The 914th Air Refueling Wing is a
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
based out of the
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (Niagara Falls Air Force Base -1971) is an Air Force Reserve Command military installation operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command. It is located adjacent to Niagara Falls International Airport, Ne ...
, New York. Assigned to
Air Force Reserve Command, it is operationally-gained by
Air Mobility Command.
Prior to June 2017, the unit was known as the 914th Airlift Wing, flying
Lockheed C-130H Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
airlift aircraft. After that date, it transitioned to an aerial refueling mission with the
Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpo ...
and was redesignated the 914th Air Refueling Wing.
Overview
The 914th Air Refueling Wing trains and equips
air force reservists to perform the
combat mission of
air refueling
Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft ...
of combat and mobility aircraft.
Units
::914th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
* 914th Operations Group
::
328th Air Refueling Squadron
The 328th Air Refueling Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit of the 914th Air Refueling Wing at Niagara Falls International Airport, Niagara, New York. It operates KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft refueling United States Air Force aircra ...
::914th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
::914th Operations Support Squadron
* 914th Maintenance Group
::914th Maintenance Squadron
::914th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
::914th Maintenance Operations Flight
* 914th Mission Support Group
::30th Aerial Port Squadron
::914th Civil Engineering Squadron
::914th Communications Squadron
::914th Contracting Squadron
::914th Force Support Squadron
::914th Logistics Readiness Squadron
::914th Security Forces Squadron
History
Need for reserve troop carrier groups
During the first half of 1955, the Air Force began detaching Air Force Reserve squadrons from their parent wing locations to separate sites. The concept offered several advantages. Communities were more likely to accept the smaller
squadrons than the large
wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning.
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary augm ...
(ConAC)'s plan called for placing Air Force Reserve units at fifty-nine installations located throughout the United States. When these relocations were completed in 1959, reserve wing headquarters and wing support elements would typically be on one base, along with one (or in some cases two) of the wing's flying squadrons, while the remaining flying squadrons were spread over thirty-five Air Force, Navy and civilian airfields under what was called the Detached Squadron Concept.
Although this dispersal was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during the
Berlin Crisis of 1961 To resolve this, at the start of 1962, ConAC determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing
groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed. However, as this plan was entering its implementation phase, another partial mobilization occurred for the
Cuban Missile Crisis, with the units being released on 22 November 1962. The formation of troop carrier groups occurred in January 1963 for units that had not been mobilized, but was delayed until February for those that had been.
Activation of 914th Troop Carrier Group
As a result, the 914th Troop Carrier Group was established at
Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania on 11 February 1963,
[ as the headquarters for the 328th Troop Carrier Squadron, which had been stationed there since March 1958. Along with group headquarters, a Combat Support Squadron, Materiel Squadron and a Tactical Infirmary were organized to support the 328th.
The group's mission was to organize, recruit and train Air Force Reserve personnel in the tactical airlift of airborne forces, their equipment and supplies and delivery of these forces and materials by airdrop, landing or cargo extraction systems. The group was equipped with ]Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechani ...
s for Tactical Air Command airlift operations.
The 914th was one of three C-119 groups assigned to the 512th Troop Carrier Wing in 1963, the others being the 912th and 913th Troop Carrier Groups at Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
The group trained for and participated in air transport of airborne forces, equipment and supplies with delivery by airdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift in which items including weapons, equipment, humanitarian aid or leaflets are delivered by military or civilian aircraft without their landing. Developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible tr ...
, extraction, and airlanding, as well as air evacuation within a theater
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
of operations.
It provided airlift to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
and for other contingency operations, as well as numerous humanitarian missions. Beginning in 1978 the 914th supported the U.S. Southern Command
The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, Florida in Greater Miami, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, o ...
by periodically fulfilling airlift requirements throughout Latin America. Between September 1990 and April 1991 the group deployed all aircraft and numerous aircrews and support personnel to Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital ...
, United Arab Emirates, to provide airlift in support of the war in Southwest Asia, including a tactical resupply airdrop to troops of the XVIII Airborne Corps
The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...
. A 314th crew provided the first medevac
Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...
mission of the war. Other personnel deployed to Saudi Arabia and backfilled positions in the U.S. and Europe. Since the early 1990s the wing has frequently deployed personnel in support of contingency operations in Southwest Asia and the Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
.
Following recommendations from the Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end ...
program, the wing's Lockheed C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...
aircraft were pooled with the 107th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard, also stationed at Niagara Falls. In 2014, the 107th Airlift Wing began transition to their new mission.
In 2016, the 914th was identified for a change of mission and aircraft.[ Later in 2016 and into 2017, the 914th initiated transition training in the KC-135R Stratotanker, with the 914th Airlift Wing and the 328th Airlift Squadron being officially redesignated the 914th Air Refueling Wing and 328th Air Refueling Squadron in June 2017.]
Lineage
* Established as the 914th Troop Carrier Group, Medium and activated on 15 January 1963 (not organized)
: Organized in the Reserve on 11 February 1963
: Redesignated 914th Tactical Airlift Group on 1 July 1967
: Redesignated 914th Airlift Group on 1 February 1992
: Redesignated 914th Airlift Wing on 1 October 1994
: Redesignated 914th Air Refueling Wing on 1 June 2017[
]
Assignments
* Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary augm ...
, 15 January 1963
* 512th Troop Carrier Wing, 11 February 1963
* 94th Troop Carrier Wing
The Type 094 (; Chinese designation: 09- IV; NATO reporting name: Jin class) is a class of ballistic missile submarine developed by China for the People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force. The Type 094 succeeds the Type 092 submarine and ...
, 1 January 1964
* 302d Troop Carrier Wing (later 302d Tactical Airlift Wing), 1 July 1966
* 440th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 September 1969
* 403d Composite Wing (later 403d Tactical Airlift Wing), 21 April 1971
* 439th Tactical Airlift Wing (later 439th Military Airlift Wing, 439th Airlift Wing), 25 January 1976
* 94th Airlift Wing, 1 August 1992
* Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...
, 1 October 1994
* Twenty-Second Air Force
Twenty-Second Air Force (22 AF) is a Numbered Air Force component of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It was activated on 1 July 1993 and is headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.
In the event of mobilization, some of the Twenty ...
, 1 April 1997 – 31 May 2017
* Fourth Air Force, 1 June 2017 – Present[
]
Components
* 914th Operations Group: 1 August 1992 – present
* 328th Tactical Airlift Squadron: 11 February 1963 – 1 August 1992[
]
Stations
* Niagara Falls International Airport (later Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station), New York, 11 February 1963 – present[
]
Aircraft
* Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (1963–1971)
* Lockheed C-130 Hercules (1971–2017)[
* Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (2017–present)
]
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station Home Page
{{USAF Air Force Reserve Command
Military units and formations in New York (state)
0914
1963 establishments in New York (state)
Military units and formations of the United States Air Force Reserves