314th Airlift Wing [314th AW]
The 314th
Airlift Wing is the largest training fleet of C-130s in the world. It also holds
the distinction of being the largest airlift wing in the US Air Force and being
the C-130 aircrew training operation for the whole Department of Defense as well
as students from 27 allied nations.
The 314th Airlift Wing comprises four groups --
operations, logistics, support and medical -- and a headquarters element. Two
airlift squadrons -- 53rd AS and 62nd AS -- and the 314th Operations Support
Squadron, along with the flight simulator contractor, make up the "schoolhouse"
and together accomplish the wing's primary mission of training C-130 crew
members.
The 53rd and 62nd AS and assigned 44 C-130s train all
C-130 aircrews for all services in the Department of Defense, Coast Guard and 27
allied nations.
The wing also hosts an Air Mobility Command group, the
463rd Airlift Group
which
provides tactical airlift worldwide.
The 314th Airlift Wing traces its origins to the early
days of 1942 with the activation of the 314th Transport Group on March 2, 1942.
The group was redesignated as the 314th Troop Carrier Group (TCG) in July of the
same year. The group first formed at Drew Field, FL, before moving to Bowman
Field, Kentucky, on June 24, 1942. The group then relocated again on November 4,
1942 when it moved to Knob Noster, MO, where it stayed until moving to Lawson
Field, GA, on February 24, 1943. Lawson Field was to be the last stateside
assignment for the group until the end of World War II (WW II). During its time
in the United States, the 314th TCG prepared for overseas duty by conducting
training with the Douglas C-47 Skytrain and the Douglas C-53 cargo aircraft. In
May 1943, the group transferred overseas and was assigned to the Twelfth Air
Force in the Mediterranean theater of operations.
The 314th TCG was quickly involved in combat
operations. In July of 1943, they flew two night missions as part of the
invasion of Sicily, dropping paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division on July
9, 1943 and then dropping reinforcements on July 11, 1943. The group received
their first Distinguished Unit Citation for carrying out the second mission
despite bad weather and heavy attack by ground and naval forces. Operations
continued with the invasion of Italy in September 1943. During the Italian
invasion, the 314th TCG was again tasked with dropping troops and supplies, this
time near Salerno. In February 1944, the group moved to England where they began
training for the Normandy invasion.
The 314th TCG formed part of the initial assault in the
D-Day invasion, dropping paratroopers in Normandy on June 6, 1944. The following
day the group flew a resupply and reinforcement mission, earning them their
second Distinguished Unit Citation. The group went on to release airborne troops
over Holland in September 1944, and again flew follow-up reinforcement and
supply missions. The 314th TCG moved to France during February and March of
1945, where they participated in the airborne assault across the Rhine River
into Germany. During the assault, the group released gliders filled with troops
and supplies which went on to land in the Wesel area of Germany on March 24,
1945. When not training or participating in combat operations, the 314th TCG
flew routine supply missions throughout the European and Mediterranean theaters.
After V-E (Victory in Europe) Day, the 314th TCG evacuated allied prisoners from
Germany before being transferred back to the United States in February 1946.
Between WW II and the Korean conflict the 314th TCG
served in the Canal Zone in Panama, operating air terminals in the Panama and
Antilles areas. In October 1948, the group returned to Smyrna Air Force Base
(AFB), TN, and transferred to the Tactical Air Command (TAC). The group had been
redesignated as the 314th Troop Carrier Group, Heavy in June 1948. In November
1948, the group was redesignated again to the 314th Troop Carrier Group, Medium.
At that time, the group began conducting operations and training with the C-47,
the Fairchild C-82 Packet, and the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar.
After the 314th TCG relocated to Smyrna AFB, it became
part of the newly activated 314th Troop Carrier Wing (TCW). From August 1950 to
November 1954, the 314th TCG was detached from the wing and stationed at Ashiya,
Japan, for service in the Korean conflict. While stationed at Ashiya, the 314th
TCG was attached to the Far East Air Forces and operated primarily with the
C-119 aircraft, transporting troops and supplies from Japan to Korea and
evacuating wounded personnel. During the Korean conflict the group participated
in two major combat operations. In October 1950, the 314th TCG dropped
paratroopers over Sunchon in support of the United Nations assault on Pyongyang.
The second combat operation took place in March 1951, when the 314th dropped
paratroopers over Munsan-ni during the airborne assault over the 38th parallel.
The group remained in Japan after the armistice to transport supplies to Korea
and evacuate prisoners of war. The group rejoined the 314th TCW in November
1954, returning to Smyrna AFB, recently renamed Sewart AFB.
From 1948 until December 1965, the 314th TCW served as
a primary troop carrier unit in the eastern United States and was involved in
joint airborne training with the United States Army. On May 19, 1957, the wing
received the first of its LockheedC-130 Hercules aircraft, the same airplane it
flies today. Together with the US Army, the 314th TCW developed assault airlift
operations and participated in aerial demonstrations, exercises, maneuvers, and
joint operations. In January 1966, the wing moved to Kung Kuan AB Taiwan. Here
the wing provided passenger and cargo airlift throughout the Far East as well as
providing combat airlift in Southeast Asia. In August 1967, the wing was
redesignated as the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing (TAW).
While serving in Southeast Asia, the 314th TAW earned
its only Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with a combat "V" device. This
important award was given in recognition of their "airlifting an average of 7.9
tons of passengers and cargo for each operational flying hour in Southeast Asia,
in addition to performing a wide variety of tactical airlift missions under the
most extremely difficult and hazardous conditions".
On May 31, 1971, the 314th TAW transferred to Little
Rock AFB, AR. The 314th TAW served as a principle airlift unit involved with
worldwide tactical airlift operations and, since August 1971, served as the
primary C-130 training unit for all Department of Defense agencies as well as
training aircrew members from foreign nations.
With the start of the 1980s, the 314th TAW performed
the same types of missions as they previously did, and also began some new types
of missions. While the wing still prepared for typical war scenarios in Europe
and Korea, it also began humanitarian relief operations in Africa and elsewhere.
Additionally, the wing started performing missions in Central America in support
of American foreign policy, specifically in Honduras, Nicaragua, and El
Salvador, and other missions in support of the declared war on drugs. The most
visible anti-drug action was Operation JUST CAUSE in which the 314th TAW dropped
troops and equipment over Panama in December 1989.
By the end of the 1980s, the end of East-West tensions
had resulted in the emergence of numerous local wars. The first such clash to
involve the 314th TAW was the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraqi Army
in August 1990. As President Bush vowed to remove Hussein's occupation forces,
the 314th TAW began its participation in Operation DESERT SHIELD. On August 7,
1990, the wing deployed over 1,000 personnel to the Persian Gulf. After a
five-month build-up in forces President Bush ordered Operation DESERT STORM, a
40-day war that devastated Iraq. During this time the 314th TAW maintained a
constant level of 16 aircraft in the Persian Gulf. By the time the wing had
redeployed to Little Rock AFB on March 27, 1991, they had transported over
27,000 passengers and more than 25,000 tons of cargo. On December 1, 1991, the
314th Tactical Airlift Wing was redesignated as the 314th Airlift Wing (AW) as
part of an Air Force-wide restructuring. Six months later, the Air Force
reorganized again and on June 1, 1992, the 314th AW was aligned under the newly
formed Air Mobility Command (AMC), the successor to the Military Airlift Command
(MAC). While under AMC, the 314th AW participated in humanitarian airlift
operations in Turkey and, most notably, in Somalia. From August 17, 1992, until
early December 1992, all food and medicine flown into Somalia by the US Air
Force were carried on 314th AW C-130s.
On October 1, 1993, the 314th AW experienced another
change as all the C-130s were consolidated under the Air Combat Command. This
also changed the operational chain for the wing. During the following years
organizational structure would change again. On April 1, 1997, the operational
C-130 units would be brought back under the control of the Air Mobility Commands
recently activated 463rd Airlift Group while the training C-130 units would fall
under the control of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and the 314th
Airlift Wing.
Wording
on the Bronze Plaque Dedicated on 27 May 1993
This
Plaque now sits in front of the buildings that housed the flying squadrons for
the 314th Airlift Wing.
"To the
Men and Women Who Served at Sewart Air Force Base:
On this
site of approximately 3,000 acres, Smyrna Army Field was activated in 1942 as a
heavy bombardment Army Air Forces Base training combat aircrews for World War
II. The base was deactivated in 1947 and a year later activated in 1948 as
Smyrna Air Force Base. The 314th Troop Carrier Wing was activated on 1 November
1948 to prepare aircrews of the USAF and other services for combat and to
perform special airborne missions with Army units based principally at Ft.
Campbell, Kentucky, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina and Ft. Benning, Georgia. On 15
February 1950, the base was renamed Sewart Air Force Base in honor of Major
Allan J. Sewart, Jr., formerly of Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who was
killed in aerial combat over the Solomon Islands in 1942.
In the
ensuing years the base provided America’s finest trained men and women, aircrew
and ground personnel, who served faithfully in defense of freedom and covered
themselves in glory around the world that others may be free. The 314th Troop
Carrier Wing Motto “Anywhere, Anytime” will echo through history and epitomizes
the spirit of the “Volunteer State”.
Sewart
Air Force Base was closed on 30 June 1970 but the deeds of the men and women who
served here and whose blood was shed for American will never be forgotten."
