172d Airlift Wing

172d Airlift Wing
172d Wing C-17 Globemaster III at Camp Shelby Auxiliary Field
Active	July 1, 1965 – present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Mississippi
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Airlift
Part of	Mississippi Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Allen C. Thompson ANGB Field, Jackson, Mississippi
Nickname(s)	Wings of the Deep South
Motto(s)	By Faith and Courage
Tail Code	Blue tail stripe, "Mississippi" in yellow letters
Commanders
Current commander	Brigadier General William J. Crisler
Insignia
172d Airlift Wing emblem

The 172d Airlift Wing is a unit of the Mississippi Air National Guard, stationed at Allen C. Thompson Field Air National Guard Base, Mississippi. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The 172nd Airlift Wing operates the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, and has participated in an all-volunteer partial activation since 2005, flying weekly missions to return wounded patients of the military safely back to the United States. Also, the 172d Airlift Wing provides the State of Mississippi support in the event of national emergency, maintains peace and order, and supports civil defense and pre-attack planning.

The 172d Airlift Wing consists of the following units:

In December 1963, the Mississippi 183d Air Transport Squadron was authorized to expand into a group which would include the 183d and supporting organizations, and the 172d Air Transport Group was established. The 183d became the new group's flying squadron. The support units assigned into the group were the 183d Material Squadron, 183d Air Base Squadron, and the 183d USAF Dispensary. Flying Lockheed C-121 Constellations at the time of its activation, the group soon converted to Douglas C-124C Globemaster II heavy intercontinental airlift aircraft in 1966 which meant supplies and equipment could be carried around the world along with the personnel the Constellations could carry.

The C-124 was being retired in the early 1970s and the 172d airlift mission was changed to theater support, as it equipped with Lockheed C-130E Hercules aircraft in May 1972. It upgraded to new C-130H aircraft in 1980 and continued to fly tactical airlift missions until the mid-1980s. On 12 July 1986 the group returned to the strategic airlift role when the first Lockheed C-141B Starlifter to be released from active-duty Air Force control was assigned. With a total of eight aircraft, the unit began its new mission.