Lineage. Established as 374 Troop Carrier Wing, Heavy, on 10 Aug 1948. Activated on 17 Aug 1948. Inactivated on 1 Jul 1957. Redesignated 374 Troop Carrier Wing, and activated, on 27 Jun 1966. Organized on 8 Aug 1966. Redesignated: 374 Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 Aug 1967; 374 Airlift Wing on 1 Apr 1992.
Assignments.
Marianas Air Materiel Area (Provisional), 17 Aug 1948 (attached to Twentieth Air Force, 17 Aug 1948-): Marianas Air Materiel Area, 1 Feb 1949 (remained attached to Twentieth Air Force to 5 Mar 1949); Fifth Air Force, 5 Mar 1949 (attached to 1 Troop Carrier Task Force [Provisional], 5-9 Sep 1950; Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command, Provisional, 10 Sep 1950-); 314 Air Division, 1 Dec 1950 (remained attached to Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command, Provisional, to 25 Jan 1951); 315 Air Division (Combat Cargo), 25 Jan 1951-1 Jul 1957. Pacific Air Forces, 27 Jun 1966; 315 Air Division (Combat Cargo), 8 Aug 1966; 313 Air Division, 1 Nov 1968; 327 Air Division, 31 May 1971; Thirteenth Air Force, 15 Nov 1973; Twenty-Second Air Force, 31 Mar 1975; 834 Airlift Division, 1 Oct 1978; Fifth Air Force, 1 Apr 1992-Present.
Components.
Groups.
1st Troop Carrier Group, Medium (Provisional) (later, Troop Carrier Group [Medium], No. 1, Provisional): attached 26 Aug 1950-10 Jan 1951. 316th Tactical Airlift: 1 Oct 1978-1 Oct 1989. 374th Troop Carrier (later, 374th Operations): 17 Aug 1948-1 Jul 1957; 1 Apr 1992-. 36th Airlift Squadron: 1 Oct 1993 - Present. 459th Airlift Squadron: 1 Oct 1993 - Present
Squadrons.
6th Troop Carrier: attached 3 Feb 1956-1 Jul 1957. 7th Air Command and Control: 22 May 1974-31 Mar 1975 (detached). 13th Military Airlift: 1 Oct 1987-1 Apr 1992. 20th Operations (later, 20 Aeromedical Airlift): 31 Mar 1975-1 Apr 1992. 21st Troop Carrier (later, 21 Tactical Airlift; 21 Airlift): attached 29 Jun 1951-28 Mar 1952; attached 3 Feb 1956-1 Jul 1957; assigned 8 Aug 1966-1 Apr 1992. 22d Troop Carrier: attached 3 Feb 1956-1 Jul 1957. 35th Tactical Airlift: 8 Aug 1966-31 Mar 1971. 36th Tactical Airlift: attached 16 May-1 Sep 1972. 37th Tactical Airlift: attached 29 Nov 1972-28 Feb 1973. 38th Tactical Airlift: attached 1 Sep-29 Nov 1972. 41st Tactical Airlift: 8 Aug 1966-28 Feb 1971. Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium), No. 47, Provisional: attached 10-26 Jan 1951. 50th Tactical Airlift: assigned 31 May 1971-15 Aug 1973; attached 28 Apr-c. 6 Jun 1975. 61st Tactical Airlift: attached 16 May-1 Sep 1972. 345th Tactical Airlift: 31 May 1971-1 Oct 1978; 1 Oct 1989-1 Apr 1992. 772d Tactical Airlift: attached c. 10 May-6 Jun 1973. 773d Tactical Airlift: attached 28 Feb-c. 10 May 1973. 776th Tactical Airlift: 31 May 1971-31 Oct 1975. 815th Tactical Airlift: 1 Nov 1968-15 Dec 1969 (detached 1 Nov 1968-1 Apr 1969). 817th Tactical Airlift: 8 Aug 1966-15 Jun 1970. 1403d Military Airlift: 1 Oct 1989-1 Apr 1992. 6475th (later, 6037th) Flying Training: attached 25 Nov 1954-18 May 1955. 6485th Operations: attached 17 Sep 1956-1 Jul 1957.
Units.
6142d Air Transport: attached 1 Aug-1 Oct 1950. 6143d Air Transport: attached 26 Jul-1 Oct 1950. 6144th Air Transport: attached 26 Jul-1 Oct 1950.
Detachments.
Royal Thailand Air Force Detachment: attached 1953-1 Jul 1957.
Stations.
Harmon AFB, Guam, 17 Aug 1948; Tachikawa (later, Tachikawa AB), Japan, 5 Mar 1949-1 Jul 1957. Naha AB, Okinawa, 8 Aug 1966; Ching Chaun Kang AB, Taiwan, 31 May 1971; Clark AB, Philippines, 15 Nov 1973; Yokota AB, Japan, 1 Oct 1989-.
Commanders.
Col Charles K. Moore, 17 Aug 1948; Col James C. Jensen, Feb 1949; Col Troy W. Crawford, 19 Jun 1949; Col Charles W. Howe, Sep 1951; Col James W. Chapman Jr., 9 Aug 1952; Col Adriel N. Williams, 1 Mar 1954; Col Francis W. Williams, 16 Jun 1956; Col James R. Haun, 22 Jun-1 Jul 1957. None (not manned), 27 Jun-7 Aug 1966; Col John R. Neal, 8 Aug 1966; Col Russell D. Crane, 16 Jun 1967; Brig Gen Kelton M. Farris, 25 Jan 1969; Col Noble F. Greenhill Jr., 11 Jul 1970; Col Andrew P. Iosue, 31 May 1971; Col James I. Baginski, 18 May 1973; Col Albert M. Navas, 12 Feb 1975; Col James I. Baginski, 24 Apr 1975; Col Albert M. Navas, 1 Aug 1975; Col Gary G. Boettcher, 15 Aug 1977; Col Jimmy L. Maturo, 29 Aug 1977; Col James H. Mahew, 1 Oct 1978 (temporary); Col Browning C. Wharton Jr., 31 Oct 1978; Col James W. Alexander, 27 Jun 1980; Col Frank E. Willis, 8 Jun 1981; Col Lowell G. Fathera, 11 Feb 1983; Col Frank Cardile, 27 Jun 1985; Col Robert Y. Foerster, 21 Apr 1988; Col George R. Durham Jr., 25 Jul 1990; Brig Gen Michael J. McCarthy, 11 Jun 1992; Brig Gen Kenneth W. Hess, 30 Aug 1994; Col Edward L. Fountaine, 13 Nov 1995; Col Alan J. Briding, 28 Feb 1997; Col Mark A. Volcheff, 14 Aug 1998; Col Mark R. Zamzow, 11 Jan 2000; Brig Gen Mark E. Stearns, 25 Oct 2001; Col Mark O. Schisslor, 15 Jul 2003; Col Scott P. Goodwin, 1 Jun 2005; Col John F. Newell III, 19 Jul 2007; Col John M. Hicks, 14 Apr 2009; Col Paul E. Feather, 15 May 2010; Col Mark R. August, 29 June 2012; Col Douglas C. DeLaMater 26 June 2014; Col Kenneth C. Moss, 24 June 2016; Col Otis Jones, 20 July 2020; Col Andrew Campbell, 22 June 2020
Aircraft.
C-54, 1948-1956, 1956-1957; C-46, 1949, 1950-1951, 1956-1957; C-47, 1951-1957; C-124, 1952-1957; C-119, 1951, 1956-1957; VB-17, 1951. C-130, 1966-1971; 1971-; C-9, 1975-1992, 1992-2003; C-12, 1984-1993; C-21, 1985-2007; UH-1, 1992-; C-12, 2007-; C-130J, 2017-.
Operations.
The 374th Wing operated Harmon Field, Guam, Aug 1948-Mar 1949, and provided troop carrier operations in the Pacific and Far East. It moved to Japan in Mar 1949, and assumed control over Tachikawa (later, Tachikawa AB), operating this facility until 1 Jan 1956. Until the outbreak of war in Korea in Jun 1950, it performed routine transport operations. With assigned and attached components, the wing performed combat airlift, airdrops, and aeromedical evacuation in Korea throughout the war. It also flew courier flights throughout the Pacific area. In Apr 1953, it transported the first of several groups of repatriated prisoners of war from Korea to Japan (Operation Little Switch), and subsequently transported United Nations prisoners of war (Operation Big Switch) from North Korea. Following hostilities, the wing resumed its normal troop carrier and airlift operations in the Far East and Pacific area, including participation in tactical exercises and humanitarian missions. In Indo-China in 1954, the wing transported observers, maintenance personnel, and liaison officers and evacuated wounded French troops. It trained C-46 pilots of the Japanese Air Self Defense Force, Nov 1954-May 1955. Nine years later, in Aug 1966, it was activated at Naha AB, Okinawa, and assumed a mission of airlift to Southeast Asia, as well as intra-theater airlift for elements of the Pacific Command. In addition, the wing supported Army Special Forces training, participated in tactical exercises, and flew search and rescue and humanitarian missions as needed. The wing had no aircraft from 27 Apr to 31 May 1971. It was revived with new resources in Taiwan and remained heavily committed in support of operations in Southeast Asia, and also continued routine airlift in other areas. One of the wing's humanitarian missions--flood relief in the Philippines--earned it a Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation in 1972. The wing provided support in Mar 1973 for Operation Homecoming, the repatriation of American prisoners from Hanoi, North Vietnam. It maintained a forward operating location in Thailand until mid-1976. The 374th participated in Operation Baby Lift (evacuation of Vietnam orphans) and Operation NewLife (evacuation of Vietnamese refugees) in Apr 1975. During the recovery of the SS Mayaguez from the Cambodians in May 1975, a wing aircraft dropped a 15,000-lb bomb on Koh Tang Island to create a helicopter landing area. On 31 Mar 1975, the 374th gained an aeromedical airlift mission in the Far East. In Oct 1978, it added a tactical airlift group to control the wing's units in Japan and South Korea, and continued controlling aerial port facilities in South Korea until Nov 1983, and then in the Philippines and Japan. It began supporting US Navy elements in the Indian Ocean area in 1980. From 30 Dec 1990-6 Jul 1991, the wing deployed C-130s and associated aircrews and support personnel for operations in Southwest Asia, and from 8 Jun-1 Jul 1991 provided airlift and aeromedical airlift for the evacuation of Clark AB, Philippines, after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. From 1992 to present, the 374th Airlift Wing conducted special operations, aeromedical evacuations, search and rescue operations, humanitarian relief and theater airlift missions in support of US and United Nations security interests throughout the Far East. In 1996, the 374th deployed portions of the Air Transportable Hospital to Andersen AFB, Guam to assist in Operation Pacific Haven, migrant operations of more than 2000 Kurdish nationals. The 374th Airlift Wing deployed to Utapao RTAFB, Thailand from 28 Dec 04-26 Jan 05 as part of Operation Unified Assistance, distributing humanitarian supplies to people and eleven nations devastated by an earthquake triggered tsunami.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers.
Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea Summer 1953.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations.
Presidential Unit Citation: Vietnam, 8 Aug 1967-7 Aug 1968. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 12 Feb-17 May 1975. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 1 Jul 1951-27 Jul 1953. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966-28 Jan 1973. Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation: 21 Jul-15 Aug 1972.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 8 Aug 1966-7 Aug 1967; 1 Jul 1983-30 Jun 1985; 30 Sep 1992-1 Oct 1994; 1 Oct 1994-30 Sep 1996; 1 Oct 1996-30 Sep 1997; 1 Oct 1998-30 Sep 2000; 1 Oct 2000-30 Sep 2002; 1 Oct 2003-30 Sep 2005; 2 Nov 2006-1 Nov 2008; 2 Nov 2008-1 Nov 2009.
Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 374th Troop Carrier Group prior to 17 Aug 1948.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers.
World War II: Air Offensive, Japan; Papua; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines.
Decorations.
Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, 12 Nov-22 Dec 1942; Papua, [Nov] 1942-23 Jan 1943; Wau, New Guinea, 30 Jan-1 Feb 1943. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.
(Current as of June 2010)