330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing

The 330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing (330 ASW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.

Mission
The group serves as single focal point for cradle-to-grave sustainment management for the C-130 aircraft to sustain mission effectiveness throughout the system’s life cycle. Responsible for all sustainment activities required to ensure C-130 aircraft availability is adequate for the weapon system to fulfill its assigned missions.

Primary activities include engineering,worldwide logistics, weapon system readiness, and wartime support. Manages aircraft overhaul, modernization and modification programs, and unscheduled depot level maintenance for the C-130 aircraft to include foreign military sales.

The 330 ASW also provides weapon system logistics support, oversee unscheduled and programmed depot maintenance, and manage modification efforts for the Air Force’s fleet of C-5, C-130, C-17, F-15, U-2, and E-8C Joint STARS aircraft, Global Hawk, Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS), MC-130, HC-130 and various special operations combat search and rescue aircraft and helicopters to include AC-130H/U, MC-130E/H/P/W, EC-130J, MH-53J/M, HH-60G, UH-1N, TH-1H, and HC-130P/N.

World War II
The 330th Bombardment Group was constituted on 1 July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah. It was assigned to Second Air Force as a B-24 Liberator Operational Training Unit (OTU) and later as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). The group performed this training at Alamogordo Army Airfield in New Mexico, then later at Biggs Field near El Paso, Texas.

With the drawdown of heavy bomber training in 1944, the group was redesignated as the 330th Bombardment Group and was designated as a B-29 Superfortress operational bomb group being assigned to the 314th Bombardment Wing, to be sent to the Pacific Theater as part of the war against the Japanese Empire. The group was assigned to Walker AAF, Kansas for equipping and training.

The group deployed to Guam in late 1944, and was assigned to XXI Bomber Command of the Twentieth Air Force. It entered combat on 12 Apr 1945 with an attack on the Hodogaya chemical plant at Koriyama, Japan. From April to May 1945, it struck airfields from which the Japanese were launching suicide planes against the invasion force at Okinawa. After that, operations were principally concerned with incendiary attacks against urban-industrial areas of Japan. It received a Distinguished Unit Citation for incendiary raids on the industrial sections of Tokushima and Gifu and for a strike against the hydroelectric power center at Kofu, Japan, in July 1945. Another DUC was received for attacking the Nakajima-Musashino aircraft engine plant near Tokyo in August 1945. The unit dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners and participated in several show-of-force missions over Japan after the war.

The Group remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft were scrapped on Tinian; others flown to storage depots in the United States. the group was inactivated in December 1945.

Cold War
With the end of World War II, the 330th was allocated to the Air Force Reserve. It was redesignated as the 330th Bombardment Group (Medium) and assigned to March Air Force Base, California for training with B-29 Superfortresses of the active-duty Strategic Air Command 22d Bombardment Wing, being activated on 27 June 1949. The wing was assigned to Fifteenth Air Force on 27 June 1949. (Attached to the 22nd Bomb Wing 27 June 1949 to 30 April 1951) As a result of the Korean War its personnel were activated into Federal Service on 1 May 1951 and deployed to Kadena AB, Okinawa for combat duty. (Attached to the 12th Air Division from 1 May to 16 June 1951). With its personnel deployed overseas, the wing was inactivated on 16 June.

The 330th was again redesignated as the 330th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) and allotted to 1st Air Reserve District at Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pennsylvania on 14 Jun 1952. The unit may have just existed on paper and wasn't manned. It was also possibly equipped with Curtiss C-46 Commando aircraft. Nevertheless, it was inactivated on 14 Jul 1952.

Reactivated in 2000 as a Depot Support Wing at Robina AFB.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 330th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 1 Jul 1942
 * Activated on 6 July 1942
 * Inactivated on 1 Apr 1944


 * Redesignated 330th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and activated on 1 Apr 1944
 * Inactivated on 3 Jan 1946


 * Redesignated 330th Bombardment Group (Medium) and activated in the reserve on 27 Jun 1949
 * Ordered to active duty on 1 May 1951
 * Inactivated on 16 Jun 1951


 * Redesignated 330th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) and activated in the reserve on 14 Jun 1952
 * Inactivated on 14 Jul 1952


 * Redesignated 330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing and activated on 1 Oct 2000

Assignments

 * II Bomber Command, 6 Jul 1942-1 Apr 1944
 * Second Air Force, 1 Apr 1944
 * 314th Bombardment Wing, 6 Jun 1944
 * Twentieth Air Force, 16 Jul 1945
 * Army Service Forces, 15 Nov 1945-3 Jan 1946
 * Tenth Air Force, 27 Jun 1949
 * Fifteenth Air Force, 1 May 1951-26 Jun 1951
 * Tenth Air Force, 14 Jun 1952-14 Jul 1952
 * Air Force Materiel Command, 1 Oct 2000–Present

Components

 * 457th Bombardment (later Troop Carrier) Squadron, 6 Jul 1942-3 Jan 1946; 27 Jun 1949=16 Jun 1951; 14 Jun 1952-14 Jul 1952
 * 458th Bombardment (later Troop Carrier) Squadron, 6 Jul 1942-3 Jan 1946; 27 Jun 1949=16 Jun 1951; 14 Jun 1952-14 Jul 1952
 * 459th Bombardment (later Troop Carrier) Squadron, 6 Jul 1942-3 Jan 1946; 27 Jun 1949=16 Jun 1951; 14 Jun 1952-14 Jul 1952
 * 460th Bombardment Squadron, 6 Jul 1942-1 10 May 1944
 * 26th Photographic Laboratory Squadron

Stations

 * Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, 6 Jul 1942
 * Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 1 Aug 1942
 * Biggs Field, Texas, 2 Sep 1942
 * Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 29 Nov 1942
 * Biggs Field, Texas, 5 Apr 1943-1 Apr 1944
 * Walker Army Airfield, Kansas, 1 Apr 1944
 * Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 25 May 1944


 * Walker Army Airfield, Kansas, 1 Aug 1944-7 Jan 1945
 * North Field, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 18 Feb-19 Nov 1945
 * Camp Anza, California, c. 18-27 Dec 1945
 * March AFB, California, 27 Jun 1949-16 Jun 1951
 * Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pennsylvania, 14 Jun-14 Jul 1952
 * Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 Oct 2000–Present

Aircraft assigned

 * Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (1942, 1944)
 * Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1942–1944)
 * Boeing B-29 Superfortress (1944–1945, 1949–1951)
 * Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1951