446th Airlift Wing

446th Airlift Wing
446th Airlift Wing
	;
Active	11 April 1955 — present
Country	United States
Branch	Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Decorations	AFOUA; RVGC w/ Palm
Commanders
Current; commander	Colonel William N. Flanigan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

The 446th Airlift Wing (446 AW) is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. The wing is stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. If ordered to Active Service, the unit would come under the Air Mobility Command 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force.

[edit] Mission

The primary mission of the 446 AW is to provide combat airlift for the United States military.

The Wing has three groups, 13 squadrons and five flights. While it mirrors the organization of the 62d Airlift Wing, there are three units unique to the Reserve—the Airlift Control Flight, the Aeromedical Staging Squadron, and the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.

It mirrors its active duty counterparts in its participation in exercises, inspections and the Expeditionary Aerospace Force along with daily operational missions.

[edit] Units

446th Operations Group (446 OG)

97th Airlift Squadron (97 AS)

313th Airlift Squadron (313 AS)

728th Airlift Squadron (728 AS)

446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (446 AES)

446th Operations Support Flight (446 OSF)

446th Airlift Control Flight (446 ALCF)

446th Maintenance Group (446 MXG)

446th Maintenance Squadron (446 MXS)

446th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (446 AMXS)

446th Mission Support Group (446 MSG)

36th Aerial Port Squadron (36 APS)

86th Aerial Port Squadron (86 APS)

446th Security Forces Squadron (446 SFS)

446th Mission Support Squadron (446 MSS)

446th Civil Engineering Squadron (446 CES)

446th Logistics Readiness Flight(446 LRF)

446th Services Flight (446 SVF)

Other Units

446th Aerospace Medicine Squadron (446 AMDS)

446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (446 ASTS)

[edit] History

For additional history and lineage, see 446th Operations Group

The 446 AW began by Training in troop carrier and tactical airlift operations, 1955-1972. The 446 AW was the first Air Force Reserve organization to implement the Air Reserve Technician (ART) plan, in 1958. By 1959, the wing transported and airdropped troops and supplies during training exercises. The 446 AW flew experimental drop missions in support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from 1962-1967. Between 1958 and 1972, the wing operated the USAF Combat Crew Training School, the first Air Force Reserve institution that trained active duty crews. They ferried C-130s to Taiwan in 1966 and to Southeast Asia, 1968-1970. Since 1973 the 446 AW has been co-located with 62d Airlift Wing and used its aircraft. The wing flew special assignment, channel, and humanitarian airlift missions worldwide, and took part in joint and combined training exercises involving airlift of troops and cargo. The wing's operational squadrons took part in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991.

[edit] Lineage

Established as 446 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 11 April 1955

Activated in the Reserve on 25 May 1955

Redesignated 446 Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 July 1967

Inactivated on 1 July 1972

Redesignated 446 Military Airlift Wing (Associate) on 29 January 1973

Activated in the Reserve on 1 July 1973

Redesignated: 446 Airlift Wing (Associate) on 1 February 1992

Redesignated: 446 Airlift Wing on 1 October 1994

[edit] Assignments

Fourteenth Air Force, 25 May 1955
Tenth Air Force, 25 March 1958
Fourth Air Force Reserve Region, 1 September 1960

Central Air Force Reserve Region, 31 December 1969-1 July 1972
Western Air Force Reserve Region, 1 July 1973
Fourth Air Force, 8 October 1976–present

[edit] Components

Groups

446th Troop Carrier (later, 446 Operations): 25 May 1955-14 April 1959; 1 August 1992–present
908th Tactical Airlift Group: 1 December 1965-1 March 1968
917th Military Airlift Group: 21 April 1971-25 February 1972
924th Tactical Airlift Group: 17 January 1963-1 July 1972
925th Tactical Airlift Group: 17 January 1963-25 March 1968
926th Tactical Airlift Group: 17 January 1963-1 March 1968; 1 October 1969-1 July 1972

Squadrons