65th Air Base Wing
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The 65th Air Base Group is a
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
of the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
based at Lajes Field,
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
, Portugal. The group provides base and en route support for the U.S.
Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...
, allied nations and other authorized aircraft in transit, including those from the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Colombia, Germany, Venezuela and Great Britain.


Components

* 65th Civil Engineer Squadron * 65th Logistics Readiness Squadron * 65th Air Base Squadron * 65th Comptroller Flight * 65th Force Support Flight * 496th Air Base Squadron


History

The 65th was first organized at
Mitchel Air Force Base Mitchel Air Force Base, also known as Mitchel Field, was a United States Air Force base located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York, United States. Established in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2, the facility was renamed lat ...
, New York as the 65th Troop Carrier Wing in 1952. It conducted "reserve training toward proficiency with troop carrier aircraft from 1952–1953. However, the wing was never fully manned or equipped." The 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing replaced the 1605th Air Base Wing as the
Military Airlift Command The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of ...
unit managing facilities at Lajes Field in January 1982. Ten years later, the two units were consolidated as the 65th Support Wing. It has "provided en route support for aircraft transiting Lajes Air Base from 1982 to the present." Its commander also serves as Commander, United States Forces Azores. The unit also "provided base support to elements of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
and U.S. Navy in the area." The 65th "supported deployment of personnel and equipment through Lajes during operations in the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
from August 1990 – April 1991" and in support of the
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) The war in Afghanistan was a prolonged armed conflict lasting from 2001 to 2021. It began with United States invasion of Afghanistan, the invasion by a Participants in Operation Enduring Freedom, United States-led coalition under the name Oper ...
(Operation Enduring Freedom) and the
War in Iraq This is a list of wars involving the Republic of Iraq and its predecessor states. , style="background:#F88" , Coalition of Gulf War, Coalition victory * Kuwait, State of Kuwait resumes self-governance over all Kuwaiti sovereign territory * Esta ...
(Operation Iraqi Freedom) since 2001 and 2003 respectively. On 14 August 2015, the wing was redesignated as a group and reassigned to the 86th Airlift Wing. On 21 August 2015, Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, a medical technician of the 65th Medical Operations Squadron was one of 6 passengers, including three Americans who thwarted the attack on a high speed train travelling from Brussels to Paris by an armed gunman by tackling and subduing him, then helping to provide medical aid to a wounded passenger. On 16 September 2015, he received the Airman's Medal and a
Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
medal from U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter at the Pentagon.


Lineage

65th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing * Established as the 65th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 26 May 1952 : Activated in the Reserve on 14 June 1952 : Inactivated on 1 April 1953 * Redesignated 65th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium on 1 April 1953 * Consolidated with the 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing as the 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing on 1 January 1992 65th Air Base Group * Established as the 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing and activated on 1 January 1982 * Consolidated with the 65th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 1 January 1992 : Redesignated 65th Support Wing on 27 January 1992 : Redesignated 65th Air Base Wing on 1 October 1993 : Redesignated 65th Air Base Group 11 August 2015


Assignments

*
First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern & Air Forces Space; 1 AF-AFNORTH & AFSPACE) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission i ...
, 14 June 1952 – 1 April 1953 * Twenty-First Air Force 1 January 1982 *
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
, 1 October 1993 *
Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a Numbered Air Force, numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U ...
, 1 October 2002 * United States Air Forces Europe, 1 November 2005 * Air Command Europe, 18 November 2005 * Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe), 1 December 2006 * 86th Airlift Wing, 11 August 2015


Components

; Groups * 65th Troop Carrier Group, 14 June 1952 – 1 April 1953 * 65th Air Base Group (later 1605th Air Base Group, 65th Support Group, 65th Mission Support Group), 14 June 1952 – 1 April 1953, 1 January 1982 – 14 August 2015 * 65th Logistics Group, 27 January 1992 – c. 1997 * 65th Medical Group (later USAF Hospital, Lajes, 65th Medical Group), 14 June 1952 – 1 April 1953, 1 January 1982 – present ; Squadrons * 65th Civil Engineer Squadron, 14 August 2015 – present * 65th Comptroller Squadron (later 65th Comptroller Flight), 1 February 1996 – present * 65th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 14 August 2015 – present * 65th Security Forces Squadron, 14 August 2015 – present * 1605 Military Airlift Support Squadron (later 65 Military Airlift Support Squadron): 1 January 1982 – 1 October 1993 * 1936th Communications Squadron (later 1605th Communications Squadron, 65th Communications Squadron), 1 September 1990 – 1 September 1997, 14 August 2015 – present * 496th Air Base Squadron, 1 April 2019 – present ; Flights * 65th Comptroller Flight (see 65th Comptroller Squadron) * 65th Force Support Flight, 14 August 2015 – present


Stations

*
Mitchel Air Force Base Mitchel Air Force Base, also known as Mitchel Field, was a United States Air Force base located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York, United States. Established in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2, the facility was renamed lat ...
, New York, 14 June 1952 – 1 April 1953 * Lajes Field,
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
, 1 January 1982 – present


Aircraft

*
Curtiss C-46 Commando The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a low-wing, twin-engine aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurized high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company p ...
(1952–1953)


References


Notes


Bibliography

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External links


Lajes Field Home Page
{{USAF Air Forces in Europe Terceira Island 0065