| 437th Airlift Wing | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Active | |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Airlift |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Charleston Air Force Base |
| Engagements |
  
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| Decorations |  DUC AFOUA.svg){kind=small} ROK PUC |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel John Wood |
The 437th Airlift Wing (437 AW) is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Air Mobility Command 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force. It is stationed at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina.
The 437 AW is responsible for flying and maintaining the C-17 Globemaster III jet cargo aircraft, the newest aircraft in the AMC airlift system. Its mission is to command assigned airlift and supporting units; provide for the airlift of troops and passengers, military equipment, cargo and aeromedical airlift and to participate in operations involving the airland or airdrop of troops, equipment and supplies when required.
Contents |
Units
437th Operations Group (437 OG)
- 14th Airlift Squadron (14 AS)
- 15th Airlift Squadron (15 AS)
- 16th Airlift Squadron (16 AS)
- 17th Airlift Squadron (17 AS)
- 437th Operations Support Squadron (437 OSS)
437th Maintenance Group (437 MXG)
- 437th Maintenance Squadron (437 MXS)
- 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (437 AMXS)
- 437th Maintenance Operations Squadron (437 MOS)
437th Mission Support Group (437 MSG)
- 437th Aerial Port Squadron (437 APS)
- 437th Civil Engineering Squadron (437 CES)
- 437th Communications Squadron (437 CS)
- 437th Contracting Squadron (437 CONS)
- 437th Mission Support Squadron (437 MSS)
- 437th Security Forces Squadron (437 SFS)
- 437th Services Squadron (437 SVS)
- 437th Logistics Readiness Squadron (437 LRS)
437th Medical Group (437 MDG)
- 437th Aeromedical Dental Squadron (437 ADS)
- 437th Medical Operations Squadron (437 MDOS)
- 437th Medical Support Squadron (437 MDSS)
History
- For additional lineage and history, see 437th Operations Group
Lineage
- Established as 437 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, on 10 May 1949
- Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949
- Ordered to active service on 10 Aug 1950
- Inactivated on 10 Jun 1952
- Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jun 1952
- Inactivated on 16 Nov 1957
- Redesignated 437 Military Airlift Wing, and activated, on 27 Dec 1965
- Organized on 8 Jan 1966
- Redesignated 437 Airlift Wing on 1 Oct 1991.
Assignments
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Components
Groups
- 437 Troop Carrier (later, 437 Operations): 27 Jun 1949-10 Jun 1952; 15 Jun 1952-16 Nov 1957; 1 Oct 1991-Present
Squadrons
- 3 Military Airlift: 8 Jan 1966-1 Aug 1973
- 17 Military Airlift: 8 Jan 1966-8 Apr 1969; 1 Aug 1987-1 Oct 1991
- 20 Military Airlift: 1 Aug 1973-1 Oct 1991
- 41 Military Airlift: 8 Jan 1966-1 Oct 1991
- 76 Military Airlift: 8 Jan 1966-1 Oct 1991
- 1300 Military Airlift: 1 Mar 1978-1 Dec 1982.
Stations
- Chicago-Orchard Aprt (later, O'Hare Field-Chicago Intl Aprt), Illinois, 27 Jun 1949
- Shaw AFB, South Carolina, 14 Aug-16 Oct 1950
- Brady Air Base, Japan, 8 Nov 1950-10 Jun 1952
- O'Hare International Airport, Illinois, 15 Jun 1952-16 Nov 1957
- Charleston AFB, South Carolina, 8 Jan 1966-Present
Aircraft
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Operations
Cold War
The 437th stood up as a wing and trained in the reserve from Jun 1949-August 1950 and June 1952-November 1957. After being called to active service and performing concentrated training in the United States, the 437th moved to Japan as part of the Far East Air Forces 315th Air Division and flew combat airlift missions from November 1950- June 1952. During the Korean War the 437th helped evacuate personnel from threatened airfields, hauled gasoline, napalm, and other explosives, dropped cargo and paratroops, flew spraying missions to rid areas of insects, and also flew routine courier missions until replaced by another wing in June 1952.
The 437th replaced the 1608th Air Transport Wing, in 1966, as the Military Airlift Command host wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It has since flown joint training missions with Army forces, aeromedical evacuation missions, mercy and humanitarian missions as needed, and airlifted personnel, cargo, and mail worldwide, primarily to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but also to South America. It has participated in numerous tactical operations and exercises, particularly those of NATO. Wing aircrews have been augmented by attached Reserve aircrews. From 1966 to the early 1970s, the wing also flew numerous missions to the Far East and Southeast Asia. It added Russia as a special mission destination in 1988 and conducted humanitarian relief operations in Russia in 1992. The wing deployed support personnel and provided airlift of personnel and equipment for operations in Grenada, 24 October-19 December 1983; Panama, 18-29 December 1989; and Southwest Asia, August 1990-December 1991. It flew humanitarian missions to Somalia and other regions of Africa from 1992-1994.
Modern era
The 437th received its first C-17 in June 1993. It routinely supported humanitarian and contingency operations in the Balkans, 1993-1999. The wing has also conducted long range humanitarian air drops into Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom beginning in October 2001 and later regularly supported deployments to other Global War on Terrorism operations, as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003.
Expeditions
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Operation Urgent Fury
- Operation Just Cause
- Operation Desert Shield
- Operation Desert Storm
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
Unit shields
 437 CPTS |
 437 OG |
 437 OSS |
 14 AS |
 15 AS |
 16 AS |
 16 AS Alternate |
 17 AS |
 437 MSG |
 437 MSS |
 437 SVS |
 437 SFS |
 437 LRS |
 437 CS |
 437 APS |
 437 MDG |
 437 MXG |
 437 AMXS |
 437 MXS |
 437 MOS |
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- USAFHRA 437th Airlift Wing Factsheet
External links
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