139th Airlift Wing

139th Airlift Wing
180th Airlift Squadron C-130H2 Hercules 90-1797
Active	14 April 1962-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Missouri
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Airlift
Part of	Missouri Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri
Motto(s)	"Always ready, ever willing"
Tail Code	Grey Stripe "St Joseph" Black Letters
Insignia
139th Airlift Wing emblem

The 139th Airlift Wing (139 AW) is a unit of the Missouri Air National Guard, stationed at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The 139th Airlift Wing provides the State of Missouri and the nation with immediately deployable, combat-ready C-130H2 Hercules model aircraft. The 139th remains globally engaged in continuing operations.

The 139th Airlift Wing consists of the following units:

On 14 April 1962, the Missouri Air National Guard 180th Air Transport Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 139th Air Transport Group was established by the National Guard Bureau, the 180th ATS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 139th Headquarters, 139th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 139th Combat Support Squadron, and the 139th USAF Dispensary.

The 139th Air Transport Group was assigned to Military Air Transport Service (MATS), equipped with 4-engined C-97 Stratofreighter transports. From St. Joseph, the 180th augmented MATS airlift capability worldwide in support of the Air Force's needs. Throughout the 1960s, the unit flew long-distance transport missions in support of Air Force requirements, frequently sending aircraft to Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and during the Vietnam War, to both South Vietnam, Okinawa and Thailand. With the realignment of MATS to Military Airlift Command (MAC), the squadron was re-designated as a Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966.