316th Wing

Active wing of the United States Air Force

The 316th Wing (316 WG) is an active wing of the United States Air Force. It is the host wing at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, Maryland. As host wing, the 316 WG operates, administers and maintains the base. The 316th Wing was activated on June 11, 2020, becoming the host wing for JBA and taking on the Airmen and units of the 11th Wing. The wing's Operations Group was a highly decorated C 47 Skytrain unit that served with Ninth Air Force and Twelfth Air Force in the European Theater of Operations and the Mediterranean theaters during World War II. The wing's officially stated mission is "Respond, Honor, Defend, Support and Care to project airpower and diplomacy from America's Airfield".

As the host wing for Joint Base Andrews, Md., the 316th Wing is responsible for maintaining emergency reaction rotary wing airlift and other National Capital Region contingency response capabilities critical to national security and for organizing, training, equipping and deploying combat ready forces for Air and Space Expeditionary Forces (AEFs). The 316th Wing also provides installation security, services and airfield management to support the President, Vice President, other U. S. senior leaders and more than 50 tenant organizations and federal agencies. The 316th Wing provides security, personnel, contracting, finance and infrastructure support for 5 Wings, 3 Headquarters, more than 80 tenant organizations, 148 geographically separated units, 6,500 Airmen in the Pentagon, as well as 60,000 Airmen and families in the national capital region and around the world. The 316th Wing supports contingency operations in our nation's capital with immediate response rotary assets. It also provides security for the world's highest visibility flight line and is responsible for ceremonial support with the United States Air Force Band, Honor Guard and Air Force Arlington Chaplaincy.

The wing was originally established as the 316th Troop Carrier Wing in 1947 at the former Greeneville AFB, SC, primarily operating the C 47 and C 82. It was subsequently inactivated in 1949. In 1966, the unit was reactivated at Langley AFB, VA as the 316th Tactical Airlift Wing (316 TAW) of the Tactical Air Command (TAC). The 316 TAW conducted C 130 replacement training from January 1966 to November 1967 and C 130 maintenance training from February to December 1966. In late 1967, the 316 TAW relinquished its training mission and became a typical operational tactical airlift wing with the C 130E Hercules. As an operational wing, the organization operated three tactical airlift squadrons in addition to its various maintenance and support squadrons. The 316 TAW participated in joint airborne training, glider training, exercises maneuvers, and ferried freight in the United States and overseas. It also participated in worldwide tactical airlift operations, humanitarian missions, and special exercises and maneuvers, including joint airborne training. In 1973, the wing also participated in repatriation of South Vietnamese and American prisoners of war from North Vietnam. In 1975, all tactical airlift assets in TAC were transferred to the Military Airlift Command (MAC). With TAC Headquarters being at Langley AFB, and with the pending arrival of the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing (1 TFW) and the first operational F 15A Eagles at Langley, MAC and TAC agreed to inactivate the 316 TAW and two of its three tactical airlift squadrons. All of the wing's C 130 aircraft assets were redistributed to other C 130 wings with the exception of the 36th Tactical Airlift Squadron (36 TAS), now known as the 36th Airlift Squadron, which was reassigned with its personnel and C 130E aircraft to the 62nd Military Airlift Wing (62 MAW), now known as the 62nd Airlift Wing (62 AW), a then C 141 Starlifter strategic airlift wing at McChord AFB, WA in the summer of 1975. From 1980 to 1991, the 1776th Air Base Wing (1776 ABW) was the host wing that operated, administered and maintained Andrews AFB, MD for all its tenant commands. The 1776 ABW wing was consolidated with the newly established 316th Wing (316 WG) on 21 June 2006. In addition to base operations and support of Andrews AFB, the 316 WG also operated UH 1N Twin Huey aircraft for quick reaction rotary wing airlift in the National Capital Region. Upon the recommendation of Base Realignment and Closure, 2005, the 11th Wing of Bolling Air Force Base merged with the 316th Wing and was redesignated the 11th Wing at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility. In June 2020, the Air Force and Navy agreed to transfer control of Joint Base Anacostia Bolling from the Navy to the Air Force, based on the predominance of Air Force 'mission sets" at the joint base. in connection with this transfer, the 11th Wing moved to Anacostia Bolling to assume responsibilities there. The 316th Wing was reactivated on 12 June 2020 and assumed the 11th Wing's responsibilities at Andrews.