USAF Patch Airlift USAFE c 322 AD Air Division MAC Ramstein c

USAF Patch USAFE 322 Air Division AD Airlift MAC Crest 1990 Ramstein AB West Germany Embroidered on twill cut edge 79mm by 76mm three and one eighth inches by three inches.

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History  

322 Air Division Combat Cargo was activated at Wiesbaden AB West Germany on 1 March 1954 assigned to USAFE and relocated to Ramstein AB West Germany on 22 March 1954 responsible for airlifting personnel cargo and mail in Europe controlling 60 317 and 465 Troop Carrier Wings with C 119 Flying Boxcars. As it commenced operations in Europe the Division commenced a major airlift of French troops from bases in France to Indochina as Project Bali Hai.

Initially operating in West Germany and France 322 Air Division Combat Cargo began operations throughout the USAFE area of responsibility and relocated to Evreux Fauville AB France on 12 August 1955. In addition to its routine duties and support for USAFE and NATO exercises the Division undertook numerous humanitarian missions including Turkey Iran Morocco and Pakistan.

Airlift support was provided for USAFE and NATO operations during the Suez Canal crisis and the Hungarian Revolution in 1956 and with C 124 Globemaster II and C 130 Hercules aircraft received in 1957 losing 465 TCW on 8 July 1957. The Division participated in the airlift of troops and supplies to Lebanon response to the crisis in July 1958 before losing 60 TCW on 25 September 1958. 322 Air Division Combat Cargo provided support for UN forces in the Congo in 1960 1961 the invasion of India by Communist Chinese forces in 1962 1963 and the airlift of UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus UNFICYP in 1964. The Division was reassigned to Eastern Air Force of Military Air Transport Service Mats on 1 April 1964.

322 AD was reassigned to Twenty First Air Force Military Airlift Command on 1 January 1966 when MATS was redesignated MAC. 322 Air Division Combat Cargo was redesignated 322 Air Division on 8 January 1966 adding 513 Troop Carrier Wing to its fleet on 15 April 1966. 322 Air Division relocated to RAF High Wycombe England on 5 August 1966 on the closure of French bases to US and NATO Units. The Division provided support for operations in response to the Middle East crisis of 1967 before it was inactivated on 24 December 1968.

The Division was reactivated at Ramstein AB West Germany on 23 June 1978 as 322 Airlift Division assigned to 21 Air Force Military Airlift Command to manage tactical airlift forces stationed and operating in the European theater together with all aeromedical operations and administrative airlift in the theater including special missions VIP airlift of military and civilian US and foreign government officials with 435 Tactical Airlift Wing TAW and its Squadrons 37 Tactical Airlift Squadron TAS 55 Aeromedical Airlift Squadron and 58 Military Airlift Squadron Special Missions. 33 AD coordinated strategic airlift from the United States and supported USAF and NATO military exercises including Ardent Ground Dawn Patrol Flintlock Cold Fir and Reforger.

The Division acquired peacetime responsibility for airlift management in Africa in 1985 and was heavily involved with the airlift for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm with virtually all the airlift passing through its area of responsibility. With the end of the Cold War and subsequent USAFE reorganisation 322 Air Division was inactivated on 1 April 1992.

This patch dates from 1990.