WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Thirty years! In September, the 445th Airlift Wing celebrates 30 years of history at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Following the unit’s deactivation April 1, 1994, at March AFB, California, the 445th AW was activated Oct. 1 of the same year.
Prior to the arrival of the 445th AW to Wright-Patterson, both the 906th Fighter Group and the 907th Airlift Group were inactivated. Members of the new 445th AW were encouraged to continue the great traditions that had been established by those units.
Despite an initial hesitation to fully merge, the wing was thinking as a collective “we” within months, as they went after the wing mission: providing aircraft, aircrew and support personnel for strategic airlift of personnel and equipment.
In 1994, the 445th AW was authorized 16 C-141B Starlifter aircraft and was composed of four groups: operations, logistics, support and medical.
The 89th and 356th Airlift Squadrons provided airlift services for Air Force Reserve Command and Air Mobility Command.
In the first three quarters following the unit’s activation at WPAFB, the wing demonstrated excellence, as the two squadrons logged nearly 4,000 flying hours, all accident-free, flying AMC’s Atlantic Express and Pacific Express channel missions. Though repetitive, the channel missions provided opportunities to showcase what the 445th AW does best – demonstrate the wing’s readiness.
The phrase “right place, right time” has frequently been attributed to members of the 445th AW. As a result, over the past 30 years the unit has been credited with numerous firsts.
This includes respectfully flying the first casualty of Operation Joint Endeavor in January 1996, and flying nearly half of all Reserve missions during NATO operations in Kosovo in 1999.
It also included being selected as one of five total Reserve units tasked to fly humanitarian assistance in the hours following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and flying a “first of its kind” mission for Operation Enduring Freedom when a 445th AW aircrew delivered the first Taliban and al Qaeda detainees to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, April 11, 2002.
Other incredible highlights over the past 30 years include 445th Citizen Airmen who have made history while completing a mission they were trained for.
This includes members of the 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron who were on the team that brought back the first POW of the war in Iraq, the aircrew and medical teams who airlifted thousands of wounded U.S. service members during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and ground personnel who ensure the unit is fit to fly so the wing is continually able to answer yes when tasked.
The 445th AW has demonstrated incredible resilience throughout its 30 years at Wright-Patterson.
Since its activation, the unit transitioned from flying C-141 Starlifters to the C-5 Galaxy in 2005 to its current airframe, the C-17 Globemaster III, in 2011.
Much of the work and effort to successfully complete the conversions took place during peak times of unit volunteer deployments and mobilizations, due to conflicts in the Middle East, and continued airlift support both nationally and around world.
Despite these challenges the unit was regularly recognized for its contributions to the Global War on Terror and service in the community. The archives of the unit’s newsletter contain frequent articles that highlight incredible acts of valor, both on and off duty, conducted by the men and women of the 445th AW.
The 445th members’ relentless determination to be accountable for their training and medical readiness has established the unit as one who the Air Force has been able to consistently call on repeatedly, often as the first source for airlift support.
In March 2003, Brig. Gen. Rusty Moen, then-wing commander, recognized the value of this readiness when he stated the Air Force knew the unit was consistently “ready, willing and able to step up and get the job done, regardless of the degree of difficulty, remoteness of the operating location or hardships encountered. We have the training. Our shots are up to date. We are ready.”
Today, members of the 445th Airlift Wing continue to demonstrate their readiness, to include recent successes in deployments to the Central Command Area of Responsibility and unprecedented humanitarian airlifts.
The 445th is a legacy unit whose origins trace back to World War II when it was a bombardment group.
The 445th BG (Heavy), a B-24 unit activated April 1, 1943, earned six Battle Honors and flew more than 200 missions in the war.
In the unit’s history, members of the 445th BG were recognized for their courage, determination, loyalty, citizenship, devotion to duty and character which made it one of the outstanding groups of the Air Force in the Second World War.
These hallmark qualities of the 445th BG are easily recognized among the Citizen Airmen of the 445th Airlift Wing yesterday and today and will continue to serve as a driving force of excellence for the unit’s next 30 years and beyond.