65th Air Base Group

65th Air Base Group
65th Medical Group Airmen medevac US Navy Sailor
Active	1952-1953, 1982-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Base Support
Part of	86th Airlift Wing
Garrison/HQ	Lajes Air Base
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Daniel Furleigh
Insignia
65th Air Base Group emblem
65th Air Base Wing emblem (Approved 15 June 2007)

The 65th Air Base Group is a group of the United States Air Force based at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal.

The group provides base and en route support for Department of Defense, allied nations and other authorized aircraft in transit, including those from the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Colombia, Germany, Venezuela and Great Britain.

The 65th was first organized at Mitchel Air Force Base, 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 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 and U.S. Navy in the area." The 65th "supported deployment of personnel and equipment through Lajes during operations in the Persian Gulf from August 1990 – April 1991" and in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and 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.