The Air Force Reserve at Robins Air Force Base:

History Highlights


 

17 July 1947: The 416th Bombardment Squadron, the first Air Force Reserve unit to be stationed at Robins Army Air Field (RAAF), was activated.

14 April 1948 The Air Force Reserve was formally established following the National Security Act of 1947 and President Truman's directive that the services revitalize the Reserves to ensure replacements during wartime. One of three major commands in the Air Force, the Continental Air Command (ConAC) was responsible for the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

28 October 1949 HQ Fourteenth Air Force moved to RAFB. As an Air Force Reserve numbered air force under the Continental Air Command, Fourteenth Air Force administered functions in the south and southwest, and Puerto Rico. Headquarters Fourteenth Air Force was commanded by Major General Charles E. Thomas, Jr,. From 1941 to 1944, General Thomas (Colonel Thomas at the time) had been the first commander of what was then known as the Warner Robins Army Air Depot (WRAMA).

July 1950 - June 1953 Korea. The Air Force mobilized more than 147,000 Air Force Reservists to active service for periods from one to three years. Five Air Force Reserve units remained on active service while another 15 units were called up for their personnel, replacing and filling out active units.

1 September 1960 Headquarters Fourteenth Air Force was inactivated at RAFB.

3 March 1961 Headquarters Continental Air Command and its staff were welcomed to RAFB during official ceremonies.

April 1961 - The 581st Air Force Band moved to Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, in April 1961 along with other units assigned to Headquarters Continental Air Command. The band was formed 1 October 1941 at Mitchel Field, New York. Today it is known as the Band of the United States Air Force Reserve. The Band, having continued from its formation in 1941 to the present without a break in service, is one of the oldest bands in the Air Force.

1965-1973 Vietnam Era. In the 1960s, many Air Force Reservists were veterans who had served in both World War II and Korea and, if called up or volunteering, also during the Berlin and Cuban Crises. As an experienced force, the Air Force asked the Air Force Reserve to contribute to the Vietnam War effort. In 1965, utilizing inactive duty and annual two-week training days, Air Force Reserve C-124 crews began airlifts into Vietnam that continued until US involvement ended in 1973.

1 August 1968 Headquarters Continental Air Command was inactivated and Major General Rollin B. Moore became first to command the newly established Headquarters Air Force Reserve (AFRES) at RAFB. Headquarters Air Force Reserve was then comprised of three major regions: Western, Central and Eastern.

1 January 1969 The first AC-119s, gunship version of the Warner Robins Air Material Area (WRAMA) managed C-119 Flying Boxcar, arrived at Ton Son Nhut AB in South Vietnam. Four days later, they flew their first combat missions in Vietnam as part of the Air Force Reserve's 71st Special Operations Squadron.

23 August 1969 WRAMA and HQ AFRES personnel aided hurricane victims in the wake of Hurricane Camille, one of the most destructive storms ever to hit the mainland of the United States. WRAMA officials directed the movement of 137 Air Force vehicles to Keesler AFB, Mississippi, to aid the clean-up operations, while AFRES units flew in personnel, medical supplies, trucks, etc.

1974 Total Force. With the implementation of the Total Force Policy, the Air Force Reserve became a multi-mission force, flying the same modern aircraft as the active Air Force and training to the same standards. Special operations, air refueling, weather reconnaissance, and once again fighter missions were added to the airlift and rescue roles performed by the Air Force Reserve. The Air Force Reserve participation in Air Force exercises, humanitarian operations, and deployments perfected its mobilization capabilities.

1 April 1974 WRAMA name changed to Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC).

20 Jun 1975 Officials from HQ AFRES accepted its first two AC-130A Pave Pronto program gunships. Major General Ralph P. Holland, WR-ALC Commander, as prime logistical manager of the C-130 aircraft, presented them to Major General Earl O. Anderson, AFRES Vice Commander.

1980s Worldwide Peacekeeping Operations. With the inception of the Total Force Policy, the 1980s saw the modernization and expansion of the Air Force Reserve program. KC-10As joined the associate force in 1981. Fighter units obtained modern A-10s and F-4s, and in 1984, the Air Force Reserve received its first F-16. The Air Force Reserve brought back American evacuees from Grenada in 1983, performed air refuelings of F-111 bombers during El Dorado Canyon in 1986, and participated in Operation Just Cause in 1989-1990 all the while supporting humanitarian and disaster relief efforts.

1990 - 1991 Gulf War. Air Force Reserve airlift and tanker crews were flying within days, and by 20 August, more than 15,000 Reservists had already performed duty in support of what became Operations Desert Shield and Storm. By mid-April 1991, when Air Force Reserve participation ended, units had flown nearly 239,000 hours, moving some 310,000 passengers and 560,000 tons of cargo and delivering almost 10 million gallons of fuel. Tactical airlift units flew more than 3,200 sorties while the A-10s recorded more than 1,000 sorties. Nearly 23,500 Air Force Reservists were mobilized with another 15,000 serving in a volunteer capacity.

1993 Humanitarian Relief During the Gulf War aftermath, the Air Force Reserve was heavily involved in humanitarian relief missions to include Operation Provide Comfort, assisting uprooted Iraqi Kurds. In 1993 when tensions mounted in Bosnia, Air Force Reserve tanker and fighter units participated in enforcing the no-fly zone while airlift units ensured logistical resupply.

17 February 1997 As the Air Force increasingly relied on its Reserve Components during the 1990s, Congress sought to clarify the organizational placement of the Reserves. Accordingly, in February 1997, the Air Force Reserve officially became the Air Force Reserve Command, the Air Force's ninth major command.

March - September 1999 Air Force Reservists volunteered and were mobilized for Allied Force operations over Serbia and Kosovo. The Air Force Reserve once again demonstrated itself as a capable force ready to do the full range of Air Force operations on an integrated and daily basis.

2001 - Present The Global War on Terrorism. As terrorists attacked the United States September 11, 2001, Air Force Reservists responded in full measure on Day One. We lost one of our own that day, the first officer aboard United Flight 93--Air Force Reserve Major LeRoy Homer, Jr. Air Force Reserve members were there in October 2001, when the United States initiated the Global War on Terrorism as military forces entered Afghanistan in search of the Taliban in Operation Enduring Freedom.

19 October 2001 An Air Force Reserve Command MC-130E Combat Talon aircraft became the first fixed-wing aircraft to penetrate Afghani airspace. Air Force Reserve F-16 crews, deployed in theater for Operation Southern Watch, were the first to fly combat missions for Operation Enduring Freedom while Air Force Reserve Command B-52 bombers rapidly deployed in support. Air Force Reservists made significant contributions by flying combat delivery, strategic airlift, and air refueling missions supporting operations in Afghanistan. Efforts also included special operations, rescue, aeromedical, and A-10 close air support.

20 March 2003 At the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Air Force Reserve Command combat-ready A-10, B-52, and F-16 aircrews flew numerous strike operations on day one along with special operations and rescue efforts. Additionally, Air Force Reservists supported Air Force unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) missions and space-based operations in Southwest Asia, providing vital data to battlefield commanders.

2009 Together, the Air Force Reserve, Active, and Air National Guard have exceeded 1 million sorties flying operational military missions in support of the war. In 2009, these partners flew over 5,000 close-air-support sorties, airlifted 1.7 million passengers and .4 million tons of cargo, and offloaded 1 billion pounds of fuel during air refuelings. Mobilized Air Force Reservists exceed 32,000 with several thousand volunteering since September 2001. Approximately, 5,500 Air Force Reservists are daily supporting the fight.

11 October 2009 Lieutenant General Charles E. Stenner, Jr., Chief of Air Force Reserve and Commander, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, brought the Air Force Reserve Command closer to full operational command status by moving his permanent residence from Bolling AFB, Washington D.C., to Robins AFB.

5 April 2010 Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command activated more than 1,600 Reservists to support the Afghanistan surge operations. Aircrew members, aircraft maintainers, aerial porters and base operating support forces are among the reservists supporting the movement of an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

Ongoing The Air Force Reserve Command, one of ten major commands in the Air Force, is the most diverse due to its vast mission responsibilities. The Air Force Reserve Command has entered a new era as a strategic reserve operationally engaged daily around the world, ensuring national security and maintaining our precious individual freedoms.

Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command ensures its three numbered air forces, 33 wings, nine flying groups and other subordinate units are prepared to accomplish their Total Force missions.
There are approximately 1,170 people stationed at Headquarters AFRC. Also collocated with the Headquarters AFRC is the 951st Reserve Support Squadron, Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, AFRC Recruiting Service, and IMA Readiness Management Group.

The headquarters staff and AFRC members assigned to Robins AFB account for an economic impact of more than $159 million.