179th Airlift Wing The 179th Airlift Wing ( 179 AW ) is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard , stationed at Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base , Mansfield , Ohio . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . Overview . The 179th Airlift Wing is a military airlift organization located at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport , Ohio . The 179th ’ s mission is to utilize the C - 27 Spartan to provide direct airlift support to the United States Army . The C - 27J Spartan was selected by the Department of Defense to fulfill Army and Air Force requirements for a medium - lift , intra - theater airlift aircraft – the Air National Guard became the sole operators in 2009 , and provides Direct Airlift Support to Combat Aviation Brigades . The primary mission of the C - 27J is to deliver time sensitive / mission critical supplies the “ last tactical mile , ” as well as to provide for airlift in support of homeland defense operations . Units . The 179th Airlift Wing consists of the following units : History . On 15 October 1962 , the Ohio Air National Guard 164th Tactical Fighter Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 179th Tactical Fighter Group was established by the National Guard Bureau . The 164th TFS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 179th Headquarters , 179th Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 179th Combat Support Squadron , and the 179th USAF Dispensary . Tactical Air Command . Equipped with F - 84F Thunderstreak s , the new group was assigned to the Ohio ANG 121st Tactical Fighter Wing at Lockbourne AFB , Ohio . The 179th TFG was tasked with a tactical fighter - bomber mission in support of Tactical Air Command . The squadron continued normal peacetime training throughout the 1960s . Individual squadron members volunteered for duty during the Vietnam War , however the 164th was not federalized in 1968 as the F - 84Fs were not considered front line combat aircraft . In February 1972 , the squadron retired its Thunderstreaks and converted to the F - 100 Super Sabre as a result of the American draw - down from the Vietnam War . Tactical Airlift . The squadron flew the F - 100s until the winter of 1976 when the 179th was transferred from Tactical Air Command to Military Airlift Command on 5 January . At this time , the unit converted to the C - 130B Hercules and received a complement of eight aircraft . With the change of equipment , the unit was designated a Tactical Airlift Group . Upgrade to the C - 130H was completed in 1991 . The 179th Airlift Group was active during Desert Shield / Storm providing airlift support throughout the Continental United States and Europe . Portions of the 179th were activated during Desert Shield / Storm and served in the US , Europe and Saudi Arabia . In March 1992 , the 179th adopted the USAF Objective Wing organization and became simply the 179th Airlift Group ; the 164th as an Airlift Squadron . On 1 June of that year , Military Airlift Command was inactivated as part of the Air Force restructuring after the end of the Cold War . Air Mobility Command ( AMC ) initially became the gaining major command for the 179th , although on 1 October 1993 , it was moved to Air Combat Command ( ACC ) along with the other C - 130 units . With the Air National Guard in the post - Cold War era providing nearly 50 % of the USAF ’ s tactical airlift capability , the 179th Airlift Group supported combat and humanitarian operations and exercises around the world , beginning in July 1992 as part of Operation Provide Promise ; a humanitarian relief operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav War . Ongoing until 1996 airlift units delivered food , medicine , and supplies and evacuating over 1 , 300 wounded people from the region . It the longest running humanitarian airlift in history . In late 1992 , the 179th began airlifting personnel , equipment and supplies to Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope . The Air Force enlisted Air National Guard units being charged with carrying out United Nations Security Council Resolution 794 : to create a protected environment for conducting humanitarian operations in the southern half of Somalia . The 1709h was also engaged in Operation Uphold Democracy ( 19 September 1994 – 31 March 1995 ) providing airlift support to United States military forces in Hati during its military intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d ' état that overthrew the elected President Jean - Bertrand Aristide . On 11 October 1995 , in accordance with the Air Force One Base - One Wing directive , the 179th Airlift Group was expanded and changed in status to the 179th Airlift Wing . Under the Objective Wing organization , the 164th Airlift Squadron was assigned to the 179th Operations Group . Support groups to the wing were the 179th Maintenance Group , 179th Mission Support Group and the 179th Medical Group . In mid - 1996 , the Air Force , in response to budget cuts , and changing world situations , began experimenting with Air Expeditionary organizations . The Air Expeditionary Force ( AEF ) concept was developed that would mix Active - Duty , Reserve and Air National Guard elements into a combined force . Instead of entire permanent units deploying as " Provisional " as in the 1991 Gulf War , Expeditionary units are composed of " aviation packages " from several wings , including active - duty Air Force , the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard , would be married together to carry out the assigned deployment rotation . In December 1996 , the 164th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron ( 164th EAS ) was first formed from 179th personnel and aircraft and deployed to Pisa Airport , Italy in support of Operation Joint Guard . It assisted in providing logistical support to NATO - led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement . This ongoing commitment continued until 1998 . Other Air Expeditionary Force deployments in the late 1990s included Operation Joint Endeavor , Operation Joint Forge and Operation Shining Hope , all addressing the Yugoslavian crises of the era . Modern Era . After the events of 11 September 2001 the 164th EAS has been activated on several occasions , initially providing logistic support for Air Force fighter squadrons engaged in Combat Air Patrols over major cities during Operation Noble Eagle in late 2001 and 2002 . The EAS has seen duty in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraq as part of Operation Iraqui Freedom . In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations , DoD recommended to close Mansfield - Lahm Municipal Airport Air Guard Station ( AGS ) , Ohio . The 179th Airlift Squadron would distribute its eight C - 130H aircraft The 908th Airlift Wing ( AFR ) , Maxwell AFB , Alabama ( four aircraft ) , and the 314th Airlift Wing , Little Rock AFB , Arkansas ( four aircraft ) . Flying related Expeditionary Combat Support ( ECS ) moves to Louisville IAP AGS , KY ( aerial port ) and Toledo Express Airport AGS , OH ( fire fighters ) . However , due to the base ' s superior record and recommendations for reconsideration by state and local officials , the base was incorporated into the Ohio Air National Guard ' s future by receiving a bridge mission of flying a C - 21 Learjet mission until it becomes operational in the C - 27J Spartan . On July 20 , 2008 , the 179th AW continued its growth by the standing up of the 200th Red Horse ( Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers ) detachment . The Mansfield base has been assigned with 200 Red Horse personnel and another 200 will be assigned to Port Clinton . A new building across the airfield is to be constructed to house the attachment with an approximated completion in 2010 . The 179th AW , along with the 175th Wing of the Maryland Air National Guard , was the first unit to train and deploy the C - 27J Spartan in 2010 . Airmen from the 179th Airlift Wing made Air National Guard history July 26 , 2011 , by deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom for the first time with the C - 27J Spartan , one of the Air Force ' s newest aircraft . This joint mission is being conducted with aircrew from the 164th Airlift Squadron , a subordinate unit of the 179th Airlift Wing , and Soldiers from the Oklahoma and Georgia National Guard . They will be working in conjunction with the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade , from Fort Campbell , Kentucky , in direct support of the Army for airlift and airdrop operations . The 179th AW made history with a nine - month overseas rotation , as opposed to the typical four - to - six - month Air National Guard deployment schedule .