6th Air Mobility Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 6th Air Mobility Wing


caption= Official emblem of the 6th Air Mobility Wing
dates= 30 September 1919
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
type=
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Mobility Command
garrison= MacDill AFB, Florida
equipment= KC-135 Stratotanker, Gulfstream C-37A
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto= "Parati Defendere"
Ready to Defend
colors=
march=
mascot=
anniversaries=
battles=


* World War II: American Campaign (1941-1943): Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
(1944-1945)
decorations=
current_commander= Colonel Lawrence M. Martin Jr.
notable_commanders= The United States Air Force's 6th Air Mobility Wing (6 AMW) is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It is part of Air Mobility Command's (AMC) Eighteenth Air Force.

The 6 AMW provides day-to-day mission support to more than 3,000 personnel along with more than 50 Mission Partners, including the United States Central Command and United States Special Operations Command.

Mission

The 6th Air Mobility Wing is a force capable of rapidly projecting air refueling power anywhere in the world. The Wing is organized into five unique groups and two operational flying squadrons to carry out its mission to be America’s premier mobility team providing world-class air refueling, responsive airlift and airbase support.

Units

The 6th Air Mobility Wing consists of:
* Director of Staff
** 6th Comptroller Squadron
** Judge Advocate
** Public Affairs
** Wing Plans

* 6th Maintenance Group
** 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
** 6th Maintenance Operations Squadron
** 6th Maintenance Squadron

* 6th Operations Group
** 6th Operations Support Squadron
** 91st Air Refueling Squadron
** 310th Airlift Squadron
* 6th Medical Group
** 6th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
** 6th Dental Squadron
** 6th Medical Operations Squadron
** 6th Medical Support Squadron

* 6th Mission Support Group
** 6th Civil Engineer Squadron
** 6th Communications Squadron
** 6th Contracting Squadron
** 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron
** 6th Mission Support Squadron
** 6th Security Forces Squadron
** 6th Services Squadron

Lineage

The 6th Operations Group is the successor to the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps 3d Observation Group established on 30 September 1919 at France Field, Panama Canal Zone. On 14 March 1921 the group was redesignated the 6th Group (Observation); in June 1922, the 6th Group (Composite), and on 1 September 1937, the 6th Bombardment Group.

The United States Air Force 6th Bombardment Wing was activated on 2 January 1951 at Walker AFB, New Mexico. In 1952, the wing was bestowed the honours and history of the USAAF 6th Bombardment Group.

The wing was redesignated as the 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 May 1962; 6th Strategic Wing on 25 March 1967, and 6th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 1 April 1988.

The wing was inactivated on 1 September 1992, reactivated on 4 January 1994 as the 6th Air Base Wing; redesignated 6th Air Refueling Wing on 1 October 1996, and redesignated 6th Air Mobility Wing on 1 January 2001.

Bases assigned

* Pre-World War II
** France Field, Canal Zone (1919 - 1941)
** Rio Hato, Panama (1941-1943)
** Albrook Field, Canal Zone (1943)
** Howard Field, Canal Zone (1943)Equipped with R-4's and DH-4's in 1919; used SE-5A, MB-3A, and P-12B aircraft in the period 1922-1929; received B-10's in 1936 and B-18's in 1939. Used B-17, B-18, B-24, LB-30, and L-4E aircraft after the US entered World War II.

* United States Army Air Forces
** Dalhart AAF, Texas (1943 - 1944) (B-17G)
** Grand Island AAF, Nebraska (1944) (B-29)
** North Field, Tinian (1944 - 1946) (B-29)
** Clark Field, Philippines (1946 - 1947) (B-29)
** Kadena AB, Okinawa (1947 - 1948) (B-29)

* United States Air Force
** Walker AFB, New Mexico (1951 - 1967) (B-29, B-36B/J, KC-135, B-52E, Atlas-F SM65)
** Eielson AFB, Alaska (1967 - 1992) (RC–135, TC-135)
** MacDill AFB, Florida (1994 - Current) (KC-135, C-37A)

History

Origins

The 6th Air Mobility Wing was activated on 30 September 1919 as the 3d Observation Group at France Field in the Panama Canal Zone to provide protection for the Panama Canal area, participating in maneuvers, flying patrol missions, photographing the canal area, staging aerial reviews and making good-will flights to Central and South America.

In 1921 the group was redesignated the 6th Group (Observation) and in 1922, the 6th Group (Composite). The 6th flew such aircraft at the Curtiss R-4, DeHavilland 4-B, SE-5A, MG-3A, Piper L-4, P-12B and Martin B-10 and Douglas B-18 Bolo aircraft.

In 1937, as the mission of the 6th moved toward bombardment, the War Department renamed it the 6th Bombardment Group. They continued to operate in the Canal Zone under the VI Bomber Command of the Sixth Air Force at Rio Hato AB, Albrook Field and Howard Field until 31 October 1943, when it inactivated.

Known pre-World War II operational squadrons of the group were:

* 25th Bombardment 1922-1943
* 3rd Bombardment 1940-1942
* 74th Bombardment 1940-1943
* 395th Bombardment 1942-1943
* 397th Bombardment 1942-1943

World War II

On 19 April 1944, the 6th Bombardment Group was reactivated at Dalhart AAF, Texas. Equipped first with Boeing B-17G Flying fortress aircraft, crews were later trained in Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircraft at Grand Island AAF, Nebraska for deployment to the Pacific Theater.

Operational B-29 squadrons of the group were:

* 24th Bombardment Squadron
* 39th Bombardment Squadron
* 40th Bombardment Squadron

By 28 December 1944 the 6th had deployed to North Field, Tinian, under Twentieth Air Force, from where it entered combat by flying navigational escort for a major attack force bound for Iwo Jima. The 6th then struck Tokyo and other major Japanese cities and facilities during daylight high-altitude bombing raids, with crippling, non-stop incendiary raids which destroyed lines of communication, supply, and numerous kamikaze bases.

On 25 May 1945, the 6th flew a low-altitude night mission through alerted enemy defenses to drop incendiary bombs on Tokyo, for which they received their first Distinguished Unit Citation.

In addition to incendiary raids, the 6th also participated in mining operations. By mining harbors in Japan and Korea in July 1945, the group contributed to the blockade of the Japanese Empire earning their second Distinguished Unit Citation. The 6th's final WWII mission came on 14 August 1945, with the dropping of 500-pound general purpose bombs on the Marifu railroad yards at Iwakuni.

With the war over, the 6th dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners of war and took part in show-of-force flights over Japan.

In January 1946, the 6th Bombardment Group relocated to Clark Field, Luson, Philippines, and in June 1947, to Kadena AB, Okinawa, where it inactivated for a second time on 18 October 1948.

Cold War

Resulting from the Korean War, the 6th was reborn on 2 January 1951, as the 6th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) being equipped with the Convair B-36D (later B-36J) Peacemaker at Walker AFB, New Mexico. The B-36 was flown by men of the 24th, 39th and 40th Bombardment Squadrons. At Walker, the wing was bestowed the history and honors of the USAAF 6th Bombardment Group in 1952. Operations consisted of strategic bombardment training with air refueling as additional mission in 1951-1952, and again from Apr 1958. The Boeing B-52E Stratofortress replaced the wing's B-36 in September 1957.

In September 1959, the 24th and 30th Bombardment Squadrons joined the newly assigned 4129th Combat Crew Training Squadron to train B-52 and KC-135 crews. As the Soviet missile threat increased, so did the 6th's mission. On 1 May 1962, with the arrival of the wing's first Atlas-F SM65 intercontinental ballistic missile, came another name change -- the 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing. The missiles lasted until 1965, when Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced base closure of Walker AFB and wing inactivation of the 6th.

The inactivation never happened as the 6th transferred to Eielson AFB, Alaska, without equipment and personnel on 25 March 1967, to become the 6th Strategic Wing. The 6th had gone full circle and was back in reconnaissance as it had been in 1919, only with modern, state-of-the-art RC-135S jet aircraft.

The 6th Strategic Wing maintained a detachment at Shemya AFB, Alaska, in addition to maintaining the Alaskan Tanker Task Force to support strategic reconnaissance and the NORAD Alaskan ballistic missile early warning station. On 1 April 1988, SAC renamed the wing the 6th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. During this time it flew the RC–135S and TC-135. The 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron left Eielson AFB on 7 July 1992. The wing has lost it's operational mission and was inactivated on 1 September 1992.

Post Cold War

Announcement of the 6th's most recent inactivation came in December 1991, as the reconnaissance mission of the 6th was transferred to the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, and the mission of the Alaskan Tanker Task force was terminated.

Following the 1991 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission's decision to terminate the 56th Fighter Wing's mission at MacDill AFB Florida by the end of 1993, on 1 January 1994, the Air Mobility Command 6th Air Base Wing was activated at MacDill with a mission to operate the base and provide support services for CENTCOM, SOCOM, and the large and growing number of other tenant units, as well as to provide services for transient air units.

Efforts of the wing to highlight MacDill's airfield capabilities and in-place support units resulted in a redirect of the 1991 and 1993 DBCRC laws regarding the closure and transfer of MacDill's airfield. 1995 DBCRC laws called for the retention of the airfield as part of MacDill AFB (to be operated by the Air Force), and directed the relocation of the 43d Air Refueling Group's mission to transfer from Malmstrom AFB, Montana, to MacDill beginning in October 1996.

With the arrival of KC-135R aircraft, the 6th Air Base Wing was redesignated the 6th Air Refueling Wing. The wing also assumed support responsibility for EC-135 command post aircraft supporting the CENTCOM and SOCOM commanders at MacDill and a CT-43 aircraft supporting the SOUTHCOM commander in Miami. Both non-tanker aircraft types were later replaced by the C-37. On 1 October 1996 the wing again changed names, this time to 6th Air Mobility Wing, assigned to Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force.

The 6th has twice won the Air Mobility Rodeo Best Air Mobility Wing Award; in 2000 and 2005.

ee also

* United States Air Forces Southern Command
* Twentieth Air Force
* Strategic Air Command
* Air Mobility Command
* 313th Air Division

References

This article contains information from the " [http://public.macdill.amc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3725 6th Air Mobility Wing history factsheet] " which is an official document of the United States Government and is presumed to be in the public domain.

*Ravenstein, C. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings: Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Office of Air Force History: Washington, D.C. ISBN 0-912799-12-9
*Dorr, R. & Peacock, L. (2000). B-52 Stratofortress: Boeing's Cold War Warrior. Osprey Aviation: Great Britain. ISBN 1-84176-097-8
*Lloyd, A. (1999). A Cold War Legacy: A Tribute to the Strategic Air Command 1946-1992. Pictorial Histories Publishing Co: Missoula, Montana. ISBN 1-57510-052-5
* Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1989
* Air Force Historical Research Agency, 6th Air Mobility Wing [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/wings_groups_pages/0006amw.asp]
* Air Force Historical Research Agency, 6th Operations Group [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/wings_groups_pages/0006og.asp]
* Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, 1983
* [http://www.armysirforces.com www.armyairforces.com]

External links

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/6arw.htm 6th Mobility Wing at www.globalsecurity.org]
* [http://www.strategic-air-command.com/wings/0006bw.htm 6th Bombardment Wing at www.strategic-air-command.com]
* [http://www.philcrowther.com/6bgmain.html World War II 6th Bombardment Group]
* [http://community-2.webtv.net/@HH!07!A3!9709C6A4049F/RC135/6thSRW/ History of the 6th] by Ltc. Kingdon R. Hawes USAF (Ret.)