43rd Bombardment Wing

43d Airlift Wing
A 43d Operations Group C-130 flies over the Cape Hatteras lighthouse along the North Carolina coast
Active	1947-1970; 1970-1990; 1992-1996; 1997-2011
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Part of	Air Mobility Command
Motto(s)	Willing, Able, Ready
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/ V Device Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/ Palm
Commanders
Notable commanders	David A. Burchinal Jack J. Catton
Insignia
43d Airlift Wing emblem

The 43rd Airlift Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit last stationed at Pope Field, part of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where it was inactivated in March 2011. The wing performed en route operations support at Pope Field to include mission command & control, aircrew management, aircraft maintenance, aircraft loading, aircraft fueling and supply. Since the wing's inactivation, the 43rd Airlift Group has tasken over airlift, maintenance, and en route missions at Pope Field.

The 43d Airlift Wing provided strategic, en-route airlift support and Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical airlift support to the Army's XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division and US Special Forces Command. It was capable of deploying a self-sustaining, war-fighting package anywhere in the world at a moment's notice and reflected Pope's motto "Ready Now".

The wing traces its roots back to the 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), which was constituted 20 November 1940, and activated 15 January 1941, at Langley Field, VA. It operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater as a B-17 Flying Fortress, and later a B-24 Liberator heavy-bomber unit assigned to Fifth Air Force. The 43d Operations Group carries the lineage and history of its highly decorated World War II predecessor unit.

Active for over 60 years, the wing was a component wing of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force throughout the Cold War.

The 2005 BRAC Law mandated the distribution of the assigned 43d Airlift Wing C-130s and the 23rd Fighter Group A-10s to meet Air Force requirements at other locations; established a Reserve/Active Duty 16 C-130H organization; established a Medical Squadron; established an Air Force Group to provide mission execution, planning, and management of efficient load-out of Fort Bragg assets; and transferred Real Property accountability to the Army (Fort Bragg). The 2005 BRAC Law directed that the mandates be completed no later than 15 September 2011.