Initial activation and Korean War mobilization In July 1949,
Continental Air Command (ConAC) reopened
Atterbury Air Force Base, Indiana, a
World War II field, as a training base for
reserve flying units and activated the
434th Troop Carrier Wing there. President
Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget also required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force, and the wing drew its
cadre from the
323d Air Division, which was inactivated at Stout. 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 trained under the supervision of the 2466th Air Force Reserve Training Center at Atterbury. The wing was part of the second wave of reserve activations, which included all
Tenth Air Force units. These units were used as fillers for other units, except for 434th. Instead, the wing was one of six C-46 wings mobilized for
Tactical Air Command, which used them to form
Eighteenth Air Force. The wing trained at Atterbury until January 1952, when it moved to
Lawson Air Force Base, Georgia. It flew in
military exercises and flew missions to support
Army airborne forces training at
Fort Benning. In September, the wing began to provide combat crew training for aircrews being assigned to C-46 units with
Far East Air Forces. On 1 February 1953, the wing transferred its mission, personnel and equipment to the newly activated
464th Troop Carrier Wing, a regular Air Force unit, and was inactivated.
Reactivation in the reserves The wing was reactivated at Atterbury the same day, taking over the aircraft and personnel of the
87th Troop Carrier Wing, which was inactivated. The 434th returned to its previous reserve training role upon its return. Although the
71st and
72d Troop Carrier Squadrons remained at Bakalar Air Force Base, the
73d Troop Carrier Squadron moved to
Dress Memorial Airport, Indiana in June 1957, then to
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois in November. The 434th continued to train with the 2466th Center, converting from Curtiss Commandos to the
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar in 1957. This followed a reorganization of the wing under the Dual Deputate organization, all flying squadrons were directly assigned to the wing and the 434th Troop Carrier Group was inactivated. The
930th Troop Carrier Group and
931st Troop Carrier Group at Bakalar and the
932d Troop Carrier Group at Scott, were all assigned to the wing on 11 February. On 1 October 1966, the 932d Group was released from assignment to the 434th and reassigned to the
442d Military Airlift Wing at
Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri, in preparation for heavy cargo operations. On 1 July 1967, the 434th was redesignated the
434th Tactical Airlift Wing, its subordinate groups and squadrons also being re-designated as Tactical Airlift units. On 13 May 1968, the 930th Tactical Airlift Group was mobilized for combat duty in the
Vietnam War, the 71st Tactical Airlift Squadron's C-119 aircraft were selected for modification to the AC-119G Gunship configuration with powerful searchlights and rapid-fire machine guns. The squadron and its Bakalar reservists moved to
Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio on 11 June. The 71st was subsequently redesignated as the 71st Air Commando Squadron on 15 June and eventually deployed to
Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam on 5 December where it was assigned to the
14th Special Operations Wing. The 71st was the only USAF reserve unit to serve in Vietnam. On 25 June 1969, the 931st Tactical Airlift Group was redesignated as the 931st Tactical Air Support Group and re-equipped with
Cessna U-3A Blue Canoe light utility aircraft. The group's C-119s were transferred to the 71st Special Operations Squadron and modified to the AC-119G configuration. Due to funding reductions in 1969, Bakalar Air Force Base was selected for closure. The 434th Tactical Airlift Wing was inactivated on 31 December 1969 with the closure of Bakalar AFB. On 15 January 1971, the 434th was reactivated at
Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, as the
434th Special Operations Wing. Its operational squadron was the 71st Special Operations Squadron, with the AC-119s transferred from Bakalar AFB. The 434th conducted routine reserve training until 30 September 1973 when its 71st SOS was inactivated and its AC-119s retired. The wing was redesignated as the
434th Tactical Fighter Wing with a new tactical air operation mission. The
45th and
46th Tactical Fighter Squadron were equipped with
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly aircraft for close air support missions. The 46th was inactivated on 1 July 1978. The 434th provided combat crew training for USAF and friendly foreign nations until June 1980. The A-37s were then transferred to other units. In April 1981, the 434th received the
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and the wing's mission changed to training
forward air controllers. The 45th Squadron provided A-10 tactical fighter training for reserve and guard pilots until June 1987 when the squadron was reassigned to the 930th Tactical Fighter Group at Grissom, which was assigned to the 434th as a subordinate unit until 30 September 1994 when it was inactivated.
Post Cold War era Reflecting the 434th's composite mission, the 434th was redesignated as the
434th Wing on 1 August 1992 and also implemented the Objective Organization Plan. The 434th Operations Group was activated that date. The 434th Wing, consisted of
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and was responsible for air refueling and
close air support missions. Changes in the Air Force mission led to the unit being reorganized once again. The
1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission directed realignment of Grissom to the
Air Force Reserve. The wing assumed KC-135s of the active-duty
305th Air Refueling Wing, which moved to
McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. With the transfer of the A-10 equipped 930th Group on 30 September 1994, the wing was again redesignated as the 434th Air Refueling Wing on 1 October 1994. During the December 1993 to February 1997 time period, the wing staged four separate deployments to Europe to support Operation Decisive Endeavor, the United Nation's enforcement of the no-fly zone over war-torn Bosnia. In May 1999, the 434th ARW was called upon to provide aerial refueling support to Operation Allied Force as personnel and aircraft were deployed to various European locations. In 1997 Grissom was reassigned to
Air Force Reserve Command.
Global war on terrorism Today, the 434th is one of the Air Force's busiest air refueling reorganizations, frequently deploying its personnel and aircraft around the world to support combat forces as part of the global
war on terrorism. Most recently, the wing has been mobilized in support of
Operation Inherent Resolve. The wing has also deployed in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom,
Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Operation New Dawn, and
Operation Noble Eagle. ==Lineage==