633d Air Base Wing

This article is about the 633d Air Base Wing. For the 633d Special Operations Wing, see 633d Special Operations Wing.
633d Air Base Wing

Members of the 633d Air Base Wing participate in Exercise Eagle Flag
Active 1966–1970; 1989–1994; 2010–present
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Support for Air Force and Army units
Garrison/HQ Joint Base Langley-Eustis
Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat V device
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
633d Air Base Wing emblem (Approved 25 June 1993)[1]

The United States Air Force's 633rd Air Base Wing is the host organization for Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. Its headquarters are at Langley Air Force Base. The unification of support for Langley and Fort Eustis was directed by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

The wing was first activated at Pleiku Air Base, where it supported special operations and forward air control units in the Central Highlands of South Viet Nam. It served as the host organization for Anderson Air Force Base on Guam when that base was transferred from Strategic Air Command to Pacific Air Forces in 1989 until it was replaced by the 36th Air Base Wing in 1994.

History

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Viet Nam War

A-1E at Pleiku

The wing was originally organized as the 633d Combat Support Group at Pleiku Air Base in April 1966, when it took over the mission, personnel and equipment of the 6254th Combat Support Group, which was simultaneously discontinued. The 6254th had been organized on 8 July 1965 to provide security and maintenance support for Air Force organizations operating from Pleiku, primarily the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron.[2]

Operations at Pleiku expanded in February 1968, when the 6th Air Commando Squadron moved to Pleiku from England Air Force Base, Louisiana and began flying Douglas A-1 Skyraiders from the base.[3] The expanded operations resulted in the 633d Special Operations Wing being activated on 15 July 1968 from elements of the 14th Special Operations Wing and 1st Special Operations Wing personnel on temporary duty at Pleiku to command operations at Pleiku. The 633d Group was assigned to the 633d Wing upon its formation. The 633d Wing conducted strike missions and advised the South Vietnamese. The wing and group inactivated in March 1970 and Pleiku was turned over to the Vietnam Air Force.

Anderson Air Force Base

The group was redesignated the 633d Air Base Wing and was activated n 1 October 1989, when Pacific Air Forces took over Anderson Air Force Base, Guam from Strategic Air Command. The base replaced the 43d Combat Support Group, which was inactivated, although the 633d continued to support the 43d Bombardment Wing until it inactivated the following September.

In August 1990, 633d personnel began shipping more than 37,000 tons of munitions to forces in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. – More than 30,000 tons went by sealift, and more than 2,200 troops and 2,200 tons of cargo moved aboard 200 aircraft. Wing personnel cared for more than 20,000 people and 1,100 pets in June 1991 when Operation Fiery Vigil evacuated Americans from Luzon following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.

On 1 October 1994, the 633d inactivated and the 36th Air Base Wing was activated and absorbed its mission in keeping with the policy of the Air Force Chief of Staff to maintain the most highly decorated and longest-serving Air Force units on active duty.

Joint Base Support

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended the consolidation of support functions for military installations located close to one another. This consolidation included installations that served different services. Langley Air Force Base, a United States Air Force station and Fort Eustis, a United States Army post, are both located near Hampton, Virginia, and the commission recommended combining them into Joint Base Langley-Eustis. This recommendation was implemented on 7 January 2010, when the wing was reactivated, taking over support activities at Langley from the 1st Mission Support Group, which was inactivated.[4] Later that month, the 733d Mission Support Group was activated to manage support functions at Ft Eustis.

Lineage

Organized on 8 April 1966
Inactivated on 15 March 1970
Activated on 1 October 1989
Inactivated on 1 October 1994
Activated on 7 January 2010[1]

Assignments

Components

Groups
Squadrons
Other

Stations

Awards and campaigns

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device8 April 1966 – 30 April 1967633d Combat Support Group[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device15 July 1968 – 31 May 1969633d Combat Support Group[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award3 June 1990 – 1 June 1992633d Air Base Wing[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 August 1992 – 31 July 1994633d Air Base Wing[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 June 2014 – 31 May 2016633d Air Base Wing
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm[8] April 1966 – 15 March 1970633d Combat Support Group[1]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Vietnam Air8 April 1966 – 28 June 1966633d Combat Support Group[1]
Vietnam Air Offensive29 June 1966 – 8 March 1967633d Combat Support Group[1]
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II9 March 1967 – 31 March 1968633d Combat Support Group[1]
Vietnam Air/Ground22 January 1968 – 7 July 1968633d Combat Support Group[1]
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III1 April 1968 – 31 October 1968633d Combat Support Group[1]
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV1 November 1968 – 22 February 1969633d Combat Support Group[1]
Tet 1969/Counteroffensive23 February 1969 – 8 June 1969633d Combat Support Group[1]
Vietnam Summer-Fall 19699 June 1969 – 31 October 1969633d Combat Support Group[1]
Vietnam Winter-Spring 19703 November 1969 – 15 March 1970633d Combat Support Group[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Robertson, Patsy (March 9, 2010). "Factsheet 633 Air Base Wing (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  2. ↑ See Endicott, Judy G. (January 8, 2008). "Factsheet 19 Weapons Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved October 31, 2015. (19th Tactical Air Support Squadron operations)
  3. ↑ Robertson, Patsy (9 April 2015). "Factsheet 6 Special Operations Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  4. ↑ Brown, A1C Jason J. (January 8, 2010). "Historic 633d ABW activation begins new era at Langley". 633d Air Base Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 See "JBLE: Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Air Force Units". 633d Air Base Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved October 31, 2015. (listing 633d Air ase Wing units).

External links

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