Fresh out of the Boeing paint hangar The Spirit of  New Jersey will soon be flown on a series of test flights before delivery the its final customer, the USAF's 305th Air Mobility Wing McGuire Air Force Base, NJ

The “Spirit of New Jersey” the first C-17 for the 305th Air Mobility Wing takes off from Long Beach, CA., headed to its home at McGuire Air Force Base, NJ, on September 24, 2004. The Aircraft was piloted by Colonel J.J. Jackson, Commander of 305th AMW.

Onlookers welcome the "Spirit of New Jersey" to it's new home during the Bases arrival ceremony.  

Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Kenny of the 6th Airlift Squadron displays the American and 6th Airlift Squadron flags aboard the final C-141B Starlifter to leave McGuire AFB on Sept. 16 2004. The C-141, S/N 64-0633 is heading to permanent storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ.

On September 16, 2004 the last two active-duty C-141B StarLifters in the U.S. Air Force inventory flew their final flights into retirement at the Arizona Boneyard. The Aircraft S/N 67-0012 and 64-0633 had been assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing's 6th Airlift Squadron based at McGuire AFB, NJ. 

McGuire's former airlift Wing 438th MAW, received it's first C-141A S/N 66-7947, aptly named at the "Golden State Starlifter", on August 8, 1967. The Golden State Starlifter served all but four years at McGuire, and will become a permanent display on the base and serve as a C-141 time capsule packed with Starlifter related items.    

Lineage

Established as 305th Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 20 Dec 1950. Activated on 2 Jan 1951. Redesignated: 305th Air Refueling Wing on 1 Jan 1970; 305th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, on 1 Feb 1978; 305th Air Refueling Wing on 1 Sep 1991; 305th Air Mobility Wing on 1 Oct 1994.

Assignments

Second Air Force, 2 Jan 1951; 6th Air Division, 10 Feb 1951 (attached to 7th Air Division, 4 Sep–5 Dec 1953; 5th Air Division, 3 Nov 1955–8 Jan 1956 and 7 Jan–8 Mar 1957); Second Air Force, 1 Jun 1959; 17th Air Division, 15 Jul 1959; 19th Air Division, 1 Jan 1961; 825th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Sep 1964; 42d Air Division, l Jan 1970; 40th Air Division, 1 Jul 1973; 42d Air Division, 1 Dec 1982; Eighth Air Force, 16 Jun 1988; Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Sep 1991; Twenty-First Air Force, 1 Jul 1993–.

Components

Groups. 305th Bombardment (later, 305th Operations): 2 Jan 1951–16 Jun 1952; 1 Sep 1991–15 Oct 1993; 1 Oct 1994–. 458th Operations: 1 Oct 1994– 1 Jul 1995.

Squadrons.  2 Air Refueling: 1 Jul 1995-. 3d Airborne Command and Control: 1 Apr 1970–31 Dec 1975. 6 Airlift: 1 Oct 1994-. 13 Airlift: 1 Oct 1994-. 18 Airlift: 1 Oct 1994-1 Jul 1995. 32 Air Refueling: 1 Jul 1995-. 33 Reconnaissance (later, 422 Bombardment): 1 Mar 1942-25 Dec 1946. 46 Air Refueling: 1 Jun 1992-8 Oct 1993. 68th Air Refueling: 1 Jun 1959–25 Mar 1965. 70 Air Refueling: 1 Sep 1991-1 Apr 1993.  305th Air Refueling: attached 2 Jul 1951–15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952–1 May 1959 (detached 4 Jan–c. 16 Apr 1955); assigned 25 Mar 1965–1 Sep 1991. 364th: attached 10 Feb 1951–15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952–1 Jan 1970. 365th: attached 10 Feb 1951–15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952–1 Jan 1970. 366th: attached 10 Feb 1951–15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952–1 Jan 1970. 422d: 1 Jan–l Oct 1959; 8 Mar 1960–15 Feb 1961. 423: attached 16 Jul-25 Dec 1946. 905 Air Refueling: 1 Jun 1992-1 Jul 1993. 920 Air Refueling: 1 Jun-30 Sep 1992.

Stations

MacDill AFB, FL, 2 Jan 1951; Bunker Hill (later, Grissom) AFB, IN, 1 Jun 1959; McGuire AFB, NJ, 1 Oct 1994–.

Aircraft

B-17, 1942-1946; B-18, 1942; B-24, 1942; UC-64, 1946, B–29, 1951–1953; KC–97, 1951–1959; B–47, 1952–1961; RB–47, 1958; KC–135, 1959–1994; B/TB–58, 1961–1970; EC–135, 1966–1992; KC-10, 1994-; C-141, 1994-.

Operations

Established at MacDill AFB, FL, during the Korean war. Conducted strategic bombardment training, Feb 1951–Feb 1953. Added a refueling mission in Jul 1951. Converted to B–47s in late 1952. Deployed overseas three times, once to England (Sep–Dec 1953) and twice to North Africa (Nov 1955–Jan 1956 and Jan–Mar 1957), in keeping with its mission of global bombardment and air refueling operations. Two wing B–47s set speed records on 28 Jul l953 when one flew from Goose Bay, Labrador, to Fairford RAF Station, England, in 4:14 hours and the other flew from Limestone AFB, ME, to Fairford RAF Station in 4:45 hours. Moved to Indiana in Jun 1959 and assumed responsibility for operating Bunker Hill (later, Grissom) AFB, IN. Converted from KC–97 to KC–135 tankers in 1959 and from B–47 to B/TB–58 bombers in 1961, continuing its global bombardment and refueling mission. A wing B–58 set a new speed record on 16 Oct 1963 by flying from Tokyo, Japan, to London, England (via Alaska and Greenland), in 8:35 hours at an average speed of 938 mph. The wing operated a B–58 combat crew training school, Aug 1965–Dec 1969, and gained an EC–135 post–attack command control system (PACCS) mission in mid-1966. The 305th lost all of its bombardment units in Jan 1970 and thereafter concentrated on air refueling and PACCS support. From the early 1970s, supported worldwide tanker task forces by deploying KC–135 aircraft to Europe, Alaska, Greenland, and the Pacific. Provided tanker refueling support to units involved in the invasion of Grenada (Oct 1983) and the restoration of democracy in Panama (Dec 1989). From Aug 1990 to Jun 1991 deployed personnel and aircraft to provide refueling support for air operations to and in Southwest Asia. Wing also delivered food to the Kurds in Northern Iraq, Apr–May 1991. Lost its PACCS EC–135 mission in May 1992, and KC-135's in July 1994 as Grissom AFB began drawdown for closure in 1994. The 305th Air Refueling Wing moved to McGuire Air Force Base, NJ, on September 30, 1994, without personnel and equipment. At McGuire, the 438th Airlift Wing and 305th Air Refueling Wing were redesignated the 305th Air Mobility Wing on 1 October 1994. 

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. None.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Grenada, 1983.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan–1954–1 Mar 1957; 1 Jul 1972– 30 Jun 1973; 1 Jul 1973–30 Jun 1974; 1 Jul 1975–30 Jun 1977; 1 Jul 1979– 30 Jun 1980; 1 Jun 1990–31 May 1992.

Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 305th Operations Group prior to 2 Jan 1951.

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe, Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: France, 4 Apr 1943; Germany, 11 Jan 1944.

Emblem

Azure, a dexter gauntlet bendwise Argent (Silver Gray) winged Or grasping a sheaf of three arrows of the like, all within a diminished bordure of the last. Approved on 15 Jun 1994; replaced emblems approved on 13 Apr 1978 (KE 66596); 24 Mar 1970 (KE 36036); and 4 Mar 1958 (42164 AC).

On September 24, 2004 the 305th AMW, McGuire AFB became the 5th USAF unit to receive the C-17, the  New Jersey based Wing will receive 13 new Globemaster III’s to replace the 17 C-141B’s of the 6th Airlift Squadron. In June 2003 the AMC opened it’s first C-17 Weapon Instructors Course (WIC) at McGuire AFB to fine-tune the war fighting skills of AMC C-17 Instructor Pilots. The decision to create the C-17 Weapon Instructors Course (WIC) was made by the Air Force in late 2002, and modeled after similar schooling at other bases for the C-130 Hercules (at Little Rock AFB, AR) and the KC-135 Stratotankers (Fairchild AFB, WA). The three courses will combine to become the U.S. Air Force Mobility Weapons School, which also debuts in July 2003 and is headquartered at Fairchild AFB.

The WIC runs for nearly a half-year and covers 325 hours of classroom instruction and 135 flight hours on 25 flights. Four areas will be covered:

• Advanced tactical maneuvering- to study flying and threat-reduction technique

• Direct delivery- to study air-drop, air-refueling and landing technique

• Joint operations- to study large airborne operations with Army paratroopers

• Mission employment- two weeks at Nellis AFB in Nevada for large scale simulations.