The 515th serves as the Pacific arm of the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center and Air Mobility Command (AMC). The wing's mission is to provide enroute capability to accelerate air mobility for war fighters throughout the Pacific, utilizing command and control, aerial port operations and aircraft maintenance.[1]
The 515th controls, loads, unloads, and repairs mobility aircraft en route through the Pacific area. This includes military, commercial, and foreign aircraft. Two Air Mobility Operations Groups fall under the wing.[2]
The group has overseen a humanitarian relief to earthquake victims in China and tsunami relief in American Samoa. The wing also plays an essential role supporting the United States global war on terrorism with air mobility support combat commands.[2]
Units
The 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing is composed of two groups:
The wing was first activated during World War II as the 15th Ferrying Group at Morrison Field, Florida in 1942. The 15th Group ferried aircraft between Florida and points in western Africa. From 1943, the unit then focused on the air transportation mission as the 15th Transport Group. Although the group was stationed at Morrison, its personnel were also used to man other stations of the Caribbean Wing of Air Transport Command (ATC). After a little more than a year of trying to use traditional Table of Organization units like the 15th, ATC found them too inflexible for its operations. It therefore decided to replace its groups and squadrons and assign personnel directly to each of its stations, based on the needs of the station.[3] Accordingly, in October 1943 the group was disbanded as ATC combined its units at Morrison into Station 11, Caribbean Wing, Air Transport Command.[4]
The 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing was activated in June 2008 in a major reorganization of AMC units in the Pacific, which aimed to improve efficiency of the six air mobility squadrons in the Pacific by placing them under the command of a single wing and two regional air mobility operations groups. Previously, the squadrons were managed by a single group.[5]
Lineage
Constituted as the 15th Ferrying Group on 9 July 1942
Activated c. 21 July 1942
Redesignated 15th Transport Group on 1 May 1943
Disbanded on 13 October 1943
Reconstituted and redesignated 515th Tactical Air Support Group on 31 July 1985[6]
Redesignated 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing on 11 April 2008
Activated on 5 June 2008
Assignments
Caribbean Wing, Air Transport Command, c. 21 July 1942 – 13 October 1943
^Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations
Bibliography
Carter, John D (1958). "The Air Transport Command". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VII, Services Around the World. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. OCLC704158.
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