed after takeoff from Eielson.
- February 1977 – Cold weather testing of the A-10A-10 Thunderbolt IIThe Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
aircraft took place through the end of the month. As part of the test, the aircraft participated in the "Jack Frost" exercise also hosted by the base.
- 12 January 1979 – Five-hundred Eielsonites braved sub-zero temperatures to view the Air Force's newest aircraft, the as yet unnamed F-16, present for cold weather testing.
- On 15 March 1981 Cobra Ball II (# 61-2664) departed Eielson for Shemya with 24 souls onboard. While attempting to land on Shemya they encountered a rapid decline in weather that resulted in a crash landing. Six men lost their lives and several Medals were awarded for bravery.
- On 25 February 1985 Rivet Dandy (RC-135T, #55-3121), used for Cobra Ball training, crashed into a mountain top near Valdez, Alaska while on a training mission. All three crewmembers perished. The wreckage was not located until 2 August 1985.
The 6th Strategic Wing also maintained a detachment at Shemya AFB, Alaska, in addition to maintaining the Alaskan Tanker Task Force to support strategic reconnaissance and the NORAD Alaskan ballistic missile early warning station. On 1 April 1988, SAC renamed the wing the 6th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. During this time it flew the RC–135S and TC-135.
The Wing won the P.T. Cullen Award for greatest contributions to the photo and signal intelligence efforts of Strategic Air Command, 1973, 1978, and 1983.
The 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron left Eielson AFB on 7 July 1992. The wing has lost its operational mission and was inactivated on 1 September 1992 and the mission of the 6th SRW and assigned aircraft were transferred to the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
.
Modern era
Announcement of the 6th's most recent inactivation came in December 1991, as the reconnaissance mission of the 6th was transferred to the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, and the mission of the Alaskan Tanker Task force was terminated.
Following the 1991 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
's decision to terminate the 56th Fighter Wing's mission at MacDill AFB Florida by the end of 1993, on 1 January 1994, 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....
6th Air Base Wing was activated at MacDill with a mission to operate the base and provide support services for CENTCOM, SOCOM, and the large and growing number of other tenant units, as well as to provide services for transient air units.
On 22 December 1993 the 6th was redesignated the 6th Air Base Wing and activated on 4 January 1994 at MacDill AFB Florida with a primary mission of supporting two unified commands, U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command. On 1 October 1996 the wing returned to its flying mission and was renamed the 6th Air Refueling Wing. On 1 January 2001 the 6th ARW reorganized and became the 6th Air Mobility Wing (6th AMW).
Efforts of the wing to highlight MacDill's airfield capabilities and in-place support units resulted in a redirect of the 1991 and 1993 DBCRC laws regarding the closure and transfer of MacDill's airfield. 1995 DBCRC laws called for the retention of the airfield as part of MacDill AFB (to be operated by the Air Force), and directed the relocation of the 43d Air Refueling Group's mission to transfer from Malmstrom AFB, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, to MacDill beginning in October 1996.
With the arrival of KC-135R aircraft, the 6th Air Base Wing was redesignated the 6th Air Refueling Wing. The wing also assumed support responsibility for EC-135 command post aircraft supporting the CENTCOM and SOCOM commanders at MacDill and a CT-43 aircraft supporting the SOUTHCOM commander in Miami. Both non-tanker aircraft types were later replaced by the C-37. On 1 October 1996 the wing again changed names, this time to 6th Air Mobility Wing, assigned to 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....
's Eighteenth Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
.
The 6th has twice won the Air Mobility Rodeo
Air Mobility Rodeo
The Air Mobility Rodeo is a biennial, international airlift competition hosted by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command. AMC gathers wings from active duty, reserve, and Air National Guard units from across the United States and around the world to test and improve tactics in a...
Best Air Mobility Wing Award; in 2000 and 2005.
External links
- 6th Mobility Wing at www.globalsecurity.org
- 6th Bombardment Wing at www.strategic-air-command.com
- "A Tale of Two Airplanes" by Kingdon R. "King" Hawes, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.)