377th Air Base Wing

377th Air Base Wing
Active 8 April 1966—present
Country United States
Branch Air Force
Type Base Support
Size 2,300 Personnel
Part of Global Strike Command
Garrison/HQ Kirtland Air Force Base
Motto Serving Freedom's Finest
Decorations AFOUA
RVGC w/ Palm
Commanders
Current
commander		 Colonel Tom D. Miller

The 377th Air Base Wing (377 ABW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

Overview

The 377th Air Base Wing is the host unit at Kirtland AFB. It was activated on 1 January 1993, when Air Force Materiel Command assumed responsibility for operating the base from Air Mobility Command.

The wing's mission is to conduct nuclear operations; organize, train, equip and deploy expeditionary forces; and operate, secure and support Kirtland AFB. As of October 2015, the 377th ABW is a subordinate unit of 20th Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command.

Units

377th Mission Support Group (377 MSG)

377th Medical Group (377 MDG)

377th Security Forces Group (377 SFG)

377th Maintenance Group (377 MXG)

History

Vietnam War

Activated in April 1966, during the Vietnam War, the 377th replaced the 6250th Combat Support Group. It became responsible for operation and maintenance of USAF portion of Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam from April 1966-March 1973.

In Vietnam, the group's responsibilities included housing numerous tenant organizations including Seventh Air Force, base defense, and liaison with South Vietnamese Air Force. While serving in this capacity the 377th underwent numerous enemy attacks. It was also responsible for Binh Thuy Air Base, South Vietnam, 12 May-1 July 1970. The group provided support for Seventh Air Force flying operations with C-47, C-123, and C-54 aircraft from, June–December 1966. In September 1971, it again became responsible for supporting base flight T-39, C-54, C-47, C-118, as well as C-130 aircraft of 834th Air Division.

The 377th was elevated to Air Base Wing in January 1972 and gained a tactical mission and combat units. The wing operated the Southeast Asia Central Instructor Pilots School, in which the 360th TEWS used C/EC-47s, 15 February-c. November 1972. The wing also operated a Combat Crew Training School at Phù Cát Air Base, South Vietnam, with C-7 aircraft, 15 March–October 1972. It resumed base flight operations at Tan Son Nhut in January 1972, operating and maintaining C-47, C-118, and T-39 aircraft. With the 8th Special Operations Squadron (A-37s), the 377th performed strike missions from, January–October 1972; the 9th Special Operations Squadron (O-2s and C-47s) conducted psychological warfare operations, January–February 1972; the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron (Light) conducted air liaison and forward air control operations, March 1972-28 January 1973; the 310th Tactical Airlift Squadron (C/UC-123s, January–June 1972 and C-7s, March–October 1972) performed airlift and airdrop missions, January–October 1972; the 360th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (C/EC-47s) conducted airborne radio-direction finding operations, February–November 1972, and psychological warfare operations, February–August 1972. The wing established an operating location of the wing headquarters at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, on 14 April 1972, to provide turn-around service for F-4s of other organizations. It was replaced on 20 June 1972 by Detachment 1 of the wing headquarters, which continued the F-4 turn-around service and added A-7 turn-around service on 30 October 1972. The detachment continued operations through 11 February 1973.

As the wing phased down for inactivation, from February–March 1973, it transferred many assets to South Vietnamese Air Force.

Modern era

The wing was reactivated to replace the 86th Combat Support Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on 14 June 1985. It provided support services for Ramstein and other locations in the Kaiserslautern military community and beyond, from 1985 to 1991.

It was again activated as the host wing at Kirtland Air Force Base on 1 January 1993. The 377th Air Base Wing has since provided support to base operations to more than 100 associate units in more than 2000 buildings. To support this mission, the 377th Air Base Wing has the largest security forces squadron in the command. Additionally, members of the 377th are continually deployed to numerous locations supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, and other requirements worldwide.

In November 2009 the wing, commanded by Colonel Michael S. Duvall, failed its nuclear surety inspection. Duvall was kept on as commander to fix the problem and the wing subsequently passed its re-inspection less than 90 days later.[1]

On 1 October 2015 the wing began reporting to 20th Air Force and Air Force Global Strike Command instead of Air Force Material Command.[2]

Lineage

Redesignated 377th Air Base Wing on 17 January 1972
Inactivated on 28 March 1973
Activated 14 June 1985
Inactivated on 1 May 1991

Assignments

Components

Stations

Aircraft Operated

References

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

  1. ↑ Hoffman, Michael, "Two wings get F on nuclear inspection", Air Force Times 27 November 2009.
  2. ↑ 377th ABW transfers to AF Global Strike Command

External links

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