934th Airlift Wing
Encyclopedia
The 934th Airlift Wing is a wing
of the United States Air Force
based out of the Minneapolis-St Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota
.
cargo aircraft, both airdrop
ping and airlanding cargo and people. Aeromedical evacuation of patients within the theater of operations is another facet of the mission. The 934th Airlift Wing supports the Air Force mission on a daily basis, providing airlift both in the United States and around the world.
, and later Puerto Rico
, to fly cargo and personnel throughout Central
and South America
since 1979. The 934th deployed personnel and aircraft to participate in allied operations in the Persian Gulf
area and the Balkans
in 1990 and later. It has also participated in numerous joint airborne
training exercises
and humanitarian
airlifts.
934th Maintenance Group (934 MXG)
934th Mission Support Group (934 MSG)
934th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (934 ASTS)
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
based out of the Minneapolis-St Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Mission
The wing’s mission is to fly C-130 H3C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
cargo aircraft, both airdrop
Airdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from...
ping and airlanding cargo and people. Aeromedical evacuation of patients within the theater of operations is another facet of the mission. The 934th Airlift Wing supports the Air Force mission on a daily basis, providing airlift both in the United States and around the world.
History
The 934th has provided worldwide airlift and airdrops of passengers and materiel since 1963. It has also periodically deployed to PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, and later Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, to fly cargo and personnel throughout Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
since 1979. The 934th deployed personnel and aircraft to participate in allied operations in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
area and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
in 1990 and later. It has also participated in numerous joint airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
training exercises
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
and humanitarian
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
airlifts.
Operations
- Operation Just Cause
- Operation Coronet Oak
- Operation Safe Haven
- Operation Restore Hope
- Operation Joint Guardian
- Operation Southern WatchOperation Southern WatchOperation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
- Operation Provide PromiseOperation Provide PromiseOperation Provide Promise was a humanitarian relief operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars, from 2 July 1992, to 9 January 1996, which made it the longest running humanitarian airlift in history....
- Operation Desert Shield
- Operation Desert Storm
- Operation Noble EagleOperation Noble EagleOperation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
Previous designations
- 934th Troop Carrier Group (1963–1967)
- 934th Tactical Airlift Group (1967–1992)
- 934th Airlift Group (1992–1994)
- 934th Airlift Wing (1994 – Present)
Major command
- Continental Air CommandContinental Air CommandContinental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
(1963) - Air Force Reserve CommandAir Force Reserve CommandThe Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
(1994 – Present)
Wing
- 440th Tactical Airlift Wing440th Airlift WingThe 440th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to Twenty-Second Air Force. It is stationed at Pope Field, part of Fort Bragg in North Carolina....
(1963–1978) - 442d Tactical Airlift Wing442d Fighter WingThe 442d Fighter Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command fighter wing, operationally-gained by Air Combat Command . It is based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri...
(1978–1981) - 433d Tactical Airlift Wing433d Airlift WingThe 433d Airlift Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force Reserve assigned to Fourth Air Force. It is stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas...
(1981–1985) - 302d Tactical Airlift Wing302d Airlift WingThe 302nd Airlift Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force Reserve based out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.-Mission:...
(1985–1987) - 403d Airlift Wing403d Wing403d Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command. It is located at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, and employs a military manning authorization of more than 1,400 reservists, including some 250 full-time air reserve technicians.403d Wing performs...
(1987–1992) - 302d Airlift Wing302d Airlift WingThe 302nd Airlift Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force Reserve based out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.-Mission:...
(1992–1994)
Subordinate organizations
934th Operations Group (934 OG)- 96th Airlift Squadron96th Airlift SquadronThe 96th Airlift Squadron is part of the 934th Airlift Wing at Minneapolis-St Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota. It operates C-130 Hercules aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-History:...
(96 AS) - 934th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (934 AES)
- 934th Operations Support Flight (934 OSF)
- 934th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (934 ASTS)
934th Maintenance Group (934 MXG)
- 934th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (934 AMXS)
- 934th Maintenance Squadron (934 MXS)
- 934th Maintenance Operations Flight (934 MOF)
934th Mission Support Group (934 MSG)
- 27th Aerial Port Squadron (27 APS)
- 934th Civil Engineering Squadron (934 CES)
- 934th Logistics Readiness Squadron (934 LRS)
- 934th Services Squadron (943 SVS)
- 934th Security Forces Squadron (934 SFS)
- 934th Communications Flight (934 CF)
- 934th Mission Support Flight (934 MSF)
934th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (934 ASTS)
Bases stationed
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul International AirportMinneapolis-Saint Paul International AirportMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:...
, MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
(1963 – Present)
Aircraft operated
- C-119 Flying BoxcarC-119 Flying BoxcarThe Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
(1963–1970) - C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
(1970 – Present)