Active 1963—present Type Wing | Country United States Size 1,100 Personnel | |
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Branch United States Air Force Role Distinguished Visitor Airlift | ||
The 932d Airlift Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Twenty-Second Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Contents
- Mission
- Components
- Need for reserve troop carrier groups
- Activation of the 932d Troop Carrier Group
- Lineage
- Assignments
- Stations
- Aircraft
- References
The 932d is an associate unit of the 375th Air Mobility Wing, Air Mobility Command (AMC) and if mobilized the wing is gained by AMC.
Mission
The 932d Airlift Wing provides first-class, worldwide, safe, and reliable airlift for distinguished visitors and their staffs. The wing maintains aircraft for special assignment missions. It equips, trains and organizes a ready force of Citizen Airmen to support and maintain all facets of air base operations involving infrastructure and security. The wing also provides worldwide medical services to the warfighter from the front line to the continental United States fixed medical treatment facilities.
Components
Need for reserve troop carrier groups
After May 1959, the reserve flying force consisted of 45 troop carrier squadrons assigned to 15 troop carrier wings. The squadrons were not all located with their parent wings, but were spread over thirty-five Air Force, Navy and civilian airfields under what was called the Detached Squadron Concept. The concept offered several advantages. Communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning. However, under this concept, all support organizations were located with the wing headquarters. Although this was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. To resolve this, at the start of 1962, Continental Air Command, (ConAC) determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed.
Activation of the 932d Troop Carrier Group
As a result, the 932d Troop Carrier Group was activated at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois on 11 February 1963 as the headquarters for the 73d Troop Carrier Squadron, which had been stationed there since November 1957. Along with group headquarters, a Combat Support Squadron, Materiel Squadron and a Tactical Infirmary were organized to support the 73d.
If mobilized, the group was gained by Tactical Air Command (TAC), which was also responsible for its training. Its mission was to organize, recruit and train Air Force reservists with Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars in the tactical airlift of airborne forces, their equipment and supplies and delivery of these forces and materials by airdrop, landing or cargo extraction systems.
The 932d performed routine tactical reserve airlift operations until 1 April 1967 when it was upgraded to the long-range Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. It flew overseas missions, particularly to the Far East and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. In 1969 it was reassigned to the 514th Military Airlift Wing and re-equipped with the Douglas C-9A Nightingale aeromedical airlifter. It began performing worldwide humanitarian airlift and casualty evacuation from South Vietnam. Today it still provides worldwide medical services to the warfighter from the front line to Continental United States fixed medical treatment facilities.
Upgraded to a wing level in 1994, it equipped with the VC-9 in 2005 and received the Boeing C-40 Clipper in 2007. The unit provides first-class, worldwide, safe, and reliable airlift for distinguished visitors and their staffs. The wing maintains aircraft for special assignment missions. In addition, the 932d equips, trains and organizes a ready force of citizen airmen to support and maintain all facets of air base operations involving infrastructure and security.