89th Airlift Wing ![]() | |
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Active | 1949–1951 1952–1957 1966–present |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Role | Special Air Mission Airlift |
Part of | Air Mobility Command |
Garrison/HQ | Joint Base Andrews, Maryland |
Motto(s) | Experto crede (Latin: "Trust one who has had experience" [1] ) |
Engagements | ![]() Global War on Terrorism |
Decorations | ![]() Air Force Meritorious Unit Award ![]() Air Force Outstanding Unit Award [2] |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Colonel Angela F. Ochoa [3] |
Notable commanders | Arthur Lichte Jacqueline Van Ovost |
Insignia | |
89th Airlift Wing emblem (approved 15 September 1993) [2] | ![]() |
89th Military Airlift Wing emblem (approved 22 June 1989) [1] | ![]() |
Patch with 89th Military Airlift Wing emblem (approved 28 April 1966) [4] [note 1] | ![]() |
Patch with 89th Fighter-Bomber Wing emblem (approved 12 March 1953) [5] | ![]() |
The 89th Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force is based at Joint Base Andrews and has an operational force of over 1,000 personnel. The 89th provides global Special Air Mission (SAM) airlift, logistics, aerial transport and communications for the president, vice president, combatant commanders, senior leaders and the global mobility system as tasked by the White House, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Air Mobility Command.
The wing was first activated as the 89th Troop Carrier Wing at Hanscom Field, Massachusetts in June 1949, [2] when Continental Air Command reorganized its reserve tactical units under the wing base organization. The wing drew its cadre from the 3d Air Division, which was simultaneously inactivated. [7]
The wing trained at Hanscom under the supervision of the 2234th Air Force Reserve Training Center [7] for troop carrier operations. Although its 89th Troop Carrier Group was assigned four squadrons, rather than the three authorized for active duty groups, it was only manned at 25% of its authorized strength. [8]
The 89th, along with all reserve combat units, was mobilized for the Korean war. [9] It was called to active duty on 1 May 1951 and its personnel and aircraft were distributed to other organizations to bring them to full strength. [10] The wing was inactivated on 10 May 1951. [2]
The reserve mobilization for the Korean War left the reserve without aircraft, and reserve units did not receive aircraft until July 1952. [11] Continental Air Command redesignated the wing the 89th Fighter-Bomber Wing and activated it at Hanscom, where it drew its personnel from the 913th Reserve Training Wing, a non-flying training organization, which had been activated at Hanscom in July 1951. [2] [7] Although titled a fighter bomber unit, the wing initially had an air defense role, only later assuming a tactical fighter mission. [12] The wing initially equipped with propeller-driven North American P-51 Mustangs, but in 1953 began to equip with Lockheed P-80 Shooting Stars. By 1957 it began to receive North American F-86 Sabres. [2]
In the mid-1950s, the Joint Chiefs of Staff were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift. At the same time, about 150 Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars became available from the active force. Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed Continental Air Command to convert three reserve fighter bomber wings, including the 89th, to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. In addition, within the Air Staff was a recommendation that the reserve fighter mission given to the Air National Guard and replaced by the troop carrier mission. [13] Although the wing began to receive Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars in 1957, it was inactivated in November and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 94th Troop Carrier Wing, which moved on paper to Hanscom from Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia. [2] [14]
In January 1966, wing assumed the personnel and equipment of 1254th Air Transport Wing and served as a special mission airlift wing charged with providing worldwide airlift for the Executive Department and high-ranking dignitaries of the U.S. Government and of foreign governments, as directed. (In taking over the special airlift mission, it replaced the 1254th Air Transport Wing, which had previously undertaken the task at Andrews from 1 October 1948 to 1966.) [15] It assumed an additional mission of controlling all T-39 administrative airlift within the United States from 1975 to 1978 and continued maintenance support to 1984. It gained a helicopter squadron in July 1976 and added rescue and medical evacuation (in the Washington, D.C. area) to its mission. In October 1976, the wing began training C-12 pilots for units in Alaska and Germany, and for duty with defense attaché offices and military assistance units.
The 89th was reduced in size in 1977 through transfer of many aircraft and inactivation of units, and became a group on 30 September 1977. The 89th was redesignated in 1980 as a selectively manned wing. In addition to primary mission of airlifting the president, vice president, cabinet members, other high U.S. government officials, and foreign dignitaries, the wing frequently participated in humanitarian missions in the U.S. and abroad. It provided transport for personnel and supplies to Southwest Asia from 1990 to 1991. In 1991, the 89th airlifted home 20 former prisoners of war from Iraqi captivity. It became host wing of Andrews Air Force Base in July 1991 and subsequently relinquished that responsibility to the 316th Wing in 2006.
Groups
Squadrons
Service streamers:
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Awards:
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 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 1254th Air Transport Wing was a United States Air Force unit, existing between 1948 and 1966. It was last stationed at Andrews AFB, Maryland.
The 459th Air Refueling Wing is a wing of the Air Force Reserve Command of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Fourth Air Force and stationed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. If mobilized, the wing would be gained by the Air Mobility Command. The wing flies and maintains Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, providing air refueling.
The 403rd 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, Mississippi and employs a military manning authorization of more than 1,400 reservists, including some 250 full-time air reserve technicians. The 403rd Wing is a subordinate unit of the 22nd Air Force at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
The 94th Airlift Wing is a reserve unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Twenty-Second Air Force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and is stationed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. When mobilized, most of the wing would be presented to US Transportation Command, while a smaller proportion would be retained by AFRC.
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 442d Fighter Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
The 514th Air Mobility Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at the McGuire AFB element of 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 C-17 Globemaster III.
The 322d Airlift Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Military Airlift Command, assigned to Twenty-First Air Force, being stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1992.
The 89th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 445th Operations Group, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
The 99th Airlift Squadron is part of the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. The 99th AS directly supports the Vice President, members of the Cabinet, Congress, and other U.S. and foreign dignitaries. The squadron flies specially configured C-37 Gulfstream V aircraft on Special Air Missions directed by Headquarters United States Air Force.
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 435th Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 435th Airlift Wing at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1995.
The 89th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 89th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
The United States Air Force's 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group is a provisional unit assigned to United States Air Forces Central to activate or inactivate as needed. It was last active in Al Anbar province, Iraq to provide close-air support to coalition forces in the region with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. It was composed of deployed aircraft, equipment and personnel from Air Force units around the world.
The 901st Tactical Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last active with the 433d Airlift Wing, based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1985.
The 24th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was organized in February 1942 as the 24th Transport Squadron and served as a training unit for I Troop Carrier Command until disbanding in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units in 1944. The squadron was reconstituted in the reserves in 1949 and served until May 1951, when it was called to active duty for the Korean War. It was then inactivated, and its personnel were assigned to other units. When the reserves reactivated their operational units in 1952, it was activated as the 24th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. When the reserve fighter mission was concentrated in the Air National Guard in 1957, the squadron was inactivated and its assets transferred to elements of the 94th Troop Carrier Wing
The 25th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was organized in February 1942 as the 25th Transport Squadron and served as a training unit for I Troop Carrier Command until disbanding in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units in 1944. The squadron was reconstituted in the reserves in 1949 and served until May 1951, when it was called to active duty for the Korean War. It was then inactivated, and its personnel were assigned to other units. When the reserves reactivated their operational units in 1952, it was activated as the 25th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. When the reserve fighter mission was concentrated in the Air National Guard in 1957, the squadron was inactivated and its assets transferred to elements of the 94th Troop Carrier Wing
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.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency