443d Airlift Wing

443d Airlift Wing
443d Airlift Wing
	443d Military Airlift Wing, Training Patch
Active	1949–1953; 1965–1992
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Heavy Airlift Training
Garrison/HQ	Military Airlift Command

Last updated April 29, 2023

C-141A Graduating Class, 1970s (66-0179 in background) TrainingClassgradphoto-Altus-1970s-66-0179.jpg — C-141A Graduating Class, 1970s (*66-0179* in background)

The 443d Airlift Wing is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with Air Mobility Command, being stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on October 1, 1992.

History

For additional history and lineage, see 443d Operations Group

In 1949, the 443d Troop Carrier Wing, Medium was established and trained as a Reserve troop-carrier wing under supervision of the 2596th Air Force Reserve Training Center, June 1949 – April 1951.

The 443d was brought to active duty at Donaldson AFB, South Carolina on August 9, 1951, as a training wing by Tactical Air Command. For almost two years, the 443d participated in tactical exercises in operations, training troop-carrier aircrews using C-46 Commandos for assignment to the Far East, and worked closely with other troop-carrier groups to test and evaluate new troop-carrier doctrine and procedures. With the nearing end of the Korean War, the 443d was inactivated on January 8, 1953.

In January 1966, Military Airlift Command (MAC) reactivated the 443d at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, replacing the inactivated Military Air Transport Service 1707th Air Transport Wing, Heavy. The 443d became the primary USAF wing charged with training air and ground crews of C-124 Globemaster II and the new C-141 Starlifter heavy transports, while simultaneously maintaining a capability to perform airlift operations worldwide.

With the retirement of the prop-driven C-124 Globemaster II from active service, training diminished in 1967 and ceased in 1968, being replaced by training air and ground crews on the new C-5 Galaxy, a very heavy-lift transport, in 1969. The wing moved from Tinker AFB, Oklahoma to Altus AFB, Oklahoma, in 1969. The wing performed this training mission until 1992 when C-5 and C-141 training was consolidated after the end of the Cold War.

Air Mobility Command reorganized Air Force Airlift units in 1992, and the 443d was inactivated on October 1, 1992, as part of the Air Force Heritage program, where notable units were retained and reassigned after the Cold War.

The new 97th Air Mobility Wing, a former Eighth Air Force World War II bombardment group, and later Strategic Air Command bomb wing, absorbed the personnel, equipment and aircraft of the 443d upon its inactivation in an administrative transfer.

This was after the BRAC decision to close Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas. This was done due to the “abortion poster children” (no wonder I’m pro-choice) in the BRAC committee and Congress (half of which were worthless draft dodgers who never served in the military) signing off in that worthless BRAC. Eaker AFB’s former wing was the 97th Bombardment Wing under SAC, and later ACC.

Lineage

Established as 443d Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, on May 10, 1949

Activated in the Reserve on June 27, 1949

Ordered to active service on May 1, 1951

Inactivated on January 8, 1953

Redesignated 443d Military Airlift Wing, Training, and activated, on December 27, 1965

Organized on January 8, 1966

Inactivated October 1, 1992, personnel and equipment assumed by the new 97th Air Mobility Wing

Converted to provisional status and redesignated 443d Air Expeditionary Wing on 12 June 2002^[1]

Assignments

Twelfth Air Force, 27 June 1949
Fourteenth Air Force, 1 July 1950
Tactical Air Command, May 2, 1951
Eighteenth Air Force, June 1, 1951 – January 8, 1953
Military Air Transport Service (later, Military Airlift Command), December 27, 1965
Twenty-Second Air Force, April 1, 1973 – June 1, 1992
Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed on 12 June 2002^[1]

Stations

Hensley Field, Texas, June 27, 1949
Donaldson AFB, South Carolina, August 9, 1951 – January 8, 1953
Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, January 8, 1966
Altus AFB, Oklahoma, May 5, 1969 – October 1, 1992

Components

Groups

443d Troop Carrier Group: June 27, 1949 – January 8, 1953
443d Operations Group: October 1, 1991 – October 1, 1992

Squadrons

56th Military Airlift Squadron (Training): January 8, 1966 – October 1, 1992 (C-124A/C 1966-68, and, C-5A/B 1969-92)
57th Military Airlift Squadron (Training): January 8, 1966 – October 1, 1992 (C-141A/B)

Aircraft Assigned

C-46 Commando, 1949–1952
C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1952–1953
C-124 Globemaster II, 1966–1968
C-141 Starlifter, 1966–1992
C-5 Galaxy, 1969–1992

Notes

1 2 DAF/XPM Letter 303s, 12 June 2002, Subject: Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Units

Related Research Articles

Eighteenth Air Force (Air Forces Transportation) (18 AF) is the only Numbered Air Force (NAF) in Air Mobility Command (AMC) and one of the largest NAFs in the United States Air Force. 18 AF was activated on 28 March 1951, inactivated on 1 January 1958, and re-activated on 1 October 2003. 18 AF is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altus Air Force Base</span> US Air Force base near Altus, Oklahoma, United States

Altus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) east-northeast of Altus, Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">452nd Air Mobility Wing</span> Military unit

The 452nd Air Mobility Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at March Air Reserve Base, California. If mobilized, the Wing is gained by the Air Mobility Command.

Donaldson Air Force Base is a former facility of the United States Air Force located south of Greenville, South Carolina. It was founded in 1942 as Greenville Army Air Base; it was deactivated in 1963 and converted into a civilian airport. It is currently an active airfield known as Donaldson Center Airport.

The 60th Air Mobility Wing is the largest air mobility organization in the United States Air Force and is responsible for strategic airlift and air refueling missions around the world. It is the host unit at Travis Air Force Base in California. Wing activity is primarily focused on support in the Middle East region, however it also maintains operations in areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The 349th Air Mobility Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California. The 349th AMW is an associate unit of the 60th Air Mobility Wing, Air Mobility Command (AMC) and if mobilized the wing is gained by AMC.

The 514th Air Mobility Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The 514th is an associate Air Force reserve unit. The wing flies aircraft assigned to the active-duty 305th Air Mobility Wing, also based at McGuire. The 514th shares the responsibility of maintaining and flying the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender and the McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III.

The 9th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force, part of the 436th Airlift Wing Air Mobility Command based at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. It operates C-5M Galaxy aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission worldwide. The mission is to provide services and support which promote quality of life and project global power through combat-proven airlift and airdrop.

The 56th Air Refueling Squadron is an active unit of the United States Air Force. It is part of the 97th Operations Group at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aircraft, conducting initial and advanced aircrew training for air refueling operations.

The 58th Airlift Squadron is part of the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft training pilots for airlift and airdrop operations.

The 337th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, part of the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. It operates C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission worldwide. If mobilized, the wing is gained by Air Mobility Command.

The 730th Air Mobility Training Squadron is an Air Force reserve unit stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where it trains airmen on Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aircraft systems. It is assigned to the 507th Operations Group at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, but performs its training mission under the direction of the 97th Air Mobility Wing of Air Education and Training Command.

The 443d Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 443d Airlift Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">63rd Operations Group</span> United States Air Force unit

The 63d Troop Carrier Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 63d Troop Carrier Wing, Eastern Transport Air Force (MATS), stationed at Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia. It was inactivated on 18 January 1963.

The 52d Airlift Squadron is a Regular Component United States Air Force unit. Its currently assigned to the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, but is based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. There, the squadron flies and maintains aircraft with the Air Force Reserve's 302d Airlift Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">349th Operations Group</span> Military unit

The 349th Operations Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 349th Air Mobility Wing. The unit is stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California.

The 57th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the USAF Weapons School, stationed at the McChord AFB component of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The squadron is a geographically separated unit of the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The mission of the squadron is to provide Boeing C-17 Globemaster III instructional flying.

The 514th Operations Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit, assigned to the 514th Air Mobility Wing. It is stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

The 937th Training Group is a United States Air Force unit stationed at Fort Sam Houston, part of Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. It conducts medical training for the Air Force.

The 63d Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed. No publicly available information indicates it has been active as an expeditionary unit. The wing was last active as the 63d Airlift Wing at Norton Air Force Base, California, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1994.

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[DAF303s-1] 1 2 DAF/XPM Letter 303s, 12 June 2002, Subject: Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Units

[1]