Lineage. Established as 63 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, on 10 May 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to active service on 1 May 1951. Inactivated on 9 May 1951. Redesignated as 63 Troop Carrier Wing, Heavy, on 18 Dec 1952. Activated on 8 Jan 1953. Redesignated as: 63 Military Airlift Wing on 8 Jan 1966; 63 Airlift Wing on 1 Jan 1992. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1994. Redesignated as 63 Air Expeditionary Wing, and converted to provisional status, on 12 Jun 2002.
Assignments. First Air Force, 27 Jun 1949-9 May 1951. Eighteenth Air Force, 8 Jan 1953; Continental Division, Military Air Transport Service (later, Western Transport Air Force), 1 Jul 1957; Eastern Transport Air Force (later, Twenty-First Air Force), 1 Oct 1958; Twenty-Second Air Force, 1 Apr 1967; Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Jul 1993-1 Apr 1994. Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate at any time on or after 12 Jun 2002.
Operational Components. Wings. 64 Troop Carrier: attached 15 Oct 1953-1 Mar 1954. 445 Military Airlift: attached 1 Jul 1973-1 Jul 1993. Groups. 61 Troop Carrier: attached 25 Aug 1954-30 Jun 1957; assigned 1 Jul 1957-8 Oct 1959 (detached 23 Jul-c. 15 Sep 1958 to Airlift Task Force Provisional). 63 Troop Carrier (later, 63 Military Airlift): 27 Jun 1949-9 May 1951; 20 Jun 1953-18 Jan 1963; 15 Sep 1978-1 Jul 1980. 64 Troop Carrier: attached 15 Oct 1953-15 Feb 1954. 465 Troop Carrier: attached 15 Oct-30 Nov 1953. 944 Military Airlift: attached 25 Mar 1968-1 Jul 1973. Squadrons. 7 Air Transport: 1 Jul 1964-8 Jan 1966. 14 Troop Carrier (later, 14 Military Airlift): 18 Jan 1963-1 Oct 1978; 1 Jul 1980-1 Jan 1992. 15 Troop Carrier (later, 15 Military Airlift): 18 Jan 1963-1 Oct 1978 (not operational c. Feb-14 Aug 1967); 1 Jul 1980-1 Jan 1992. 21 Helicopter: attached 9 Jul 1956-30 Jun 1957. 52 Troop Carrier (later, 52 Military Airlift): 18 Jan 1963-8 Jan 1967 (detached 18 Jan 1963-8 Jan 1967 to 322 Air Division); 1 Jun 1988-1 Jan 1992. 53 Troop Carrier (later, 53 Military Airlift): 18 Jan 1963-8 Jul 1966; 8 Jan 1972-1 Oct 1978; 1 Jul 1980-1 Jan 1992. 54 Troop Carrier: 1 Jul 1957-8 Oct 1959 (detached 1 Jul 1957-8 Oct 1959 to 63 Troop Carrier Group); 18 Jan 1963-25 Jan 1965. 58 Military Airlift: 8 Jan-1 Jul 1966. 309 Troop Carrier: attached 8 Oct 1954-9 Jul 1956.
Stations. Floyd Bennett NAS, NY, 27 Jun 1949-9 May 1951. Altus Muni Aprt (later, AFB), OK, 8 Jan 1953; Donaldson AFB, SC, 15 Oct 1953; Hunter AFB, GA, 1 Apr 1963; Norton AFB, CA, 1 Apr 1967-1 Apr 1994.
Commanders. Brig Gen Robert L. Copsey, Jun 1949; Col Clayton S. Stiles, 9 Sep 1950-May 1951. Brig Gen Glynne M. Jones, 8 Jan 1953; Col Eston E. Selvey, Jan 1953; Brig Gen Glynne M. Jones, c. Mar 1953; Brig Ben Edgar W. Hampton, Feb 1955; Col Chester C. Moomaw, c. Sep 1958; Brig Gen Andrew B. Cannon, 15 Sep 1958; Col Roland J. Barnick, 29 Sep 1961; Col Leland W. Johnson, 24 Jun 1964; Col Gilbert L. Curtis, 8 Jul 1964; Col Lopez J. Mantoux, 7 Apr 1966; Col James A. Evans Jr., 4 Nov 1966; Brig Gen Gilbert L. Curtis, 1 Apr 1967; Brig Gen Louis G. Griffin, 6 Jul 1968; Brig Gen John F. Gonge, 1 Feb 1970; Brig Gen Lester T. Kearney Jr., 28 Feb 1971; Brig Gen Erskine Wigley, 12 Mar 1973; Brig Gen Benjamin F. Starr Jr., 15 Aug 1974; Brig Gen William E. Carson, 15 Jul 1975; Brig Gen George B. Powers Jr., 9 Jul 1976; Brig Gen Duane H. Cassidy, 21 Feb 1978; Brig Gen Claudius E. Watts III, 7 Jul 1980; Brig Gen Charles A. Vickery, 24 Feb 1982; Brig Gen Thomas E. Eggers, 25 Jun 1984;Col Marvin S. Ervin, 26 Jun 1986; Col Brooke P. Bailey, 7 Apr 1988; Col Robert F. Neal, 23 Jul 1990; Col John D. Hopper Jr., 17 Aug 1992; Col Gary R. Underwood, 17 Dec 1993-31 Mar 1994.
Aircraft. T-6, 1949-1950; T-7, 1949-1951; T-11, 1949-1951; C-47, 1949-1951. C-119, 1953-1954; C-124, 1953-1967; H-19, 1954-1956; H-21, 1956-1957; C-141, 1967-1993.
Operations. Trained in the Reserve, 1949-1951; performed limited troop carrier operations from mid-1950 until ordered to active service and inactivated in 1951. Tactical components underwent C-124 training, Jun-Oct 1953. Performed global airlift missions, including humanitarian missions, using C-124s as primary carriers during Oct 1953-Mar 1967; also used C-119s, 1953-1954, and helicopters, 1954-1957. Moved to Norton AFB, CA in Apr 1967 and C-141s became primary aircraft. Notable operations for the wing included: airlifts and airdrops in the North American Arctic during construction and subsequent operation of the distance early warning (DEW) line, 1954-1956; supported scientific stations on floating ice islands in the Arctic Ocean, 1957-1966; airlift and airdrop in support of the Navy's Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica, 1956-1966; maintained a complete tactical squadron on rotation to Europe, Aug 1956-Jan 1967; airlift missions to the Far East and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam conflict, 1967-1973; evacuated former American prisoners of war (POW) from North Vietnam during Operation HOMECOMING in early 1973; supported airlift of Vietnam refugees to the United States in Operation NEW LIFE during 1975. From 1976 until wing inactivated in 1994, commanded airlift and supporting units to airlift troops, cargo, equipment, passengers, mail and aeromedical evacuation/airlift to and from areas around the world.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. None.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 2 Mar-31 May 1955; 1 Jul 1957-10 Dec 1962; 1 Jul 1968-30 Jun 1969; 1 Jul 1970-30 Jun 1971; 1 Jun 1978-31 May 1980; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1983; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1987; 1 Jan 1990-30 Apr 1991.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 5 Oct 2009.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 1 Apr 1994.
Supersedes statement prepared on 29 Jan 1979.
Emblem. Approved on 2 Oct 1953.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.