89th Airlift Wing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1949–1951 1952–1957 1966–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Special Air Mission Airlift |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Joint Base Andrews, Maryland |
| Mottos | Experto crede (Latin: "Trust one who has had experience"[1]) |
| Engagements |  Globalwar on terrorism |
| Decorations |  Air Force Meritorious Unit Award  Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[2] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Christopher M. Robinson |
| Notable commanders | Arthur Lichte Jacqueline Van Ovost |
| Insignia | |
| 89th Airlift Wing emblem(approved 15 September 1993)[2] |  |
| 89th Military Airlift Wing emblem(approved 22 June 1989)[1] |  |
| Patch with 89th Military Airlift Wing emblem(approved 28 April 1966)[3][note 1] |  |
| Patch with 89th Fighter-Bomber Wing emblem(approved 12 March 1953)[4] |  |
The89th Airlift Wing of theUnited States Air Force is based atJoint Base Andrews and has an operational force of over 1,000 personnel. The 89th provides global Special Air Mission (SAM) airlift, logistics, aerial transport and communications for the president, vice president,combatant commanders, senior leaders and the global mobility system as tasked by theWhite House,Chief of Staff of the Air Force, andAir Mobility Command.
The wing was first activated as the89th Troop Carrier Wing atHanscom Field, Massachusetts in June 1949,[2] whenContinental Air Command reorganized itsreserve tactical units under thewing base organization. Thewing drew itscadre from the3d Air Division, which was simultaneously inactivated.[6]
The wing trained at Hanscom under the supervision of the 2234th Air Force Reserve Training Center[6] for troop carrier operations. Although its89th Troop Carrier Group was assigned four squadrons, rather than the three authorized for active dutygroups, it was only manned at 25% of its authorized strength.[7]
The 89th, along with all reserve combat units, wasmobilized for the Korean war.[8] It was called to active duty on 1 May 1951 and its personnel and aircraft were distributed to other organizations to bring them to full strength.[9] The wing was inactivated on 10 May 1951.[2]
The reserve mobilization for the Korean War left the reserve without aircraft, and reserve units did not receive aircraft until July 1952.[10]Continental Air Command redesignated the wing the89th Fighter-Bomber Wing and activated it at Hanscom, where it drew its personnel from the 913th Reserve Training Wing, a non-flying training organization, which had been activated at Hanscom in July 1951.[2][6] Although titled afighter bomber unit, the wing initially had anair defense role, only later assuming a tactical fighter mission.[11] The wing initially equipped with propeller-drivenNorth American P-51 Mustangs, but in 1953 began to equip withLockheed P-80 Shooting Stars. By 1957 it began to receiveNorth American F-86 Sabres.[2]
In the mid-1950s, theJoint Chiefs of Staff were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift. At the same time, about 150Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars became available from the active force. Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed Continental Air Command to convert three reserve fighter bomber wings, including the 89th, to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. In addition, within the Air Staff was a recommendation that the reserve fighter mission given to theAir National Guard and replaced by the troop carrier mission.[12] Although the wing began to receiveFairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars in 1957, it was inactivated in November and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the94th Troop Carrier Wing, which moved on paper to Hanscom fromDobbins Air Force Base, Georgia.[2][13]
In January 1966, wing assumed the personnel and equipment of1254th Air Transport Wing and served as a special mission airlift wing charged with providing worldwide airlift for theExecutive Department and high-ranking dignitaries of theU.S. Government and of foreign governments, as directed. (In taking over the special airlift mission, it replaced the 1254th Air Transport Wing, which had previously undertaken the task at Andrews from 1 October 1948 to 1966.)[14] It assumed an additional mission of controlling all T-39 administrative airlift within the United States from 1975 to 1978 and continued maintenance support to 1984. It gained ahelicoptersquadron in July 1976 and added rescue and medical evacuation (in the Washington, D.C. area) to its mission. In October 1976, the wing began training C-12 pilots for units inAlaska and Germany, and for duty withdefense attaché offices and military assistance units.
The 89th was reduced in size in 1977 through transfer of many aircraft and inactivation of units, and became agroup on 30 September 1977. The 89th was redesignated in 1980 as a selectively manned wing. In addition to primary mission of airlifting the president, vice president, cabinet members, other high U.S. government officials, and foreign dignitaries, the wing frequently participated inhumanitarian missions in the U.S. and abroad. It provided transport for personnel and supplies to Southwest Asia from 1990 to 1991. In 1991, the 89th airlifted home 20 formerprisoners of war from Iraqi captivity. It became host wing of Andrews Air Force Base in July 1991 and subsequently relinquished that responsibility to the316th Wing in 2006.
Groups
Squadrons
Service streamers:
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Air and Space Outstanding Unit Awards:
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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