page_title: 438th Air Expeditionary Wing
section_title: Air Force Reserve
hierarchical_section_title: 438th Air Expeditionary Wing / History / Air Force Reserve
caption_attribution_description: Curtiss C-46D 44-77957 of the Air Force Reserve at Hamilton Field.
context_page_description: The 438th Air Expeditionary Wing is an active United States Air Force unit operating in Afghanistan and assigned to United States Air Forces Central. The wing trains Afghan Air Force members, including pilots.
context_section_description: In 1949 Continental Air Command reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization, which placed support units under the same headquarters as the combat group they supported.  As part of this reorganization, the 438th Troop Carrier Wing was activated at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.  The wing absorbed the resources of the 381st Bombardment Group, which was simultaneously inactivated at Offutt.  Although the wing's manning, along with that of its component squadrons, was limited to 25% of active duty organization authorizations, it was assigned four squadrons, rather than three.  The wing trained under the 2473d Air Force Reserve Training Center for troop carrier operations with the C-46, but also flew the North American T-6 Texan trainer.
  All combat units of the Air Force Reserve were ordered to active service for the Korean War.  The 438th was called up in the second wave of mobilizations on 10 March 1951. Its personnel were used to man other organizations, primarily those of Strategic Air Command, and it was inactivated on 14 March 1951.  Its aircraft were distributed to other organizations as well.
  Little more than a year later the wing was redesignated the 438th Fighter-Bomber Wing and activated at Billy Mitchell Field, Wisconsin, replacing the 924th Reserve Training Wing there.  The reserve mobilization for the Korean War, however, had left the Reserve without airplanes, and the unit did not receive aircraft until July 1952.  When it finally began to receive its planes, they were World War II era North American F-51 Mustangs, which would serve until the group's Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars arrived.  Once more, the 2473d Air Force Reserve Training Center was responsible for the training of the 438th Wing and other units at the station.  Despite its designation as a fighter bomber unit, the group initially trained in the air defense role.
  In 1957 the group began to upgrade to the North American F-86 Sabre.  However, its time with this plane would be short. By 1956, the Joint Chiefs of Staff were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift.  At the same time, about 150 Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars became available from the active force. Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed Continental Air Command to convert three fighter bomber wings to the troop carrier mission by September 1957.  The wing inactivated one of its squadrons on in July and completed its inactivation on 16 November 1957, when most of its personnel transferred to the 440th Troop Carrier Group, which was simultaneously activated.
caption: C-46D of the AF Reserve
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