315th Airlift Wing

315th Airlift Wing

Active	1952-present
Country	United States
Branch	Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	Joint Base Charleston
Motto(s)	Advenium – I Will Come
Engagements	World War II European Campaign (1943-1945) Korean Service (1952-1953) Vietnam Service (1966-1972) Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2011) Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-Present)
Decorations	DUC PUC AFOUA w/ V Device ROK PUC RVGC w/ Palm
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Gregory S. Gilmour

Members of the 315th and 437th Airlift Wings, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., participated in the International Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France, 18 June 2009.

An F-15 Eagle from the 60th Fighter Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., escorts a C-17 Globemaster III from the 14th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., as they fly over the USS Yorktown and the Arthur J. Ravenel Jr. Bridge in the Charleston, S.C., area during a local training mission

A C-123K of the 19th ACS, 315th ACW, Phan Rang, Vietnam, 1968.

The 315th Airlift Wing (315 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force Reserve. It is stationed at Joint Base Charleston, in the City of North Charleston, South Carolina. If mobilzed, the unit would come under the claimancy of the Air Mobility Command.

The mission of the 315th Airlift Wing is to provide trained personnel to be a source of augmentation for the active forces in any emergency expansion of the Air Force strategic and aeromedical airlift capability. Additionally, the Wing performs peacetime missions and integrates with the active-duty 437th Airlift Wing and the 628th Air Base Wing in their normal Air Mobility Command operations and logistics missions. Both of these units are assigned to Joint Base Charleston, S.C.

Components

315th Operations Group (315 OG)

300th Airlift Squadron (300 AS)
317th Airlift Squadron (317 AS)
701st Airlift Squadron (701 AS)
315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (315 AES)
315th Airlift Control Flight (315 ACF)

315th Maintenance Group (315 MXG)

315th Maintenance Squadron (315 MXS)
315th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (315 AMXS)
315th Maintenance Operations Squadron (315 MOS)

315th Mission Support Group (315 MSG)

38th Aerial Port Squadron (38 APS)
53d Aerial Port Squadron (53 APS)
81st Aerial Port Squadron (81 APS)
84th Aerial Port Squadron (84 APS)
315th Mission Support Squadron (315 MSS)
315th Security Forces Squadron (315 SFS)
315th Services Flight (315 SVF)
315th Logistics Readiness Flight (315 LRF)

History

For additional lineage and history, see: 315th Operations Group

Established in 1953 under Far East Air Force in Japan. During the Korean War, the wing flew troop and cargo airlift and airdrop, leaflet drops, spray missions, air evacuation, search and rescue, and other aerial missions in theater as part of Far East Air Forces 315th Air Division. It remained in the Far East after the war to fly transport missions and paratroop training flights in Japan, Korea, French Indo-China, and other points until December 1954, after which it was again inactivated.

Reactivated in 1966 under Pacific Air Forces, assigned to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam. Engaged in special operations directly under Seventh Air Force in Saigon, C-123 aircraft with Air Commando squadrons engaging in unconventional warfare. Moved to Phan Rang AB in 1967. Also operated UC-123 aerial spraying aircraft for Operation Ranch Hand defoliation missions over South Vietnam. Phased out special operations missions in 1970 and engaged in theater transport missions within South Vietnam. In 1971, became a training organization for South Vietnamese Air Force C-123 aircrews. Inactivated in March 1972.

Reactivated in 1973 as a heavy transport wing in the Air Force Reserve, being stationed with and used airframes of the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It has since trained Air Force Reserve aircrews for strategic airlift, including channel, special assignment, and combat airlift missions. In the 1980s and 1990s, personnel participated in contingency and humanitarian airlift operations and exercises worldwide. In 1994, the wing conducted the first C-17 Globemaster III flight with an all-Air Force Reserve crew. It also took part in the first joint U.S. – Russian exercise that year. Last C-141 retired in 2001; flying exclusively C-17s afterward.

Lineage

Established as 315th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, on 23 May 1952

Activated on 10 June 1952

Inactivated on 18 January 1955

Redesignated 315th Air Commando Wing, Troop Carrier, and activated, on 21 February 1966

Organized on 8 March 1966

Redesignated: 315th Air Commando Wing on 1 August 1967

Redesignated: 315th Special Operations Wing on 1 August 1968

Redesignated: 315th Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 January 1970

Inactivated on 31 March 1972

Redesignated 315th Military Airlift Wing (Associate) on 29 January 1973

Activated in the Reserve on 1 July 1973

Redesignated: 315th Airlift Wing (Associate) on 1 February 1992

Redesignated: 315th Airlift Wing on 1 October 1994

Assignments

315th Air Division (Combat Cargo), 10 June 1952 – 18 January 1955
Pacific Air Forces, 21 February 1966
315th Air Division (Combat Cargo), 8 March 1966

Attached to 2d Air Division, 8–31 March 1966

Attached to Seventh Air Force, 1 April-15 October 1966

834th Air Division, 15 October 1966
Seventh Air Force, 1 December 1971 – 31 March 1972
Eastern Air Force Reserve Region, 1 July 1973
Fourteenth Air Force, 8 October 1976
Twenty-Second Air Force, 1 July 1993–September 2011
Fourth Air Force, September 2011 – Present

Components

Groups

315th Troop Carrier (later, 315 Operations): 10 June 1952 – 18 January 1955; 1 August 1992–present

Squadrons

8th Special Operations Squadron: 31 July 1971 – 15 January 1972 (detached 5–15 January 1972).
9th Special Operations Squadron: 30 September 1971 – 29 February 1972 (detached 9 January-29 February 1972)
12th Air Commando (later, 12 Special Operations) Squadron: 15 October 1966 – 30 September 1970
19th Air Commando (later 19 Special Operations) Squadron: 8 March 1966 – 10 June 1971
309th Air Commando (later, 309 Special Operations, 309 Tactical Airlift) Squadron: 8 March 1966 – 31 July 1970
310th Air Commando (later, 310 Special Operations, 310 Tactical Airlift) Squadron: 8 March 1966 – 15 January 1972, attached 16–26 January 1972
311th Air Commando (later, 311 Special Operations, 311 Tactical Airlift) Squadron: 8 March 1966 – 5 October 1971
300th Military Airlift (later, 300th Airlift) Squadron: 1 July 1973 – 1 August 1992
701st Military Airlift (later, 701st Airlift) Squadron: 1 July 1973 – 1 August 1992
707th Military Airlift (later, 707th Airlift) Squadron: 1 July 1973 – 1 August 1992
317th Airlift Squadron: 1 April-1 August 1992

Stations

Brady AB, Japan, 10 June 1952 – 18 January 1955
Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam, 8 March 1966
Phan Rang AB, South Vietnam, 15 June 1967 – 31 March 1972
Charleston AFB, South Carolina, 1 July 1973 – 7 January 2010
Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, 8 January 2010 – Present

Aircraft

C-46 Commando (1952–1955)
UC-123 (1966–1971)
C-123 Provider (1966–1972)
A-37 Dragonfly (1971–1972)
O-2 Skymaster (1971–1972)
C-141 Starlifter (1973–2000)
C-17 Globemaster III (1993 – present)

Operations

Unit shields

315 AW
315 SOW
315 ACW
311 ACS
300 AS
317 AS
701 AS
315 AES
315 MSS
315 MXG

References

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

Nalty, Bernard C. (1986). Air Power and the Fight for Khe Sanh (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-1410222589. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

External links

315 AW Home Page

United States Air Force

Leadership

Structure

Commands	Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations

Direct Reporting Units	District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy

Major Commands	Air Combat Air Education and Training Air Mobility Global Strike Materiel Reserve Space Special Operations Europe & Africa Pacific

Numbered Air Forces	First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Seventeenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty-Second Twenty-Third Twenty-Fourth Twenty-Fifth

Wings (ANG) Groups (ANG) Squadrons (ANG) Civilian auxiliary: Civil Air Patrol

Personnel and
training

Uniforms and
equipment

History and
traditions

Category
Portal

Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)

Air Forces

Bases

Command

Air Reserve Personnel Center

Wings/Groups

Air Refueling	434th 459th 507th 916th 939th 940th

Airlift	94th 302d 315th 433d 439th 440th 445th 446th 512th 908th 910th 911th 914th 927th 932d 934th

Fighter	301st 414th 419th 442d 476th 477th 482d 944th

other	310th Space 349th Air Mobility 403d 452d Air Mobility 514th Air Mobility 307th Bomb 919th Special Operations 920th Rescue

United States Air Force in the Vietnam War

Commands

South Vietnam

Bases	Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Da Nang Nha Trang Phu Cat Pleiku Phan Rang Tan Son Nhut Tuy Hoa

Wings	3rd TFW 12th TFW 14th ACW/SOW 31st TFW 35th TFW 37th TFW 315th TAW 366th TFW 377th ABW 633d SOW

Thailand

Bases	Don Muang Korat Nakhon Phanom Takhli U-Tapao Ubon Udorn

Wings	8th TFW 49th TFW 56th SOW 307th SW 347th TFW 354th TFW 355th TFW 366th 388th TFW 432d TRW 474th TFW

Other major
support facilities

Bases	Clark (Philippines) Ching Chuan Kang (Republic of China) Andersen (Guam) Kadena (Japan) Misawa (Japan)

United States Air Force In South Korea

Bases
(current)

Kunsan
Osan

Units
(current)

Command	Seventh Air Force

Wings	8th Fighter Wing 51st Fighter Wing

Units
(wartime)

Command	Fifth Air Force 314th Air Division 315th Air Division Far East Air Forces Bomber Command Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command Far East Air Forces Materiel Command

Fighter	4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing 27th Fighter-Escort Wing 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing 474th Fighter-Bomber Wing 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing (ANG) 136th Fighter-Bomber Wing (ANG) 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Bomber	3rd Bombardment Wing 17th Bombardment Wing 19th Bombardment Wing 22d Bombardment Group 92d Bombardment Wing 98th Bombardment Wing 307th Bombardment Wing 452d Bombardment Wing

Recon	31st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron 56th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron 512th Reconnaissance Squadron 543d Tactical Support Group

Transport	1st Troop Carrier Group (Provisional) 61st Troop Carrier Group 314th Troop Carrier Group 315th Troop Carrier Wing 374th Troop Carrier Wing 403d Troop Carrier Wing 437th Troop Carrier Wing 483rd Troop Carrier Wing

TACC	502nd Tactical Control Group 6147th Tactical Control Group

Other	581st Air Resupply and Communications Wing 6167th Air Base Group

USAF units and aircraft of the Korean War

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