374th Airlift Wing

374th Airlift Wing
Wing airmen load a C-130 Hercules for shipment to Niigata Airport on 18 July 2007. The 374 AW provided 10,000 pounds of water and 100 air conditioning units to the Government of Japan after an earthquake hit one of Japan's largest cities on the Sea of Japan.
Active	1948–1957; 1966–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Part of	Pacific Air Forces
Garrison/HQ	Yokota Air Base Japan
Motto(s)	Celeriter Pugnare Latin Swiftly to Fight
Engagements	Korean War
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Commanders
Current commander	Col. Kenneth Moss
Insignia
374th Airlift WIng emblem (approved 20 December 1951)

The 374th Airlift Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Fifth Air Force. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is part of Pacific Air Forces. The 374th Airlift Wing is the only airlift wing in PACAF and provides airlift support to all Department of Defense agencies in the Pacific theater of operation. It also provides transport for people and equipment throughout the Kantō Plain and the Tokyo metropolitan area.

The Wing participates in operations involving air, land and airdrop of troops, equipment, supplies, and support or augment special operations forces, when appropriate. It fields a provisional airlift wing or group headquarters (when required) to command airlift resources as units in support of contingencies or exercises. It also supports assigned, attached, and associate units on Yokota Air Base and satellite installations according to higher headquarters' direction.

The 374th Airlift Wing has never been stationed in the United States.

The mission of the 374th Airlift Wing is to provide command and control of subordinate units for the execution of troop, cargo, military equipment, passengers, mail, and aeromedical evacuation/airlift to and from areas requiring such airlift.

The 374th Troop Carrier Wing was established on 10 August 1948 and activated on 17 August. It operated Harmon Field, Guam, until March 1949, and provided troop carrier operations in the Pacific and Far East. It moved to Japan in March 1949, and assumed control over Tachikawa Air Base, operating this facility until 1 January 1956.

When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, the 374th was the only air transport group in the Far East. During the war, the combat components of the unit were:

The Wing's assigned and attached components flew a variety of aircraft, including C-54s, C-46s, C-47s, C-119s, and C-124s, performing combat airlift, airdrops, and aeromedical evacuation in Korea throughout the war.