172nd Airlift Wing | |
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Active | 1 July 1965 – present |
Country | United States |
Allegiance | Mississippi |
Branch | Air National Guard |
Type | Wing |
Role | Airlift |
Part of | Mississippi Air National Guard |
Garrison/HQ | Allen C. Thompson ANGB Field, Jackson, Mississippi |
Nickname(s) | Wings of the Deep South |
Motto(s) | By Faith and Courage |
Tail Code | Blue tail stripe, "Mississippi" in yellow letters |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Colonel Tommy Tillman |
Insignia | |
172nd Airlift Wing emblem | |
Tail Flash |
The 172nd Airlift Wing is a unit of the Mississippi Air National Guard, stationed at Allen C. Thompson Field Air National Guard Base, Mississippi. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.
Media related to 172d Airlift Wing (Mississippi Air National Guard) at Wikimedia Commons
The 172nd Airlift Wing operates the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, and has participated in an all-volunteer partial activation since 2005, flying weekly missions to return wounded patients of the military safely back to the United States. Also, the 172nd Airlift Wing provides the State of Mississippi support in the event of national emergency, maintains peace and order, and supports civil defense and pre-attack planning.
The 172nd Airlift Wing consists of the following units:
In December 1963, the Mississippi 183rd Air Transport Squadron was authorized to expand into a group which would include the 183rd and supporting organizations, and the 172nd Air Transport Group was established. The 183rd became the new group's flying squadron. The support units assigned into the group were the 183rd Material Squadron, 183rd Air Base Squadron, and the 183rd USAF Dispensary. Flying Lockheed C-121 Constellations at the time of its activation, the group soon converted to Douglas C-124C Globemaster II heavy intercontinental airlift aircraft in 1966 which meant supplies and equipment could be carried around the world along with the personnel the Constellations could carry.
The C-124 was being retired in the early 1970s and the 172nd airlift mission was changed to theater support, as it equipped with Lockheed C-130E Hercules aircraft in May 1972. It upgraded to new C-130H aircraft in 1980 and continued to fly tactical airlift missions until the mid-1980s. On 12 July 1986 the group returned to the strategic airlift role when the first Lockheed C-141B Starlifter to be released from active-duty Air Force control was assigned. With a total of eight aircraft, the unit began its new mission.
In March 1988 the 172nd took part in the airlift of approximately 3200 troops and almost 1000 tons of cargo on an exercise to Palmerola Air Base, Honduras. The 172nd was the only Air National Guard unit that participated in this airlift to Honduras. On 6 December 1988 the Soviet Republic of Armenia suffered a powerful earthquake. The first Air Guard aircraft to fly to Armenia was a C-141B from the 172nd. Before relief missions ended, the 172nd flew six missions with its own planes and crew and furnished a crew to fly a United States Air Force C-141 whose crew could not continue because they had reached the maximum number flying hours to continue safe operations. In September 1989 a devastating hurricane struck the tiny island of St. Croix, leaving the island crippled. The 172nd flew eleven emergency relief missions, hauling 465 tons of cargo and 472 passengers.
From 20 December 1989 to 12 January 1990 the 172nd flew 21 sorties in support of Operation Just Cause, the incursion into Panama to replace Manuel Noriega as ruler. Cargo transported during the operation amounted to 403.6 tons and 1,274 passengers were airlifted. On 7 August 1990 the 172nd's support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm began when aircrew members started flying voluntary missions. Approximately 98 aircrew members flew these missions before 24 August 1990, when the 183rd Military Airlift Squadron was activated. The 183rd was one of the first two reserve and guard units to be activated. By May 1991 the 148 members of the 183rd had flown 2,880 sorties which transported 15,837 passengers and 25,949.2 tons of cargo.
In 2000, the C-141C with electronic "glass cockpit" was phased into service with the group. In October 2000 after the USS Cole bombing in Aden, seventeen members of the 172nd deployed to Ramstein Air Base Germany. Members of the 183rd Aeromedical Evacuation and 183rd Airlift Squadrons picked up four sailors from Ramstein and flew them home to Norfolk Naval Station. In February 2003 the 172nd retired its last C-141C Starlifter in preparation for the arrival of the wing's first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.
On 17 December 2003, Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, Director, Air National Guard, handed off the "keys" to the first Globemaster III to Maj. Gen. James H. Lipscomb III, adjutant general of the Mississippi National Guard. The plane was the first Globemaster III assigned to the Air National Guard and was named the "Spirit of the Minutemen".
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The 17th Airlift Squadron was most recently one of four active duty Boeing C-17A Globemaster III units at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 17th Air Corps Ferrying Squadron, redesignating as the 17th Transport Squadron a few months later. Until disbanding in 1943, it transported cargo and ferried aircraft in the Pacific.
The 512th Airlift Wing, an associate Air Force Reserve Command unit is located at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. The wing helps maintain, repair and fly the same aircraft as its active-duty counterparts. Members of the 512th work side-by-side with members of the 436th Airlift Wing in fulfilling the mission, maintaining and flying the Lockheed C-5M Galaxy and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III working together to form the "Dover Team".
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.
The 445th Airlift 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 Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. If mobilized, the wing is gained by the Air Mobility Command.
The 167th Airlift Wing is a unit of the West Virginia Air National Guard, stationed at Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, Martinsburg, West Virginia. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.
The 3rd Airlift Squadron is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 436th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command. It is based at Dover Air Force Base near Dover, Delaware. The squadron operates Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission worldwide.
The 105th Airlift Wing is a unit of the New York Air National Guard, stationed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. If activated to federal service, the 105th Airlift Wing will be brought under the command of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command. It provides highly skilled Airmen and operationally ready equipment necessary to meet United States inter-theater airlift and expeditionary combat support commitments.
The 118th Wing is a unit of the Tennessee Air National Guard, stationed at Joint Base Berry Field, formerly Berry Field Air National Guard Base, Nashville, Tennessee. The 118th is equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper. If activated to federal service, it is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.
The 151st Wing is a unit of the Utah Air National Guard, stationed at Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base, Utah. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.
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The 164th Airlift Wing is a unit of the Tennessee Air National Guard, stationed at Memphis Air National Guard Base, Tennessee. If activated to federal service in the United States Air Force, the 164th is gained by Air Mobility Command.
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The 183rd Airlift Squadron is a unit of the 172nd Airlift Wing of the Mississippi Air National Guard, stationed at Allen C. Thompson Field Air National Guard Base, Mississippi. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.
The 249th Airlift Squadron is an inactive unit of the Alaska Air National Guard, formerly located at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska and assigned to the 176th Wing. The 249th was an associate unit of the 517th Airlift Squadron, which was equipped with the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.
The 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron is part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It operates the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft, conducting airborne command and control missions. The squadron has performed the airborne command and control mission since 1968, when it was activated in Vietnam. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with three earlier units: The 7th Ferrying Squadron, which helped deliver aircraft to the Soviet Union from 1942 until 1944; the 7th Combat Cargo Squadron, which performed combat airlift missions in the Southwest Pacific Theater from 1944 until V-J Day, then became part of the Occupation Forces in Japan until inactivating in 1948; and the 7th Air Transport Squadron, Special, which provided airlift support for the United States' special weapons program from 1954 to 1966.
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 172nd Attack Squadron is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard 110th Wing located at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek, Michigan. The 172nd is equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper drone.
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.
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.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency