170th Group

170th Group

F-4Ds refueling from a group KC-135E in 1985
Active 1964-1993; 2007-pPresent
Country  United States
Allegiance  Nebraska
Branch   Air National Guard
Type Group
Role Training and operations support
Size 80 personnel
Part of Nebraska Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current
commander		 Colonel Richard J. Evans III[1] (As of 7 July 2007)
Insignia
170th Group emblem

The 170th Group is a unit of the Nebraska Air National Guard, stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. If activated to federal service, the group would be gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.

The group was originally activated in the New Jersey Air National Guard as the 170th Air Transport Group, a strategic airlift unit in 1964. It served in various airlift roles until 1977 when it was redesignated the 170th Air Refueling Group and performed the air refueling mission until it was inactivated in 1993 when the Air National Guard adopted the Air Force's Objective wing organization.

Mission

The 170th Group grew out of Detachment 1 of Headquarters Nebraska Air National Guard, which was established in June 2002. It gathers members of the Nebraska Air National Guard stationed at Offutt Air Force Base into a single administrative unit as part of the "Future Total Force Initiative." Through this initiative, Guard instructor aircrew integrate with the 338th Combat Training Squadron to provide initial qualification, requalification and upgrade training to active duty and Air Guard aircrew members. These instructors are assigned to the 238th Combat Training Squadron.

Likewise, Guardsmen integrate into the 55th Operations Support Squadron to support the global operations of the 55th Wing, providing training and operational support to the active duty wing's global command and control and intelligence missions.[2] Areas supported include requirements, weapons and tactics, intelligence, base operations, weather, and aviation resource management. Thes Guardsment form the 170th Operations Support Squadron. Overall, the 170th Group is authorized 80 personnel, including 35 full-time and 45 traditionalGuardsmen.

The 170th was reactivated in a ceremony on 6 July 2007 at Offutt Air Force Base.[1]

History

The group was first activated at Newark Municipal Airport on 18 January 1964 as the 170th Air Transport Group to provide a headquarters for the 150th Air Transport Squadron and its supporting units. The group initially operated Lockheed C-121 Constellation long distance transports, primarily for passenger movements to Europe. Eighteen months after its formation, the group moved to McGuire Air Force Base.

The 170th also flew to the Caribbean and, during the Vietnam War, to Japan, Thailand, South Vietnam, Australia and the Philippines. In 1966, when Military Airlift Command replaced Military Air Transport Service, the group became the 170th Military Airlift Group. From 1969 the group focused on airlifting patients, and became the 170th Aeromedical Airlift Group.

The Constellations were retired in 1973, and were replaced with De Haviland Canada C-7 Caribou light transports, which were returning from service in the Vietnam War. The C-7s were used for carrying small payloads in forward areas with unimproved airstrips.

In 1977 the 170th received Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers and became the 150th Air Refueling Squadron. On 1 October 1993,[1] the 170th Air Refueling Group was combined with the 108th Air Refueling Wing at McGuire when the New Jersey Air National Guard implemented the Air Force's Objective Wing organization, which called for all units on a base to be assigned to a single wing. The group was inactivated while its 150th Air Refueling Squadron was assigned to the 108th Operations Group as its second KC-135 squadron.

In 2007, the group was activated as the 170th Group at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska to unify Air National Guard support for the 55th Wing.[3]

Lineage

Redesignated 170th Military Airlift Group on 1 January 1966
Redesignated 170th Aeromedical Airlift Group c. 1 December 1969
Redesignated 170th Tactical Airlift Groupon 9 June 1973[note 1]
Redesignated 170th Air Refueling Group, Heavy on 1 April 1977
Inactivated on: 30 September 1993
Activated and extended federal recognition on 7 July 2007[3]

Assignments

Mobilization gaining commands
Military Air Transport Service, 18 January 1964
Military Airlift Command, 1 January 1966
Strategic Air Command 1 April 1977- 1 June 1992
Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992-1 October 1993
Air Combat Command, 7 July 2007

Components

Stations

Aircraft

  • Lockheed C-121 Constellation, 1964-1973
  • De Haviland Canada C-7 Caribou, 1973-1977
  • Convair C-131 Samaritan, 1977 (1 VIP Aircraft)
  • Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1977-1993

Awards

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award1 June 2009-31 May 2010170th Group[4]
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award1 June 2014-31 May 2015170th Group[4]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 April 1966-23 September 1970170th Military Airlift Group[4]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award4 April 1971-1 April 1972170th Aeromedical Airlift Group[4]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1979-30 June 1981170th Air Refueling Group[4]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ The group is unrelated to a 170th Tactical Air Support Group that was constituted on 30 May 1972 but never activated.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Hynes, Capt Kevin (July 2007). "National Guard Activates Two New Air Guard Units at Offutt Air Force Base" (PDF). Nebraska National Guard Public Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  2. ↑ Staff writers - no byline (October 7, 2007). "NU in line for $26.5 million in defense contract". North Platte Bulliten. Retrieved October 28, 2015..
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Staff writer, no byline (July 7, 2007). "2 Air Guard units to join squadron at Offutt". Air Force Times. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved October 28, 2015. (search)

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

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