939th Air Refueling Wing
Encyclopedia
The 939th Air Refueling Wing (939 ARW) was a wing
of the United States Air Force
based out of Portland Air Reserve Station
, Oregon
. It was an Air Force Reserve Command
(AFRC) flying unit operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command
(AMC). The wing was inactivated in 2008.
and combatant commanders.
, including missions to Vietnam
and numerous humanitarian
missions primarily in the western United States from 1963-1973.
In 1985, the unit changed to a rescue mission and the 939th was known as the 939th Rescue Group (939 RQG), then 939th Rescue Wing (939 RQW), controlling rescue squadrons at widely separated locations: the collocated 304th Rescue Squadron; the 301st and later the 39th in Florida
; and the 305th, initially in Michigan
until 1 September 1992 and then in Arizona
from 1 October 1993. It provided considerable assistance to Florida and the 301st Rescue Squadron following the devastation of Hurricane Andrew
in August 1992. It also deployed aircrews from each of the squadrons to provide search and rescue
(SAR) coverage worldwide, including to NAS Keflavik, Iceland
, during and after the Southwest Asia
War
and to provide combat SAR coverage in the Persian Gulf
area, 1993-2003.
In 2003, the 939th converted to an aerial refueling mission with KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft and was redesignated as the 939th Air Refueling Wing (939 ARW). Its rescue-specific units (i.e., the 304th Rescie Squadron, etc.) were reassigned as geographically-separated units (GSU) to the newly-established 920th Rescue Wing
in Florida.
The 939 ARW was inactivated in 2008 due to BRAC action and its KC-135R aircraft assets redistributed to other Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units. The wing's former 304th Rescue Squadron remains in place at Portland ARS as a GSU of the 920th Rescue Wing.
939th Maintenance Group (939 MXG)
939th Mission Support Group (939 MSG)
939th Medical Squadron (939 MDS)
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
based out of Portland Air Reserve Station
Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It was an Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
(AFRC) flying unit operationally-gained by 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....
(AMC). The wing was inactivated in 2008.
Mission
The last mission for the 939th Air Refueling Wing was to fly the KC-135R Stratotanker, providing air-to-air refueling and other worldwide air mobility support in support of the Air Mobility CommandAir 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....
and combatant commanders.
History
As an airlift unit, the 939th transported personnel and equipment in support of Air Force operationsMilitary operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
, including missions to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and numerous 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 primarily in the western United States from 1963-1973.
In 1985, the unit changed to a rescue mission and the 939th was known as the 939th Rescue Group (939 RQG), then 939th Rescue Wing (939 RQW), controlling rescue squadrons at widely separated locations: the collocated 304th Rescue Squadron; the 301st and later the 39th in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
; and the 305th, initially in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan 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"....
until 1 September 1992 and then in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
from 1 October 1993. It provided considerable assistance to Florida and the 301st Rescue Squadron following the devastation of Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
in August 1992. It also deployed aircrews from each of the squadrons to provide search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR) coverage worldwide, including to NAS Keflavik, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, during and after the Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
War
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and to provide combat SAR coverage in 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, 1993-2003.
In 2003, the 939th converted to an aerial refueling mission with KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft and was redesignated as the 939th Air Refueling Wing (939 ARW). Its rescue-specific units (i.e., the 304th Rescie Squadron, etc.) were reassigned as geographically-separated units (GSU) to the newly-established 920th Rescue Wing
920th Rescue Wing
The 920th Rescue Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida with additional geographically separated units located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona and Portland International Airport/Air Reserve Station, Oregon...
in Florida.
The 939 ARW was inactivated in 2008 due to BRAC action and its KC-135R aircraft assets redistributed to other Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units. The wing's former 304th Rescue Squadron remains in place at Portland ARS as a GSU of the 920th Rescue Wing.
Operations
- Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe 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...
- Operation Desert Shield
- Operation Desert Storm
Previous designations
- 939th Troop Carrier Group (1963–1967)
- 939th Tactical Airlift Group (1967–1968)
- 939th Military Airlift Group (1968–1985)
- 939th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group (1985–1990)
- 939th Air Rescue Wing (1990–1992)
- 939th Rescue Wing (1992–2003)
- 939th Air Refueling Wing (2003–2008)
Wing
- 349th Military Airlift Wing349th Air Mobility WingThe 349th Air Mobility Wing is the largest associate reserve wing in the United States Air Force. In partnership with its active duty host wing, the 60th Air Mobility Wing the 349 AMW flies, maintains and supports the C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster III...
(1963–1968) - 452d Military Airlift Wing452d Air Mobility WingThe 452d Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force air mobility unit located at March ARB, California. It is assigned to Air Force Reserve Command , and is operationally gained by Air Mobility Command .-Mission:...
(1968–1969) - 349th Military Airlift Wing (1969–1973)
- 403d Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing403d Wing403d Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command. It is located at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, and employs a military manning authorization of more than 1,400 reservists, including some 250 full-time air reserve technicians.403d Wing performs...
(1985–1990)
Subordinate organizations
939th Operations Group (939 OG)- 64th Air Refueling Squadron64th Air Refueling SquadronThe 64th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force air-refueling squadron that is part of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing's 22nd Operations Group at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas...
(64 ARS) - 939th Operations Support Flight (939 OSF)
939th Maintenance Group (939 MXG)
- 939th Maintenance Squadron (939 MXS)
- 939th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (939 AMXS)
- 939th Maintenance Operations Flight (939 MOF)
939th Mission Support Group (939 MSG)
- 83d Aerial Port Squadron (83 APS)
- 939th Civil Engineering Squadron (939 CES)
- 939th Logistics Readiness Squadron (939 LRS)
- 939th Security Forces Squadron (939 SFS)
- 939th Communications Flight (939 CF)
- 939th Mission Support Squadron (939 MSS)
- 939th Services Flight (939 SVF)
939th Medical Squadron (939 MDS)
Bases stationed
- Portland National Guard BasePortland International AirportPortland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
(1963–1968) - McChord Air Force Base, Washington (1968–1973)
- Portland Air Reserve StationPortland International AirportPortland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
(1985–2008)
Aircraft operated
- 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...
(1963–1968) - 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...
(1968–1973) - UH-1 IroquoisUH-1 IroquoisThe Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
(1985–1987)- HH-1N Twin HueyUH-1 IroquoisThe Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
(1985–1991)
- HH-1N Twin Huey
- HC-130P/N Hercules (1985–2003)
- HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (1986–1992)
- CH-3E Jolly Green Giant (1987–1992)
- MH-60G Pavehawk (1991–1992)
- HH-60G Pavehawk (1992–2003)
- KC-135R Stratotanker (2003–2008)