| 302nd Airlift Wing | |
|---|---|
| Active | 28 January 1942 — present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Airlift |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Peterson Air Force Base |
| Decorations | AFOUA RVGC w/ Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Jack H. Pittman Jr. |
| Notable commanders |
Joseph J. Nazzaro |
The 302nd Airlift Wing (302 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force Reserve[1] based out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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"The mission of the 302nd AW is to train, equip, and employ airlift forces in worldwide support of our nation's vital interests."
During World War II, the 302nd trained bombardment crews for combat duty.
It conducted airlift training as a reserve corollary unit of 62nd Troop Carrier Wing from June 1949-May 1950, and of the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing from May 1950-June 1951. It trained as a reserve troop carrier wing from June 1952. The 302nd began flying airlift operations in the mid-1950s and was placed on active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. By the mid-1960s, wing aircraft and crews performed worldwide airlift missions and participated in numerous tactical exercises.
From April 1968 to March 1973 the wing provided AC-119 gunship training for pilots, navigators, flight engineers, and mechanics of USAF active units and personnel from Jordan, Morocco, Ethiopia, and South Vietnam. The wing assumed a rotational airlift task in support of USAF Southern Command from April 1973 through January 1976. Also in April 1973, the wing assumed an aerial spraying mission with UC-123 aircraft, which frequently took wing crews to Central America, the Caribbean, the Azores, North Africa, islands of the Pacific, and to many U.S. points for insect-spraying missions.
Beginning in April 1985, the wing trained to airlift and airdrop troops, equipment, and supplies in a tactical theater. It took part in training and mobility exercises within the United States and to Britain and Panama. It practiced for aeromedical evacuation missions. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the wing transported fire fighters and their equipment and supplies to fight wildfires in western states, delivered relief supplies to hurricane victims, and participated in other humanitarian airlifts and various global contingency operations. The 302nd was most recently activated in support of U.S. Central Command operations in Southwest Asia in 2005-2006. In the summer of 2008, two C-130 aircraft and aircrews deployed to Southwest Asia. Other units within the 302nd have also deployed, including the 302nd Security Forces Squadron, which deployed Airmen in the summer of 2008. Later in the spring of 2009, members of the 302nd Civil Engineer Squadron deployed as well. Both units were deployed to Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq.
The unit also provides training in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service for flight crews certified to fly MAFFS-equipped C-130s on wildfires.[2]
On May 13, 1995, aircraft 62-1838, callsign "SUMIT38", with six people aboard, caught fire approximately 45 miles east of Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, after ferrying firefighters to Gowen Field at Boise Airport.[3]
The number two engine incorrectly signaled an under temperature reading, causing the flight engineer to enrich the fuel mixture to that engine, leading to an actual over temperature situation. The engine caught fire, and after two attempts by one of the flight crew to quench the fire, the engine reignited causing SUMIT38 to fall 26,000 feet to the ground, killing its six crew members.[4]
The six crew members of SUMIT38 were:
Lieutenant Colonel Robert "Bob" Buckout, Aircraft Commander
First Lieutenant Lance Dougherty, Pilot
Captain Geoff Boyd, Navigator
Chief Master Sergent "Jimmy" Vail, Flight Engineer
Master Sergent Jay Kemp, Loadmaster
Staff Sergent Micheal Lynn Scheideman, Loadmaster
A memorial at Peterson AFB, Colorado, was dedicated to the crew on the 10th anniversary of the crash in May, 2005. Several stones, placards and flags are occasionally replaced at the actual crash site, near Bliss, Idaho, by well-wishers, recovery crew, and family members of the crew.[4][5]
302nd Operations Group (302 OG)
302nd Maintenance Group (302 MXG)
302nd Mission Support Group (302 MSG)
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