1. 165th Airlift Wing for a three-month stint at Bagram Air
Base. This is the ninth time the 165th
has deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan
Georgia’s 165th Airlift Wing is in support of the War on Terror.
located at Savannah International Accompanying the Georgia Guard
Airport and is composed of more than aircraft headed for Afghanistan were
900 men and women who support, more than 100 Georgia Guard Airmen,
maintain and fly the unit’s eight including all of the wing’s operations
C-130H “Hercules” aircraft. personnel and more than 50 percent
The mission of the 165th Airlift of its maintenance department.
Wing is to provide tactical airlift of Savannah’s C-130s were joined
personnel, equipment and supplies. by 10 additional C-130s from the Col. Jesse T. Simmons, Jr.
During 2011, aircraft and crews of Nevada Air National Guard and Commander,
the 165th flew missions into every active duty Air Force and attached 165th Airlift Wing
continent and dozens of nations to the 744th Air Expeditionary Wing
around the world. The unit maintains to put aircraft in the air and move
one of the highest aircraft operational equipment, food and people for
readiness records in either the Afghan, American and NATO forces
National Guard or the U.S. Air Force. fighting the Taliban. This is the largest
As part of its dual mission, the deployment of aircraft and personnel
wing is also subject to be called that has occurred for the 165th.
upon for assistance during state Since the beginning of operations
emergencies to airlift food, medical in the Persian Gulf, the 165th has
supplies, equipment, and personnel been integrally involved in air much-needed sorties, delivering more
domestically or internationally. These operations. Several elements of the than 90 tons of cargo and transporting
missions extend to emergency relief wing have deployed throughout 296 relief and aid workers.
support during natural disasters such the region, with Airmen serving in The 165th assisted Army Joint
as floods, earthquakes, forest fires, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Kuwait, Iraq, Task Force 781 in providing CERF-P
search and rescue operations, and and Afghanistan. training involving bomb threats,
defense support to civil authorities. In 2009, the 165th deployed to chemical explosions, search and
The 165th serves as the host Afghanistan in support of Operation extractions, radiological accidents,
base for Brunswick’s 224th Joint Enduring Freedom. In 2005, the and natural disasters. The 165th
Communications Support Squadron, unit deployed aircraft and more than coordinated military and civilian
Hunter Army Air Field’s 117th Air 100 personnel to Karshi-Khanabad, security efforts for the Chairman
Control Squadron, Brunswick’s 165th Uzbekistan, for 11 months. During of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed
Air Support Operations Squadron, this period, the unit airlifted more exercise, Ardent Century. The
and the Combat Readiness Training than 35,660 tons of cargo in support wing also hosted extensive training
Center in Garden City, Ga. This past of the War on Terror. exercises and firearms for more than
year, the 165th celebrated its 65th The Wing’s doctors and medical 5,500 law enforcement officers from
anniversary. technicians deployed during 2010 to Chatham County as well as Customs
In 2011, the 165th flew more Honduras, where they treated more agencies, the DEA, ATF, U.S.
than 2,800 hours, of which 1,430 than 4,000 people. The unit later Marshalls and the Secret Service.
were flown in combat operations supported U.S. Africa Command, The Wing continues to receive
in Afghanistan. This increased the teaching aircraft maintenance numerous awards, including nine Air
Wing’s combat experience to nine principles to Libyan Air Force Force Outstanding Unit Awards, and
years of combat operations and personnel. enjoys the reputation of being one
well over 10,500 combat flight In support of Operation Unified of the top airlift units in the nation.
hours without a single mishap. In Response for Haiti following a This is directly attributed to the
December 2010, six of the 165th’s devastating earthquake in January professionalism and espirit-de-corps
C-130 aircraft began the more than 2010, the 165th quickly deployed of the Guardsmen who have served,
7,000-mile journey to Afghanistan Airmen to Puerto Rico to fly dozens of and are now serving, within its ranks.
21 | Georgia Department of Defense