86th Airlift Wing The 86th Airlift Wing ( 86 AW ) is a United States Air Force wing , currently assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe . The 86th AW is stationed at Ramstein Air Base , Germany . Mission . The wing ' s primary mission is to conduct airlift , airdrop and aeromedical evacuation operations flying the C - 21A , C - 20H , C - 37A , C - 40B and C - 130J aircraft . The 86th Airlift Wing commander also serves as the Kaiserslautern Military Community ( KMC ) commander , leading the largest American community outside the United States . Units . The 86th Airlift Wing is composed of six groups , 14 squadrons and one detachment . These are : The 779th Expeditionary Airlift Flight was activated in January 2008 to administer a rotational deployment of two C - 17 Globemaster III s to be based at Ramstein AB . The exact reporting chain for the 779th EAF is not known . History . 86th Fighter Wing . The 86th Fighter Wing was established and activated on 1 July 1948 at Neubiberg AB , Germany . Its initial mission was to provide air defense , primarily in West Germany with its operational component , the 86th Fighter Group . Equipped with P ( later F - 47 ) Thunderbolts , the 86th was one of two active USAF fighter units in Germany ( the other being the 36th FG ) during the immediate postwar years . Over the next several years , the 86th underwent several redesignations and several station assignments in occupied Germany . In June 1948 , the 86th Fighter Wing was stationed at Neubiberg Air Base , near Munich when tensions with the Soviet Union culminated in the Berlin Blockade . With the arrival of the jet age in Europe , USAFE wanted to move its units west of the Rhine River , as its bases in the Munich area were just a few minutes flying time from Soviet Mig - 15 bases in Czechoslovakia . In February 1951 , the United States and France signed an agreement in which USAF bases in their German occupation zone would be built and made available to USAFE . In late 1952 , enough construction was completed at Landstuhl and the 86th Fighter - Bomber Wing was reassigned to the new base . The 86th Wing ( under various designations ) has been assigned to Ramstein for almost 60 years , with a brief period ( 1966 – 1973 ) being inactive or assigned to Zweibrücken Air Base . In March 1958 the 86th Fighter - Bomber Group was inactivated and its operational squadrons being assigned to the Wing . In May , the 406th FIW at RAF Manston , England was inactivated . Its three F - 86D squadrons , the 512th , 513th and 514th were reassigned to bases on the continent and were also assigned to the 86th . These squadrons were detached to the following bases : 86th Air Division ( Defense ) . In January 1959 the 525th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Bitburg received its first Convair F - 102 Delta Dagger , designed to upgrade the air defense capabilities of Western Europe . HQ USAFE decided to uprade the 86th Fighter - Interceptor Wing and centralize command of all the European Air Defense squadrons in USAFE to it . With this change , the 86th Fighter - Interceptor Wing was redesignated the 86th Air Division ( Defense ) on 18 November 1960 . However at the time of their arrival in Europe , the F - 102 was already being replaced by the McDonnell F - 101B Voodoo and the Convair F - 106 Delta Dart in the Aerospace Defense Command as an interceptor , and by much more versatile McDonnell F - 4 Phantom II . On 14 November 1968 the 86th Air Division was inactivated 86th Tactical Fighter Wing . In 1968 the Canadian Armed Forces announced they were downsizing their forces in Europe , and Canada ' s three wings left Zweibrücken Air Base , leaving the base available for USAFE . On 1 November 1969 , the Air Force reactivated the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing at Zweibrücken . It received its first flying unit , the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron , on 12 January 1970 . The 17th TRS and its McDonnell Douglas RF - 4C Phantom IIs was reassigned to the 86th TFW from the inactivating 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at RAF Upper Heyford , England . Squadron tail code for the 17th TRS was initially " ZS " , then was recoded to " ZR " in 1971 . For 18 months the 17th was the only operational squadron on the base . On 12 June 1971 , the 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron with its Electronics Counter - Measures ( ECM ) equipped McDonnell EF - 4C Phantom II " Wild Weasel " fighters was attached to the 86th TFW from the 50th TFW at Hahn AB when the 50th switched to a strike - attack role , with air defense as a secondary mission . ( Note : The EF - 4C designation was not official . The aircraft were officially F - 4C models ) . The 81st TFS , however remained a part of the 50th TFW but was detached from the wing ' s operational control and attached to the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing for support . Squadron tail code for the 81st TFS was " ZS " . In 1972 , tail codes for all 86th TFW aircraft at Zweibrücken were standardized as " ZR " , per AFM 66 - 1 , when squadron tail codes were eliminated . However , with these reconnaissance aircraft at Zweibrücken the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing ' s designation did not coincide with the wing ' s mission . The name issue was resolved as part of a USAFE command - wide effort to realign functions and streamline operations called Creek Action . On 15 January 1973 , the 81st TFS was reassigned to Spangdahlem Air Base under operation " Battle Creek " . The last of this variant of the Phantom returned to the USA in 1979 / 1980 and was replaced by the F - 4G Wild Weasel at Spangdahlem . In addition , USAFE transferred the 26 TRW from Ramstein to Zweibrücken Air Base , Germany , and the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing ( TFW ) from Zweibrücken back to Ramstein on 31 January 1973 . These moves were made without the transfer of personnel or equipment with the exception of the 38 TRS , 7 SOS and 81 TFS . The 38th remained under the control of the 26 TRW by moving to Zweibrücken with the wing and the 7th Special Operations Squadron was transferred to Rhein - Main Air Base . The 526th TFS remained at Ramstein AB , and it was reassigned to the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing , flying F - 4Es . Its tail code was " RS " . On 22 September 1977 the newly activated 512th TFS was equipped with the 526 TFS aircraft and the 526 TFS received new planes from McDonnell Douglas St . Louis plant . The unit was designated the 86th Tactical Fighter Group and was under the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing . With these changes , the operational squadrons of the 86th TFW in 1978 were : As the wing approached its fortieth year of service in Germany , the first F - 16C Fighting Falcon arrived on 20 September 1985 and the 512th TFS converted to the General Dynamics Block 25 F - 16 Fighting Falcon , and the 526th retired their F - 4Es in June 1986 , also receiving Block 25 F - 16s . The 86th TFW supported numerous military units located in the area and participated in numerous exercises that provided the wing with air combat tactics training essential to their mission . With the rest of the world , the members of the 86th watched the Communist Bloc countries of Eastern Europe with fascination as the events of the late 1989 unfolded . When the Berlin Wall finally began to come down on 9 November 1989 and the celebrations began , many members of the Ramstein community and 86th TFW went to Berlin to see the events and take pieces of the Wall . The 86th TFW and Ramstein had just begun to absorb the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War when , in August 1990 , the Iraqis invaded Kuwait . Under Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm , much to the dismay of the 86th TFW personnel , their F - 16s did not deploy to the Persian Gulf like so many of its USAFE counterparts . Instead , Ramstein became an intermediate support base for American forces deployed to the Persian Gulf and , on 10 August 1990 , Ramstein began receiving MAC stage crews as the base became an overflow airfield for Rhein - Main AB , supporting strategic airlift traffic to the Persian Gulf . In addition to serving as a central overflow hub for airlift traffic flying between the US and the Arabian Peninsula , Ramstein also established an intermediate engine repair facility for deployed F - 16s , became a huge collection and distribution center for gulf - bound munitions , and on 15 January 1991 , Ramstein AB ' s aeromedical staging facility activated a 150 - bed hospital and blood transshipment center in Hangar 1 . The hospital provided triage to its first patients from the Persian Gulf on the same day . Additionally , personnel from virtually every squadron augmented Air Force and Army units deployed to the gulf . With the end of Operation Desert Storm , the 86th TFW deployed to Turkey and supported operations in Southwest Asia to ensure that Iraq complied with treaty terms . From 6 April 1991 , when the operation began , until September 1993 when its commitment ended , the wing flew nearly 5 , 000 sorties over Iraq . 526th TFS aircraft twice attacked Iraqi surface - to - air missile ( SAM ) sites in northern Iraq . For its participation in Provide Comfort , the 86th TFW received credit in a Joint Meritorious Unit Award , though the award did little to placate the wing personnel who felt they had " missed " the war . On 1 May 1991 , the 86th TFW was redesigned the 86th Fighter Wing and underwent a complete change in its organizational structure as a test base for the USAFE Corona South wing reorganization program , an effort to " flatten " command lines and consolidate span of control . Ramstein ' s 316th Air Division and 377th Combat Support Wing were inactivated and all of their former functions placed under the operational control of the 86th Fighter Wing . The lessons learned at Ramstein applied to other units Air Force - wide as they converted to this new organizational structure . Modern era . Since its founding in 1948 , the 86th Wing designation had been associated with tactical fighters , fighter - bombers , and interceptors ; but the end of the Cold War brought major force structure changes throughout the Air Force , and the 86th was no exception . On 1 June 1992 , the 86th Fighter Wing , which had been only F - 16s , began a slow move to airlift operations when the wing took over the 58th Airlift Squadron and its small executive fleet of C - 12 , C - 20 Gulfstream , C - 21 Lear Jet , CT - 43 Bobcat , C - 135 , and UH - 1 aircraft . After gaining this airlift mission , the wing changed its designation from the 86th Fighter Wing to the 86th Wing . In 1994 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 . With the influx of C - 130 personnel , 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 . The new wing operated C - 130 Hercules aircraft . On 2 November 2009 the wing completed its transition from C - 130E to C - 130J models . The new 86th Airlift Wing was responsible for United States Air Forces , Europe ( USAFE ) intra - theater airlift throughout Europe , Africa and the Middle East , as well as supporting operations and exercises throughout the European theater . The reoriented wing ' s successful transition from F - 16s to C - 130s and its airlift support of numerous European contingencies earned it the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period of 1 July 1993 to 30 June 1995 , bringing the wing ' s total Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards to six . 86th Contingency Response Group . By 1999 , the new security environment in the Balkans showed the USAF the need for a rapid - deployment " first - in " force to secure a contingency airfield , then establish and maintain the airfield , aerial port operations , and provide force protection . In response to this need , the Air Force activated its first contingency response group , the 86th Contingency Response Group on 26 February 1999 , as part of the 86th AW . The 86th CRG had two subordinate units — the 86th Air Mobility Squadron and 786th Security Forces Squadron – and incorporated more than 30 different jobs . This new , self - contained unit became the Air Force standard for such units , and proved its utility during the Kosovo conflict . On 5 May 1999 , US president William Clinton , accompanied by Secretary of State Madeline Albright , Secretary of Defense William Cohen , and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Henry Shelton and a large assortment of congressional delegates visited the 86th AW and Ramstein AB . During his visit , the president confirmed the 86th AW ' s informal motto , " The World ' s Greatest Airlift Wing . Air Expeditionary Forces . On 1 January 2000 , the Air Force introduced the concept of Air Expeditionary Forces , quickly known as AEFs , to respond to the increasing number of contingencies that call for worldwide deployments and to balance the burdens ( and opportunities ) for such deployments . The AEF concept attempted to provide some measure of " predictability , " by putting Airmen either on call for deployment or actually deployed for 90 days every 15 months . The concept was intended to let all personnel know the dates of their 90 - day deployment period well in advance so they could be prepared . The remaining 12 months of the 15 - month AEF cycle was to be spent performing routine activities : training , participating in exercises , working on civilian or military education and spending time with their families . The Balkans and Africa were much of the operational focus of the 86th AW in 2000 . From March through April 2000 , the 86th AW sent seven 37th AS C - 130s and crews to Hoedspruit Airfield , Limpopo , South Africa in support of Joint Task Force Atlas Response , a relief effort in southern Mozambique and South Africa following torrential rains and flooding . The 37th flew more than 170 sorties , transporting over 600 , 000 pounds of cargo and 1 , 096 passengers . During Atlas Response , a new capability was provided by a 37th AS C - 130E , serial number 68 - 0938 , the first USAF C - 130 to undergo Keen Sage camera system modification . The Keen Sage system was mounted in a metal - encased sphere , slightly larger than a basketball , housing three sophisticated video - capture lenses — a daylight television , a 955mm fixed focal length zoom and infrared in six fields — mounted on a pallet and strapped down in the cargo hold of the Hercules . Controlled by two operators in the aircraft , the lenses scan full circle and along 90 degrees of elevation and the airborne camera operators can beam live analog video and digitally - captured still images back to a ground station , where it could be recorded and sent to relief organizations and other users . Atlas Response was the first operational deployment of a C - 130 with the Keen Sage camera system , and the 37th C - 130 flew 39 sorties using this new capability to search for displaced refugees so they could be provided humanitarian assistance . Eventually the wing received eight Keen Sage configured aircraft . At the same time , members of the 86th Medical Group deployed to the nation of Cameroon for exercise MEDFLAG / Brilliant Lion . 120 doctors and medical technicians administered 20 , 000 immunizations and performed more than 70 surgeries , as well as delivering and distributing over 50 , 000 pounds of medical supplies . In August 2001 , the 86th Contingency Response Group deployed to Africa as part of Operation Focus Relief , the movement and support of UN - mandated peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone . Beginning on 17 August 2000 , the 86th Wing moved a large contingent of American soldiers to a staging base in Skopje , Macedonia , then on to Kosovo as part of NATO ' s Immediate Ready Force . By 31 December 2000 , the 86th AW , with support from deployed C - 130 units , transported 5 , 000 tons of cargo and 30 , 604 personnel to support US forces in Kosovo . In addition to the wing ' s " on call " status to support any European crisis , the wing positioned aircraft and medical personnel at emergency landing fields in Spain , Morocco and Banjul for every National Air and Space Administration ( NASA ) Space Shuttle launch , as well as flying missions for the On - Site Inspection Agency as part of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty . May 2000 was a banner month for the 86th . Air Force Chief of Staff General Mike Ryan presented the 86th Airlift Wing with the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon for its actions from 1 September 1997 , to 31 August 1999 . Additionally , the 86th ' s C - 130 squadron , the 37th Airlift Squadron " Bluetail Flies , " won the 2000 USAFE Best Airlift Tanker Squadron award . Global War on Terrorism . On 16 October 2002 , President Bush signed the newly passed Congressional Resolution for " Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq , " beginning Operation Iraqi Freedom . As soon as this occurred , the 86th Medical Group initiated planning for a 150 - bed expansion of the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and initiated steps to prepare building 2117 ( Ramstein ' s South Side Fitness Center ) for contingency use as an Aeromedical Staging Facility . Beginning the day after the president ' s announcement , the 86th Maintenance Group and the 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron Traffic Management Office configured 3 . 4 million pounds of supplies in just 120 hours , an operation that normally took 30 days , and began moving munitions for deployment . In November 2002 , 29 members of the 86th Civil Engineering Group were deployed to Ganci Air Base , Kyrgyzstan , to prepare for possible operations in Iraq . In December , the tempo increased further . A request was sent from the Southern European Task Force requesting the 86th CRG evaluate eight airfields in northern Iraq . On 27 December , members of the Youngstown , Ohio 757th Airlift Reserve Squadron , 910th Airlift Wing , arrived to join the Selfridge , Michigan Air National Guard ' s 165th Airlift Squadron , and 127th AW , as part of the 86th Airlift Wing ' s 38th Airlift Squadron ( Provisional ) . With the new arrivals , the combined forces of the 38th ( P ) Squadron was 154 personnel and four C - 130 aircraft , and the unit took primary responsibility for providing airlift for forces in Bosnia - Herzegovina supporting Operation Joint Forge . On 3 January 2003 , the 86th Materiel Maintenance Squadron began moving War Readiness Materiel for deployment . Over the next eight months , the 86th MMS shipped 8 , 340 tons of WRM to 13 locations in 9 countries . By August every USAFE location that supported Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom had received WRM from the 86th MMS . The 86th MMS also deployed seven members to various contingency locations to include Karshi - Khanabad , Uzbekistan , and Bagram , Afghanistan . Beginning 14 February , the 37th Airlift Squadron began using its Keen Sage equipped C - 130s to conduct observation missions over Iraq in preparation for possible action . The squadron flew a total of 14 missions , most at night , covering five to 15 targets per flight . To honor this rather " un - airlifty " operation , the crews gave themselves the name of the " 37th Airlift Reconnaissance Squadron . " Operation Iraqi Freedom . Beginning 11 March 2003 , the 86th AW ' s 38th Airlift ( Provisional ) Squadron , flying from Constanta , Romania , flew its first Operation Iraqi Freedom mission . Initially 38th ( P ) Squadron flew missions with just 4 aircraft , but even as these missions began help was on the way . On 3 March , the 757th Airlift Reserve Squadron , 910th Airlift Wing , Youngstown , Ohio , and the 165th Airlift Squadron , 123rd Airlift Wing , Kentucky Air National Guard , Louisville , Kentucky , were called to active duty for one year to join 38th ( P ) Squadron . The units arrived from 21 – 27 March , and the personnel and equipment increased 38th ( P ) Squadron from four C - 130s and 154 personnel to ten C - 130s and 306 personnel . On 17 March , President Bush delivered an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein that he and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours . Saddam refused . On 20 March , the 86th Contingency Response Group went through the 86th Airlift Wing Deployment Control Center , Personnel Deployment Function , and Vehicle Deployment Function in less than three hours — a record time . On 20 March , the Coalition began its air assault on Baghdad . The 86th AW ' s effort began on 27 March 2003 , when 20 members of the 86th Expeditionary Contingency Response Group departed from Aviano Air Base , Italy , and parachuted into Bashur airfield in northern Iraq , to prepare the field for airlift operations . The 86th ECRG team parachuted into Bashur with 1000 " sky soldiers " of the 173rd Airborne Brigade on the largest airborne combat insertion since 1989 Operation Just Cause in Panama . The initial cadre was followed by 200 more members from the 86th ECRG and the 86th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron . The 37th Airlift Squadron with its C - 130E Hercules was soon involved , flying the first Hercules landing into the airfield at 2 pm on 7 April 2003 . Processing through as many as five mobility lines at once , 593 members of the 86th AW deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom by 7 April . US casualties were evacuated to Ramstein , often by 86th AW units , the 75th Airlift Squadron and the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron . By August 2003 , 86th AW units had flown more than 30 medical evacuation missions back to Ramstein where , once on the ground , critical care transport teams provided acute care and managed patient transfer to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center . Beginning 6 April , the 86th ' s 37th Airlift Squadron aircraft began deliveries to the forward base in Constanta , Romania , delivering 57 tons and 58 passengers to Constanta in just seven missions conducted over the course of a week . Over the subsequent weeks , the squadron ' s nineteen crews continued to fly round - the - clock operations averaging 4 . 5 missions per day . On 14 April , the 38th ( P ) began to fly stage operations from Souda Bay , Crete . Their first mission into Iraq brought US Marines into Erbil in an effort to seal off the Iraq - Syrian border . A few days later , on 17 April at Bashur , the airfield the 86th CRG had secured and opened , and the first shipment of humanitarian aid arrived destined for residents near Kirkuk , Iraq . Over 27 days of operations , the 86th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron received more than 370 fixed wing arrivals and departures , 4 , 200 personnel , and 21 , 500 , 000 pounds of cargo . By 22 April the last aircraft transited Bashur Airfield and four days later , on 26 April , the 86th Contingency Response Group Commander , Col Steven Weart , notified higher headquarters that Bashur Field , Iraq was now closed for air traffic . This was a unique occurrence — normally the 86th CRG turned its bases over for further operations . The closing marked the first time the 86th CRG closed a base it had opened . On 3 May 2003 , the 37th Airlift Squadron and 38th AS ( P ) established stage operations in Constanta , Romania . Flying from Constanta to Kirkuk , Iraq , the 38th Airlift Squadron ( P ) flew its first mission on 3 May and its last mission on 24 May , the last time the unit would fly into Iraq in support of Iraqi Freedom . On 10 July 2003 , the 38th AS ( P ) flew its last Operation Iraqi Freedom support mission . 2004 Reorganization . At the beginning of 2004 the 86th Airlift Wing was the largest wing in the Air Force , but its sheer size raised various management issues . On 15 January 2004 , as part of an arrangement intended to increase organizational efficiency based on a pattern used by several units in the states , the 86th AW was split . African Mission . While supporting the Global War on Terrorism in the Middle East and East Asia , much of the 86th AW ' s focus was on Africa , which was in the US European Command ( USEUCOM ) area of responsibility . On 28 February 2004 , C - 130s from the 37th AS joined a humanitarian effort to bring supplies to Al Hoceima Province in northern Morocco . On 13 March 2005 , in a " rush delivery , " two C - 130s from the 37th AS delivered more than 19 tons of humanitarian aid to Chad . The mission , which under normal circumstances would have taken several days to plan , was planned and the aircraft launched in less than an hour . On 6 June 2004 , three 37th AS C - 130s participated in a parachute drop with 13 other USAF airlifters to commemorate the 60th anniversary of D - Day . In a two - week operation in March 2005 , the 37th AS and the 86th Contingency Support Group moved 252 tons of cargo and 357 US Army soldiers into Tibuktu , Mali , in support of the Global War on Terrorism . In August 2004 , the 86th AW increased it support of the Global War on Terrorism as wing personnel began to deploy as part of the Air Expeditionary Force " downrange , " the euphuism for the Persian Gulf region or the areas in and around Afghanistan . Most of the Ramstein Airmen , especially aircrew , were deployed to Ali Al Salem Air Base , Kuwait , where they served as part of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing . Many of their combat missions were flown into Bagdad International Airport and Balad Air Base , both in Iraq . In October 2004 , two C - 130s from the 37th AS deployed to Kigali , Rwanda , near the Darfur region of Sudan , government organizations in the region . During the deployment the crews transported 380 African Union troops and 3 , 000 tons of supplies . to provide support and security to the United Nations agencies and non - government organizations in the region . During the deployment the crews transported 380 African Union troops and 3 , 000 tons of supplies . In July 2005 , the 86th AW deployed three C - 130s from the 37th AS and about 40 personnel to Kigali , Rwanda , in support of NATO missions in Darfur , then in October returned many of the African Union troops to Rwanda . The deployment was similar to one undertaken in October 2004 , and during the operation the C - 130s carried the African Union troops on a thirteen hour flight to Sudan where the African Union troops were to provide security for aid distribution operations in the area The Gateway to Europe . On 10 October 2005 , Rhein - Main Air Base was officially closed and Ramstein Air Base now designated " The Gateway to Europe . " Another bit of good news for Ramstein came on 9 December when , to the delight of about 3 , 000 soccer fans partying Kaiserslautern ' s Stiftsplatz , it was announced that the US national soccer team would play its first round games in the FIFA World Cup in Kaiserslautern . It was quickly decided that the US team would be quartered at Ramstein Air Base While the 86th AW participated in numerous events in 2007 , one of the most touching was a flight by one of the 38th ( P ) Delta Squadron ' s C - 130s to Tripoli , Libya , which had once been home to a major American air base , Wheelus . When the United States was forced to leave , it left behind in a cemetery the remains of 72 dependents , all stillborn babies or infants . With the improving atmosphere between the governments of Libya and the United States , the 86th AW was told to proceed to the Libyan capitol , Tripoli , and recover the remains . A team led by General Johnston flew to Libya on 1 March 2007 , to recover the remains , and they were returned to their families at Ramstein . During 2007 , the wing added the 496th ABS , Moron AB , Spain to the 86th OG and the 38th Construction Squadron ( CST ) to the 86th CRG , where it became the 86th CST . The 496th ABS was to prove especially challenging , since it was on a Spanish Eurofighter base and had a relatively small ( approximately 96 personnel ) US contingent and relatively little in the way of support structure . The 86th CST mainly consisted of local nationals , but there was soon a move to add a larger American contingent so it could perform operations outside of Germany . On 11 August 2008 Russia began an invasion of its neighboring country Georgia . The 86th AW had Airmen from both the CRG and ACOMG on the ground in Georgia , and soon the 37th AS C - 130Es began to fly humanitarian aid into the country while many of the 86th AW Airmen remained in place and performed their duties . Then , on 20 September , tragedy . Major Rodolfo " Rod " Rodriguez was killed by a truck bomb in Islamabad , Pakistan , outside the Marriott Hotel . Rodriquez , a 34 - year - old Air Force Academy graduate and commander of the Contingency Training Flight , 86th Construction and Training Squadron , became the first Ramstein Airman to die in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the first Ramstein Airman to die in combat since World War II . In August 2010 , the 86th Airlift Wing became a " sister wing " to Poland ' s 3rd Airlift Wing , the Poles having purchased some C - 130 Es aircraft from the United States . Components . Group Assigned Squadrons Attached Squadrons