934th Airlift Wing

934th Airlift Wing
934th Airlift Wing Lockheed C-130H Hercules on display at the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2007
Active	1963—present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Size	1,300 Personnel
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	Minneapolis-St Paul Joint Air Reserve Station
Nickname(s)	Flying Vikings
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Anthony G. Polashek
Insignia
934th Airlift Wing emblem (approved 23 October 1964)

The 934th Airlift Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of the Minneapolis-St Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota.

The wing’s mission is to fly C-130H3 cargo aircraft, both airdropping and airlanding cargo and people. Aeromedical evacuation of patients within the theater of operations is another facet of the mission. The 934th Airlift Wing supports the Air Force mission on a daily basis, providing airlift both in the United States and around the world.

After May 1959, the reserve flying force consisted of 45 troop carrier squadrons assigned to 15 troop carrier wings. The squadrons were not all located with their parent wings, but were spread over thirty-five Air Force, Navy and civilian airfields under what was called the Detached Squadron Concept. The concept offered several advantages. Communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning. However, under this concept, all support organizations were located with the wing headquarters. Although this was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. To resolve this, at the start of 1962, Continental Air Command, (ConAC) determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed.

As a result, the 934th Troop Carrier Group was activated at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, Minnesota on 11 February 1963 as the headquarters for the 96th Troop Carrier Squadron, which had been stationed there since January 1953. Along with group headquarters, a Combat Support Squadron, Materiel Squadron and a Tactical Infirmary were organized to support the 96th.