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| 302d Airlift Wing | |
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| Active | 28 January 1942 — present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Airlift |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Peterson Air Force Base |
| Decorations |  AFOUA RVGC w/ Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel James Muscatell Jr. |
| Notable commanders |
Joseph J. Nazzaro |
The 302nd Airlift Wing (302 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force Reserve1 based out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Contents |
Mission
The mission of the 302nd AW is to train, equip, and employ airlift forces in world-wide support of our nation's vital interests.
History
During World War II, the 302nd trained bombardment crews for combat duty.
It conducted airlift training as a reserve corollary unit of 62nd Troop Carrier Wing from June 1949-May 1950, and of the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing from May 1950-June 1951. It trained as a reserve troop carrier wing from June 1952. The 302nd began flying airlift operations in the mid-1950s and was placed on active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. By the mid-1960s, wing aircraft and crews performed worldwide airlift missions and participated in numerous tactical exercises.
From April 1968 to March 1973 the wing provided AC-119 gunship training for pilots, navigators, flight engineers, and mechanics of USAF active units and personnel from Jordan, Morocco, Ethiopia, and South Vietnam. The wing assumed a rotational airlift task in support of USAF Southern Command from April 1973 through January 1976. Also in April 1973, the wing assumed an aerial spraying mission with UC-123 aircraft, which frequently took wing crews to Central America, the Caribbean, the Azores, North Africa, islands of the Pacific, and to many U.S. points for insect-spraying missions.
Beginning in April 1985, the wing trained to airlift and airdrop troops, equipment, and supplies in a tactical theater. It took part in training and mobility exercises within the United States and to Britain and Panama. It practiced for aeromedical evacuation missions. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the wing transported fire fighters and their equipment and supplies to fight wildfires in western states, delivered relief supplies to hurricane victims, and participated in other humanitarian airlifts and various global contingency operations.
The unit also provides training in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service for flight crews certified to fly MAFFS-equipped C-130s on wildfires.2
Operations
Previous designations
- 302nd Bombardment Group (1942 – 1949)
- 302nd Troop Carrier Wing (1949 – 1967)
- 302nd Tactical Airlift Wing (1967 – 1970)
- 302nd Special Operations Wing (1970 – 1971)
- 302nd Tactical Airlift Wing (1971 – 1992)
- 302nd Airlift Wing (1992 – Present)
Assignments
Major command
Numbered Air Force
- 2nd Air Force (1942 – 1943)
- 1st Air Force (1943 – 1944, 1952 – 1958)
- 14th Air Force (1949 – 1951, 1958 – 1962, 1976 – 1981)
- 4th Air Force (1985 – 1994)
- 10th Air Force (1994 – 1997)
- 22nd Air Force (1997 – Present)
Subordinate organizations
302nd Operations Group (302 OG)
- 731st Airlift Squadron (731 AS)
- 302nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron (302 ASTS)
- 39th Aerial Port Squadron (39 APS)
302nd Maintenance Group (302 MXG)
- 302nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (302 AMXS)
- 302nd Maintenance Squadron (302 MXS)
Bases stationed
- Geiger Field, Washington (1942)
- Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona (1942)
- Wendover Field, Utah (1942)
- Pueblo Army Airfield, Colorado (1942 – 1943)
- Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico (1943)
- Langley Field, Virginia (1943 – 1944)
- Chatham Army Airfield, Georgia (1944)
- McChord Air Force Base, Washington (1949 – 1951)
- Clinton County Air Force Base / Airborne Airpark, Ohio (1952 – 1971)
- Rickenbacker Air Force Base, Ohio (1971 – 1981)
- Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado (1985 – Present)
Aircraft operated
- B-18 Bolo (1942)
- C-78 (1942)
- B-24 Liberator (1942 – 1944)
- C-82 Packet (1949)
- C-54 Skymaster (1949 – 1950)
- C-46 Commando (1952 – 1957)
- C-119 Flying Boxcar (1956 – 1973)
- U-3 Blue Canoe (1970 – 1972)
- C-130 Hercules (1970 – 1971, 1985 – Present)
- A-37 Dragonfly (1970)
- C-123 Provider (1971 – 1981)
- C-7 Caribou (1972)
- UC-123 (1973 – 1981)
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Maguire, Jon A. and the Men of the 27th ATG. Gooney Birds and Ferry Tales: The 27th Air Transport Group in World War II. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 1998. ISBN 0-76430-592-1.
External links
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