172d Airlift Wing The 172d Airlift Wing ( 172 AW ) is a unit of the Mississippi Air National Guard , stationed at Allen C . Thompson ANGB Field , Jackson , Mississippi . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . Mission . he 172nd Airlift Wing operates the C - 17 Globemaster III , and has participated in an all - volunteer mobilization and activation since 2005 , flying weekly missions into harm ' s way to return wounded patients of the Total Force safely back to the U . S . Also , the 172d Airlift Wing provides the State of Mississippi support in the event of national emergency , maintains peace and order and supports civil defense and pre - attack planning . Units . The 172d Airlift Wing consists of the following units : History . On 1 July 1965 , the Mississippi 183d Air Transport Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 172d Air Transport Group was established by the National Guard Bureau . The 183d ATS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 183d Headquarters , 183d Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 183d Combat Support Squadron , and the 183d USAF Dispensary . Flying C - 121 Constellation s , the group was upgraded to C - 124C Globemaster II heavy intercontinental transport airlifters in 1966 which meant supplies and equipment could be carried around the world along with personnel . The C - 124 was being retired in the early 1970s and the 172d was realigned to a theater transport mission , being equipped with C - 130E Hercules aircraft in May 1972 . It was upgraded to new 1979 - production C - 130H aircraft in 1980 and continued to fly tactical airlift missions until the mid - 1980s . On 12 July 1986 the first C - 141B Starlifter to be released from active - duty Air Force control was assigned to the Mississippi Air National Guard . With a total of eight ( 8 ) aircraft , the unit began a new mission in strategic airlift that greatly expanded its global range . In March 1988 the 172d took part in the airlift of approximately 3200 troops and almost 1000 tons of cargo on an exercise to Palmerola Air Base , Honduras . The 172d had the distinction of being the only Air National Guard unit in the United States which participated in the airlift of troops to Honduras . On 6 December 1988 the Soviet Republic of Armenia suffered a powerful earthquake . The first Air Guard aircraft to fly to Armenia was a C - 141B from the 172d . Before relief missions ended , the 172d would fly six missions with its planes and crew and additionally would furnish a crew to fly a U . S . Air Force C - 141 whose crew had reached maximum flying hours . In September 1989 a devastating hurricane struck the tiny island of St . Croix , leaving the island crippled , the 172d flew eleven emergency relief missions , hauling 465 tons of cargo and 472 passengers and encompassing 165 hours of flying time . From 20 December 1989 to 12 January 1990 the 172d flew 21 sorties in support of Operation Just Cause in Panama . The total amount of cargo transported during the support of Operation Just Cause was 403 . 6 tons Total number of passengers was 1 , 274 . On 7 August 1990 the 172d ' s support of Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm began when aircrew members began voluntary missions . Approximately 98 aircrew members flew missions on a volunteer basis . On 24 August 1990 the 183d Airlift Squadron was activated by Presidential Directive . The 183d MAS was one of the first two reserve units to be activated . From August 1990 to May 1991 the 148 members of the 183d flew 2 , 880 sorties which transported 15 , 837 passengers and 25 , 949 . 2 tons of cargo . In 2000 , the C - 141C with electronic " glass cockpit " was received . In October 2000 after the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen , members from the Mississippi Air National Guard ' s 172 Airlift Wing deployed seventeen members to Ramstein Air Base Germany . Members from the 183d Aeromedical Evacuation and 183d Airlift Squadron picked up four sailors from Ramstein Air Base in Germany and flew them home to Norfolk Naval Station . In February 2003 the 172d retired its last C - 141C Starlifter in preparation for the arrival of the wings first C - 17 Globemaster III . On 17 December 2003 , Lt . Gen . Daniel James III , Director , Air National Guard , hands off the " keys " to the first C - 17 Globemaster III ( S / N 02 - 1112 ) to Maj . Gen . James H . Lipscomb III , adjutant general for the Mississippi National Guard . C - 17A 02 - 1112 was also the first Globemaster III assigned to the Air National Guard . The C - 17 was named the " Spirit of the Minutemen " .