:
For related history, see 438th Air Expeditionary Group Air Force Reserve In 1949
Continental Air Command reorganized its reserve units under the
wing base organization, which placed support units under the same headquarters as the combat group they supported. As part of this reorganization, the
438th Troop Carrier Wing was activated at
Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The wing absorbed the resources of the
381st Bombardment Group, which was simultaneously inactivated at Offutt. The wing trained under the 2473d Air Force Reserve Training Center for troop carrier operations with the C-46, but also flew the
North American T-6 Texan trainer. All combat units of the Air Force Reserve were ordered to active service for the
Korean War. The 438th was called up in the second wave of mobilizations on 10 March 1951. Its personnel were used to man other organizations, primarily those of
Strategic Air Command, and it was inactivated on 14 March 1951. Its aircraft were distributed to other organizations as well. Little more than a year later the wing was redesignated the
438th Fighter-Bomber Wing and activated at
Billy Mitchell Field, Wisconsin, replacing the 924th Reserve Training Wing there. The reserve mobilization for the Korean War, however, had left the Reserve without airplanes, and the unit did not receive aircraft until July 1952. When it finally began to receive its planes, they were World War II era
North American F-51 Mustangs, which would serve until the group's
Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars arrived. In 1957 the group began to upgrade to the
North American F-86 Sabre. However, its time with this plane would be short. By 1956, 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 Continental Air Command to convert three fighter bomber wings to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. The wing inactivated one of its squadrons on in July and completed its inactivation on 16 November 1957, when most of its personnel transferred to the
440th Troop Carrier Group, which was simultaneously activated.
Strategic Airlift of 438 MAW in 1970 The
438th Military Airlift Wing replaced the
1611th Air Transport Wing at
McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey in January 1966, equipped with
Lockheed C-141 Starlifters. For the next 30 years, the 438th MAW and transported military cargo, mail and passengers worldwide, particularly in the Eastern United States, Atlantic, European and Mediterranean areas, with frequent special missions to the Arctic, the Antarctic, South America, the Far East, and to Southeast Asia combat areas during the
Vietnam War. On 1 December 1991, the wing was redesignated as the
438th Airlift Wing and implemented objective wing. On 1 June 1992, it was assigned to the new
Air Mobility Command.
Post Cold War On 1 October 1993, the 30th AS was moved without personnel or equipment (w/o/p/e) to the 374th Operations Group,
Yokota AB, Japan, replacing the 20th AS as part of the Air Force illustrious units realignment. It was replaced by the 13th Airlift Squadron at McGuire which was transferred without personnel or equipment from the 18th Operations Group,
Kadena AB,
Okinawa. A
KC-10 air refueling squadron, the 2d ARS, was assigned to the wing from the former 2d Bomb Wing at
Barksdale AFB,
Louisiana as part of a major Air Force realignment on 1 October 1994 to have KC-10 bases with two squadrons of 10 aircraft each. On 1 October 1994, the 438th Airlift Wing was inactivated, being replaced at McGuire by the
305th Air Mobility Wing which was transferred from
Grissom AFB,
Indiana when Grissom was transferred after a
Base Realignment and Closure decision to the
Air Force Reserve Command as
Grissom ARB.
Iraq and Afghanistan The
438th Air Expeditionary Group was activated after the
September 11 terror attacks in 2001. Its people fought in Iraq and trained Iraqis and then moved to Afghanistan to train Afghan airmen at bases around the country. Units in Afghanistan included: •
438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group (
Kabul International Airport) • 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (
Mi-17 and
Mi-35 training) • 439th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (mission support advisors) • 440th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (maintenance advisors) •
538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, (
C-208,
C-130) •
738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group (
Kandahar Airfield) •
441st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (
Mi-17 training) • 442d Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (
Mi-17 training) There was formerly a third group active at
Shindand Airfield: •
838th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group •
445th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (base communications) •
801st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (helicopters) • 802d Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (training trainers and maintainers) •
803th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (fixed-wing, was 444th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron) • Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron (ESFS) In 2014 the wing won the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence in Maintenance Training, Advice, and Assistance of Foreign Security Forces Award in the operational (large) category. ==Lineage==