page_title: 86th Operations Group
section_title: Modern era
hierarchical_section_title: 86th Operations Group / History / Modern era
caption_attribution_description: English: A C-130E Hercules delivers U.S. Air Force and Bulgarian Special Forces paratroopers to a drop zone near Bezmer Aviation Base, Bulgaria, during Exercise Thracian Spring 2008. The Airmen from the 86th Contingency Response Group, Sembach Air Base Germany and soldiers from the 68th Special Forces Brigade will conduct several day and night static line jumps for the annual bilateral training exercise between the United States and Bulgarian Armed Forces. Approximately 170 aircrew and support personnel assigned to the 86th Air Lift Wing and 435th Air Base Wing along with four C-130E Hercules from the 37th Air Lift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany are deployed to the region for the week-long exercise. Photo by Master Sgt. Scott Wagers / (released)
context_page_description: The 86th Operations Group is the flying operational component of the 86th Airlift Wing, United States Air Force. The group is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
  The mission of the 86 OG is to conduct airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation as well as VIP transport operations flying the C-21, C-20H, C-37, C-40B and C-130E/J aircraft.
context_section_description: On 1 May 1991, the 86th Operations Group was activated as a result of the 86th Fighter Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization. Upon activation, the 86 OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 86th Tactical Fighter Group. The 86 OG was assigned control of the wing's tactical units.
  After activation again in Germany in May 1991, flew fighter missions to enforce no-fly zones in northern Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
  With the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the 86th was realigned to become an Airlift Wing. On 1 June 1992, the 86 OG added an airlift mission and began performing special airlift missions with C–12, C–20, C–21, CT–43 and C–135 aircraft. On 1 July 1993, the 86th added another mission, aeromedical evacuation. The Second Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and the 55th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron were transferred from Rhein-Main to Ramstein. The 55th added another aircraft type, the C-9A Nightingale, to the 86th's inventory. Shortly after its move, on 1 October 1993, the 55th AAS was inactivated and became the 75th Airlift Squadron and the 58th AS was inactivated and became the 76th Airlift Squadron as the Air Force was attempting to sustain the lineage of its oldest units in an ever-decreasing force. To complete the shuffle, the Second Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron inactivated on 16 August 1994, and renamed the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, but with Second AES' personnel, funds and equipment.
  While other aircraft were moving in, the 86th retained its fighter role. On 17 August 1993, the 86th received its first LANTIRN-capable Block 40 F-16C, which eventually replaced the earlier Block 30 F-16s. One month later, the 86th began flying combat air patrol and close air support missions over Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Deny Flight.
  Under Deny Flight, Serbian aircraft were forbidden to fly over Bosnian territory, and many of the 86th F-16s deployed to Aviano AB, Italy to enforce the restrictions. On 28 February 1994, the 86th salved some of its frustrations from missing Desert Storm when two F-16Cs from the 86th's 526th Fighter Squadron were directed to intercept six Serbian Soko G-4 Super Galebs detected bombing targets in the town of Bugojno, Bosnia-Herzegovina by a USAF E-3 Sentry. The Galebs were warned twice to land or leave the UN no-fly zone, but both warnings were ignored and the two F-16s were vectored in to intercept the Galebs. Two more warnings were given, and the F-16Cs were given clearance to fire. F-16C 89–2137, flown by Capt. Robert Wright, fired a single AIM-120 AMRAAM which dispatched the lead Galeb, and then fired two Sidewinders which destroyed two more Galebs. The second F-16C flown by Capt. Scott O'Grady fired a Sidewinder at the fourth aircraft, but this missile missed. A second flight of F-16Cs was vectored in by the AWACS, and the lead aircraft from this flight destroyed a fourth Galeb near Banja-Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The remaining two Galebs managed to escape Bosnian airspace via Croatia. This was the first offensive action ever performed by NATO warplanes.
  While the F-16s were supporting Deny Flight, the decision was made to change the 86th Wing from a composite wing to a wing devoted to intra-theater airlift, and the 86th Wing began to assume the airlift mission previously held by C-130 Hercules aircraft at the 435th Airlift Wing at Rhein Main Air Base, Germany, which was slated for inactivation. By 1994, the tactical fighters of the 86 OG began to be transferred to other USAFE bases. On 1 July, the 526th FS inactivated and its aircraft and personnel moved to Aviano Air Base, Italy to form the 555th FS. The 512th FS was inactivated on 1 October, with its aircraft and personnel also being moved to Aviano, being assigned to the 510th FS. On 21 July 1994 the 86th Wing held a "Fighter Farewell" ceremony for the departure of its last F 16s, most to the 31st FW at Aviano AB, and the 86th Wing became the 86th Airlift Wing.
  To start the flow of C-130 personnel to the 86th, the 435th AW sent approximately 200 personnel from the 37th Airlift Squadro
caption: A C-130E Hercules from the 86 OG delivers U.S. Air Force and Bulgarian Special Forces paratroopers to a drop zone near Bezmer Aviation Base, Bulgaria, during Exercise Thracian Spring 2008.
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