446th Airlift Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=446th Airlift Wing


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dates= 11 April 1955 — present
country=United States
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branch=Air Force
type=Airlift
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command_structure=Air Force Reserve Command
current_commander=Colonel [http://www.446aw.afrc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-071031-170.pdf William Flanigan]
garrison=McChord Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
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The 446th Airlift Wing (446 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of McChord Air Force Base in western Washington.

Mission

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

History

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.

Operations

*Operation Iraqi Freedom
*Operation Enduring Freedom
*Joint Task Force Katrina
*Operation Urgent Fury
*Operation Desert Shield
*Operation Desert Storm

Previous designations

*446th Troop Carrier Wing (11 April 1955 – 1 July 1967)
*446th Tactical Airlift Wing (1 July 1967 – 1 July 1972)
*Inactivated (1 July 1972 – 1 July 1973)
*446th Military Airlift Wing (1 July 1973 – 1 February 1992)
*446th Airlift Wing (1 February 1992 – Present)

Assignments

Major command

*Air Force Reserve Command (19xx - Present)

Numbered Air Force

*14th Air Force (1955 – 1958)
*10th Air Force (1958 – 1960)
*4th Air Force (1960 – Present)

ubordinate organizations

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 ACF)

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 Medical Squadron (446 AMDS)
*446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (446 ASTS)

Bases stationed

*Ellington Air Force Base, Texas (1955 – 1972)
*McChord Air Force Base, Washington

Aircraft operated

*C-45 Expeditor (1955 – 1958)
*C-46 Commando (1955 – 1958)
*C-119 Flying Boxcar (1957 – 1970)
*C-130 Hercules (1968 – 1972)
*RC-130 (1970 – 1972)
*C-124 Globemaster II (1971 – 1972)
*C-141 Starlifter (1973 – 2002)
*C-17 Globemaster III (1999 - Present)

Unit shields

References

External links

* [http://public.mcchord.amc.af.mil/ McChord AFB Home Page]
* [http://www.446aw.afrc.af.mil/ 446 AW Official Web Site]