Base Units

Little Rock AFB Units
Little Rock AFB is the home of C-130 Combat Airlift. The 19th Airlift Wing is the host unit, which reports the Air Mobility Command. There are two major partner units located here: the 314th Airlift Wing reports to Air Education and Training Command, and the 189th AW of the Arkansas Air National Guard also reports to AETC. Additionally, the 29th Weapons Squadron reports to Air Combat Command.

19th Airlift Wing
Who We Are
The 19th Airlift Wing provides the Department of Defense the largest C-130 fleet in the world. The wing is part of AMC and reports directly to 18th Air Force at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. As part of AMC's Global Reach capability, the wing's responsibilities include supplying humanitarian airlift relief to victims of disasters and flying supplies and troops into the heart of hostile areas. The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the tactical airlift mission. The aircraft operates from rough, dirt strips and transports troops and equipment for drop into hostile areas. The C-130 serves under AMC, ACC and Special Operations Command as well as U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Pacific Air Forces, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command. Little Rock AFB is home to more than 90 C-130 E, H and J models.

Unit History
In 79 years of active service under the emblem of the winged sword, the 19th has flown, fought and won with the motto: In Alis Vincimus—on wings we conquer! The 19th Bombardment Group was stationed at Clark Field, near Manila, Philippines, when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 8, 1941. The result was devastating: half of the Group's B-17s were destroyed on the ground, with 55 men killed.

Scraping together what aircraft were still available, the group flew the first American bombing missions of the war against Japanese shipping and invasion craft. But the situation in the Philippines was dire, and the group's air echelon evacuated to Australia within days. Many members of the ground echelon couldn't be evacuated; members of the 19th fought as infantry in the defense of Bataan. Some were captured, and took part in the Bataan Death March, and others fought as guerillas.

The 19th Bombardment Group flew in the defense of Java and New Guinea, and the battles of the Coral Sea and Guadalcanal before rotating home to Texas in late 1942. Even on the return journey, some of the group's crews carried bomb loads for enemy targets as they passed.

In that single year of combat, members of the 19th earned the Medal of Honor and more than 50 Distinguished Service Crosses. For its service, the Group was awarded six Distinguished Unit Citations, the highest award the United States can confer on a military unit. The price was high: two-thirds of the 19th were killed, captured or wounded in the first year of the war.

On April 1, 1944, the 19th was relocated to Kansas and equipped with new B-29 Superfortresses before returning to the Pacific to bomb the Japanese home islands. On Aug. 14, 1945, as the group flew home from a bombing mission, President Harry S. Truman announced the unconditional surrender of the Empire of Japan. The 19th Bombardment Group, which had flown the first American bombing missions of WWII, had flown the last. As part of a post-war reorganization in 1948, the Air Force formed the 19th Bombardment Wing, as the host unit for Andersen Air Base, Guam. The 19th Bombardment Group became its operational flying unit.

Then communist forces attacked South Korea on June 25, 1950, the 19th Bombardment Group was immediately detached and sent to Okinawa, Japan. Over the next two months alone, the group flew more than 600 combat sorties supporting United Nations ground forces. Superfortress turret gunners also claimed aerial victories against enemy fighters. In 1951, members of the 19th Bombardment Group racked up 10 kills against MiG fighters. This constituted 38 percent of all confirmed B-29 turret gun kills in the Korean War.

Shortly before the war's end, the 19th Bombardment Wing was reunited with the group. For the second time in a row, the 19th had the distinction of being present at the very beginning and at the very end of the war. After Korea, the 19th was reassigned to Strategic Air Command to fly B-47 Stratojets. The addition of air refueling squadrons, with their KC-97s, extended the short reach of the B-47. In 1962 the 19th, now at Homestead AFB, Fla., converted to B-52s and KC-135s. In mid-1968, the 19th moved without personnel or equipment to Robins AFB in Georgia, where it absorbed the resources and personnel of the 465th Bombardment Wing. It also absorbed the Black Knights nickname at this time, which the men and women of the 19th have proudly borne ever since.

In 1972 and 1973, the 19th provided aircraft and crews to units in Southeast Asia. As the crews and aircraft returned, the 19th resumed its place in the nation's strategic deterrence. In 1983, the 19th gave up its bombers and was redesignated the 19th Air Refueling Wing. The change to tankers meant an increase in the wing's operations tempo. The wing supported numerous tanker task forces, and flew aerial refueling missions supporting the invasions of Grenada and Panama. When Operation Desert Storm began in 1991, the wing flew almost 7,000 combat-support hours, and offloaded almost 59 million pounds of fuel, all in just 43 days.

The wing provided air refueling support to NATO fighters in Bosnia in 1995. In 1996, Black Knight tankers deployed to Southwest Asia to support Operation Southern Watch, to Turkey for Operation Provide Comfort, and to France for Operation Deny Flight.

On July 1, 1996, the 19th Air Refueling Wing was inactivated, and its mission was turned over to its operations group, redesignated the 19th Air Refueling Group. This force deployed to numerous contingency operations. In 1998 and 1999, the Black Knights supported Operations Northern Watch, Desert Thunder, Constant Vigil, Deliberate Forge, and Allied Force. The terrorist attacks of 2001 brought a whole new pace of operations. Just as in World War II and Korea, the 19th was in the fight early, providing aerial refueling capabilities to special operators and conventional forces over Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decided the aerial refueling mission at Robins AFB would be discontinued. In the seventh year of the Global War on Terror, the 19th Air Refueling Group's flags were cased on June 1, 2008. Four months later, the group and wing were reunited, redesignated and activated at Little Rock Air Force Base as the 19th Airlift Wing.

Today, the 19th Airlift Wing is the largest C-130 tactical airlift wing in the world. Its personnel are heavily engaged in combat and humanitarian operations around the world, including Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. In 2010, 15 of its aircraft participated in Operation Unified Response, delivering aid to Haiti.

19th Operations Group
The 19th Operations Group's mission is to provide and sustain combatant commands with precise and responsive theater combat aerial delivery. The group trains and develops Airmen to lead the Air Force and innovates and shapes future combat aerial delivery options. The 19th Operations Group is composed of four flying squadrons at Little Rock AFB -- the 41st, 50th, 53rd, 61st - - and three geographically separated flying squadrons -- the 30th, Cheyenne, Wyo., 345th Airlift Squadron, Keesler AFB, Miss., and the 52nd, Colorado Springs, Colo. The 41st is the Air Force's first active-duty combat-ready C-130J squadron and the 30th is the first activeduty/ Guard combined squadron. These squadrons are operational and deploy throughout the world.

Units
30th Airlift Squadron (F.E. Warren Air Force Base)
41st Airlift Squadron
50th Airlift Squadron
52nd Airlift Squadron (Peterson Air Force Base)
53rd Airlift Squadron
61st Airlift Squadron
345th Airlift Squadron (Keesler Air Force Base)
34th Combat Training Squadron
19th Operations Support Squadron

19th Mission Support Group
The 19th Mission Support Group's vision statement is: "A dedicated, combat-ready mission support team committed to excellence now and in the future." Combat support, anytime, anywhere.

Every base is like a city. The 19th Mission Support Group ties together supply, transportation, contracting, aerial port, security forces, contracting, services, personnel support, communications and civil engineer functions, providing the infrastructure that keeps this 6,128-acre "city" operating.

Units
19th Civil Engineer Squadron
19th Communications Squadron
19th Contracting Squadron
19th Force Support Squadron
19th Logistics Readiness Squadron
19th Security Forces Squadron

19th Maintenance Group
The 19th Maintenance Group is the world's largest C-130 unit comprised of 1,850 personnel employing 52 C-130 E, H1, H3 and J aircraft in a variety of global airlift missions and back shop support for 33 Air Education and Training Command C-130 H2 and J aircraft. The group provides war fighting combatant commanders with combat aerial delivery of personnel, equipment and supplies, along with short-notice global aeromedical evacuation capability. Composed of four diverse maintenance squadrons, the group executes an annual budget of nearly $2 million, including a 29,000 flying-hour program.

Units:
19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
19th Component Maintenance Squadron
19th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
19th Maintenance Operations Squadron

19th Medical Group
The 19th Medical Group offers family practice, pediatrics and flight medicine clinics that will provide the bulk of your care. They also have women's health, physical therapy, optometry, mental health, and dental clinics along with a full array of diagnostic services and prevention programs. For specialty medical services not provided in the facility, they have partnered with many of the best doctors and hospitals in the area. They are fortunate to have an outstanding civilian healthcare network and enjoy unparalleled community support. Together, they offer a full spectrum of healthcare. There is no emergency room-for emergency medical care, any time of day, dial 911 (on or off base).

Units:
19th Medical Operations Squadron
19th Medical Support Squadron
19th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
19th Medical Group Dental Operations Flight
Hours of operation: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
The dental flight provides comprehensive general dental service for active duty members of Little Rock Air Force Base. Dental services offered include: preventive dental health procedures, routine fillings, oral surgery, prosthetics (crowns, bridges and removable appliances), periodontics (gum maintenance and surgery), and root canals. Generally, routine appointments are available within 10 duty days. Some dental specialty services require more coordination and therefore may not be available in the 10-day window. Some services are not available within six months of projected separation or retirement. Routine annual appointments for examinations and dental cleanings can be made through the unit health monitor or scheduler, or by calling the 19th Dental Operations Flight at (501) 987-7304 or (501) 987-7331.

Emergency dental care appointments are available from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by calling the appointment desk listed above. During this appointment the dental problem will be evaluated, and, if necessary, prompt treatment provided. In some cases, non-urgent treatment may be scheduled at a later date, so the clinic can preplan the proper resources to meet the member's dental needs. On non-duty days or after normal duty hours, access to emergency care to relieve severe pain, control bleeding or treat swelling caused by infection can be obtained by calling the primary care manager on duty at (501) 987-8811.

All non-active-duty beneficiaries can be given emergency dental care that is necessary to relieve pain. Many dental insurance programs, to include the Tricare Dental Plan, the Retiree Dental Plan and the Reserve Dental Plan (all administered by Concordia Dental Plans, 1-800-866-8499), provide for emergency service visits. If the patient has a civilian dentist, it is usually best that they be contacted first to ensure continuity of treatment.

19th Medical Group Pharmacy Services
Hours of operation: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday. Closed on weekends and federal holidays
New prescriptions: New civilian (paper) prescriptions may be brought to the pharmacy between 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. We do not process civilian prescriptions between 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; however, they can be turned in during this time and picked up later in the day. The pharmacy accepts both military and civilian prescriptions for eligible beneficiaries. New prescriptions will be filled for any item on the pharmacy formulary. Copies of our formulary are available for both patients and prescribers at the pharmacy upon request or at www.littlerock.af.mil. A hard copy prescription with the physician's hand-written signature is required for all controlled substance medications; electronic signatures will not be accepted. Telephoned, faxed and renewal prescription requests are not accepted. All prescriptions must be dropped off in person. Drug information and patient education sheets are available from the pharmacy upon request.

Refilled prescriptions: All refills are processed through the automated telephone refill system and may be picked up 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Patients with touch-tone telephones may use this system by calling (501) 987-7457 or the toll-free number (877) 329-5762.

Those with rotary dial telephones should contact the pharmacy at 987-7446 for assistance. Patients may request refills when they have taken 75 percent of their prescription. Refilled prescriptions will be kept on the shelf for five duty days once phoned in. Patients with original prescriptions from other military pharmacies may bring the original container to the pharmacy to have the remaining refills transferred to this facility. Note: If the prescription is expired or has no refills remaining, the pharmacy will not be able to process it. Please allow three duty days to transfer prescriptions from other military pharmacies.

Quantity and refill limitations: Physicians may prescribe up to a 90-day supply of all maintenance medications with refills for up to one year, except for controlled substances. Controlled substances or narcotics may be filled for up to a 30-day supply with no refills.

Picking up prescriptions: Anyone who is picking up a prescription for someone other than themselves, except for their dependent children under 18 years of age, must have with them the patient's military ID card or a photocopy of both the front and back of the ID. Parents or legal guardians must pick up prescriptions for their dependent children under 18 years of age. If the child has a different last name and sponsor's social security number than the parent picking up the prescription, the child's military ID card is helpful to validate eligibility.

If your medication is not available at the base pharmacy, there are a few options to obtain the medication that you need:

Please ask if we have a similar medication to the one prescribed by your provider. If we do, we may be able to contact your provider to see if they will authorize us to make a change to the original prescription and fill the item here. We must have the original on hand to make the change.

Your medication may be available through the Tricare Mail Order Pharmacy Program. Active-duty patients may obtain prescriptions from TMOP at no cost. There is a $9 co-pay for each name-brand prescription and a $3 co-pay for each generic prescription for up to a 90-day supply as written by your provider. The TMOP and Network pharmacy benefit is available to Medicare-eligible retirees and their family members. The TMOP formulary contains most FDA approved oral and topical prescription medications. Several classes of medications are excluded such as drugs for weight control, smoking cessation, vaccines, etc. The TMOP formulary is available online at http://pec.ha.osd.mil/TMOP/TMOPhome.htm. Information packets on the TMOP are available through the Tricare Service Center.

If you need a medication for an acute illness (antibiotics, pain medications, etc.) you may choose to use a Tricare Network Pharmacy. Co-pays at a network pharmacy are currently $9 for name-brand medications and $3 for generic medications for up to a 30-day supply as written by your provider. There is no co-pay for active duty members.

Patients with private insurance that pays for medications may not use the TMOP or network pharmacy benefit. For more information, call (501) 987-7446.

314th Airlift Wing
Who We Are
The 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. is the nation's tactical airlift "Center of Excellence" and trains C-130 aircrew members from the Department of Defense, Coast Guard, and 42 nations to date. The 314th Airlift Wing is aligned under Air Education and Training Command, reporting to the 19th Air Force at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. The wing flies 15,600 hours annually and utilizes two local drop zones, two local assault landing zones, 10 regional airfields, and 20 flight simulators/training devices to train more than 1,800 students annually, including more than 300 international students in DoD's largest international flight training program.

The 314th Airlift Wing consists of approximately 900 military and 300 civilian personnel. The instructor force in the 314th Airlift Wing is the most experienced cadre of C-130 flight instructors in the world. Students receive training in all five crew positions—aircraft commander, pilot, navigator, flight engineer, and loadmaster. Military Training Leaders assigned to the 714th Training Squadron provide continuous professional development for non-prior service loadmaster students in the initial training pipeline.

The 314th Operations Group and the 314th Maintenance Group operate and maintain the world's largest training fleet of C-130s. The 62nd Airlift Squadron flies C-130H2 Hercules and the 48th Airlift Squadron flies C-130J Hercules to accomplish the wing mission. The 714th Training Squadron manages an $845 million C-130 Aircrew Training System contract and oversees 124 specialized graduate-level flying training courses ranging in length from one week to seven months. The 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron provides flight line maintenance for assigned aircraft and the 314th Maintenance Operations Squadron oversees maintenance programs.

Mission
The wing's mission is to train the world's best C-130 combat airlifters to fly, fight and win. The wing's vision is to build the foundation of America's combat airlift capability by instilling a combat airlift culture and warrior ethos, and developing the skills to successfully operate in an operational unit.

Unit History
The 314th Airlift Wing was initially activated as the 314th Troop Carrier Wing Medium in 1948, but its roots trace back to the early days of World War II. The 314th actually began with the activation of the 314th Transport Group in 1942, but was redesignated the 314th Troop Carrier Group later that year to conduct stateside training with C-47 and C-53 cargo aircraft, then transferred overseas in 1943 for duty in the Mediterranean theater of operations and the invasion of Europe.

During the invasions of Sicily and Italy, the group dropped paratroopers and supplies and earned its first Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission over Sicily (Operation Husky) in the face of horrible weather and heavy attack by ground and naval forces. In 1944, the group formed part of the initial D-Day invasion, again dropping paratroopers and flying resupply missions, which earned a second Distinguished Unit Citation. Other missions included the invasion of Holland and an airborne and glider assault across the Rhine River into Germany. When the war ended, the 314th evacuated allied prisoners from Germany before transferring back to the United States in 1946.

Two years later, the group joined the newly activated 314th Troop Carrier Wing. When war broke out in Korea in 1950, the group detached from the wing and relocated to Ashiya, Japan, transporting troops and supplies to Korea and evacuating wounded personnel for the duration of the war. Major combat operations included supporting allied forces in both offensive and defensive struggles in missions over Sunchon, Pyongyang, the Chosin Reservoir, Munsan-Ni, Chipyong-Ni, and many other locations.

The airdrops over Chipyong-Ni were of particular importance. In February 1951, an embattled team of Allied forces was completely surrounded, pinned down, out of ammunition and vastly outnumbered. With a series of resupply airdrops, 314th aircrews gave those forces a fighting chance. They held the strategic position and eventually recaptured the surrounding areas in a battle known as the "Gettysburg of the Korean War." In 1957, the wing received the first of its Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" aircraft, the same airframe it flies today. Together with the US Army, the 314th developed tactics for assault airlift operations and participated in air demonstrations, exercises, maneuvers and other joint operations.

Nearly a decade later, the wing moved to Taiwan to fly passengers and cargo throughout the Pacific as well as combat airlift in Southeast Asia. While there, the wing earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with a combat "V" device in recognition of "airlifting an average of 7.9 tons of passengers and cargo for each operational flying hour in Southeast Asia, in addition to performing a wide variety of tactical airlift missions under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions."

In 1971, the 314th transferred to Little Rock AFB, serving as the primary C-130 training unit for all Department of Defense agencies and aircrew members from selected foreign nations.

The wing also served for a time as the principal unit for worldwide tactical airlift operations. During the '70s and '80s, the wing conducted regular European rotations, providing the commanders of the US Air Forces Europe with a flexible theater airlift capability. The wing remained prepared for typical war scenarios in Europe and Korea, while also flying many humanitarian relief operations in Africa and elsewhere. Additionally, the wing flew missions in Central America in support of American foreign policy. More than 1,000 personnel and 16 aircraft deployed to the Persian Gulf a mere five days after Iraq invaded Kuwait. By the time the wing redeployed to Little Rock the following year, it had transported more than 27,000 passengers and 25,000 tons of cargo.

In the end, the men and women of the 314th can cite contributions in such operations as Urgent Fury, Just Cause, Provide Comfort/Restore Hope, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Uphold Democracy and Joint Endeavor—just to name a few.

Since activation in 1948, the 314th has served under numerous Major Commands, operated various types of aircraft and accomplished a wide array of missions. Since aligning under AETC in 1997, the wing has focused squarely on training the world's best combat airlifters.

314th Operations Group
The 314th Operations Group is a united team of diverse professionals providing the best training, airpower support and functional expertise for the 314th Airlift Wing mission through personal commitment to excellence. The group's mission is to train world-class, combat-capable aircrews to sustain global airlift operations. Its vision is to develop combat leaders of all ranks, support the warfighter and develop world's premier C-130 centers of excellence.

Units:
48th Airlift Squadron
62nd Airlift Squadron
714th Training Squadron

314th Maintenance Group
The 314th Maintenance Group provides direct support for the 314th Airlift Wing's C-130 initial, mission aircrew qualification, and mobility weapons formal schools. The group's mission includes direct sortie production, aircraft equipment support, aircraft preventive maintenance, maintenance training, and health of the fleet management. The group's mission statement is: "Supporting the United States Air Force and worldwide C-130 community by providing the highest quality aircraft maintenance for aircrew initial qualification and continuation training." The group consists of a command staff element and two reporting squadrons:
314th Maintenance Operations Squadron
314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

189th Airlift Wing (ANG)
Who we are
The Arkansas Air National Guard's 189th Airlift Wing is located on Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., and is aligned in the standard combat wing organization with the 189th AW headquarters staff, 189th Operations Group, 189th Maintenance Group, 189th Mission Support Group and the 189th Medical Group.

In addition, the wing provides support to four geographically separated units: the 123rd Intelligence Squadron and the 154th Weather Flight on Little Rock AFB, and the Arkansas Air National Guard headquarters and the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in North Little Rock, Ark.

Mission
The formal training mission of the 189th Airlift Wing is to train and qualify C-130 aircrew instructor candidates to become instructors in their respective crew positions. The 189th is also the lead unit in the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program. The wing is currently training the C-130 AMP initial cadre, both aircrew and maintenance, who have been tasked to conduct the initial operational test and evaluation of the modernized C-130 AMP platform in fiscal year 12. By FY14, the 189th AW will be simultaneously operating the C-130 Instructor Flight Training Unit and the C-130 AMP FTU. The 189 AW is designated as the lead unit in the Air Reserve Component C-130 FTU Association in which the ANG will partner with the AF Reserve Command to assume responsibility for all legacy (non J-model) C-130 training beginning in FY14.

The 189th AW operates the Air National Guard Enlisted Aircrew Academic School. This school provides entry level technical training to international and Marine Corps enlisted members destined to become flight engineers and loadmasters. In addition to the AETC formal training mission, 400 members of the 189th AW are identified for deployments in Air Expeditionary Force taskings. The wing manages the personnel deployment readiness of these identified individuals to ensure appropriate response capability to federal taskings. The 189th AW also maintains three 50-person rapid augmentation teams with one team on call 365 days a year to respond to natural disasters or domestic emergencies requiring military support for civil authorities.

Unit history
The 189th AW is a direct descendant of the ANG's 154th Observation Squadron, which was formed Oct. 24, 1925, at Little Rock Municipal Airport in Little Rock. The 154th OS was ordered to active duty in 1940 and saw action during World War II in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and England. It was re-designated the 154th Fighter Squadron on its return to inactive status after the war. The squadron was again ordered to active duty in October 1950 for the Korean conflict, flying combat missions from Itazuke Air Base, Japan, and Taegu, Korea, as part of the 136th Fighter Group. The squadron returned to inactive status in the spring of 1952 and was redesignated the 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.

The squadron moved from Adams Field to Little Rock Air Force Base in September 1962 and reorganized as the 189th Tactical Reconnaissance Group one month later, when elements of the 123rd Air Base Group were added. In June 1965, the group became the first ANG organization to be equipped with RF-101 aircraft. As a result of the Pueblo Crisis, the 189th was recalled to active duty in January 1968. In July of that year, the 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (augmented) deployed from Little Rock AFB to Itazuke, Japan. In December, the squadron was released from active duty and returned to inactive status at Little Rock AFB and assumed the RF-101 Replacement Training Unit mission from the active Air Force.

On Jan. 1, 1976, the unit was designated as the 189th Air Refueling Group and converted to a KC-135 air-to-air refueling mission, becoming one of the first ANG units to be assigned to the Strategic Air Command as a gaining command.

As an integral part of SAC under "Total Force," the 189th ARG maintained an around-the-clock Alpha Alert, participated in European, Alaskan and Pacific Tanker Task Forces, and supported world-wide temporary tanker task forces performing in-flight refueling of all types of aircraft as assigned by SAC.

On Oct. 1, 1986, the unit was re-designated as the 189th Tactical Airlift Group and converted to the C-130 aircraft. The mission squadron was re-designated as the 154th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron and assumed a proportionate share of initial aircrew qualification training from the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing. Student training actually began Sept. 25, 1986.

During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 135 members were activated and served in both stateside and overseas locations. Aircrews from the 189th flew 123 mission sorties in support of the two operations without affecting the unit's day-to-day aircrew training mission. The 154th Training Squadron is one of the most highly decorated ANG units in the nation, boasting 16 battle streamers on the wing organizational flag.

On April 16, 1992, the 189th Tactical Airlift Group was officially re-designated as the 189th Airlift Group, and the 154th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron was re-designated as the 154th Training Squadron. On Oct. 1, 1995, the 189th Airlift Group was designated as the 189th AW. The 189th AW was the first ANG unit in the country to be located on an active duty Air Force base flying the same type aircraft as its active duty counterpart, and performing the same day-to-day mission.

The 189th AW has also played a role in current operations since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The wing sent 30 volunteers to perform state active duty at Little Rock National Airport for the airport security mission, beginning Oct. 4, 2001, and ending May 31, 2002; then, on Oct. 16, 2001, the wing's entire security forces squadron was mobilized for two years. Security forces members spent time at multiple overseas locations and two stateside locations, providing air base ground defense.

Since 9/11, the wing has met the demand of 1,378 taskings in support of the Global War on Terror. The wing also played a vital role in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that struck the Alabama-Mississippi- Louisiana-Texas Gulf Coast region in fall 2005. Nearly 200 members deployed to the New Orleans area on 30-day tours over a four-month period to assist with clean-up efforts, to keep the peace and help restore order. Wing aircrews flew 29 missions, hauling 1,600 people and 102 tons of cargo to and from the region. According to National Guard Bureau statistics, the wing ranked third in the nation among Air Guard wings that hauled passengers and cargo to support hurricane relief efforts.

In February 2008, 189th AW members were called to provide security assistance to areas in and around Clinton, Arkansas, after tornadoes ravaged the area. In January 2009, 50 wing members were placed on a week of state active duty to help clear roads in Fulton County, Ark., after ice storms struck northern Arkansas.

The 189th AW flew 5,100 Accident Free flying hours, trained 524 students in flying and non-flying syllabi, and deployed 84 personnel to eight locations in support of OEF/OIF FY 10.

During 2010 the 189th AW transitioned from the C-130E to the C-130H aircraft in preparation for all C-130E model aircraft to be retired from the Air Force inventory. This transition brings enhanced airlift capability to the State of Arkansas and prepares the Wing to transition to their new role as the FTU for the C-130 AMP aircraft. The 189th is the lead unit for the AMP transition and is the only ANG unit to have crews qualified in this new cockpit modification. These AMP qualified crews participated in the Design Testing and Evaluation program as the first major flying milestone to proving the capability of the new AMP modification and working toward certification of the new design. Despite this undertaking, the 189th continued to be the DoD sole source provider of C-130 Instructor Training in all crew positions.

The 189th AW Rapid Augmentation Team Bravo deployed May 1, 2010 in response to tornado damage with 39 personnel to Saline County, Arkansas. The team was deployed in less than three hours and quickly set up to support the community and local authorities. RAT Bravo is one of three 50-person teams comprised of drill-status Guardsmen. It's a volunteer force the wing developed to more efficiently respond to state natural disasters.

In 2011, 15 Airmen from the Arkansas Air National Guard's 189th AW RAT Charlie deployed to help motorists in emergency situations on Central Arkansas interstates. The team assisted local authorities by patrolling the highways and went into action helping 23 people and checking on 62 total people and more than 100 vehicles. Three teams of two members each worked around the clock, ensuring that motorist along I-40, I-430, and I-630 were safe and had necessary provisions.

Sixty-seven Airmen from the 189th AW RAT Charlie deployed April 26, 2011, to Vilonia in Faulkner County to help residents recover from tornado damage. They cleared debris from the roads. The team provided security and patrolled the roads throughout Vilonia, while also providing search and rescue.

Out of 88 Guard wings, the 189th AW safety office was named the best safety office in the ANG for its 2010 performance.

During the 2011 flooding in several southeast Arkansas counties, 189th personnel supported the response alongside the unit's emergency management mobile emergency operations center that was used to provide communications and a field operational headquarters for the Army National Guard troops during the levee monitoring mission. The wing members were presented with individual keys to the city from the mayor of Lake Village for their support during this mission.  read more...