| 459th Air Refueling Wing | |
|---|---|
 459th Air Refueling Wing Shield |
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| Active | January 26, 1955 – Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Aerial Refueling |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command 4th Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Andrews Air Force Base |
| Decorations |  AFOUA RVGC w/ Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel William Cahoon |
The 459th Airlift Wing (459 AW) is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Andrews Air Force Base since 1954.
Contents |
Overview
Flying the KC-135 Stratotanker and assigned to Fourth Air Force, the 459 AW's mission is to recruit, train, equip, challenge, mentor and reward the men and women of the unit to provide safe, sustained, outstanding service to ourselves, our communities and nation. If activated, the 459 AW would become part of Air Mobility Command.
Subordinate units of the 459th AW are the 459 OG, 459 OSF, 756 ARS, 459 AES, 459 ASTS, 459 AMDS, 459 AMXS, 459 MXG, 459 MOF, 459 AMS, 459 MXS, 759 LRF, 459 MSG, 459 MSF, 459 CF, 459 LRF, 459 SVF, 459 CES, 459 SFS, 69 APS
The 459th Airlift Wing converted to the air refueling mission on October 1, 2003. This also resulted in a conversion from the C-141 Starlifter to the Boeing KC-135R, and the wing was equipped with eight aircraft. The wing was also reassigned from the 22nd Air Force to the 4th Air Force.
The wing, over the years, is a six-time recipient of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. There are about 1,200 traditional Reservists stationed at the wing. A full-time civilian and Air Reserve Technician staff of about 230 people provide day-to-day administration and management of the 459th.
History
Since its activation, the 459th participated in many exercises and contingencies to include: OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, OPERATIONS NORTHERN and SOUTHERN WATCH, OPERATION NOBLE ANVIL (the American component of OPERATION ALLIED FORCE), OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. As a result of these operations, the Wing has participated in places around the globe to include: Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, Bosnia and Kosovo.
Lineage
- Established as 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on May 19, 1943
- Activated on July 1, 1943
- Redesignated 459th Bombardment Group, Heavy, on August 20, 1943
- Inactivated on August 28, 1945
- Redesignated 459th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on March 11, 1947
- Activated in the Reserve on April 19, 1947
- Redesignated 459th Bombardment Group, Medium, on June 27, 1949.
- Ordered to active service on May 1, 1951
- Inactivated on June 16, 1951
- Established as 459th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on December 30, 1954
- Group redesignated: 459th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, on December 30, 1954 and became subordinate organization to wing
- Activated in the Reserve on January 26, 1955
- Redesignated: 459th Military Airlift Wing on July 1, 1966
- Redesignated: 459th Tactical Airlift Wing on June 29, 1971
- Redesignated: 459th Military Airlift Wing on July 1, 1986
- Redesignated: 459th Airlift Wing on February 1, 1992
- Redesignated: 459th Air Refueling Wing on October 1, 2003.
Assignments
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Stations
- Alamogordo AAFld, New Mexico, July 1, 1943
- Davis-Monthan Fld, Arizona, July 28, 1943
- Kearns Army Airfield, Kearns, Utah, c. August 31, 1943
- Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, c. September 21, 1943
- Westover Fld, Massachusetts, October 31, 1943 – January 3, 1944
- Giulia Airfield, Italy, c. February 12, 1944 – c July 1945
- Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota, c. August 16–28, 1945
- Long Beach AAF, California, April 19, 1947
- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, June 27, 1949 – June 16, 1951
- Andrews AFB, Maryland, January 26, 1955 – Present
Components
Groups
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Squadrons
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Operational History
World War II
The World War II predecessor to the 459th Air Refueling Wing was the 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy). The unit was constituted on May 19, 1943, and activated on July 1, 1943 at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico. The 459th Bombardment Group was assigned four bombardment squadrons: the 756th, 757th, 758th, and 759th. After training for six months on the B-24 bomber in New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Massachusetts, the 459th Bombardment Group was sent to Giulia Airfield, Italy for the war.
As part of the 304th Wing, Fifteenth Air Force, the 459th Bombardment Group engaged in nearly 200 strategic bombardment missions between March 1944 and April 1945. Targets were oil refineries, munitions, and aircraft factories, industrial areas, airfields, and communications centers in France, Germany, Austria, and other southern and eastern European nations. The 459th Bombardment Group returned home in August 1945, and was inactivated on August 28, 1945, at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota.
Cold War
On April 19, 1947, the 459th Bombardment Group was activated at Long Beach Army Air Field, California. In June 1949, the organization was redesignated the 459th Bombardment Group Medium and transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona where it remained until being inactivated on June 16, 1951.
The Reserve flying mission began at Andrews AFB in the summer of 1954, when the 756th Troop Carrier Squadron was activated and equipped with the C-46 aircraft. Nearly 8 months later, the unit had grown enough to activate its parent organization, the 459th Troop Carrier Group (formerly 459th Bombardment Group) and its parent the 459th Troop Carrier Wing. Later that year, another squadron, the 757th Troop Carrier Squadron was activated at Byrd Field, Richmond, Virginia and assigned to the Group. A third flying unit, the 758th Troop Carrier Squadron, was added in 1957 and equipped with the C-119 "Flying Boxcar" at Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pennsylvania. In November of 1957, the 757th relocated from Byrd Field to Youngstown Municipal Airport, Ohio. On July 1, 1966, the 459th was redesignated 459th Military Airlift Wing and converted to a strategic, long-range mission with the C-124 "Globemaster" aircraft.
In June 1971, the 459th converted to the C-130 "Hercules" and was redesignated as the 459th Tactical Airlift Wing. In December 1974, with the consolidation of all Air Force strategic and tactical airlift resources under a single manager, the 459th's active duty gaining command switched from Tactical Air Command to Military Airlift Command.
In July 1986, the Wing converted to the Lockheed C-141B "Starlifter" aircraft. The conversion resulted in an increase of Wing personnel at Andrews from 900 to a level of almost 1,600.
Post Cold War
In 1992, wing personnel flew supplies to the victims of Hurricane Andrew in Florida; medical equipment and supplies to Minsk, Belarus, as part of Operation Provide Hope; and food, medicine, supplies and medical personnel into Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope.
In 1993, the 459th continued to support Operation Support Hope. The wing provided humanitarian airlift relief in Rwanda and in support of the Cuban refugees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In addition, 459th personnel supported Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti as well as various other significant missions around the globe.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
External links
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