| Unit Name: | 61st Air Base Wing |
| Dates: | 1948–1951; 1966–1980; 1994–2010 |
| Role: | Base support |
| Command Structure: | Air Force Space Command |
| Decorations: | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Identification Symbol Label: | 61st Air Base Wing emblem (Approved 30 November 2006)[1] |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | 61st Military Airlift Wing emblem (Approved 4 May 1966)[2] [3] |
The 61st Air Base Wing is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force, last stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California. The 61st was the host unit at Los Angeles Air Force Base, and commanded all the Air Force support groups and units assigned to the base. When active. the wing is entitled to temporary bestowal of the history and honors stems of the 61st Troop Carrier Group.
Its mission was to provide base operating support to Los Angeles Air Force Base customers.
The wing was first activated as the 61st Troop Carrier Wing by the United States Air Forces in Europe in 1948 to control C-47 Skytrain and C-54 Skymaster units. The wing was the host organization at Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany. It also operated Tempelhof Air Base, in Occupied Berlin until 5 November 1948 and Tulln Air Base in the American Occupation Zone of Austria until 10 December 1948.[1]
Its initial mission was to coordinate Berlin Airlift operations for USAFE in conjunction with units deployed from the United States and the Royal Air Force. With the end of Berlin Airlift operations in 1949, flew theater airlift missions within USAFE and participated in numerous exercises.[1] With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, wing deployed its operational component, the 61st Troop Carrier Group to Ashiya Air Base, Japan on 21 July 1950 to reinforce Far East Air Forces transport units and perform combat transport operations within South Korea and Japan. With the group deployed to Japan, the wing was inactivated in West Germany in June 1951.[1]
The wing was reactivated as the 61st Military Airlift Wing at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii in 1966 under Military Airlift Command, replacing the discontinued Military Air Transport Service 1502d Air Transport Wing in January 1966. It "provided air transport and support functions for airlift operations in the entire Pacific Ocean area, Alaska to Antarctica, and the United States to Southeast Asia. Supported airlift, primarily in support of United States military forces in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.[1] The Hickam Aerial Port was a primary destination for United States military personnel on Rest and Recreation leave from South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, the 61st MAW operating the aerial port and coordinating flights by civilian contract airlines to and from bases in South Vietnam.
The wing's assigned airlift squadrons were inactivated in 1968 and 1969, after which became the 61st Military Airlift Support Wing[1] for Military Airlift Command flights within Pacific Air Forces as well as Naval and Marine Transports supporting their respective organizations in Hawaii. Inactivated 1 April 1980[1] and is equipment and most personnel being reassigned to the 834th Airlift Division.
On 1 August 2006, it was reactivated as the 61st Air Base Wing, a non-flying unit at Los Angeles Air Force Base under Air Force Space Command.[1] It supported the Space and Missile Systems Center from 2006 to 2010, when it was inactivated and base support assigned to the 61st Air Base Group.
Redesignated 61st Troop Carrier Wing, Heavy on 15 August 1948
Inactivated on 2 June 1951
Organized on 8 January 1966
Redesignated 61st Military Airlift Support Wing on 22 December 1969
Inactivated 1 April 1980
Activated on 1 August 2006[1]
Inactivated on 30 July 2010
Attached to: Berlin Airlift Task Force until 29 July 1948
Attached to: Airlift Task Force (Provisional), 22 July - 4 November 1948
Attached to: 1st Air Lift Task Force, 5 November 1948 – 9 July 1949
Groups[4]
Tempelhof Central Airport, Berlin
Tulln Air Base, Austria
Squadrons
Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska
Kadena Air Base, Okinawa
Clark Air Base, Philippines
Andersen Air Force Base, Guam
Mactan Island Airfield, Philippines
Cam Ranh Air Base, South Vietnam
Yokota Air Base, Japan
Osan Air Base, South Korea
Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam
Detachment 1 Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam
Detachment 2 Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam
Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam
Detachment 1 Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam
U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand
Det D, later Det 2, Christchurch International Airport, New Zealand
Military Airlift Support Squadrons were support units that had no aircraft of its own, but rather supported the forward operations of aircraft from other MAC units, principally from the CONUS. Furthermore, the support squadron was a consolidation of all the operations and maintenance functions that state-side airlift wings had organized as separate units.