65th Air Base Wing

The 65th Air Base Wing (65 ABW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Lajes Air Base, Azores, Portugal.

Mission
The wing provides base and en route support for Department of Defense, allied nations and other authorized aircraft in transit, including those from the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Colombia, Germany, Venezuela and Great Britain.

Subordinate Organizations
65th Mission Support Group (65 MSG)
 * 65th Contracting Squadron (65 CONS)
 * 65th Communications Squadron (65 CS)
 * 65th Civil Engineering Squadron (65 CES)
 * 65th Force Support Squadron (65 FSS)
 * 65th Logistics Readiness Squadron (65 LRS)
 * 65th Operations Support Squadron (65 OSS)
 * 65th Security Forces Squadron (65 SFS)

65th Medical Group (65 MDG)
 * 65th Medical Operations Squadron (65 MDOS)
 * 65th Medical Support Squadron (65 MDSS)

History
Supported ground units during the Carolina Maneuvers in the fall and winter of 1941. Flew antisubmarine patrols off the east coast after Pearl Harbor in 1941–42. Served as a training organization for crews that changed from observation aircraft to B-25's, 1943.

The 65th conducted reserve training toward proficiency with troop carrier aircraft from 1952–1953. However, the wing was never fully manned or equipped.

It has provided en route support for aircraft transiting Lajes Air Base from 1982 to the present. The wing also provided base support to elements of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy in the area. The 65th supported deployment of personnel and equipment through Lajes during operations in the Persian Gulf from August 1990 – April 1991 and in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom since 2001 and 2003 respectively.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 65th Observation Group on 21 Aug 1941
 * Activated on 1 Sept 1941.
 * Inactivated on 18 Oct 1942


 * Activated on 1 Mar 1943
 * Redesignated 65th Reconnaissance Group in Apr 1943
 * Disbanded on 15 Aug 1943


 * Reconstituted, allotted to the reserve, and activated, on 27 Dec 1946
 * Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949


 * Redesignated 65th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) and allotted to the reserve
 * Activated on 14 Jun 1952


 * Established as 65th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, on 26 May 1952
 * Activated in the Reserve on 14 Jun 1952
 * 65th Troop Carrier Group assigned as subordinate unit upon activation
 * Inactivated on 1 Apr 1953


 * Redesignated 65th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium, on 1 Apr 1953
 * Consolidated (1 Jan 1992) with the 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing, which was established, and activated, on 1 Jan 1982
 * Redesignated: 65th Support Wing on 27 Jan 1992
 * Redesignated: 65th Air Base Wing on 1 Oct 1993.

Assignments

 * Southeast Air District (later Third Air Force), 1 Sept 1941 – 18 Oct 1942; 1 Mar – 15 Aug 1943
 * Continental Air Forces, 27 Dec 1946
 * 90 Air Division, Reconnaissance, 17 Oct 1947 – 27 Jun 1949
 * First Air Force, 14 Jun 1952 – 1 Apr 1953
 * Twenty-First Air Force 1 Jan 1982
 * Eighth Air Force, 1 Oct 1993
 * Third Air Force, 1 Oct 2002 – present

Components

 * 65th Troop Carrier Group, 14 Jun 1952 – 1 Apr 1953
 * 2d Reconnaissance (later Troop Carrier) Squadron, 1947–1949; 1952–1953
 * 13th Reconnaissance (later Troop Carrier) Squadron, 1947–1949; 1952–1953
 * 14th Reconnaissance (later Troop Carrier) Squadron, 1947–1949; 1952–1953
 * 18th Observation (later Reconnaissance) Squadron, 1942; 1943
 * 105th Observation Squadron, 1941–1942
 * 112th Observation Squadron, 1941–1942
 * 121st Observation Squadron, 1941–1942
 * 1605 Military Airlift (later, 65 Airlift) Support Squadron: 1 Jan 1982 – 1 Oct 1993.

Stations

 * Lexington County Airport, South Carolina, 1 Sep 1941
 * Langley Field, Virginia, Dec 1941-18 Oct 1942
 * Columbia AAB, South Carolina, 1 Mar 1943
 * Florence AAF, South Carolina, c. 15 Apr – 15 Aug 1943.
 * Rome AAF, New York, 27 Dec 1946 – 27 Jun 1949
 * Mitchel AFB, New York, 14 Jun 1952 – 1 Apr 1953
 * Lajes Field, Azores, 1 Jan 1982–

Aircraft operated

 * O-38, 0–47, 0–49, 0–52, AT-6 1941–1942
 * C-46 Commando (1952–1953)