View source for 62nd Airlift Wing

{{short description|Unit of US Air Force, part of Air Mobility Command}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = 62nd Airlift Wing
| image                         = Boeing C-17A Globemaster III 02-1105- 62d Airlift Wing McChord.jpg
| image_size                    = 300
| caption                       = 62nd Airlift Wing C-17A Globemaster III
| dates                         = 1947–1950; 1951–present
| country                       = {{flag|United States}}
| allegiance                    =
| branch                        = {{air force|USA}}
| type                          = [[Airlift]]
| role                          =
| size                          = ~2300 Airmen
| command_structure             = [[File:Air Mobility Command.svg|35px]]&nbsp;[[Air Mobility Command]]
| current_commander             = [[Colonel]] David A. Fazenbaker<ref name="McChordBios">{{cite web|title=Team McChord Biographies|url=http://www.mcchord.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies|publisher=Team McChord|access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref>
| garrison                      = [[McChord Air Force Base]], Washington
| ceremonial_chief              =
| colonel_of_the_regiment       =
| nickname                      =
| patron                        =
| motto                         = Combat Airlift
| colors                        =
| march                         =
| mascot                        =
| battles                       = [[File:Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer.jpg|150px]]<br>Armed Forces Expeditionary
* Grenada, 1983
| notable_commanders            = [[Duncan McNabb]] <br /> [[George Scratchley Brown]]
| anniversaries                 =
| decorations                   = [[File:Air Force Meritorious Unit Award.jpg|150px]]<br>Meritorious Unit Award<br>[[File:US Air Force Outstanding Unit Award - Stremer.jpg|150px]]<br>Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (12x)
| battle_honours                = <!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol         = [[Image:62d Airlift Wing.png|125px]]
| identification_symbol_label   = 62nd Airlift Wing Emblem
}}

The '''62nd Airlift Wing''', sometimes written as '''62d Airlift Wing''', ('''62 AW''') is a wing of the [[United States Air Force]] stationed at [[Joint Base Lewis–McChord]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. It is assigned to the [[Eighteenth Air Force]] of [[Air Mobility Command]] and is active duty host wing on McChord. The wing is composed of more than 2,200 active duty military and civilian personnel. It is tasked with supporting worldwide combat and humanitarian airlift contingencies.  Aircraft of the 62nd fly worldwide, conducting airdrop training; it also carries out the [[Operation Deep Freeze|Antarctic resupply missions]].

==Units==
* '''[[62d Operations Group]] (62 OG)'''
: [[4th Airlift Squadron]] (4 AS)
: [[7th Airlift Squadron]] (7 AS)
: [[8th Airlift Squadron]] (8 AS)
: 62d Operations Support Squadron (62 OSS)

* '''62d Maintenance Group (62 MXG)'''
* '''627th Air Base Group (627 ABG)''' )
* '''62d Medical Squadron (62 MDS)'''
* '''62d Comptroller Squadron (62 CPTS)'''

==167-4==
: ''For additional history and lineage, see [[62d Operations Group]]''

The 62d Airlift Wing was first constituted as the 62nd Troop Carrier Wing on 28 July 1947, at McChord Field, Washington. It owes its numerical designation, and its first seven years of history prior to 1947, to the present day 62d Operations Group.

===Cold War===
Since the wing was established in 1947 it conducted troop carrier operations, tactical exercises, and humanitarian missions.  The wing trained at McChord Air Force Base, Washington until late 1951 when it moved to Larson Air Force Base.  From Larson the wing routinely performed troop carrier, air transport, and humanitarian missions on a global scale: flying mail to Japan for U.S. troops in Korea in 1952; bringing medical supplies to the flooded areas of Pakistan in 1954; and transporting French troops and equipment from France to [[Indochina]] as part of Operation Bali-Hai from April–May 1954.  The wing airlifted [[radar]] equipment and supplies for the construction of the [[Distant Early Warning Line|Distant Early Warning]] (DEW) Line in northern Alaska and Canada from, 1955–1956, and thereafter periodically resupplied DEW stations.  During the [[International Geophysical Year]] 1957–1958, and subsequently through 1962 the wing supported scientific stations in the Arctic Ocean by airlanding and airdropping supplies on the drifting ice.  It helped transport [[United Nations]] troops and supplies to the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]] in 1960 ("Operation New Tape").<ref>Daniel L. Haulman in {{cite book|author=Various|editor=Warnock, A. Timothy|title=Short of War: Major USAF Contingency Operations 1947–1997|url=https://archive.org/details/shortofwarmajoru0000unse|access-date=17 December 2015|year=2000|publisher=Air University Press|location=Maxwell AFG, AL|isbn=978-0-16-050411-2}}</ref> In 1963 the wing assumed responsibility for worldwide airlift of [[nuclear weapons]] and associated equipment, continuing this mission through early 1971.  It also assumed airlift of [[Minuteman (missile)|Minuteman]] missiles from depots to operating sites in April 1971.  In 1972 it supported [[President of the United States|Presidential]] trips to China and the [[Soviet Union]].  From 12 February to 1 April 1973 the wing transported former [[prisoners of war]] from [[North Vietnam]] to the [[Philippines]] and the United States.  That same year it transported United Nations troops from [[Indonesia]] to [[Israel]] and [[Egypt]] as part of a [[peacekeeping]] effort.

[[File:Cargo Aircraft.jpg|thumb|C-124, C-130, and C-141 with [[Mount St. Helens]] in the background]]
In the summer of 1975, the wing assumed control of the [[36th Tactical Airlift Squadron]] (36 TAS) and their C-130E aircraft, which transferred from [[Langley AFB]], Virginia following the transfer of all [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules]] aircraft from [[Tactical Air Command]] (TAC) to [[Military Airlift Command]] (MAC), and the disestablishment of the [[316th Wing|316th Tactical Airlift Wing]] at Langley to make way for the arrival of the [[1st Tactical Fighter Wing]] (1 TFW) and their F-15A and F-15B aircraft. From October 1975 to October 1977, the 62 MAW maintained a detachment of C-130Es in the [[Panama Canal Zone]] to support USAF needs in [[Central America|Central]] and South America.  The 62nd airlifted troops and supplies during invasion of [[Grenada]] and airlifted university students to safety from, October–November 1983.  During 1988 62 AW aircraft were used to transport inspectors to the [[Soviet Union]] under terms of the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]].  62 AW aircraft were also used that year to transport [[firefighters]] and supplies to [[Wyoming]] to fight major forest fires in [[Yellowstone National Park]].  It participated in the airdrop of heavy equipment and personnel during military action in [[Panama]], 20 December 1989.  During [[Operation Desert Shield]] the 62nd airlifted personnel and equipment to [[Southwest Asia]] and operated airlift control elements at [[Zaragoza]], Spain, to direct cargo and personnel destined for Southwest Asia from, August 1990 – March 1991. Additionally, during 1991, 62 AW personnel and aircraft facilitated the evacuation of [[Clark Air Base]] and [[Subic Bay Naval Station]] following the eruption of [[Mount Pinatubo]] in the [[Philippines]].

In addition, some activities of the 62nd Military Airlift Wing did not take place at McChord AFB.  For instance, one unit that belonged to the 62nd MAW—the 602 Military Airlift Support Squadron (MASS) – was assigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base during the rapid buildup of forces in Vietnam. The 602 MASS supported the flights of C-141 and C-130 aircraft from bases in the continental USA along the great circle route to Japan and Southeast Asia (SEA) by providing refueling services and basic mechanical maintenance for aircraft while en route to and from SEA. The 602 MASS was in operation at Elmendorf around the mid-1960s to about the end of America's involvement in Vietnam.

===End of the Century===
[[Image:C-141 ODF.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Antarctica residents (foreground) in front of C-141 Starlifter ]]
In 1992, 62 AW flew relief mission to [[Guam]] following [[Typhoon Omar]], Hawaii following [[Hurricane Iniki]], [[Florida]] following [[Hurricane Andrew]], as well as [[Somalia]], the former [[Yugoslavia]], and the former Soviet Union.  In 1993, the 62 AW divested itself of the then-redesignated [[36th Airlift Squadron]] (36 AS), transferring the squadron and its C-130E aircraft to the [[374th Airlift Wing]] (374 AW) at [[Yokota AB]], Japan.  In 1994, the 62 AW dispatched personnel and aircraft to deliver equipment and supplies in support of Operation Support Hope in [[Rwanda]].  During 1995, the 62 AW deployed personnel and aircraft to the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] following [[Hurricane Marilyn]] and to [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]] in support of Operation Joint Endeavor.  62 AW personnel delivered relief supplies to [[Ho Chi Minh City]], Vietnam following torrential rains and flooding spawned by [[1997 Pacific typhoon season|Typhoon Linda]] in 1997.  In 1998, the 62 AW delivered relief supplies to [[Guam]] following Super [[Typhoon Paka]], to [[Papua New Guinea]] following a tsunami, to [[Changsha]], China following severe flooding, and to [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]] following the bombing of the [[U.S. Embassy]] there.

===Recent activities===
Following the [[September 11 attacks]] the 62 AW has been flying missions in support of the [[War on Terrorism|Global War on Terror]], Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Nobel Eagle, and Operation Infinite Justice.  In 2003 the 62 AW assisted in the troop buildup leading up to Operation Iraqi Freedom and conducted the airdrop of the [[173rd Airborne Brigade]] into northern [[Iraq]] at the onset of the [[war]].  In late 2004 and early 2005 the 62 AW was dispatched with emergency relief supplies to areas throughout [[Southeast Asia]] in response to the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|tsunami]] that struck on 26 December 2004.

On 8 May 2020, the 62 AW saluted the healthcare workers at the forefront in the fight against [[COVID-19]] by performing a 2.5-hour [[Boeing C-17 Globemaster III|C-17 Globemaster III]] two-ship formation flyover throughout [[Washington (state)|Washington State]]'s [[Puget Sound region|Puget Sound Region]].

In August 2021, aircraft from 62 AW joined efforts to evacuate Americans and Afghan Allies from [[Kabul]] during the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban, during the [[2021 Taliban offensive]] and the subsequent [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|Fall of Kabul]].

===2009 Air Mobility Rodeo===
In 2009 the 62 AW won the Best Air Mobility Wing at the [[Air Mobility Rodeo]], a biennial, international airlift competition hosted by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.  In addition to taking the top prize, the 62 AW also won Best C-17 Team and Best Airdrop Team.  Beyond the major awards, sub-category awards won include Best Aerial Port Challenge Course Team, Best Joint Inspection Team, Best C-17 Low-level Airdrop Crew, Best C-17 Aircrew, and Best C-17 Post-flight Team.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.amc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/147140/rodeo-2009-winners-announced-for-competitions/|title=RODEO 2009: Winners announced for competitions|date=24 July 2009|access-date=23 February 2017|publisher=RODEO 2009, Public Affairs|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Lineage===
* Established as '''62nd Troop Carrier Wing''' on 28 July 1947
: Organized on 15 August 1947
: Redesignated: '''62nd Troop Carrier Wing, Medium''', on 22 August 1948
: Redesignated: '''62nd Troop Carrier Wing, Heavy''', on 12 October 1949
: Inactivated on 1 June 1950
* Activated on 17 September 1951
: Redesignated: '''62nd Air Transport Wing, Heavy''', on 1 January 1965
: Redesignated: '''62nd Military Airlift Wing''' on 8 January 1966
: Redesignated: '''62d Airlift Wing''' on 1 December 1991.
* Designated '''62d Air Expeditionary Wing''' in September 2001 when wing elements deployed to combat areas.

===Assignments===
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* [[Twelfth Air Force]], 15 August 1947
* [[Fourth Air Force]], 10 December 1948 – 1 June 1950
* [[Eighteenth Air Force]], 17 September 1951
* [[Twenty-Second Air Force]], 1 July 1957
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* [[Fifteenth Air Force]], 1 July 1993
* [[Eighteenth Air Force]], 1 October 2003–present
* [[Air Mobility Command]] when wing elements deployed to combat areas any time after 11 September 2001.
{{Col-end}}

===Components===
'''Wings'''
* [[302d Troop Carrier Wing]]: attached 27 June 1949 – 5 May 1950

'''Groups'''
* [[61st Troop Carrier Group]]: attached 21 November 1952 – 24 August 1954
* [[62nd Operations Group|62nd Troop Carrier (later, 62 Operations) Group]]: 15 August 1947 – 1 June 1950 (detached 2 May – 1 June 1950); 1 October 1951 – 15 January 1960; 1 December 1991–present

'''Squadrons'''
* [[4th Airlift Squadron|4th Troop Carrier (later, 4 Air Transport; 4 Military Airlift; 4 Airlift) Squadron]]: attached 8–14 January 1960, assigned 15 January 1960 – 1 December 1991
* [[7th Airlift Squadron|7th Troop Carrier (later, 7 Air Transport; 7 Military Airlift) Squadron]]: attached 8–14 January 1960, assigned 15 January 1960 – 22 December 1969
* [[8th Airlift Squadron|8th Troop Carrier (later, 8 Air Transport; 8 Military Airlift) Squadron]]: attached 8–14 January 1960, assigned 15 January 1960 – 1 December 1991.
* [[10th Airlift Squadron]]: 1 October 2003 – 6 December 2016
* [[19th Military Airlift Squadron|19th Air Transport (later 19th Military Airlift) Squadron]]: 1 July 1963 – 22 December 1969
* [[28th Military Airlift Squadron|28th Air Transport (later 28th Military Airlift) Squadron]]: 1 July 1963 – 22 December 1969
* [[36th Airlift Squadron|36th Tactical Airlift (later, 36 Military Airlift) Squadron]]: 1 July 1975 – 1 December 1991.
<!--*[[602 Military Airlift Support Squadron]].  At least the mid to late 1960s and into the 1970s (exact dates of organization unknown).  Was assigned to Elmendorf AFB to support the transport of troops and materials to and from Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. -until exact dates are known- -->

===Stations===
* [[McChord AFB|McChord Field (later, McChord AFB)]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], 15 August 1947 – 1 June 1950; 17 September 1951
* [[Larson AFB]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], 21 April 1952
* [[Joint Base Lewis-McChord|McChord Air Force Base (Later became part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord)]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], 13 June 1960–present

===Aircraft===
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* [[C-82 Packet|C-82]], 1947–1950
* [[C-54]], 1949–1950
* [[C-124]], 1951–1969
* [[C-54]], 1952
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
* [[C-141]], 1966–2002
* [[C-130]], 1975–1989
* [[C-17 Globemaster III|C-17]], 1999–present
{{Col-end}}

===Operations===
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*[[Operation Deep Freeze]]
*[[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]
*[[Operation Enduring Freedom]]
*[[Joint Task Force Katrina]]
*[[Operation Urgent Fury]]
*[[Operation Desert Shield]]
*[[Operation Desert Storm]]
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*[[Operation Just Cause]]
*[[Operation Support Hope]]
*[[Operation Joint Endeavor]]
*[[Operation Noble Eagle]]
*[[Operation Enduring Freedom]]
*[[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]
*[[Operation Northern Delay]]
*[[Operation Unified Assistance]]
{{Col-end}}

==Unit shields==
<gallery class="center">
Image:62d Airlift Wing.png|62 AW
Image:62 Comptroller Sq.jpg|62 CPTS
Image:62_OG.jpg|62 OG
Image:4th Airlift Squadron Emblem.jpg|4 AS
Image:7 Airlift Sq.jpg|7 AS
Image:8th Airlift Squadron.jpg|8 AS
Image:10th Airlift Squadron Badge.svg|10 AS
Image:62 Operations Support Sq.jpg|62 OSS
Image:62 Maintenance Gp.jpg|62 MXG
Image:62 Aircraft Mairnenance Squadron.jpg|62 AMXS
Image:62 Maintenance Sq.jpg|62 MXS
Image:62 Logistics Support Sq (later 62 Maintenance Operations s.jpg|62 MOS
Image:62 Mission Support Gp.jpg|62 MSG
Image:62 Aerial Port Sq.jpg|62 APS
Image:62 Civil Engineer Squadron.jpg|62 CES
Image:62 Comunications Sq.jpg|62 CS
Image:62 Contracting Sq.jpg|62 CONS
Image:62 Logistics Readiness Sq.jpg|62 LRS
Image:62 Mission Support Squadron.jpg|62 MSS
Image:62 Security Forces Sq.jpg|62 SFS

Image:62 Medical Gp.jpg|62 MDG
Image:62 Airlift Wg old & new.jpg|Historical Wing Shields
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{AFHRA}}
* Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories, 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1984. {{ISBN|0-912799-12-9}}.
* Rogers, Brian. United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications, 2005. {{ISBN|1-85780-197-0}}.
* [http://www.mcchord.af.mil/ McChord AFB Home Page]

==External links==
* [https://www.mcchord.af.mil/ Official Website]

{{USAF Air Mobility Command}}
{{US Air Force navbox}}

[[Category:Military units and formations in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Airlift wings of the United States Air Force|0062]]