| 433d Airlift Wing | |
|---|---|
433d Wing emblem |
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| Active | 10 May 1949. — present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Airlift |
| Size | 3,400 |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Lackland Air Force Base |
| Nickname | Alamo Wing |
| Decorations | AFOUA PPUC RVGC w/ Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Brigadier General John Fobian |
The 433d Airlift Wing (433 AW) is a unit of the United States Air Force Reserve (AFRC) assigned to Fourth Air Force. It is stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. If elevated to active duty, it is operationally gained by Air Mobility Command (AMC).
The 433 AW provides managerial, administrative, and operational requirements necessary to operate 16 C-5A Galaxy strategic airlift aircraft and ensures the wartime readiness of Air Force Reserve personnel assigned to 26 units.
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The 433d activated as a reserve organization in Ohio on 6 July 1947. It was ordered to active service and moved to North Carolina in October 1950; receiving C-119 Flying Boxcar aircraft the following month. The wing began tactical training in March 1951. It airlifted personnel and supplies to Army units in the field. Airdropped personnel and equipment during army exercises. The 433d moved to Germany and participated with U.S., British, and French units in field training until inactivated.
After 1955, the wing flew airlift missions and participated in numerous training exercises, sometimes with special forces, while based at Brooks AFB in San Antonio, Texas. With the closure of Brooks AFB's runways and its transition to a non-flying USAF installation in 1960, the unit transferred across town to Kelly AFB. By the mid-1960s, the wing was flying global airlift missions, as well as conducting the USAF's C-130A model Hercules pilot, navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster school. Between 1971 and 1985, the wing trained for tactical airlift missions, participating in joint training exercises. It provided airlift of Department of Defense personnel, supplies, and equipment worldwide. The 433d assisted the U.S. Forest Service by use of the Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS). It airlifted other units overseas for deployments and conducted humanitarian airlift operations. Between 1977 and 1985, the wing rotated personnel and aircraft periodically to Howard AFB in the Panama Canal Zone. In 1985, it became the first Air Force Reserve wing to fly the C-5A Galaxy, the largest USAF operational aircraft, and changed from tactical to strategic airlift missions. It also began training for aerial refueling. It tested a C-5A modified to transport space vehicles and in 1989 airlifted the Hubble Space Telescope from California to Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The wing's personnel and aircraft took part in Operation Just Cause in 1989-1990, flying medical supplies, rations, and tanks to Panama. The wing airlifted men and materiel from the United States to Europe, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, 1990-1991. In 1995 the wing transported United Nations personnel and equipment to the Balkans for peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the 1990s, it flew channel, contingency, and humanitarian airlift operations and trained for such missions. In 2001, it began operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and in 2003 it commenced operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On 1 July 2007, the wing's 356th Airlift Squadron assumed an Air Education and Training Command (AETC) mission, becoming the Air Force Reserve's only Formal Training Unit (FTU) providing initial and advanced C-5 flight qualification for Air Mobility Command, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command aircrews, assuming a training role that had been previously assigned to the Regular Air Force's 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB, Oklahoma. Over 70 selectively manned aircrew instructors train and produce up to 500 aircrew members in nine different curricula for pilots, loadmasters and flight engineers. Additional training functions and support are provided by the colocated 733d Training Squadron (733 TRS) Both squadrons are assigned to the wing's 433d Operations Group. In addition to being the sole C-5 training organization for the entire US Air Force, the 356 AS also continues to provides airlift support for peacetime, contingency and humanitarian operations.[1]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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