The 170th Group grew out of Detachment 1 of Headquarters Nebraska Air National Guard, which was established in June 2002. It gathers members of the Nebraska Air National Guard stationed at Offutt Air Force Base into a single administrative unit as part of the "Future Total Force Initiative." Through this initiative, Guard instructor aircrew integrate with the 338th Combat Training Squadron to provide initial qualification, requalification and upgrade training to active duty USAF and Air National Guard aircrew members in the RC-135 RIVET JOINT, COMBAT SENT and COBRA BALL aircraft and the E-4B NIGHTWATCH aircraft. These instructors are assigned to the 238th Combat Training Squadron. Likewise, Guardsmen integrate into the 55th Operations Support Squadron to support the global operations of the 55th Wing, providing training and operational support to the active duty wing's global command and control and intelligence missions. Areas supported include requirements, weapons and tactics, intelligence, base operations, weather, and aviation resource management. These Guardsment form the 170th Operations Support Squadron. Overall, the 170th Group is authorized 80 personnel, including 35 full-time and 45 traditional Guardsmen. The 170th was reactivated in a ceremony on 6 July 2007 at Offutt Air Force Base.
History
The group was first activated at Newark Municipal Airport on 18 January 1964 as the 170th Air Transport Group to provide a headquarters for the 150th Air Transport Squadron and its supporting units. The group initially operated Lockheed C-121 Constellation long distance transports, primarily for passenger movements to Europe. Eighteen months after its formation, the group moved to McGuire Air Force Base. The 170th also flew to the Caribbean and, during the Vietnam War, to Japan, Thailand, South Vietnam, Australia and the Philippines. In 1966, when Military Airlift Command replaced Military Air Transport Service, the group became the 170th Military Airlift Group. From 1969 the group focused on airlifting patients, and became the 170th Aeromedical Airlift Group. The Constellations were retired in 1973, and were replaced with De Haviland Canada C-7 Caribou light transports, which were returning from service in the Vietnam War. The C-7s were used for carrying small payloads in forward areas with unimproved airstrips. In 1977 the 170th received Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers and became the 150th Air Refueling Squadron. On 1 October 1993, the 170th Air Refueling Group was combined with the 108th Air Refueling Wing at McGuire when the New Jersey Air National Guard implemented the Air Force's Objective Wing organization, which called for all units on a base to be assigned to a single wing. The group was inactivated while its 150th Air Refueling Squadron was assigned to the 108th Operations Group as its second KC-135 squadron. In 2007, the group was activated as the 170th Group at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska to unify Air National Guard support for the 55th Wing.
Lineage
Established as the 170th Air Transport Group, Heavy and allotted to the Air National Guard on 16 December 1963
Activated and extended federal recognition and activated, 18 January 1964
Withdrawn from New Jersey and allotted to Nebraska on 1 July 2007
