445th Airlift Wing shares photos of recent deployments

The 445th Airlift Wing, the only flying mission based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, shared photos Friday of members on recent unit deployments.

The 445th Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit, prepared and deployed about 140 people in under 63 hours, in late October. The location of that deployment was not disclosed, in either press release or photo. A representative of the wing Friday declined to say more about the location of the October deployment.

In addition to personnel, four C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and cargo were used to support those efforts in what was the wing’s first C-17 force element mobilization, the wing said.

On Nov. 28, a 445th Airlift Wing C-17 Globemaster III transported supplies destined for Gaza, the wing also said.

The U.S. Agency for International Development relied on U.S. Air Force airlift capabilities to transport humanitarian aid across the Middle East, the wing said.

Readers may remember that the wing also played a part in August 2021 as the nation’s 20-year war in Afghanistan ended, evacuating Americans and Afghan nationals who allied with the U.S.

The wing has been one of the most active Air Force Reserve Command C-17 wings, flying more missions in fiscal year 2022 than any other AFRC unit equipped C-17 organization, the wing said in January.

The 89th Airlift Squadron flew 1,340 sorties for a total of approximately 4,400 flying hours, consisting of 172 missions. The wing also transported 6,883 passengers and delivered more than 19.9 million pounds of cargo, the organization said.

With a fleet of nine C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, the 445th provides transport of people and equipment.

The 445th was activated at Wright-Patterson in 1994 when two former units combined: the 906th Fighter Group from Wright-Patterson and the 907th Tactical Airlift Group from Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, which were deactivated Sept. 30, 1994.

STAFF SGT. LAWRENCE SENA / U.S. AIR FORCE U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Franics Saul, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot, prepares to conduct aerial refueling with a KC46 Pegasus over an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Nov. 15.

TECH. SGT. ALEXANDER COOK / U.S. AIR FORCE U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Molly Hageman, marshals a C-17 Globemaster III on the flight line at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Nov. 28.

SENIOR AIRMAN SARAH WILLIAMS / U.S. AIR FORCE U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Victor Sandoval Gutierrez (left) and Staff Sgt. Ethan Stone inspect a C-17 Globemaster III at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 8.