89th Airlift Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 89th Airlift Wing


caption= 89th Airlift Wing emblem
dates= 19 January 1942-Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
type= Airlift
role=
size=
command_structure=
current_commander= Brigadier General [http://www.andrews.af.mil/library/biographies/bio.asp?id=9569 Margaret Woodward]
garrison= Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
anniversaries=
notable_commanders= Arthur Lichte
decorations=

The 89th Airlift Wing (89 AW) of the United States Air Force is based at Andrews Air Force Base and has an operational force of over 1,000 personnel.

Mission

Provide global Special Air Mission (SAM) airlift, logistics, aerial port and communications for the President, Vice President, Combat 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.

History

The 89th provided transition training for pilots from 1942 to 1944. It trained replacement crews in March-April 1944. The wing trained in the Reserve for troop carrier operations from June 1949 to May 1951. It was briefly called into active service in May 1951 to provide personnel to other units during the Korean War.

The 89th again trained in the Reserve for fighter-bomber operations from June 1952 to November 1957. From January 1966, it served as a special mission airlift wing charged with providing worldwide airlift for the Executive Department and high-ranking dignitaries of the US Government and of foreign governments, as directed. 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. 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 at home 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.

Assignments

Major command

*Air Force Combat Command (1942 - 1944)
*Military Air Transport Service (1949 - 1966)
*Military Airlift Command (1966 - 1991)
*Air Mobility Command (1991 - present)

Numbered Air Force

* First Air Force (1949 - 1957)
* Twenty-First Air Force (1985 - 2003)
* Eighteenth Air Force (2003 - Present)

Air division

*76th Airlift Division (1976 - 1985)

Previous designations

*89th Air Transport Group (1942)
*89th Troop Carrier Group (1942 - 1949)
*89th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium (1949 - 1952)
*89th Fighter-Bomber Wing (1952 - 1965)
*89th Military Airlift Wing, Special Mission (1965 - 1977)
*89th Military Airlift Group (1977 - 1980)
*89th Military Airlift Wing (1980 - 1991)
*89th Airlift Wing (1991 - Present)

ubordinate organizations

89th Operations Group (89 OG)

89th Maintenance Group (89 MXG)

89th Airlift Support Group (89 ASG)

Bases stationed

*Daniel Field, Georgia (1942)
*Harding Field, Louisiana (1942)
*Camp Williams, Wisconsin (1942)
*Sedalia Army Air Base, Missouri (1942)
*Bergstrom Field, Texas (1942 - 1944)
*Hanscom Field, Massachusetts (1949 - 1957)
*Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland (1966 - present)

Aircraft and missiles operated

*C-47 Skytrain (1942 - 1944)
*C-45 Expeditor (1949 - 1950, 1955 - 1957)
*C-46 Commando (1949 - 1952, 1956 - 1957)
*T-6 Texan (1949 - 1950)
*T-7 (1949 - 1954)
*T-11 (1949 - 1952)
*P-51 Mustang (1952 - 1954)
*T-28 Trojan (1953 - 1956)
*T-33 Shooting Star (1953 - 1957)
*P-80 Shooting Star (1953 - 1957)
*TC-47 (1955 - 1957)
*F-86 Sabre (1957)
*C-119 Flying Boxcar (1957)
*C-118 Liftmaster (1966 - 1972)
*VC-118 "The Independence" (1966 - 1974)
*C-121 Constellation (1966 - 1968)
*VC-121 (1966)
*C-131 Samaritan (1966)
*VC-131 (1966 - 1979)
*C-135 Stratolifter (1966 - 1968, 1975 - 1992)
*VC-137 Stratoliner (1966 - 2001)
*C-140 (1966 - 1972)
*VC-140 (1966 - 1987)
*VC-6 (1966 - 1985)
*U-4 (1966 - 1969)
*VC-135 (1968 - 1992)
*VC-9 (1975 - 2005)
*T-39 Sabreliner (1975 - 1978)
*UH-1 Iroquois (1976 - Present)
*CH-3 Jolly Green Giant (1976 - 1988)
*C-12 Huron (1976 - 1993)
*C-20 (1983 - present)
*VC-25 "Air Force One" (1991 - present)
*C-21 (1993 - 1997)
*C-32 (1998 - present)
*C-37 (1998 - present)
*C-40 Clipper (2002 - present)

Unit shields

References

External links

* [http://www.andrews.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4748 89th Airlift Wing Fact Sheet]