Initial activation and Korean War service The wing was first activated in the
reserve as the
433rd Troop Carrier Wing, replacing the
12th Air Division at
Cleveland Municipal Airport on 27 June 1949 when
Continental Air Command (ConAC) reorganized its reserve units under the
wing base organization system. The wing was manned at 25% of normal strength but its combat group was authorized four squadrons rather than the three of active duty units. The wing flew various trainer aircraft and
Curtiss C-46 Commandos. It was part of the first wave to be
mobilized. Upon activation in October 1950, the wing moved to Greenville Air Force Base (later
Donaldson Air Force Base), South Carolina,
Troop carrier operations in Texas The Air Force desired that all reserve units be designed to augment the regular forces in the event of a national emergency. There were six reserve pilot training wings that had no mobilization mission, including the 8707th Pilot Training Wing at
Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. On 18 May 1955, the 8707th was discontinued and replaced by the reactivated
433rd Troop Carrier Wing, again flying Curtiss Commandos. During the first half of 1955, the Air Force had begun detaching Air Force Reserve squadrons from their parent wing locations to separate sites. The concept offered several advantages: communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning. In time, the Detached Squadron Program proved successful in attracting additional participants In keeping with this program, although the
67th and
68th Troop Carrier Squadrons were activated with wing
headquarters at Brooks, when the
69th Troop Carrier Squadron was activated in March 1956, it was stationed at
Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The wing flew airlift missions and participated in numerous training exercises, sometimes with
special operations units. The
Joint Chiefs of Staff were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift. At the same time, about 150
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars became available from the active force. Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed ConAC to convert three fighter bomber wings to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. Cuts in the budget in 1957 also led to a reduction in the number of reserve wings from 24 to 15. In the adjustments resulting from these decisions, in November 1957, the 69th Squadron at Tinker transferred its aircraft and personnel to the newly activated
305th Troop Carrier Squadron, then moved on paper to
Naval Air Station Dallas, where it took the place of the
448th Fighter-Bomber Wing, which was inactivated along with all its components. The wing finally replaced its C-46s with Flying Boxcars at this time as well. The
906th and
922nd Troop Carrier Group at Kelly, and the
923rd Troop Carrier Group at Carswell were all assigned to the wing on 17 January. Two months later, it was joined at Carswell by the
916th Troop Carrier Group, which moved from
Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina. The 916th, unlike the wing's other groups, however, operated the
Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, and in July, the group was reassigned to the
442nd Troop Carrier Wing, although it remained at Carswell. By the mid-1960s, the wing was flying global airlift missions, as well as conducting the USAF's
Lockheed C-130A Hercules pilot, navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster school. Between 1971 and 1985, the wing trained for tactical airlift missions, participating in joint training exercises. It provided airlift of
Department of Defense personnel, supplies, and equipment worldwide.
Post Cold War era The wing also assisted in
Operation Provide Hope by transporting critical cargo to the Commonwealth of Independent States. And in 1992–93, the 433rd AW was the first reserve wing to fly relief missions and provide medical support to famine stricken Somalia during
Operation Restore Hope.
Global War on Terrorism The Alamo Wing once again responded to a national crisis in the immediate aftermath of terrorist
11 September attacks on the
World Trade Center in New York City and
the Pentagon. Hauling thousands of tons of cargo in support of America’s War on Terrorism, the wing proved yet again that it stands ready to answer the call whenever the United States faces a threat to its homeland and vital national interests. ==Lineage==