439th Airlift Wing

439th Airlift Wing
Active 14 May 1943 – present
Country United States
Branch Air Force
Type Airlift
Part of Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ Westover Air Reserve Base
Nickname(s) Patriot Wing
Decorations DUC
AFOUA
FCdG w/ Palm
French Fourragère
Commanders
Current
commander		 Colonel Albert Lupenski

The 439th Airlift Wing (439 AW) is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command, Fourth Air Force, and is based at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts.

The peacetime mission includes recruiting, training and supervision of personnel to assure mission readiness. The wing is also responsible for the management of aircraft maintenance and all assigned Air Force combat support real property, equipment and supplies.

Units

The wing consists of the following component groups:

439th Operations Group (439 OG)

  • 337th Airlift Squadron (337 AS) C-5B Galaxy
  • 439th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (439 ASTS)
  • 439th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (439 AES)
  • 439th Operations Support Squadron (439 OSS)
  • 439th Airlift Control Flight (439 ALCF)

439th Maintenance Group (439 MXG)

  • 439th Maintenance Squadron (439 MXS)
  • 439th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (439 AMXS)

439th Mission Support Group (439 MSG)

  • 42d Aerial Port Squadron (42 APS)
  • 58th Aerial Port Squadron (58 APS)
  • 439th Civil Engineering Squadron (439 CES)
  • 439th Communications Squadron (439 CS)
  • 439th Force Support Squadron (439 FSS)
  • 439th Security Forces Squadron (439 SFS)
  • 439th Logistics Readiness Squadron (439 LRS)

History

For additional lineage and history, see 439th Operations Group

Lineage

Activated in the Reserve on 27 June 1949
Ordered to active service on 1 April 1951
Inactivated on 3 April 1951
Activated in the Reserve on 15 June 1952
Inactivated on 16 November 1957
Activated in the Reserve on 1 April 1974
Redesignated: 439th Military Airlift Wing on 1 October 1987
Resesignated: 439th Airlift Wing on 1 February 1992.

Assignments

Components

Group

Squadrons

Stations

Aircraft

  • TC-46, 1949–1951
  • C-46, 1952–1955
  • T-28, 1953–1955
  • F-51, 1953–1954
  • T-33, 1953–1957
  • F-80, 1953–1956
  • F-84, 1956–1957
  • F-86, 1957
  • TC-47, 1957
  • C-119, 1957
  • C-123, 1974–1982
  • C-130, 1974–1988
  • C-5, 1987–present

Operations

Under supervision of the 2242nd Air Force Reserve Training Center, the newly established wing trained as a troop carrier organization from 1949 until 1951 and for fighter-bomber missions from 1952 to 1957.

It replaced the 901st and 905th Tactical Airlift Groups at Westover Air Reserve Base in April 1974 and assumed tactical airlift, special operations, satellite support, and aeromedical evacuation missions. It has since taken part in tactical exercises, global airlift, and humanitarian missions. It gained two tactical groups and the responsibility for operating the military portion of Niagara Falls International Airport on 25 January 1976 and Pittsburgh International Airport on 1 October 1980, but relinquished control of those groups in 1992. During the 1980s, the wing took part in various training exercises involving tactical airlift and rotated personnel and aircraft to Panama. It also provided airlift support for the movement and training of other units and conducted local proficiency flying training missions. At the conclusion of the Iran–Iraq War in 1989, the wing transported United Nations ceasefire observers to the Persian Gulf area. It airlifted troops and equipment to Panama during the incursion into Panama at the end of the year. The 439th airlifted troops, equipment, and supplies to support global contingency, humanitarian, and anti-drug operations during the 1990s. Additionally, its airlifts included troops and cargo to Europe and the Persian Gulf area before and during the Gulf War, and Patriot missiles to Israel in 1991.

Expeditions

Unit shields

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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