153d Airlift Wing

Airlift mission

The most dramatic change came for the Wyoming unit in 1961 when it changed from an Air Defense Command Fighter-Interceptor unit to flying C-119 Flying Boxcars and airlifting medical patients, with the newly designated 187th Aeromedical Transport Squadron becoming part of Military Air Transport Service (MATS).

On 21 June 1963 the 187th received Lockheed C-121 Super Constellation aircraft and expanded its military airlift role to worldwide mission capabilities. Entering the realm of Southeast Asia and the Vietnam War, the Wyoming Air Guard flew its first mission into the Southeast Asia theater combat zone in late 1964, and continued to do so throughout the Vietnam War years. In January 1966, the unit became the 153d Military Airlift Group [153d MAG], under the Military Airlift Command.

In 1972, the 187th received its first turboprop Lockheed C-130B Hercules aircraft, and became a tactical airlift squadron. The C-130 has proven to be one of the toughest and most versatile aircraft ever built, and which the unit continues to fly over 40 years later. In 1975, the Wyoming Air Guard was selected for the unique role of aerial fire fighting. Two Wyoming C-130s were equipped with Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) and began water/fire retardant bombing of fires throughout the United States. Those fire fighting mission still continue through the present.

In the meantime, the 153d Tactical Airlift Group expanded to regularly flying missions with the US Southern Command out of Howard AFB, Panama, as part of Operation Phoenix Oak. From supplying embassies in Central and South America, to searching for sinking ships in the middle of tropical storms, the Wyoming C-130s and aircrews have carried out military and humanitarian missions, right up to the present day. Those missions continued through Operation Just Cause in 1989-90 when Panama was designated a combat zone.

Beginning 5 August 1990, the first day of Operation Desert Shield, and into Operation Desert Storm the Wyoming Air Guard flew continental U.S. and Central and South America missions. During that time, the Wyoming 187th Aeromedical Evacuation Flight and the 153d Clinic were both activated by order of the President of the United States, with a large number of those medical personnel being sent to Saudi Arabia. After the hostilities, Wyoming Guard members continued with Operation Provide Comfort, which supplied humanitarian aid to Kurdish people displaced by the Iraqi military.

In April 1997 the Wyoming 153d Airlift Wing was reassigned to the Air Mobility Command, and continued its federal and state airlift, fire fighting, and humanitarian missions. From 10 November – 5 December 1997, the Wyoming Air National Guard flew 250 airborne fire-fighting missions in the jungles of Indonesia as Operation Thrust Rapid, No. 1. This was the first time U.S. airborne fire fighting had ever been done outside of the continental U.S.

Global war on terrorism

As with the rest of the U.S. military, the wing's focus changed abruptly on 11 September 2001. Responding immediately, the 153 AW became the first unit to resume flying, by answering the call to ferry blood donations around the western United States. By the end of September virtually all of the 153rd Security Forces Squadron had been called to active duty and assigned to active Air Force bases. As a result, numerous individuals volunteered to be activated as security forces augmentees, an assignment that lasted half a year for many. Three others volunteered for temporary civilian airport security duties.

As the global war on terrorism expanded to include operations in Iraq and continued operations in Afghanistan, the 153rd Airlift Wing repeatedly answered the nations call. In addition to its ongoing commitment to MAFFS, Operation Joint Forge in Europe, and Coronet Oak in Latin America, the 153 AW maintained a two-year-long, two-aircraft commitment to Operation Iraqi Freedom during 2004–2005.

In 2006 and 2007 the unit returned to Afghanistan for two and three aircraft Aerospace Expeditionary Force rotations. On the home front, the end of 2007 found four aircraft responding to the great 2007 California wildfires.

In Cheyenne the period 2004-2007 witnessed the 153rd receiving a remodeled dining facility, a new petroleum oils and lubricants facility, a new air operations building for air traffic control and aerial port, and approval of a new squadrons operations building. Numerous temporary modular buildings also supported the unit.

The time period 2006-2007 also witnessed a unique combination of active duty and National Guard forces in Cheyenne. In July 2006 the 30th Airlift Squadron, an active duty unit, stood up in Cheyenne, under the operational direction of the 153rd. Known as an active associate unit, the addition of the 30th resulted in the 153rd receiving an additional four C-130 aircraft during 2007, and increased the wing's aircraft strength from eight to twelve aircraft.

Assignments

• 140th Air Defense Wing, 1 Jul 1957
• Wyoming Air National Guard, 1 January 1961

Gained by: 34th Air Division, Air Defense Command

Gained by: Western Transport Air Force, (WESTAF), Military Air Transport Service, 1 May 1961

Gained by: Twenty-Second Air Force, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966

Gained by: Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992

Gained by: Air Mobility Command, 1 June 1993 – present

Components

• 153d Operations Group, 1 October 1995 – Present
• 187th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (later 187th Aeromedical Transport Squadron, 187th Air Transport Squadron, 187th Military Airlift Squadron, 187th Tactical Airlift Squadron, 187th Airlift Squadron, 1 July 1957 – 1 October 1995

Stations

• Cheyenne Municipal Airport, Wyoming, 1 July 1957

Designated: Cheyenne Air National Guard Base, Wyoming, 1991 – present

Aircraft

Notes

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980). Archived 13 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0
• 153d Airlift Wing (official website)
• http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/153aw.htm

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