CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
The 437th Airlift Wing, together with the Reserve associate wing, the 315th Airlift Wing, provides a large part of Air Mobility Command's Global Reach airlift capability. This rapid, flexible and responsive air mobility promotes stability in regions by keeping America's capability and character highly visible.
Mission
The mission of the base is to command assigned airlift and supporting units; provide for the airlift of troops and passengers, military equipment, cargo and aeromedical airlift and to participate in operations involving the airland or airdrop of troops, equipment and supplies when required.
Apart from its heavy airdrop commitment and a demanding humanitarian mission, Charleston AFB's mission requirements range from supporting U.S. Embassies to supplying humanitarian airlift relief to victims of disasters, to airdropping troops into the heart of contingency operations in hostile areas.
Team Charleston's vision is to provide the premier airlift force for America from the world's premier base.
Manpower
Charleston AFB has 6,942 active-duty and Air Reserve Component military and civilian members. They include approximately 3,753 active-duty Airmen, 2,227 Reservists and 962 civilians. About 14,079 military retirees make their home in the Charleston area.
Base facts
Charleston AFB is a joint-use airfield, sharing two intersecting runways with Charleston International Airport. The primary runway is 9,001 feet long and the intersecting runway is 7,000 feet long. The base maintains the two runways and most of the taxiways, and security and crash rescue response for all flights.
Charleston AFB was the first fully operational C-17 base in the Air Force. The base is constantly involved in the Denton Amendment program flying humanitarian aid on available missions to worldwide destinations in more than 11 countries.
Charleston AFB either prepared or moved 80 percent of the cargo for the Denton program. Charleston has seven 60-K Tunner loaders that can easily transport and load heavy, palletized cargo on all aircraft.
1931 An airfield and flying service were established at Charleston's airport.
1941 The Army Air Corps took control of the airfield to establish a defense for the eastern coast of the U.S. for World War II.
1942 The first flights, consisting of anti-submarine missions, took off from Charleston Army Air Field.
1943 The 437th Troop Carrier Group was activated at Baer Field, Ind.
1945 The 437 TCG was inactivated after its participation in the Battle of the Bulge.
1946 Military operations at the airfield closed.
1949 The 437th was reactivated into the Reserves.
1952 Charleston and the Air Force agreed to establish a Troop carrier base and allow joint use of the runways. The 456th Troop Carrier Wing became the host unit under Tactical Air Command.
1956 The base was transferred to the command of Military Air Transport Service. The 1608th Air Transport Wing became the host unit.
1966 MATS became Military Airlift Command and the 1608th was discontinued. The 437th Military Airlift Wing was reactivated and assigned to Charleston AFB. All the equipment from the 1608th was reassigned to the 437th.
1991 The 437 MAW was redesigned as the 437th Airlift Wing when Military Airlift Command became Air Mobility Command.
1993 In June, the 17th Airlift Squadron became the first operational squadron in the Air Force to convert to the C-17A Globemaster III.
2000 The 16th Airlift Squadron deactivated July 15, marking the end of 35 years of C-141s here. At one time, Charleston had 58 C-141s assigned.
2001 Flew first night combat and humanitarian coalition mission into Afghanistan.
2002 16th Airlift Squadron reactivated as fourth operational C-17 unit July 26.
2003 First-ever airdrop of troops into a combat zone from a C-17 -- combat air and land insertion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade into Northern Iraq. Sixty-two missions were flown with more than 2,000 passengers, more than 3,000 tons of cargo, more than 400 vehicles and with 100 percent mission reliability.
2004 The wing's C-17s delivered the troops and outsized equipment needed to construct Forward Operating Base Carlson in Afghanistan, conducting AMC's first C-17 low altitude airdrop during contingency operations. Later that year the wing landed the first C-17 aircraft on that 90-foot-wide dirt strip at FOB Carlson, validating the C-17's ability to operate in a high altitude, mountainous environment.
2005 The 437th Airlift Wing flew 40 missions in support of Hurricane Katrina, airlifting 1,736 patients and evacuees, 1,217 passengers and relief workers and 1,541 tons of cargo to and from locations such as New Orleans and Keesler AFB, Miss.
2006 The 437th Airlift Wing celebrated 40 years as the host unit here at Charleston AFB.
2006 Members of Charleston AFB supported the evacuation of American citizens from Lebanon.
2006 Aircrews from the 437 and 315 AWs participated in a record-setting flight; 20 C-17s launched from Charleston to participate in the largest C-17 formation airdrop exercise.
2006 Members from Charleston AFB, while deployed to Iraq, flew an air evacuation mission which marked the one millionth flying hour for the C-17.
2007 Charleston AFB took responsibility for all air cargo for Operation Iraqi Freedom; aerial port member's averaged 275 tons of cargo per day.
2007 Charleston AFB took the lead on delivering mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to Central Command's area of responsibility. It averages 24-48 hours to airlift an MRAP from Charleston AFB to Iraq; the only other method of delivery is by sea which takes 20-30 days.