145th Airlift Wing The 145th Airlift Wing ( 145 AW ) is a unit of the North Carolina Air National Guard , stationed at Charlotte Air National Guard Base , Charlotte , North Carolina . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . Mission . The mission of the 145th is to provide tactical airlift capability to the United States Military and deliver supplies wherever needed . History . Background . Established on 1 July 1957 when the NC ANG 156th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was expanded from a squadron to a group . The 156th was assigned as a subordinate unit to the new group . In 1959 the group was upgraded to the day / night / all - weather F - 86L Sabre Interceptor . The 156th Weather Flight is a combat weather flight located at the Stanly County Airport ' s Air National Guard Station , North Carolina , who ' s stated mission is : " To provide quality observations , forecasts , and climatological data in support of tasked Army and Air Force missions , both Federal and State , by : 156th . The 156th Weather Flight ( WF ) was activated on 15 March 1948 as a standing unit in the North Carolina Air National Guard ( NCANG ) . Based in Charlotte , the 156th WF served the vital weather forecasting and observing functions for the 145th Aero Medical Transport Group as well as the 145th Air Transport Group for Admin / Logistics support . In 1967 , the 156th WF joined the 206th Weather Flight , as attached units responsible for supporting airlift missions for the 145th Military Airlift Group . The 206th WF was later inactivated ( 1975 ) leaving the 156th WF as the only unit serving the weather forecasting and observing requirements of the NCANG . 145th . In February 1961 , the wing group was reassigned to the Military Air Transport Service Eastern Transport Air Force ( EASTAF ) , at McGuire AFB , New Jersey . Was re - designated as the 145th Aeromedical Transport Group . Equipped with C - 119 Flying Boxcar s equipped for medical transport , the Group performed evacuations of transport of critically ill military personnel ( and dependents ) to military medical facilities for treatment . Re - equipped with C - 121 Constellation s in 1964 , performed passenger transport missions for MATS both domestically and to the Caribbean and Europe for EASTAF . Was transferred to the new Military Airlift Command 21st Air Force when MATS was reorganized in 1966 . Was transferred back to Tactical Air Command control in 1971 , being equipped with early - model C - 130B Hercules tactical airlifters , being given a theater airlift and troop carrier mission as part of Ninth Air Force . Celebrated 25 years of service in 1973 , winning 1st place in worldwide airlift competition . In January 1974 , it was transferred to Military Airlift Command , Twenty - First Air Force , later that year assisted in rescue of 10 lives of the Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crash at Charlotte on 11 September . In 1985 , the units mission was expanded by the addition of the Modular Airborne FireFighting System ( MAFFS ) capability added to the C - 130s for aerial firefighting . Other awards won were the 1986 Volant Rodeo competition as world ' s best airlift crew and plane and 1987 Spaatz Trophy for best flying unit in the Air National Guard . The year 1975 marked the start of an Army weather support mission that has lasted for more than 25 years . While still a fully integrated part of the Air National Guard with continuing support for Air Force missions , the 156th WF also established a tactical weather forecasting and observing capability for the NCARNG ' s 30th Infantry Brigade " Old Hickory " , a Mechanized Heavy Separate Brigade ( HSB ) . " Old Hickory " was tasked to support European Theatre operations in Italy in the event of armed conflict with Soviet Bloc forces . During the following twenty years , the 156th Weather Flight participated in several joint training exercises in several OCONUS locations including the Joint Forces " Brimfrost " winter exercise in central Alaska and " Reforger " , a NATO exercise held in Germany during the winter of 1984 . European theater training exercises also included six unit deployments to Italy for joint training with units from NATO ' s Southern Command . Although tactical weather support for the 30th Brigade has been a major part of the 156th Weather Flight mission for more than twenty - five years , weather support for several Air Force flying units was a vital component of ongoing weather operations including continued support for 145th Airlift Wing operations . Recognition for the superior performance in all aspects of Weather Flight operations has come in several forms : an Air National Guard Outstanding Weather Unit Award and Excellent to High - Excellent ratings on numerous operational evaluations . In 1995 , an expanded Army tactical mission began when the 156th Weather Flight was tasked to provide weather support to the 218th Mechanized Heavy Separate Brigade , a part of the South Carolina Army National Guard . The mission is synonymous with that of the 30th HSB . During the next five years , training focused primarily on preparing for a major deployment to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin , California where the 156th Weather Flight received the most realistic combat training in the world . In May 2010 the 156th Weather Flight relocated to the Stanly County Airport ( KVUJ ) in New London , NC under the 145th Combat Operations Group . The 156th Weather Flight currently provides vital weather intelligence in battlefield conditions to the North Carolina Army National Guard , specifically the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team , 60th Troop Command and the 449th Theater Aviation Brigade . During the 1991 Persian Gulf Conflict , the 156th Aeromedical Evacuation Flight was activated and deployed to Saudi Arabia , participating in Operation Desert Storm . The unit also achieved 150 , 000 hours of safe flying . Was reassigned to Air Mobility Command in 1992 . and helped evacuate hospital patients in South Florida after Hurricane Andrew in late August . Upgraded to C - 130H Hercules in 1993 . Celebrated 50th anniversary in 1998 , received an Excellent " on Operational Readiness Inspection ( ORI ) , and achieved 176 , 879 accident free flying hours . After Hurricane Floyd in 1999 , the unit flew 33 , 000 cases of food rations in 3 C - 130s to flood victims and erected a tent city for 80 people near Wilmington ' s airport . Additional hurricane relief took place in 2005 when the 196th was the first airlift squadron on site in response to Hurricane Katrina Relief support In July 2012 , four members of the Wing died as their C - 130 firefighting plane crashed during firefighting efforts in South Dakota . They were : Lt . Col . Paul K . Mikeal , 42 , and Maj . Joseph M . McCormick , 36 , both pilots ; Maj . Ryan S . David , 35 , a navigator ; and Senior Master Sgt . Robert S . Cannon , 50 , a flight engineer . Hierarchy . Top Level : Air National Guard Second Level : 145th Airlift Wing Third Level : 145th Combat Operations Group Fourth Level : 156th Weather Flight Decorations . Air National Guard Outstanding Weather Unit Award