Need for reserve troop carrier groups During the first half of 1955, the Air Force began 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.
Continental Air Command (ConAC)'s plan called for placing Air Force Reserve units at fifty-nine installations located throughout the United States. When these relocations were completed in 1959, reserve wing headquarters and wing support elements would typically be on one base, along with one (or in some cases two) of the wing's flying squadrons, while the remaining flying squadrons were spread over thirty-five Air Force, Navy and civilian airfields under what was called the Detached Squadron Concept. Although this dispersal was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during the
Berlin Crisis of 1961 To resolve this, at the start of 1962, ConAC determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing
groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed. However, as this plan was entering its implementation phase, another partial mobilization occurred for the
Cuban Missile Crisis, with the units being released on 22 November 1962. The formation of troop carrier groups occurred in January 1963 for units that had not been mobilized, but was delayed until February for those that had been.
Activation of 914th Troop Carrier Group As a result, the
914th Troop Carrier Group was established at
Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania on 11 February 1963, Along with group headquarters, a Combat Support Squadron, Materiel Squadron and a Tactical Infirmary were organized to support the 328th. The group's mission was to organize, recruit and train Air Force Reserve personnel in the tactical airlift of airborne forces, their equipment and supplies and delivery of these forces and materials by airdrop, landing or cargo extraction systems. The group was equipped with
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars for
Tactical Air Command airlift operations. The 914th was one of three C-119 groups assigned to the
512th Troop Carrier Wing in 1963, the others being the
912th and
913th Troop Carrier Groups at
Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The group trained for and participated in air transport of
airborne forces, equipment and supplies with delivery by
airdrop, extraction, and airlanding, as well as air evacuation within a
theater of
operations. It provided airlift to Southeast Asia during the
Vietnam War and for other contingency operations, as well as numerous
humanitarian missions. Beginning in 1978 the 914th supported the
U.S. Southern Command by periodically fulfilling airlift requirements throughout Latin America. Between September 1990 and April 1991 the group deployed all aircraft and numerous aircrews and support personnel to
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to provide airlift in support of the war in Southwest Asia, including a
tactical resupply airdrop to troops of the
XVIII Airborne Corps. A 314th crew provided the first
medevac mission of the war. Other personnel deployed to Saudi Arabia and backfilled positions in the U.S. and Europe. Since the early 1990s the wing has frequently deployed personnel in support of contingency operations in Southwest Asia and the
Balkans. in 2010 Following recommendations from the
Base Realignment and Closure program, the wing's
Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft were pooled with the
107th Airlift Wing of the
New York Air National Guard, also stationed at Niagara Falls. In 2014, the
107th Airlift Wing began transition to their new mission. In 2016, the 914th was identified for a change of mission and aircraft. ==Lineage==