MISSION: To attain and maintain operational readiness; provide strategic transport of personnel and equipment; provide aeromedical evacuation; and recruit and train toward these goals.
MISSION STATEMENT: Provide Combat Ready Airmen and Rapid Global Response
VISION STATEMENT: The Wright Global Presence: Premier Airlift Capability and Innovative Airmen...Ready Today for Tomorrow's Fight
ORGANIZATION: The 445th Airlift Wing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is under the Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. If mobilized, the wing becomes part of Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The 445th Airlift Wing is composed of an Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Aeromedical Staging Squadron and three attached groups: the 445th Maintenance Group, which consists of the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and Maintenance Squadron; the 445th Operations Group, which consists of the 89th Airlift Squadron, Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, and Operations Support Squadron; and the 445th Mission Support Group, which consists of the 87th Aerial Port Squadron, Civil Engineer Squadron, Logistics Readiness Squadron, Force Support Squadron and, Security Forces Squadron. The wing administratively supports the 655th Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Wing consisting of a headquarters, two groups and 14 classic associate unit intelligence squadrons of 1,284 members, spanning across seven states, conducting 10 distinct missions.
AIRCRAFT: The wing currently has nine C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The C-17 is the newest, most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. It is built by the Boeing Company. This airframe is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The C-17 Globemaster III provides a major portion of the Air Force’s strategic airlift capability.
PERSONNEL: The present unit strength is approximately 1,700 officers, enlisted and civilian personnel. Most 445th AW members are traditional reservists, totaling 1,266 members, who serve in the military on a part-time basis, participating a minimum of one weekend a month as well as two-weeks of annual training each year. Augmenting the traditional reserve force is a team of approximately 230 Airmen employed full-time as Air Reserve Technicians in the unit, nearly 90 Active Guard Reserve (AGR) members, more than 90 civilians (non-ARTs).
HISTORY: The 445th Airlift Wing was activated at Wright-Patterson AFB, Oct. 1, 1994 when two former units combined: the 906th Fighter Group from Wright-Patterson AFB and the 907th Tactical Airlift Group from Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, which were deactivated Sept. 30, 1994. The 445th AW was originally activated as a reserve fighter-bomber wing in July 1952. Each unit bearing the 445th AW name earned distinguished achievements. Since reactivating, the 445th AW provides worldwide airlift of troops, supplies, and operational support to almost every Air Force contingency. The wing was active after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 by providing emergency airlift of supplies, medical teams and FEMA personnel to McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., to assist with operations involving the World Trade Center collapse in New York City. The wing also participated in Operation Enduring Freedom as the first wing to fly Taliban and al-Qaeda detainees to Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba. The 445th AW delivered roughly half of the detainees housed at the Guantanamo Bay facility. The wing also evacuates wounded personnel from the battlefield to regional treatment facilities. The wing also brings home fallen service members home for burial. The 445th AW also provides an active role in the Middle East. The 445th Airlift Wing flew its last C-5A Galaxy mission Sept. 28, 2011. The wing’s first C-17 Globemaster III arrived on Jan. 20, 2011. The wing received its ninth and final C-17 Feb. 12, 2012. Throughout the transition, the 445th AW focused on the Air Force’s core competencies of developing Airmen, technology-to-war fighting, and integrating operations. These three core competencies remain the constants that define the Air Force, and enable us to fight and win America’s wars. In full partnership with the active duty, Air Force Reserve Command units provide combat support units on the ground and aircrews delivering troops and cargo around the world. The 445th Airlift Wing stands ready to continue its support of all global taskings.
Current as of January 2024