483^rd Tactical Airlift Wing

483^rd Lineage and Honors

Lineage Established as 483^rd Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, on 15 Nov 1952. Activated on 1 Jan 1953. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1960. Redesignated 483^rd Troop Carrier Wing, and activated, on 12 Oct 1966. Organized on 15 Oct 1966. Redesignated 483^rd Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 Aug 1967. Inactivated on 31 May 1972.

Assignments Tactical Air Command, 1 Jan 1953 (attached to 315^th Air Division [Combat Cargo], 1 Jan 1953-30 Jun 1954); 315^th Air Division (Combat Cargo), 1 Jul 1954-25 Jun 1960. Pacific Air Forces, 12 Oct 1966; 834th Air Division, 15 Oct 1966; Seventh Air Force, 1 Dec 1971-31 May 1972.

Components: Groups 314^th: attached 1 Jan 1953-15 Nov 1954. 316th: attached 15 Nov 1954-18 Jun 1957 (not operational, 15 Mar 1956-18 Jun 1957). 483^rd: 1 Jan 1953-8 Dec 1958 (not operational, 15 Mar 1956-8 Dec 1958). Tactical Group Provisional, 6483^rd: attached 15 Mar 1969-30 Jun 1970. Squadrons 20^th Special Operations: 1 Sep 1971-1 Apr 1972. 21^st: attached 1 Jul 1957-7 Dec 1958, assigned 8 Dec 1958-25 Jun 1960. 36^th: attached 15 Mar 1956-18 Jun 1957. 37^th: attached 15 Mar 1956-18 Jun 1957. 75^th: attached 15 Mar 1956-18 Jun 1957. 90^th Special Operations: 1 Sep 1971-15 Apr 1972. 360^th Tactical Electronic Warfare: 31 Aug 1971-1 Feb 1972. 361^st Tactical Electronic Warfare: 31 Aug-1 Dec 1971 (not operational, 15 Oct-1 Dec 1971). 362^nd Tactical Electronic Warfare: 31 Aug 1971-1 Feb 1972. 457^th: 1 Jan 1967-30 Apr 1972 (not operational, 1-30 Apr 1972). 458^th: 1 Jan 1967-1 Mar 1972. 459^th: 1 Jan 1967-1 Jun 1970 (not operational, 15 May-1 Jun 1970). 535^th: 1 Jan 1967-24 Jan 1972 (detached 15 Mar 1969-25 Jun 1970). 536^th: 1 Jan 1967-15 Oct 1971 (detached 15 Mar 1969-30 Jun 1970). 537^th: 1 Jan 1967-31 Aug 1971. 773^rd: attached c. 30 Aug–c. 10 Dec 1958. 815^th: attached 15 Mar 1956-7 Dec 1958, assigned 8 Dec 1958-25 Jun 1960. 816^th: attached 15 Mar-18 Sep 1956 (not operational, 9-18 Sep 1956). 817^th: attached 15 Mar 1956-7 Dec 1958, assigned 8 Dec 1958-25 Jun 1960. 6461^st Troop Carrier (later, 6461st Air Transport): attached 1 Jan 1953-24 Jun 1955. Detachments  Det C-119: 5 Dec 1953-27 Jul 1954. Det, 772^nd Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 8 Mar-16 Aug 1958.

Stations  Ashiya AB, Japan, 1 Jan 1953-25 Jun 1960. Cam Ranh Bay AB, South Vietnam, 15 Oct 1966-31 May 1972.

Commanders  Col Maurice F. Casey, 1 Jan 1953; Col Jamie Gough, 13 May 1954; Col William C. Lindley, 6 Aug 1955; Col LeRoy M. Stanton, 13 Aug 1955; Col John H. Herring, Jr., 30 May 1959-25 Jun 1960. None (not manned), 12 Oct-3 Nov 1966; Col Paul J. Mascot, 4 Nov 1966; Col William H. Mason, 8 Oct 1967; Col Wilbert Turk, 30 Sep 1968; Col Keith L. Christensen, 4 Sep 1969; Col Abbott C. Greenleaf, 23 Mar 1970; Col Rodney H. Newbold, 11 Apr 1971; Col William G. Christensen, 2 Sep 1971 (temporary); Col Rodney H. Newbold, 17 Sep 1971; Col Duane H. Erickson, 25 Feb-15 May 1972; none (not manned), 16-31 May 1972.

Aircraft  C-119, 1951-1959; C-47, 1953–c. 1959; C-130, 1958-1960. C-7, 1967-1972; C-47, 1970-1971; EC-47, 1971-1972; C-130, 1971-1972; UH-1, 1971-1972.

Operations  Replaced 403^rd Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, in Jan 1953. Performed troop carrier and air transport operations in the Far East, including landing of troops and cargo in forward areas of the combat zone, air transportation of airborne troops and equipment, and air evacuation of casualties. In Jun 1953, as the Korean war neared an armistice, all wing C-119s airlifted the entire 187^th Regimental Combat Team (Airborne) from Japan to Seoul and Chunch’on, South Korea, to preclude enemy breakthroughs. This was the largest mass movement of personnel in the history of combat cargo to that time. Between Apr 1953 and Sep 1954, the wing aided the French Air Force in Indo-China by training aircrews, evacuating wounded, and maintaining aircraft. Provided intra-theater airlift of cargo and personnel to specified organizations in Southeast Asia beginning Jan 1967, initially with C-7A aircraft transferred from the U.S. Army. Gained a tactical electronic warfare mission in mid-1971 and a special operations mission in the autumn of 1971. Phased down for inactivation beginning early 1972.

Service Streamers  None.

Campaign Streamers  Third Korean Winter; Korea Summer–Fall, 1953; Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air/ Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer–Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter–Spring, 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Commando Hunt V; Commando Hunt VI; Commando Hunt VII; Vietnam Ceasefire.

Decorations  Presidential Unit Citations (Southeast Asia): 21 Jan-12 May 1968; 1 Apr-30 Jun 1970. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device: 1 Jan-30 Apr 1967; 1 May 1967-30 Apr 1968; 1 Jul 1970-31 Dec 1971. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 6 May 1953-10 Sep 1954. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: [1 Jan]-27 Jul 1953. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Crosses with Palm: 12 Oct 1966-31 Oct 1971; 15 Oct 1966-31 May 1972.

Emblem  On a shield of the sky, a sphere encircled with an orbit all or, latitude and longitude lines azure, over the sphere a hand proper supporting a parachute proper, an aircraft proper, and artillery proper; encircling the upper section of the sphere, three clouds proper and an increscent moon and four stars of the second color; on a chief of the third, 13 stars argent, the chief fimbriated or. Motto: EFFECTIVE AIRLIFT SUPPORT. (Approved on 2 Feb 1956.)

Extracted from “Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage and Honors Histories, 1947 – 1977” by Charles A. Ravenstein, United States Air Force Historical Research Center.