19th Airlift Wing

19th Airlift Wing

The 19th Airlift Wing (19 AW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. The wing is also the host unit at Little Rock.

The Wing provides the Department of Defense the largest C-130 Hercules transport fleet in the world, supplying humanitarian airlift relief to victims of disasters, to airdropping supplies and troops into the heart of contingency operations in hostile areas.

Its origins date to 1927 when the 19th Bombardment Group, was established, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the United States Army before World War II.

The unit was stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked on 8 December 1941, suffering numerous casualties and losing most of its B-17 Flying Fortresses in the attack. A small number of its aircraft escaped to fly combat missions in the Philippines; Netherlands East Indies and Papua New Guinea during early 1942. The group was re-equipped with the B-29 Superfortress in 1944 and from Guam, it conducted its first B-29 bombing raid on 25 February 1945, against Tokyo. The group has earned the distinction of being one of the most decorated units in the Air Force. Unit honors include nine Presidential Unit Citations, two Air Force Meritorious Unit Awards, ten Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, one Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, and one Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

Active for over 60 years, the 19 AW was a component wing of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force during the Cold War. The wing served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm. Its component units are currently engaged in combat operations as part of the Global War on Terrorism.

The 19th Airlift Wing is commanded by Colonel Brian S. Robinson. Its interim Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Chris C. Herreid .