145th Airlift Wing

Last updated

145th Airlift Wing
C-17 Globemaster (233260739).jpg
C-17 Globemaster III
Active1957–present
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
AllegianceFlag of North Carolina.svg North Carolina
Branch US-AirNationalGuard-2007Emblem.svg   Air National Guard
TypeWing
Role Airlift
Part of North Carolina Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ Charlotte Air National Guard Base, Charlotte, North Carolina
Tail CodeBlue tail stripe "Charlotte" in yellow letters
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation
Commanders
Current
commander		Col Alain Poisson [1]
Insignia
145th Airlift Wing emblem 145th Airlift Wing.png

The 145th Airlift Wing is a unit of the North Carolina Air National Guard. It is assigned to Charlotte Air National Guard Base, North Carolina and is equipped with the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. If activated to federal service in the United States Air Force, the 145th is gained by Air Mobility Command.

Contents

Units

The 145th Airlift Wing consists of the following major units:

156th Airlift Squadron - C-17 Globemaster III
156th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
145th Operations Support Flight
145th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
118th Air Support Operations Squadron

History

North Carolina Air National Guard

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar A giant transport of the U.S. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command roars in for a landing at an advanced airfield... - NARA - 542223.tif
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

The 145th Fighter Group was constituted and allotted to the North Carolina Air National Guard, at Morris Field, North Carolina on 28 May 1957. Its 156th Fighter Squadron began trading their North American F-86A Sabres, for the more capable F-86E.

145th Airlift Wing, C-130H being load a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems NC Air National Guard prepares to fight wildfires 110515-Z-KD999-001.jpg
145th Airlift Wing, C-130H being load a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems

The 145th Fighter Group (Air Defense) was assigned to the 126th Air Defense Wing, Illinois Air National Guard, Chicago On 1 February 1961, the group was redesignated the 145th Aeromedical Transport Group, and converted to Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars. The group was gained by the 1st Aeromedical Transport Group and Western Transport Air Force, Travis AFB, CA, for training and flying evacuation missions. It transited to Lockheed C-121 Constellation transports during 1962–1965.

On 25 January 1964 the 145th was redesignated 145th Air Transport Group (Heavy). The unit began to convert to Douglas C-124 Globemaster II transports during 1965. From 1966 to 1971 the 145th deployed crews and aircraft to Vietnam, flying over 20 million km without an aircraft accident. [2]

It was redesignated 145th Tactical Airlift Group on 15 May 1971 and re-equipped with Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. In 1990 saw the unit mobilized for Operation Desert Shield, followed by Operation Desert Storm in 1991. 15 Mar 1992, brought about another name change with the group becoming the 145th Airlift Group. During 1993 the group started to replace their elderly C-130Bs and take delivery of the more modern C-130H3.

On 1 Oct 1995, it was redesignated the 145th Airlift Wing. On 7 September 2016 saw the end of its aerial firefighting mission using MAFFS (Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System) when it was transferred to the 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard. There are two other C-130 Air National Guard MAFFS trained units, 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, Cheyenne; the 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, Channel Islands, CA; and one Air Force Reserve unit, 302nd Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve, Peterson Air Force Base, CO. [3]

The wing's last C-130 departed on 22 December 2017 before the wing received its first C-17 Globemaster III on Saturday 7 April 2018. [4]

Lineage

Activated on 28 May 1957
Redesignated 145th Aeromedical Transport Group on 1 February 1961
Redesignated 145th Air Transport Group (Heavy) on 25 January 1964
Redesignated 145th Military Airlift Group on 1 January 1966
Redesignated 145th Tactical Airlift Group on 15 May 1971
Redesignated 145th Airlift Group on 16 March 1992
Redesignated 145th Airlift Wing on 1 October 1995

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Colonel Bryony A. Terrell" . Retrieved 14 March 2020.[ dead link ]
  2. ↑ "North Carolina Air National Guard" . Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  3. ↑ "End of an era as the 145th Airlift Wing relinquishes MAFFS mission" . Retrieved 13 March 2020.[ dead link ]
  4. ↑ "NC Wing Participates in C-17 Acceptance Ceremony for the 145th Airlift Wing" . Retrieved 13 March 2020.

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Further reading

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