314th Airlift Wing

The 314th Airlift Wing (314 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Little Rock Air Force Base in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Mission
To train the world's best C-130 combat airlifters to fly, fight, and win.

History

 * See the 314th Operations Group for additional history and lineage

World War 2 and aftermath
During World War II the 314th Troop Carrier Group arrived in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in May 1943, taking part with Twelfth Air Force units in two airborne operations. It flew two major night missions in July 1943 during the Sicily invasion, dropping paratroops of 82d Airborne Division near Gela on 9 July and reinforcements to the area on the 11 July. Later in the year, the group transported paratroops and supplies to Salerno, 14 and 15 September, during the invasion of Italy. Squadrons from the 314th flew additional missions in the Mediterranean before it transferred, in February 1944, to England for further training. From there, it took part with the Ninth Air Force in the Normandy invasion, flying numerous supply and reinforcement missions in the ensuing period. The 314th dropped paratroops over the Netherlands in September and carried munitions and supplies to the same area. After moving to France in late February 1945, it participated in the airborne crossings of the Rhine River near Wesel on 24 March. The group then brought supplies and equipment to combat units and airlifted wounded U.S. and Allied personnel to rear-area hospitals.

After termination of hostilities, it evacuated prisoners of war from German camps and flew regular personnel and freight service. Transferring without personnel or equipment (WOPE) to U.S. in February 1946, and in September, again transferred WOPE, to the Panama Canal Zone, where the 314th operated air terminals under Caribbean Air Command. It moved back to the U.S. in October 1948 for further training.

Korean War
The wing served in Japan during the Korean War, participating in two major airborne operations, at Sunchon in October 1950 and at Munsan-ni in March 1951. It later transported supplies to Korea and evacuated prisoners of war.

Early Cold War and Vietnam War periods
During the post Korean War and the continuation of the Cold War period in 1954, it again transferred, without personnel or equipment back to the U.S. where it served as a primary troop carrier unit in the eastern U.S., participating in joint airborne training with Army forces, developing assault airlift operations, and performing in aerial demonstrations, exercises, maneuvers, and joint operations. Between January 1966 and May 1971, it operated from Ching Chuan Kang Air Base Taiwan as part of the 315th Air Division to provide passenger and cargo airlift throughout the Far East and combat airlift in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War period.

Later Cold War period
Again returning to the U.S. in May 1971, the 314th acquired the assets of the inactivated 64th Tactical Airlift Wing and incurred host organization responsibilities of Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It has since operated C-130 training schools, providing classroom instruction and flying training to all branches of the U.S. military and allied nations and served as a tactical airlift wing involved in worldwide airborne training, airlift, and special operations including deployments in support of the Commander-in-Chief, United States Air Forces in Europe. It also provided joint airborne communications center and command post support for the United States Readiness Command. In October 1983, the wing provided Joint Airborne Communications Center/Command Post equipment in support of the rescue of U.S. nationals in Grenada. During December 1989 and January 1990, it provided airlift support during the intervention in Operation Just Cause in Panama.

Post Cold War period
The 314th conducted airlift control support in addition to airlift of troops and equipment to the Middle East in support of the liberation of Kuwait, August 1990 – March 1991.

From 1991 to present, in addition to its primary mission of aircrew training, the wing conducted numerous disaster relief and humanitarian support missions including airdrop of U.S. Army Troops; humanitarian aid; emergency supplies; and medical evacuations in addition to airlifting passengers and equipment.

Operations

 * World War II
 * Korean War
 * Operation Urgent Fury
 * Operation Just Cause
 * Operation Desert Shield
 * Operation Desert Storm

Previous designations

 * 314th Transport Group (1942)
 * 314th Troop Carrier Group (1942–1948)
 * 314th Troop Carrier Wing (1948–1967)
 * 314th Tactical Airlift Wing (1967–1974)
 * 314th Military Airlift Wing (1974–1991)
 * 314th Airlift Wing (1991 – present)

Major command

 * United States Air Forces in Europe (1945–1946)
 * Strategic Air Command (1946)
 * Caribbean Air Command (1946–1950)
 * Tactical Air Command (1950–1974)
 * Military Airlift Command (1974-1991)
 * Air Education and Training Command (1991 – present)

Numbered Air Force

 * Eighteenth Air Force (1946, 1951–1957, 1993–1997)
 * Third Air Force (1946–1948)
 * Ninth Air Force (1948–1949, 1957–1971)
 * 839th Air Division, 8 October 1957 – 27 January 1966


 * Fourteenth Air Force (1949–1951)
 * Twelfth Air Force (1971–1974)
 * Twenty-Second Air Force (1974–1993)
 * Fifteenth Air Force (1993)
 * Nineteenth Air Force (1997 – present)

Subordinate organizations
314th Operations Group (314 OG)
 * 45th Airlift Squadron (45 AS) (Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi)
 * 48th Airlift Squadron (48 AS)
 * 62d Airlift Squadron (62 AS)
 * 714th Training Squadron (714 TRS)
 * 314th Operations Support Squadron (314 OSS)

314th Maintenance Group (314 MXG)
 * 314th Maintenance Squadron (314 MXS)
 * 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (314 AMXS)
 * 314th Maintenance Operations Squadron (314 MOS)

314th Mission Support Group (314 MSG)
 * 314th Contracting Squadron (314 CONS)
 * 314th Security Forces Squadron (314 SFS)
 * 314th Services Squadron (314 SVS)
 * 314th Logistics Readiness Squadron (314 LRS)
 * 314th Mission Support Squadron (314 MSS)
 * 314th Communications Squadron (314 CS)
 * 314th Civil Engineering Squadron (314 CES)

314th Medical Group (314 MDG)
 * 314th Medical Operations Squadron (314 MDOS)
 * 314th Medical Support Squadron (314 MDSS)

Bases stationed

 * Drew Field, Florida (1942)
 * Bowman Field, Kentucky (1942)
 * Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri (1942–1943)
 * Lawson Army Airfield, Georgia (1943)
 * Berguent Airfield, French Morocco (1943)
 * Kairouan Airfield, Tunisia (1943)
 * Castelvetrano, Sicily (1943–1944)
 * RAF Saltby, England (1944–1945)
 * Vélizy-Villacoublay, France (1945–1946)
 * Bolling Field, Washington, D.C. (1946)
 * Canal Zone, Panama (1946–1948)
 * Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee (1948–1966)
 * Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan (1966–1971)
 * Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas (1971 – present)

Aircraft operated

 * C-47 Skytrain (1942–1946, 1948–1953)
 * C-53 (1942–1943)
 * C-54 Skymaster (1947–1948)
 * C-82 Packet (1948–1951)
 * CG-15 (glider) (1949–1951)
 * YG-18 (glider) (1949–1951)
 * C-119 Flying Boxcar (1949–1951)
 * C-54 Skymaster (1949–1951, 1954–1955)
 * TC-46 (1950)
 * YC-122 (1950–1954)
 * YH-12 (1951)
 * H-19 Chickasaw (1952–1955)
 * C-46 Commando (1952)
 * L-5 Sentinel (1952–1953)
 * L-16 (1952–1953)
 * L-20 (1952–1954)
 * H-21 Shawnee (1955–1959)
 * C-123 Provider (1956–1961)
 * C-130 Hercules (1956 – present)
 * DC-130 Hercules (1979–1981)
 * C-21 (1999 – 2011)