24th Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=24th Airlift Wing


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dates= 19 November 1942 — 31 October 1999
country=United States
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branch=Air Force
type=Airlift
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garrison=Howard Air Force Base
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colonel_of_the_regiment=
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decorations=Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
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The 24th Wing (24 WG) was a wing of the United States Air Force most recently based out of Howard Air Force Base in the Panama Canal Zone, Panama.

History

The 24th served in the defense of Iceland from December 1942–June 1944.

From August 1946 until replaced by the Antilles Air Division in July 1948 the wing supervised large numbers of major and minor bases and Air Force units in the Caribbean area from Puerto Rico to British Guiana.

It Organized once more in November 1967 in the Panama Canal Zone, replacing the 5700th Air Base Wing. The wing assumed operation and maintenance responsibilities for Howard and Albrook Air Force Bases and a special operations mission that included air transport, paramilitary operations, exercise participation, civic actions in Central and South America, search and rescue missions, humanitarian operations, mercy missions, aeromedical evacuation, and support of Army Special Forces, U.S. military assistance units, and training of Latin American air forces. From its activation in 1967 until mid-1972, the 24th Wing operated the USAF Tropic Survival School at Albrook. It also controlled various rotational detachments from 1967–1987. The wing lost UH–1 helicopters and control of search and rescue missions in the area after 1 March 1983. The wing inactivated on 31 January 1987, its subordinate components reassigned directly to the USAF Southern Air Division.

The 24th was reactivated on 1 January 1989, as the 24th Composite Wing assuming responsibilities for Howard AFB and Albrook AFS. The wing flew combat sorties in the Invasion of Panama, December 1989–January 1990. The wing trained foreign and domestic pilots in forward air control. It again flew search and rescue, aeromedical airlift and disaster relief missions in the Latin American region from 1989–1990. Members of the wing deployed to Southwest Asia to provide air liaison support between ground forces and air operations from 1 October 1990–February 1991. When the 24th Composite Wing inactivated in 1991, its assets were placed under Air Forces in Panama.

On 11 February 1992 the wing again reactivated as the 24th Wing and became the senior USAF organization in Panama and replaced the previous command and division-level Air Force host units.

In June 1992, it began operating the only C–21, CT–43, C–27 and special mission C–130s in Air Combat Command. The wing provided control and support to multi-service units directed by United States Southern Command and United States Southern Air Force from 1992–1999. Missions included counter-narcotics operations, aerial command and control, intratheater airlift, security assistance and defense of the Panama Canal. The wing operated both Howard Air Force Base and Albrook Air Force Station.

On 1 April 1997 the 310th Airlift Squadron was reassigned to Air Mobility Command's 21st Air Force. The 24th Wing was inactivated on 1 November 1999 with the closure of Howard AFB and its turnover to the Panamanian government.

Operations

*World War II
*Operation Just Cause

Previous designations

*24th Composite Wing (1942 – 1968)
*24th Air Commando Wing (1968)
*24th Special Operations Wing (1968 – 1972)
*24th Special Operations Group (1972 – 1973)
*24th Composite Group (1973 – 1976)
*24th Composite Wing (1976 – 1992)
*24th Wing (1992 – 1999)

Assignments

Major command

*Iceland Base Command (1942 – 1944)
*Caribbean Air Command (1946 – 1948)
*United States Air Forces Southern Command (1967 – 1976)
*United States Air Force Southern Air Division (1976 – 1987)
* 830th Air Division (1989 – 1991)
*Air Combat Command (1991 – 1999)

Numbered Air Force

*12th Air Force (1991 – 1999)

ubordinate organizations

Bases stationed

*Camp Olympia, Reykjavík, Iceland (1942 – 1944)
*Tripoli, Reykjavík, Iceland (1944)
*Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico (1946 – 1948)
*Albrook Air Force Base, Panama (1967 – 1968)
*Howard Air Force Base, Panama (1968 – 1987, 1989 – 1999)

Aircraft operated

*P-38 Lightning (1942 – 1944)
*P-39 Airacobra (1942 – 1943)
*P-40 Warhawk (1943 – 1944)
*P-47 Thunderbolt (1944)
*B-17 Flying Fortress (1946 – 1948)
*C-47 Skytrain (1946 – 1948, 1967 – 1970)
*C-54 Skymaster (1947 – 1948, 1967 – 1972)
*F-2 Expeditor (1948)
*A-26 Invader (1967 – 1968)
*C-46 Commando (1967 – 1968)
*C-118 Liftmaster (1967 – 1971)
*C-130 Hercules (1967 – 1984, 1992 – 1999)
*C-131 Samaritan (1967 – 1968)
*CH-3 Jolly Green Giant (1967 – 1970)
*HH-19 Chickasaw (1967 – 1969)
*T-28 Trojan (1967 – 1970)
*VT-29 (1967 – 1970)
*U-10 Super Courier (1967 – 1971)
*UH-1 Iroquois (1967 – 1983)
*A-37 Dragonfly (1967 – 1972)
*HU-16 Albatross (1969)
*C-123 Provider (1970 – 1975)
*C-119 Flying Boxcar (1971, 1973)
*O-2 Skymaster (1971 – 1986)
*A-7 Corsair II (1972 – 1987)
*A-10 Thunderbolt II (1985)
*OA-37 Dragonfly (1985 – 1987)
*C-21 (1992 – 1999)
*T-43 (1992 – 1999)
*C-27 Spartan (1992 – 1999)

Unit shields

External links