386th Air Expeditionary Wing
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| 386th Air Expeditionary Wing | |
|---|---|
 386th Air Expeditionary Wing emblem |
|
| Active | 25 November 1942 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Part of | Air Combat Command/US Central Command |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Joe W. Kelly |
The United States Air Force's 386th Air Expeditionary Wing is an Air Expeditionary unit located in Southwest Asia.
Contents |
[edit] Mission
The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing has a diverse mission which canvases the CENTCOM AOR. The 386th AEW is the primary aerial hub for Operation Iraqi Freedom and provides airlift support for Operation Enduring Freedom and the Horn of Africa. The wing is comprised of the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance, Mission Support, Medical and Operations Groups and the 586th Expeditionary Mission Support Group.
The 386th AEW is composed of more than 3,000 Airmen from the National Guard, Air Force Reserve and active duty. More than 1,300 of the Airmen serve outside the wire with the 586th Expeditionary Mission Support Group. They provide security at the largest Theater Internment Facility in Iraq, security for convoys, and serve as drivers for convoys.
The wing is also home to one of two contingency aeromedical staging facilities (CASF) in the theater. The CASF serves as a gateway for patients airlifted to Germany or the United States for further medical treatment. The CASF averages more than 200 patients a month with patient stays averaging between 12 and 36 hours.
[edit] Squadrons assigned
- 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group
- 386th Expeditionary Medical Group
- 386th Operations Group
- 386th Expeditionary Mission Support Group
- 586th Air Expeditionary Group
386th AEW FACTS
- Passengers Moved (Since Oct 2003)
Monthly Average - 44,728
Total (As of February 07) - 1,431,287
- Cargo and Baggage Moved (Since Oct 2003)
Monthly Average - 3,962
Total (As of February 07) - 126,785
- Patients Moved (Since Sept 2004)
Monthly Average - 236
Total (As of February 07) - 4,821
- C-130 Sorties (Since Nov 2003)
Monthly Average - 1,688
Total (As of February 07) - 52,316
- 586th Expeditionary Mission Support Group
Convoy miles driven in Iraq (Since Jan 2005) - 4,813,917
Airmen driving convoys in Iraq - 360
Airmen providing security in Iraq - 865
[edit] History
[edit] Lineage
- 386th Bombardment Group (Medium) (1942-1945)
- 386th Troop Carrier Wing (Medium) (23 March 1953)
- 386th Air Expeditionary Wing (2001-Present)
[edit] Bases Assigned
- MacDill Field, FL 1 Dec 1942
- Lake Charles AAB, LA 9 Feb-8 May 1943
- RAF Snetterton Heath, England 3 Jun 1943
- RAF Boxted, England 10 Jun 1943
- RAF Great Dunmow, England 24 Sep 1943
- Beaumont-sur-Oise, France 2 Oct 1944 (ALG A-60)
- St-Trond, Belgium 9 Apr-Jul 1945 (ALG A-92)
- Seymour Johnson Field, NC 7 Aug 1945
- Westover Field, MA 30 Sep-7 Nov 1945
- Southwest Asia (2001 - Present) ?
[edit] Major Aircraft Flown
- Martin B-26 Marauder
- 2003 - January - GR-4, C-130E, RQ-1B, RC-12, MQ-1
- 2003 - December - C-130H, C130E, C-12, UC-35, C-23
- 2004 - April - C-130H, C-12, UC-25, C-23
- 2004 - June - Present - C-130E, C-130H, EC-130
[edit] Operational History
[edit] World War II
Constituted as 386th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 25 Nov 1942. Activated on 1 Dec 1942. Equipped with B-26's. Moved to RAF Snetterton Heath England, arriving in Jun 1943. The group was assigned to the 3rd Bombardment Wing and flew Martin B-26B/C Marauder twin-engine medium bombers. Its operational squadrons were:
- 552d Bomb Squadron (RG)
- 553d Bomb Squadron (AN)
- 554th Bomb Squadron (RU)
- 555th Bomb Squadron (YA)
The group remained at Snetterton Heath only a few days, being transferred to RAF Boxted on 10 June 1943 in north Essex where B-26 groups were to consolidate the Martin B-26 Marauder groups in Essex for operations. The group flew its first mission on 20 July, with operations concentrating on airfields but also attacked marshalling yards and gun positions along the channel coast.
The group was transferred to RAF Great Dunmow on 24 September 1943. Missions of the 386th concentrated on airfields but also bombed marshalling yards and gun positions during the first months of combat.
In common with other Marauder units of the 3d Bomb Wing, the 386th was transferred to Ninth Air Force on 16 October 1943. Tactical operations were carried out against V-weapon sites along the coast of France in the winter of 1943-1944, and bombed airfields in Holland and Belgium during Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944.
Great Dunmow was the first airfield visited by General Eisenhower in his USAAF airfield tour on Tuesday, 11 April 1944, and he arrived in time to see thirty-nine Ninth Air Force Marauders take off at twenty second intervals for a mission to attack the marshalling yards in Charleroi Belgium.
The 386th hammered gun positions, and airfields preceding the invasion of Normandy and made numerous assaults on bridges of the Seinelate in May. Struck coastal batteries on D-Day and hit bridges, supply and fuel stores, gun positions, and defended areas during the remainder of the Battle of Normandy. Supported Allied forces at Caen, and participated in the massive blows against the enemy at St Lo on 25 July 1944. Knocked out targets to help clear the Falaise pocket of German forces in August 1944 and hit strong points at Brest during September.
In July 1944, the 553d Bomb Squadron was selected to perform operational testing on the new Douglas A-26 Invader. However due to technical troubles with the aircraft, the type was withdrawn in September. Several damaged aircraft were moved to one side of the airfield, being abandoned along with wrecks of several Marauders and a Boeing B-17 which crash-landed at the airfield.
On 2 October 1944, the 386th Bomb Group moved to Beaumont-sur-Oise (A-60) Airfield, in Normandy France. On the continent, the 386th BG used the following Advanced Landing Grounds:
After V-E Day the group returned to the United States, deactivating at Seymour Johnson AFB North Carolina on 7 August 1945.
[edit] Cold War
The 386th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium was established on 23 Mar 1953, but was never made active nor assigned any aircraft or mission.
[edit] War on Terrorism
In 1998, in preparation for Operation Desert Fox, the 9th Air Expeditionary Group stood up and in 2001 was redesignated as the 386th Air Expeditionary Group. The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing was activated as part of the War on Terrorism at Ali Al Salem Air Base as a result of the closure of Prince Sultan Air Base and the inactivation of the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing.
The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing provides support to operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Active-duty, Guard and Reserve operate C-130 Hercules aircraft at the wing’s forward-deployed location, flying to locations such as Kuwait International Airport, Baghdad International Airport and Balad Air Base, Iraq.
The wing is responsible for tactical airlift into not only Iraq and surrounding areas, but also into the Horn of Africa. Regular missions include moving Soldiers during their rest and relaxation rotations, transporting Iraqi police cadets and resupplying forward-deployed troops.
[edit] References
- Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle ISBN 0900913096
- Freeman, Roger A. (1991) The Mighty Eighth The Colour Record. Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35708-1
- Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994. After the Battle ISBN 0900913800
- Freeman, Roger A. (1996) The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle ISBN 1854092723
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- World Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. ISBN: 1-880588-01-3
[edit] External links
- Al Salem AB, Kuwait (Restricted Link)
- 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Official Website
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