513th TAW

• Origins in World War II: The 513th Troop Carrier Group, the precursor to the 513th TAW, was activated in 1944 and participated in key European operations, including the D-Day Normandy invasion. • D-Day Operations: The group's C-47 aircraft dropped paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division into France on June 6, 1944, and towed gliders during the invasion. • Post-WWII Reactivation: The unit was inactivated after WWII but later reactivated during the Cold War as part of the Air Force Reserve. • Transition to Tactical Airlift: Redesignated as the 513th Tactical Airlift Wing (TAW) in the 1960s, the unit operated C-130 Hercules aircraft, providing crucial transport and logistical support. • Humanitarian Missions: The 513th TAW was involved in several humanitarian airlift missions, including disaster relief in the United States and overseas. • Operation Desert Storm: Though not deployed as a whole, personnel and resources from the 513th supported operations during the Gulf War in 1990-1991. • Reserve Component: The unit operated as part of the Air Force Reserve, based at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, and later at Memphis International Airport. • Support for NATO: The 513th TAW regularly participated in NATO exercises, strengthening ties with allied air forces and improving interoperability. • Decorations and Honors: Throughout its history, the 513th earned numerous awards, including campaign streamers for World War II and Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards. • Legacy Continues: Although inactivated, the lineage of the 513th lives on through the 513th Air Control Group, which operates the E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.