130th Airlift Wing

130th Airlift Wing

130th AW C-130s lined up on the tarmac while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom
Active July 1, 1960 – present
Country  United States
Allegiance  West Virginia
Branch   Air National Guard
Type Wing
Role Airlift
Size 8 C-130Hs
Part of West Virginia Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ Charleston Air National Guard Base, Charleston, West Virginia
Nickname(s) "Mountaineers"
Patron "Mountaineers In Green"
Tail Code Blue tail stripe, "Charlie West" in yellow letters with state map
Commanders
Current
commander		 Colonel Tim Fyre
Insignia
130th Airlift Wing

The 130th Airlift Wing (130 AW) is a unit of the West Virginia Air National Guard, stationed at Charleston Air National Guard Base, Charleston, West Virginia. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

Overview

The 130th Airlift Wing provides tactical airlift in support of the United States Air Force and the State of West Virginia. They have a website, The website is: http://www.130aw.ang.af.mil

Units

The 130th Airlift Wing consists of the following units

130th Airlift Squadron

History

On 1 July 1960, the West Virginia Air National Guard 130th Troop Carrier Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 130th Air Commando Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 130th being re-designated as an Air Commando squadron and becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 130th Headquarters, 130th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 130th Combat Support Squadron, and the 130th USAF Dispensary. Aircraft assigned to the new group were C-119 Flying Boxcars and U-10D Super Courier combat observation aircraft. The mission of the 130th ACG was primarily Air Commando special operations missions.

Continuing its mission and training with the Active duty 1st Air Commando Group in Northern Florida, in 1968 HQ USAF directed all Air Commando organizations be re-designated as "Special Operations" units to be more descriptive of their mission. Through the 60's and into the 70's the 130th participated in many international missions and received recognition for their performance. This included the 130th being awarded the Spaatz Trophy four times as the "Outstanding Flying Unit in the Country " and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award five times.

In 1975, the Flying Boxcars were retired, the 130th receiving the far more capable C-130E Hercules transport, and being designated as a "Tactical Airlift" unit. The transition to the C-130 moved the gaining organization from Tactical Air Command to Military Airlift Command, with the primary mission of the Group becoming tactical airlift, with the Special Operations mission becoming secondary with the end of the Vietnam War.

A model upgrade to the C-130H in 1986 was completed and in August and September 1990, the 130th TAG commanded a "volunteer" package of 16 C-130's and support personnel from WV, TN, TX, MO and DE ANG units in support of Operation Desert Shield. October 1990 saw the Presidential Call of selected members from the 130th Tactical Airlift Squadron combining with the 181st Tactical Airlift Squadron, TX ANG to form the functional staff of the 1630th Tactical Airlift Squadron (Provisional) at Al Ain International Airport, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. In December 1990, the 130th Tactical Clinic and the 130th Mobile Aerial Port Squadron had selective members activated. They deployed to RAF Bicester, UK and Dover AFB, Delaware respectively, subsequent to "Operation Desert Storm". All members were deactivated by June 1991. The members of the group located in the United Arab Emirates received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with valor.

In April 1992, some unit members and aircraft deployed to Rhein-Main AB, Germany in support of the Bosnian Airlift called "Operation Provide Promise". The 130th has deployed several times since this date for "Provide Promise", the latest being from 21 September 1998 to 29 October 1998. In August 1993, one aircraft and 2 crews were sent to Operation "Operation Support Hope" for 30 days in Rwanda, Africa.

Organizationally, the 130th was expanded to a Wing status in 1995. From January to March 1996, the unit deployed 2 aircraft, 6 crews and maintenance support to Daharan, Saudi Arabia, in support of Operation Southern Watch.

As of mid-2000, the 130th AW had recently sent several aircraft and support personnel to Panama for Coronet Oak. While there, wing personnel were heavily involved in Hurricane Mitch relief to Honduras and Nicaragua.

BRAC 2005

On May 13, 2005, the United States Department of Defense released its Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 (BRAC) report, and the 130th Airlift Wing was one of the units slated to be eventually decommissioned. Its complement of 8 C-130H aircraft would be transferred to Pope Air Force Base, and its complement of expeditionary combat support (ECS) personnel to the 167th Airlift Wing.

Upon learning of this, several former commanders of the 130th Airlift Wing along with members of the local Kanawha County Commission and the Yeager Airport Board of Directors and formed the Keep 'Em Flying grassroots organization to try to prevent the unit from being decommissioned. Following an outpouring of community support, money was raised for newspaper and radio ads and to hire analysts familiar with BRAC, all in an attempt to save the unit. Funds were contributed from Yeager Airport, the Kanawha County Commission and the local economic development organization, the Charleston Area Alliance. On June 13, 2005, members of the BRAC commission came to Charleston to evaluate the base and talk to General Tackett, Governor Joe Manchin, Senator Robert Byrd, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito and Col. Bill Peters, Jr, former commander of the 130th and chair for Keep 'Em Flying.

Following this visit, and taking in all the information that was presented to them during that time, the BRAC commission voted unanimously, 9-0, to keep the unit intact.

Notable achievements

Lineage

Designated 130th Air Commando Group and allotted to West Virginia ANG in 1960
Extended federal recognition on 1 July 1960
Re-designated: 130th Special Operations Group, 1 July 1968
Re-designated: 130th Tactical Airlift Group, 1 July 1975
Re-designated: 130th Airlift Group, 16 March 1992
Status changed from Group to Wing, 1 October 1995
Re-designated: 130th Airlift Wing, 1 October 1995

Assignments

Gained by: Tactical Air Command
Gained by: Military Airlift Command, 1 July 1975
Gained by: Air Mobility Command, 1 June 1992
Gained by: Air Combat Command, 1 October 1993
Gained by: Air Mobility Command, 1 October 1997- Present

Components

Stations

Yeager Airport Charleston, West Virginia, 1 October 1955

Designated: Charleston Air National Guard Base, 1991-Present

Aircraft

Decorations

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  1. ↑ West Virginia Air National Guard
  2. ↑ Air Force Personnel Center Awards Search (Post-1991)

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, March 29, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.