435th Air Ground Operations Wing The 435th Air Ground Operations Wing ( 435 AGOW ) is an active unit of the United States Air Force , assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is stationed at Ramstein Air Base , Germany . The current commander is Colonel John S . Shapland , USAF . Previous Commanders : Colonel Thomas Gould , 16 Jul 09 - 13 Dec 10 Overview . The 435 AGOW is the first USAFE wing solely dedicated to supporting battlefield Airmen . It consolidates the tactical air control party and battlefield weather specialties of the 4th ASOG , the contingency communications support of the ACOMG , and the expeditionary support to assess , prepare and operate airfields for air expeditionary forces of the CRG . Both of the groups from the 86th AW will now perform their mission under the 435th AGOW . Units . The 435 AGOW comprises 3 groups . Each groups supports a specific portion of the wing ' s multifaceted mission . History . Cold War . The 435th Troop Carrier Wing ( 435th TCW ) was established and activated as a wing in the Air Force Reserve ( AFRES ) at Miami International Airport on May 10 , 1949 . Trained in the Air Force Reserve as a troop carrier wing from July 1949 to February 1951 , and again from December 1952 - December 1958 . The 435th was called to active duty with Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) in 1951 to train aircrews on C - 46 Commando s for duty in Korea , though the wing itself was not tasked to deploy for the conflict there . The 435th was replaced by the 456th Troop Carrier Wing ( 456 TCW ) in December 1952 and the 456th TCW was later replaced by the 482nd TCW as the Miami - based Air Force Reserve wing . By 1956 , the 435th TCW was capable of flying overseas missions , particularly in the Caribbean area to Central America . In 1960 , the wing moved to Homestead Air Force Base , Florida . Over the many years of serving in Florida , the 435th Troop Carrier Wing came to be known as the Flamingo Wing - a name still used today by the 435th ' s veterans association . . Two squadrons converted to the C - 124 Globemaster in 1961 just before being ordered to active service . After training to become combat ready , participated in worldwide airlift and tactical exercises . Returned to reserve status in August 1962 and regained its C - 119 Flying Boxcar squadron that had not been on active duty . Switched completely to C - 119s in 1963 . Inactivated in 1965 . Reactivated first at RAF High Wycombe , England , 24 December 1968 , then reassigned to Rhein - Main AB , West Germany on 1 July 1969 , the 435th served as a support wing of Military Airlift Command , providing deployed airlift control elements and aircraft maintenance at aerial ports in portions of Europe , the Middle East , Southwest Asia , and Africa . The redesignated 435th Tactical Airlift Wing had host responsibilities for Rhein - Main AB , beginning July 1975 , which included operating the busiest U . S . air terminal in Europe and supporting CONUS - based strategic airlift transiting Rhein - Main AB . While continuing to function as a tactical and support wing , the 435th TAW gained the mission of aeromedical evacuation in Europe and the Middle East . Provided airlift support for United States European Command ( EUCOM ) and Headquarters , United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) , from March 1977 until June 1978 . Provided airlift for the theater , first with rotational C - 130 forces until early 1978 , and afterward with a permanently assigned C - 130 airlift squadron . Participated in joint and combined paratroop training and exercises , as well all manner of theater humanitarian airlift , including relief for natural disasters , evacuation of civilians from hostile situations , and aeromedical evacuation from combat areas . During Operation Desert Shield / Storm , the wing ' s 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron , plus additional wing personnel , deployed to Al Ain , United Arab Emirates , from mid - August 1990 to late March 1991 to provide theater airlift during the Persian Gulf War . On 1 April 1992 , the wing was again redesignated as the 435th Airlift Wing and implemented USAF ' s objective wing concept . With the disestablishment of Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) in 1992 , the wing and Rhein - Main AB returned to United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) control , while an Air Mobility Command ( AMC ) airlift support group was activated to take over operation of the air terminal and support transiting air mobility ( i . e . , strategic airlift , theater airlift , and air refueling ) aircraft . Modern era . From July 1992 through September 1994 , the wing controlled the massive airlift effort ( Operation Provide Promise ) to provide airland and airdrop humanitarian airlift to war - torn areas of the former Yugoslavia . On 1 October 1993 the 55 AAS and 58 AS were inactivated as part of the general drawdown of USAF units and installations in Europe at the end of the Cold War . In February 1994 , USAF began returning portions of Rhein - Main AB to German control and the wing ' s remaining airlift squadron was reassigned to the 86th Wing ( 86 WG ) at Ramstein AB . The 86 WG was redesignated as the 86th Airlift Wing ( 86 AW ) on 1 October 1994 . The 435 AW was inactivated effective 1 April 1995 and its responsibilities turned over to the 469th Air Base Group ( 469 ABG ) under USAFE and the 626th Air Mobility Support Squadron ( 626 AMSS ) under AMC . The last commander of the 435th Airlift Wing was Col Donald A . Philpitt , USAF . The 435 AW was converted to a provisional expeditionary wing between February 2003 and December 2003 in preparation for , and execution of , Operation IRAQI FREEDOM , but was never activated . In late 2003 , the wing was reactivated as the 435th Air Base Wing ( 435 ABW ) and assumed the overall host base support responsibilities at Ramstein AB , Germany as a non - flying unit . In mid 2009 , the 435th Air Base Wing was redesignated as the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing ( 435 AGOW ) , the second wing of its kind in the USAF . The 435 AGOW assumed mission areas previously performed by two 86th Airlift Wing units - the Contingency Response Group and the Air and Space Communications Group - along with the 4th Air Support Operations Group out of Heidelberg , Germany . The 431st Air Base Group was officially inactivated during an earlier ceremony . The remaining mission areas of the 435 ABW merged with the 86th Airlift Wing . Components . Groups Squadrons