375th Air Mobility Wing

375th Air Mobility Wing
Unit name	375th Air Mobility Wing
Caption	Emblem of the 375th Air Mobility Wing
Dates	1942–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Air mobility, airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation
Garrison	Scott Air Force Base
Nickname	"The Scott AFB Wing"

375th Air Mobility Wing is an operational wing of the United States Air Force assigned to Eighteenth Air Force and stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The wing provides global air mobility, aeromedical evacuation, and contingency response in support of United States Transportation Command and allied operations. It traces lineage to World War II groups that participated in strategic airlift and air transport supporting campaigns and peacetime missions.

History

Activated during World War II, the unit's antecedents served in strategic airlift and training missions supporting the European Theater of Operations, Mediterranean Theater of Operations, and postwar Air Transport Command requirements. During the Cold War, the wing supported theater deployments, Berlin Airlift-era logistics, and later contingency operations tied to NATO commitments and Department of Defense mobility initiatives. In the post–Cold War era the wing participated in operations linked to Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope, and operations in the Global War on Terrorism including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The wing evolved through multiple redesignations reflecting transitions between Military Airlift Command, Air Mobility Command, and modular mobility structures aligned with United States Transportation Command.

Mission and Role

The wing's mission centers on executing airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation, and contingency response to support United States Northern Command, United States Central Command, and allied partners. It sustains strategic and tactical mobility for combatant commanders, provides aeromedical casualty movement in coordination with Defense Health Agency, and supports national-level requirements for humanitarian assistance such as disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina or international evacuations like those during the Lebanese Civil War aftermath. The wing integrates with joint logistics networks tied to Military Sealift Command and joint basing initiatives under Base Realignment and Closure processes.

Organization and Units

The wing is composed of operations, maintenance, mission support, and medical groups that align with numbered squadrons and specialized detachments. Key subordinate elements historically include airlift squadrons, aeromedical evacuation squadrons, and contingency response forces that coordinate with theater airlift hubs like Ramstein Air Base, McGuire Air Force Base, and Travis Air Force Base. Command relationships extend to higher headquarters including Air Mobility Command and operational tasking from United States Transportation Command. The wing works alongside units from the Illinois Air National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve, and host-wing partners at Scott Air Force Base.

Aircraft and Equipment

Throughout its history the wing operated a succession of transport and tanker aircraft including strategic airlifters and tactical transports. Platforms associated with the wing and its predecessors include legacy types like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Douglas C-54 Skymaster, and postwar transports such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and strategic airlifters like the C-5 Galaxy. In the air refueling and aeromedical roles, crews trained on tankers such as the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and modern mobility platforms including the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus. The wing also employed specialized aeromedical evacuation configurations, loading systems derived from Container System Unit standards, and mission planning suites interoperable with Global Command and Control System frameworks.

Bases and Facilities

Headquartered at Scott Air Force Base near Belleville, Illinois, the wing benefits from proximity to key military transportation and logistics organizations such as U.S. Transportation Command headquarters and the Defense Logistics Agency. Scott AFB hosts joint basing facilities, airfield infrastructure supporting heavy airlift, and medical evacuation coordination centers linked to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and theater evacuation nodes. The wing has forward operating locations and contingency staging areas at strategic hubs including Incirlik Air Base, Al Udeid Air Base, and rotational presence at Andersen Air Force Base.

Operations and Deployments

The wing sustained continuous global operations supporting combatant commanders in operations ranging from large-scale conflicts like Operation Desert Storm to humanitarian relief missions under United Nations mandates and bilateral engagements. Deployments have included theater airlift for Coalition forces, aeromedical evacuation for wounded service members transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and airlift of strategic cargo in support of exercises such as Operation Bright Star and Reforger. The wing routinely participates in joint and combined exercises with allied forces from United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and South Korea to validate mobility concepts and readiness.

Insignia and Traditions

The wing's emblem and heraldry reflect its air mobility heritage, aeromedical mission, and ties to Scott Air Force Base history. Traditions include unit ceremonies, change-of-command events with participation by dignitaries from Department of the Air Force, and lineage observances tied to campaign streamers from World War II and later operations. The wing preserves historical artifacts and maintains associations with veteran groups from predecessor units that served in major campaigns like the Italian Campaign and transatlantic airlift operations.

Category:Units and formations of the United States Air Force Category:Air mobility wings of the United States Air Force