This month in Scott AFB history: 375th Troop Carrier Wing activated
On June 27, 1949, the 375th Troop Carrier Wing (Medium) was activated under Ninth Air Force as an Air Force Reserve flying training unit at Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pennsylvania. The 375th TCW was established the previous month on May 10, 1949.
The first 375th TCS commander was Brig. Gen. Emil H. Molthan. The major component of the new 375th TCW was the 375th Troop Carrier Group (now the 375th Operations Group), which was activated in 1942 and fought in the Southwest Pacific during WWII, primarily flying C-47 Skytrain and C-46 Commando transport aircraft.
The newly-activated 375th TCW received the honors bestowed on the 375th Troop Carrier Group during its WWII era service, namely, the New Guinea, Northern Solomons, Bismarck Archipelago, Western Pacific, Leyte, Luzon, Southern Philippines, and Ryukus campaign streamers and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.
Upon activation, the primary 375th TCW aircraft inventory included the North American T-6 Texan, the Beechcraft T-7 Navigator, the Beechcraft T-11 Kansan and the Curtiss C-46 Commando. The 375th TCW was ordered to active service for the Korean War on Oct. 15, 1950, and stationed at Donaldson AFB, South Carolina, where it participated in troop carrier airlift operations, paratroop drops, and other exercises, equipped with the Fairchild C-82 Packet transport aircraft until July 1952.
In July 1952, the unit returned to Greater Pittsburgh Airport, where it conducted conducted Reserve training until Nov. 16, 1957. After a period of inactivation, the redesignated 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Wing and its subordinate 10th, 11th 12th, and 13th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron arrived at Scott AFB, operating Douglas C-118A Liftmaster and Convair C-131 Samaritan aircraft.
The 375th AEW was later redesignated the 375th Military Airlift Wing on March 30, 1990; the 375th Airlift Wing on Dec. 1, 1991; and the 375th Air Mobility Wing on Oct. 1, 2009.
Happy 69th birthday, 375th Air Mobility Wing!
This story was originally published June 24, 2018 at 12:08 PM.