459th Air Refueling Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 459th Air Refueling Wing


caption= 459th Air Refueling Wing Shield
dates= 26 January 1955 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Aerial Refueling
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Force Reserve Command
4th Air Force
current_commander= Colonel [http://www.459arw.afrc.af.mil/library/biographies/bio.asp?id=11371 William Cahoon]
garrison= Andrews Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
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The 459th Airlift Wing (459 AW) is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Andrews Air Force Base since 1954.

Overview

Flying the KC-135 Stratotanker and assigned to Fourth Air Force, the 459 AW's mission is to recruit, train, equip, challenge, mentor and reward the men and women of the unit to provide safe, sustained, outstanding service to ourselves, our communities and nation. If activated, the 459 AW would become part of Air Mobility Command.

Subordinate units of the 459th AW are the 459 OG, 459 OSF, 756 ARS, 459 AES, 459 ASTS, 459 AMDS, 459 MXG, 459 MOF, 459 AMS, 459 MXS, 759 LRF, 459 MSG, 459 MSF, 459 CF, 459 LRF, 459 SVF, 459 CES, 459 SFS, 69 APS

The 459th Airlift Wing converted to the air refueling mission on October 1, 2003. This also resulted in a conversion from the C-141 Starlifter to the Boeing KC-135R, and the wing was equipped with eight aircraft. The wing was also reassigned from the 22nd Air Force to the 4th Air Force.

The wing, over the years, is a six-time recipient of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. There are about 1,200 traditional Reservists stationed at the wing. A full-time civilian and Air Reserve Technician staff of about 230 people provide day-to-day administration and management of the 459th.

History

Since its activation, the 459th participated in many exercises and contingencies to include: OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, OPERATIONS NORTHERN and SOUTHERN WATCH, OPERATION NOBLE ANVIL (the American component of OPERATION ALLIED FORCE), OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. As a result of these operations, the Wing has participated in places around the globe to include: Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, Bosnia and Kosovo.

Lineage

* Established as 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 May 1943: Activated on 1 Jul 1943: Redesignated 459th Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 20 Aug 1943: Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945
* Redesignated 459th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 11 Mar 1947: Activated in the Reserve on 19 Apr 1947: Redesignated 459th Bombardment Group, Medium, on 27 Jun 1949.: Ordered to active service on 1 May 1951: Inactivated on 16 Jun 1951
* Established as 459th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 30 Dec 1954: Group redesignated: 459th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, on 30 Dec 1954 and became subordinate organization to wing: Activated in the Reserve on 26 Jan 1955: Redesignated: 459th Military Airlift Wing on 1 Jul 1966: Redesignated: 459th Tactical Airlift Wing on 29 Jun 1971: Redesignated: 459th Military Airlift Wing on 1 Jul 1986: Redesignated: 459th Airlift Wing on 1 Feb 1992: Redesignated: 459th Air Refueling Wing on 1 Oct 2003.

Assignments

* Second Air Force, 1 Jul 1943
* First Air Force, 31 Oct 1943
* Fifteenth Air Force: 304 Bombardment Wing, 25 Jan 1944
* Continental Air Forces: Second Air Force, 13-28 Aug 1945: 304 Bombardment Wing (later, 304th Air Division), 19 Apr 1947
* Strategic Air Command: Eighth Air Force, 27 Jun 1949: Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Apr 1950-16 Jun 1951

* Air Force Reserve: First Air Force, 26 Jan 1955: Fourteenth Air Force, 25 Mar 1958: Second Air Force Reserve Region, 15 Aug 1960: First Air Force Reserve Region, 24 Jun 1966: Eastern Air Force Reserve Region, 31 Dec 1969: Fourteenth Air Force, 8 Oct 1976
* Air Force Reserve Command: Twenty-Second Air Force, 1 Jul 1993: Fourth Air Force, 1 Apr 2003-.

Stations

* Alamogordo AAFld, New Mexico, 1 Jul 1943
* Davis-Monthan Fld, Arizona, 28 Jul 1943
* Salt Lake City Municipal 2 Airport, Kearns, Utah, c. 31 Aug 1943
* Davis-Monthan Fld, Arizona, c. 21 Sep 1943
* Westover Fld, Massachusetts, 31 Oct 1943-3 Jan 1944
* Guilia Afld, Cerignola, Italy, c. 12 Feb 1944-c Jul 1945
* Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota, c. 16-28 Aug 1945
* Long Beach AAF, California, 19 Apr 1947
* Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 27 Jun 1949-16 Jun 1951
* Andrews AFB, Maryland, 26 Jan 1955-Present

Components

Groups
* 459 Troop Carrier (later, 459 Operations): 26 Jan 1955-14 Apr 1959: 1 Aug 1992-
* 904 Troop Carrier (later, 904 Military Airlift): 1 Jul 1966-26 Jan 1968: 2 Jun-31 Dec 1969
* 905 Military Airlift (later, 905 Tactical Airlift): 25 Feb 1972-1 Apr 1974.
* 907 Tactical Airlift (later, 907 Airlift): 1 Oct 1989-1 Oct 1994
* 909 Troop Carrier (later, 909 Military Airlift): 17 Jan 1963-1 Sep 1975
* 910 Troop Carrier (later, 910 Tactical Fighter; 910 Tactical Airlift): 17 Jan 1963-1 Jul 1966: 1 Apr 1981-1 Oct 1989. 911 Troop Carrier (later, 911 Military Airlift): 17 Jan 1963-21 Apr 1971 (detached 1-21 Apr 1971)
* 913 Tactical Airlift (later, 913 Airlift): 8 Jan 1976-1 Aug 1992.
* 915 Military Airlift: 26 Jan 1968-1 Sep 1969.
* 918 Military Airlift: attached 1-20 Apr 1971, assigned 21 Apr 1971-1 Jul 1972
* 919 Military Airlift (later, 919 Tactical Airlift): 30 Jul 1971-1 Dec 1974
* 920 Tactical Airlift: 25 Apr 1973-1 Jan 1976
* 927 Tactical Airlift: 15 Mar 1976-1 Jul 1981.Squadrons
* 57 Fighter: 15 May 1947-27 Jun 1949
* 756 Bombardment (later, 756 Troop Carrier; 756 Airlift; 756 Air Refueling): 1 Jul 1943-28 Aug 1945: 19 Apr 1947-26 Jun 1949: 26 Jan 1955-17 Jan 1963: 1 Sep 1975-.
* 757 Bombardment (later, 757 Troop Carrier): 1 Jul 1943-28 Aug 1945: 12 Jul 1947-27 Jun 1949: 8 Apr 1955-17 Jan 1963
* 758 Bombardment (758 Troop Carrier): 1 Jul 1943-28 Aug 1945: 12 Jul 1947-27 Jun 1949: 16 Nov 1957-17 Jan 1963
* 759 Bombardment: 1 Jul 1943-28 Aug 1945: 12 Jul 1947-16 Jun 1951

Operational History

World War II

The World War II predecessor to the 459th Air Refueling Wing was the 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy). The unit was constituted on May 19, 1943, and activated on July 1, 1943 at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico. The 459th Bombardment Group was assigned four bombardment squadrons: the 756th, 757th, 758th, and 759th. After training for six months on the B-24 bomber in New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Massachusetts, the 459th Bombardment Group was sent to Giulia Airfield, Italy for the war.

As part of the 304th Wing, Fifteenth Air Force, the 459th Bombardment Group engaged in nearly 200 strategic bombardment missions between March 1944 and April 1945. Targets were oil refineries, munitions, and aircraft factories, industrial areas, airfields, and communications centers in France, Germany, Austria, and other southern and eastern European nations. The 459th Bombardment Group returned home in August 1945, and was inactivated on August 28, 1945, at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota.

Cold War

On April 19, 1947, the 459th Bombardment Group was activated at Long Beach Army Air Field, California. In June 1949, the organization was redesignated the 459th Bombardment Group Medium and transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona where it remained until being inactivated on 16 Jun 1951.

The Reserve flying mission began at Andrews AFB in the summer of 1954, when the 756th Troop Carrier Squadron was activated and equipped with the C-46 aircraft. Nearly 8 months later, the unit had grown enough to activate its parent organization, the 459th Troop Carrier Group (formerly 459th Bombardment Group) and its parent the 459th Troop Carrier Wing. Later that year, another squadron, the 757th Troop Carrier Squadron was activated at Byrd Field, Richmond, Virginia and assigned to the Group. A third flying unit, the 758th Troop Carrier Squadron, was added in 1957 and equipped with the C-119 "Flying Boxcar" at Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pennsylvania. In November of 1957, the 757th relocated from Byrd Field to Youngstown Municipal Airport, Ohio.On July 1, 1966, the 459th was redesignated 459th Military Airlift Wing and converted to a strategic, long-range mission with the C-124 "Globemaster" aircraft.

In June 1971, the 459th converted to the C-130 "Hercules" and was redesignated as the 459th Tactical Airlift Wing. In December 1974, with the consolidation of all Air Force strategic and tactical airlift resources under a single manager, the 459th's active duty gaining command switched from Tactical Air Command to Military Airlift Command.

In July 1986, the Wing converted to the Lockheed C-141B "Starlifter" aircraft. The conversion resulted in an increase of Wing personnel at Andrews from 900 to a level of almost 1,600.

Post Cold War

In 1992, wing personnel flew supplies to the victims of Hurricane Andrew in Florida; medical equipment and supplies to Minsk, Belarus, as part of Operation Provide Hope; and food, medicine, supplies and medical personnel into Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope.

In 1993, the 459th continued to support Operation Support Hope. The wing provided humanitarian airlift relief in Rwanda and in support of the Cuban refugees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In addition, 459th personnel supported Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti as well as various other significant missions around the globe.

References

* [http://www.459arw.afrc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=3455&page=1 459 Refueling Group Fact Sheet]

External links

* [http://www.459arw.afrc.af.mil/ 459th Air Refueling Wing]