Rhein Main History

Anyone having Rhein Main history information, I would appreciate if you would send me. Looking for information regarding Enroute MX Unit information. (C-141s, C-5s and C-17 Unit Support)

Rhein-Main Air Base

435th Military Airlift Support Wing (MASW) 1 July 1969

435th MASW Redesignated to 435^th TAW 1 July 1975

435th Tactical Airlift Wing (TAW) 1 April 1975

435^th TAW Redesignated to 435^th Air Wing (AW) 1 April 1992

435^th Air Wing (AW) 1 April 1992

362^nd Maintenance Squadron (MXS) 1 April 1992 – 1 November 1993

626^th Air Mobility Support Squadron (AMSS) 1 November 1993 – 1 April 1995

435^th Air Wing (AW) was Inactivated 1 April 1995

469^th Air Base Group (ABG) Activated 1 April 1995

726^th AMS Activated 1 April 1995

817 EAS, C-17 Expeditionary Airlift Squadron 2002 ??

469 ABG inactivated on 10 October 2005

726^th AMSS transferred to Spangdalhem AB 30 December 2005

Rhein Main Air Base Operations officially ends 30 Sept 2005

Rhein Main AB is given to German Govt. 30 December 2005

Rhein Main AB Officially Closed 31 December 2005

RMAB Enroute MX Sections (C-141 / C-5 aircraft)

xxxxxx Enroute MX Operations 1 July 1969 - 1 July 1975

435th OMS Enroute MX Section 1 July 1975 – 1 April 1992

362nd Maintenance Squadron (362nd MXS) 1 April 1992 – 1 November 1993

626th Air Mobility Support Squadron (AMSS) 1 November 1993 – 1 April 1995

726th Air Mobility Squadron (AMS) 1 April 1995 – 30 Dec 2005

** After the reunion, I will be placing more Rhein Main History here in this section.

The 435th Organizational Maintenance Squadron was constituted on
25 June 1975 and activated on 1 July 1975 at Rhein-Main Air Base,
Germany, with assignment to the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing.

On 15 Dec 1978, the unit was reassigned to the 435th Tactical Airlift Group, but on 1 June 1980 it was reassigned to the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing.

The 435th Organizational Maintenance Squadron was redesignated as the 435th Aircraft Generation Squadron on 1 August 1990 and inactivated on 1 April 1992.

On 14 March 2003, the unit was redesignated again as the
435th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, converted to
provisional status, and assigned to the United States Air Forces in
Europe for possible activation.

On 10 December 2003, the unit was withdrawn from provisional status and from assignment to the United States Air Forces in Europe, and redesignated as the 435th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. It remains inactive.

DANIEL L. HAULMAN, PhD
Chief, Organzation History Division
Air Force Historical Research Agency

Rhein Main AB History From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On 1 April 1992 the 435th TAW was realigned from Military Airlift Command (MAC) to United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and redesignated as the 435th Airlift Wing (435 AW). The 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron (37 TAS) was concurrently redesignated as the 37th Airlift Squadron (37 AS) on the same date. At its peak, Rhein-Main AB had a population of 10,000. However by 1993, USAF officials announced the intent to downsize the base by half.

On 1 April 1995, the 435 AW was inactivated with Col Donald A. Philpitt, USAF as its last commander. The 435 AW was replaced by the 469th Air Base Group (469 ABG) under USAFE and the 726th Air Mobility Squadron (726 AMS) under AMC. The 469 ABG inactivated on 10 October 2005, with the 726th Air Mobility Squadron being the last USAF unit at Rhein-Main Air Base.

From September 2001 until 2005, Rhein-Main continued to provide support for transient C-130, C-141, C-17, C-5, KC-135, KC-10 and AMC-chartered civilian airliners supporting both US military activities throughout Europe, as well as a waypoint for air mobility operations throughout Southwest Asia in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

On 30 December 2005, the 726 AMS transferred to Spangdahlem Air Base and the base was turned over to the German Government.

Flamingo wing celebrates 60 years of 'swift and sure' service

435^th TAW Rhein Main Air Base, Germany

by Senior Airman Dani Pacheco
Ramstein Public Affairs

6/24/2009 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The 435th Air Base Wing celebrates 60 years of service in the Air Force June 26.

The wing, holding many names since its time of origin, can trace its lineage back to Florida in 1949 when it was stationed at Miami International Airport as part of the Air Force Reserve.

"[Miami] is where we get our mascot, the flamingo," said Jory Vanderburg, 435th ABW historian. "The flamingo is a long range bird and the 435th has a standing history of performing long-range missions."

Although, the wing was initially linked to the Air Force Reserve, it has been called into active duty on several occasions in service of its country.

In fact, the units that provided airpower 65 years ago for the D-Day invasion at Normandy have a direct lineage to both of the wings at Ramstein. The 435th Troop Carrier Group and 37th Troop Carrier Squadron were responsible for the C-47 Skytrains who dropped thousands of U.S. paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions in Normandy.

"We have a tremendous history in this wing that we are all honored to be a part of," said Col. Thomas Gould, 435th ABW commander. "When you look back through the history and heritage of the Air Force, the 435th was there and played a huge role in the success of our service and our nation. We look forward to carrying on this proud tradition here at Ramstein, the Gateway to Europe."

Then called the 435th Troop Carrier Wing, the wing was activated in March of 1951, training C-46 commando aircrews for assignment to the Far East for Korean War duty. In July 1960, the wing started flying C-119 Flying Boxcars, then C-124 Globemaster IIs when it was relocated to Homestead Air Force Base, Fl., before being deactivated in December 1965.

The 435th was called up to active duty once again in December 1968 at High Wycombe Air Station, England, under Military Airlift Command. Re-designated as the 435th Military Airlift Support Wing, the wing provided deployed airlift control elements and aircraft maintenance at aerial ports in portions of Europe, the Middle East, Southwest Asia and Africa. Within a year, the 435th moved to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany.

In July 1975, the wing was again re-designated as the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing, gaining a fleet of C-130 Hercules and C-9 Nightingales to conduct airlift and aeromedical evacuation missions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. They acquired the C-141 Starlifter in their final year at Rhein-Main AB.

"As Rhein-Main AB's host, the 435th TAW ran the busiest U.S. air terminal in Europe and participated in all manner of theater airlift, including relief for natural disasters, evacuation of civilians from hostile situations and aeromedical evacuation from combat areas," Mr. Vanderburg said.

In April 1992, the 435th TAW was realigned to U.S. Air Forces in Europe and was re-designated as the 435th Airlift Wing.

From July 1992 through September 1994, the wing controlled the massive airlift effort during Operation Provide Promise. They provided air-land and airdrop humanitarian airlift to war-torn areas of the former Yugoslavia. In February 1994, the wing began returning portions of Rhein-Main AB to German control.

Effective Oct. 1, 1994, the airlift units of the 435th AW moved to Ramstein Air Base and were transferred to the 86th Airlift Wing. The 435th AW was inactivated in April 1995.

However, less than 10 years later the 435th was once again called into active duty at Ramstein. Re-designated as the 435th Air Base Wing, it took on the management of Ramstein; Einsiedlerhof Air Field Military Compound; Sembach Administrative Annex, y; Kapaun Air Station; sections of Vogelweh Military Complex; and a host of geographically separated units in 10 countries, serving over 57,000 American military personnel, civilians, dependents and local nationals.

"Since the origination of the 435th, there has been a radical change in focus," the historian said. "We went from a true aircraft operational wing and we've evolved into the largest and busiest air base wing in the Air Force." http://www.ramstein.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?id=123155655

435th Air Base Wing History

Ramstein Air Base, Germany
The 435^th Air Base Wing’s legacy as the Flamingo Wing began on July 15, 1947, when the 435^th Troop Carrier Group was activated in the Army Air Force Reserves at Morrison Army Airfield, Florida. On June 26, 1949, it moved to the Miami International Airport and became part of the newly activated 435^th Troop Carrier Wing, which was a part of the Air Force Reserves and the predecessor to the 435^th Air Base Wing. In 1952, the Group’s pre-1949 honors were bestowed onto the 435^th Troop Carrier Wing.

Our bestowed honors come from World War II when the 435^th TCG participated in the greatest aerial operations in the European Theater of Operations including Operation Overlord, the D-Day Normandy Invasion; Operation Dragoon, the liberation of southern France; and Operation Market Garden which was made famous in the movies A Bridge Too Far and Band of Brothers.

The group’s most famous contribution was its Battle of the Bulge efforts when the 435^th TCG airdropped and glider-landed supplies and personnel to the beleaguered 101st Airborne Division trapped at Bastogne, Belgium. The 450,000 lbs. of supplies and medical personnel occurred the day after Brig Gen Anthony McAuliffe gave the infamous “Nuts” reply to the German demand for surrender. At the time, the 101st Airborne was without its Medical Corp which was captured entirely on the first day of the siege and the soldiers were down to ten rounds of ammo per soldier.

Once World War II was over, the 435^th TCG was inactivated on Nov. 15, 1945, and remained dormant until the Group’s June 1947 re-activation in Florida.

The Air Force then activated the 435^th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium as an AFRES wing on June 26, 1949, at Miami International Airport. From March 1951 to December 1952 it was an active-duty wing, training C-46 Commando aircrews for assignment to the Far East for Korean War duty. Inactivating on Dec. 1, 1952, the wing returned to the AFRES. The wing was flying overseas airlift missions, particularly from the Caribbean area to Central America. On Jul. 11, 1960, the 435^th TCW(M), now well known as the Flamingo Wing, relocated to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. The Wing started flying C-119 Boxcars, then C-124 Globemaster IIs, then reverted back to C-119s. Inactivation occurred on Dec. 1, 1965 from Homestead AFB, Florida.

The wing returned to active duty on Dec. 24, 1968, and was redesignated as the 435^th Military Airlift Support Wing, and activated at High Wycombe Air Station, England under Military Airlift Command. The 435^th MASW provided deployed airlift control elements and aircraft maintenance at aerial ports in portions of Europe, the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and Africa. On Jul. 1, 1969 the 435^th MASW moved to Rhein-Main AB, Germany.

A big change occurred on Jul. 1, 1975, when the wing assumed Rhein-Main’s host responsibilities. Redesignated as the 435^th Tactical Airlift Wing, it gained a fleet of C-130 Hercules and C-9 Nightingales to conduct airlift and aeromedical evacuation missions in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. They acquired the C-141 Starlifter in the final year at Rhein-Main AB. As Rhein-Main’s host, the 435^th TAW ran the busiest U.S. air terminal in Europe and participated in all manner of theater airlift, including relief for natural disasters, evacuation of civilians from hostile situations, and aeromedical evacuation from combat areas. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the Wing also implemented Distinguished Visitor flight operations, utilizing the VC-135 Stratolifter, VC-140 JetStar, CT-39 Sabreliner, and C-12 Huron. A decade later, wing personnel deployed to Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, from August 1990 to late March 1991, to provide airlift during the Persian Gulf War I.

On Apr. 1, 1992, the 435^th TAW was realigned from MAC to USAFE and redesignated the 435^th Airlift Wing. From July 1992 through September 1994, the wing controlled the massive airlift effort during Operation Provide Promise to provide air-land and airdrop humanitarian airlift to war-torn areas of the former Yugoslavia. In February 1994, the wing began returning portions of Rhein-Main to German control. Effective Oct. 1, 1994, the airlift units of the 435^th AW moved to Ramstein Air Base and were transferred to the redesignated 86^th Airlift Wing. Drawdown continued through the 435^th AW’s Apr. 1, 1995 inactivation.

On Jan. 15, 2004, the wing was redesignated as the 435^th Air Base Wing and activated to take over Ramstein and Kaiserslautern Military Community responsibilities. The 435^th ABW took on the daunting management of Ramstein, Einsiedlerhof Air Field Military Compound, Sembach Administrative Annex, Kapaun Air Station, and sections of the Vogelweh Military Complex and serviced more than 52,000 American military personnel, civilians, and dependants. In April 2005, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe created the 38^th Combat Support Wing and transferred some 435^th ABW and 86^th AW units to the 38^th CSW. By early 2007, HQ USAFE revisited the 38^thCSW’s creation and decided to inactivate the 38^th CSW, returning the units back to the 435^th ABW, 86^th AW, and other wings in USAFE’s Area of Responsibility. By September 2007, the 38^th CSW was no more.

The 435^th ABW now consists of five Groups and 20 Squadrons with the 435^th ABW commander was designated as the installation commander for all Air Force assets in the KMC. The 2008 calendar year did not endure further mission or organization changes and the 435^th ABW settled down to focus on its duties as the finest unit in the KMC. (Current as of March 2009)http://search.dma.mil/search?q=cache:mTlPjvCYtAsJ:www.ramstein.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-090310-019.doc+435th+taw&access=p&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&client=AFPW_AFHRA&site=AFPW_Global&site=AFPW_Global&proxystylesheet=AFPW_AFHRA&oe=UTF-8

http://www.gg-online.de/html/rhein_main_air_base.htm

OUTSTANDING RHEIN MAIN AIR BASE WEBSITES

435th APS

http://www.435aps.com (You can become a member of this website)

435th SPS

http://www.435thsps.com

7406 Support Squadron

http://www.7406supportsquadron.com/main.asp

Related Rhein Main AB Websites

http://www.ng.mil/resources/galleries/heritage/creek_party.html

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/rhein-main.htm

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?article=32162

http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0802/rhein.html

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123011993

http://members.chello.nl/r.kleingeerts/435taw.htm

http://travel.webshots.com/album/422457849fGwAQS?start=0

http://members.tripod.com/~Michael_Coleman/page9.html

http://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=Login

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvNwiczJ69k&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JueLQQdg_M&NR=1

These videos will make a C-141 maintainer cry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXAdQ4F0HDI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNo-rkoBPpQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5HQuES1CZI&NR=1

HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE WEBSITES

http://www.afcrossroads.com/

Air Force History (awesome info)

http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/

C-141 HEAVEN

http://www.c141heaven.com/

Anyone who enjoyed working on the C141 aircraft, this website is a must.

You can spend literally days on this superb website.

** Mr. Mike Novack may be attending our reunion. This will be fantastic if he does, because he will be talking about his website, which is the best C-141 website I have ever seen.

C-141 Starlifter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-141_Starlifter

http://usafgermany.com/links/bushlinks.html

The OOPPS List (Recommended by Neil Bonner)

http:www.micom.net/oops

Dedicated to ALL Enrouters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LSarhZpnMs&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etagged%2Ecom%2Fprofile%2Ehtml%3Fuid%3D5400967370&feature=player_embedded

Unofficial USAF Locator Services

http://www.usaf-locator.com/

A Little of Everything on this site

VET FRIENDS

http://www.vetfriends.com/?source=googlereinstate&keyword=veteran_dot&gclid=COeni72Yj50CFdZM5QodWHfD7Q

http://www.vetfriends.com/organizations/directory.cfm?type=8

Classmates

www.classmates.com

435th Military Airlift Support Wing (MASW) 1 July 1969

435th Military Airlift Support Wing Redesignated to 435^th TAW 1 July 1975