Gene Duval                                                                                         BOEING

Boeing employees, Air Force Personnel,  State and local Government officials celebrate the first C-17 to be delivered to March ARB. P-138 (the 138th production C-17) is the first of eight to be based at the Air Reserve Base.

The first C-17 for March Air Reserve Base rolls out of the Long Beach, Calif., paint hangar late Tuesday (06 June 05) night. Boeing now begins preparation for the aircraft's first flight.

Boeing painter Mike Garcia applies ink to create the March Air Reserve Base tail flash on the C-17's huge tail.

The first C-17 to be based in California rolled out of the Boeing paint hangar late Tuesday night at the Long Beach, Calif., facility where the advanced airlifter is assembled. The aircraft is scheduled for delivery Aug. 9 to March Air Reserve Base in nearby Riverside - about 65 miles from Long Beach. Boeing crews now begin preparation for the aircraft's first flight. When delivered, the new jet will become the U.S. Air Force's 138th C-17.

March's first C-17 sports a unique "tail flash," identifying it as a March aircraft. The C-17, known as "P-138," will be the first of eight to be based at March. The other seven March C-17s will follow the first delivery, each one leaving the Long Beach C-17 delivery center approximately every three to four weeks. The C-17s will join the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March, where they will replace a squadron of retired C-141s.

Boeing is currently designing, building and delivering 180 C-17s on a multi-year contract that runs through 2008.

Lineage

Established as 452 Bombardment Wing, Light on 10 May 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to Active Service on 10 Aug 1950. Inactivated on 10 May 1952. Redesignated 452 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 6 Jun 1952. Activated in the Reserve on 13 Jun 1952. Redesignated: 452 Bombardment Wing, Tactical on 22 May 1955; 452 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 1 Jul 1957; 452 Military Airlift Wing on 1 Jul 1966; 452 Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 Apr 1972; 452 Air Refueling Wing on 1 Oct 1976; 452 Air Refueling Wing, Heavy on 8 Mar 1978; 452 Air Refueling Wing on 1 Feb 1992; 452 Air Mobility Wing on 1 May 1994.

Assignments

Fourth Air Force, 27 Jun 1949; Tactical Air Command, 10 Aug 1950; Fifth Air Force, 15 Nov 1950-10 May 1952 (attached to: 8 Fighter-Bomber Wing, 15-30 Nov 1950; 314 Air Division, 1 Dec 1950-25 May 1951). 4 Air Reserve District, 13 Jun 1952; Fourth Air Force, 1 Dec 1952; Sixth Air Force Reserve Region, 1 Sep 1960; Western Air Force Reserve Region, 31 Dec 1969; Tenth Air Force, 8 Oct 1976; Fourth Air Force, 1 Oct 1993-.

Components

Group. 98: 1 Aug 1992-1 Oct 1993. 452 Bombardment (later, 452 Tactical Reconnaissance; 452 Bombardment; 452 Troop Carrier; 452 Operations): 27 Jun 1949-10 May 1952; 13 Jun 1952-14 Apr 1959; 1 Aug 1992-. 507: 1-15 Apr 1994. 904: 31 Dec 1969-1 Sep 1975. 916: 1 Oct 1986-1 Jul 1987. 931: 1 Jul 1978-1 Jul 1987. 939 Tactical (later, 939 Military) Airlift: 26 Jan 1968-15 Jun 1969 (detached entire period). 940: 26 Jan 1968-1 Oct 1994. 942 Troop Carrier (later, 942 Air Transport; 942 Military Airlift): 17 Jan 1963-1 Jan 1972. 943 Troop Carrier (later, 943 Tactical Airlift): 17 Jan 1963-25 Apr 1969. 944 Troop Carrier (later, 944 Tactical Airlift; 944 Military Airlift): 17 Jan 1963-25 Jul 1969 (detached 25 Mar 1968-25 Jul 1969). 945: 17Jan 1963-1 Jul 1972 (detached 15 Feb-1 Jul 1972).

Squadrons. 77: 1 Oct 1985-1 Oct 1986. 78: 1 Nov 1981-1 Oct 1987. 79: 1 Sep 1982-1 Aug 1992. 336: 1 Sep 1975-1 Aug 1992. 728: 14 Apr 1959-17 Jan 1963. 729: 14 Apr 1959-17 Jan 1963. 730: 14 Apr 1959-17 Jan 1963. 733: 14 Apr 1959-28 Oct 1962; 28 Nov 1962-17 Jan 1963. Reserve Air Refueling Squadron, Provisional, 9500: attached 1 Nov 1980-1 Nov 1981.

Stations

Long Beach Muni Aprt, CA, 27 Jun 1949; George AFB, CA, 10 Aug-Oct 1950; Itazuke AB, Japan, 26 Oct 1950; Miho AB, Japan, c. 10 Dec 1950; Pusan-East AB, South Korea, 23 May 1951-10 May 1952. Long Beach Muni Aprt, CA, 13 Jun 1952; March AFB, CA, 14 Oct 1960; Hamilton AFB, CA, 1 Jan 1972; March AFB (later, ARB), CA 12 Jan 1976-.

Aircraft

T-11, 1949-1950; B-26, 1949-1952. T-6, 1952-1954; C-46, 1952-1954; F/TF-51, 1953-1954; B-26, 1953-1957; T-28, 1953-1955; T-33, 1953-1955; FB-26, 1953-1954; C-45, 1953-1955, 1957-1958; F/TF-80, 1954-1955; TB-26, 1954-1957; TB-25, 1954-1955; C-46, 1957-1958; C-47, 1957-1958; C-119, 1958-1969; C-124, 1965-1972; C-130, 1972-1976; KC-135, 1976-; KC-10, 1981-1995; C-141, 1994-2005; C-17 2005 - .

Operations

Trained in the Reserve as a light bombardment wing, 1949-1950. Ordered to active service during the Korean War. Moved to Japan, Oct-Nov 1950, assigned to Fifth Air Force. Arriving in Japan on 25 Oct, the wing's air echelon began B-26 combat operations over Korea two days later. The ground echelon arrived by ship in mid-Nov. Wing combat elements flew reconnaissance, medium-level bombardment, and close air support for ground forces in Korea, accumulating nearly 14,000 combat sorties before May 1952. Activated on 13 Jun 1952, absorbing the resources of the 921st Reserve Training Wing. Trained as a tactical reconnaissance wing, 1952-1955; as a tactical bombardment wing, 1955-1957; as a troop carrier wing, 1957-1966; as a military airlift wing, 1966-1972; as a tactical airlift wing, 1972-1976. From 1957 to 1976 the 452nd participated in troop carrier and airlift joint training exercises with ground forces and performed routing, special transport, and humanitarian missions within the U.S. In the early 1960s began flying missions to Alaska, including airlift support for exercises and humanitarian relief missions for the 1964 earthquake in Alaska. Airlifted troops and cargo to the Dominican Republic during the 1965 contingency operation (Power Pack) to restore a stable government there. In 1965 began flying airlift missions worldwide, but especially to the Far East and Southeast Asia. Was the base host organization at Hamilton AFB, 1 Oct 1973-Dec 1975. Converted to an air refueling mission in 1976, the first reserve wing to directly support Strategic Air Command (SAC) bombers. From1977 participated in tanker task forces worldwide. On 1 Oct 1977 a wing squadron (336th) began standing permanent alert duty with the active duty bombardment wing at March AFB, a duty which continued until cancellation of SAC alert on 27 Sep 1991. Won the wing navigation trophy at the SAC Bombing and Navigation Competitions in 1983 and 1985 and the Saunders Trophy in 1985. Deployed aircraft and volunteer aircrews and other personnel to Saudi Arabia in support of Desert Shield, beginning Aug 1990. The 336th ARS went on active duty in Dec 1990 and two squadron aircrews were among the first refuelers to launch on the first day of the Southwest Asia War (Desert Storm) against Iraq. Also, the Security Police Flight went on active duty and deployed to Saudi Arabia, Feb-Jun 1991. In addition to its air refueling mission, the wing regained a worldwide airlift mission in 1994, taking over personnel and resources of the inactivating 445th Airlift Wing. Became the host wing at March ARB on 1 Apr 1996.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. Korea: UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall 1952. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudia Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 11 Jul 1966–10 Jul 1967, 11 Jul 1967– 10 Jul 1968; 11 Jul 1968–12 Jun 1969; 13 Jun 1969–12 Jun 1970; 13 Jun 1970–30 Jun 1972; 1 Jul 1972–30 Jun 1973; 1 Jul 1982–30 Jun 1984; 1 Jul 1984–30 Jun 1986; 1 Jul 1988–30 Jun 1989; 1 Jul 1989–30 Jun 1990; 21 Sep–31 Oct 1989. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 1 Jul 1951–[10 Jun 1952].

Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 452nd Operations Group prior to 27 Jun 1949. 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 Citation: Germany, 7 Apr 1945.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citation: France, [6–7] Jun 1944.

Emblem

Approved on 10 Feb 1960