Subscribe
NORMANDY, France – Commander Col. Bryan Callahan and Command Chief Master Sgt. Joshua Wiener, 435th Air Ground Operations Wing paid their respects to the first fallen Airmen of the 435th AGOW during a visit to Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, May 29, 2023.
The command team and their families placed flags on gravesites of the first fallen 435th members who perished during D-Day.
“This site marks the beginning of many sacrifices made by the men and women of the 435th AGOW” said Callahan. “This wing was born and bred to go behind enemy lines.”
The history of the wing has a deep significance to leadership as the organization marks its 80th Anniversary, remembers its fallen during memorial day, and reflects on the 79th Anniversary of D-Day.
The group also visited two crash sites and was provided a tour of one that was located on French farming land, where the owner was able to provide the group with a close-up look at the historic site.
“I was overwhelmed by the care and appreciation they showed for the crash site and the Airmen that perished there,” said Wiener. “They treated it like hallowed grounds. The opportunity to remember our fallen 435th Airmen in this manner with my family by my side, was a stark reminder of the importance of the job we have been trusted with, to develop and care for our Airmen and Families.”
435th AGOW History
The 435th AGOW was created as part of the Army Air Force’s new tactical airlift force, one of many groups flying a vast armada of unarmed C-47 Skytrains and gliders.
The 435th entered World War II on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The group commander, Col. Frank J. MacNees, personally piloted Maj. Gen. Maxwell Taylor onto his drop zone in Normandy, France, to lead the airborne assault on Fortress Europe. From D-Day onward, the 435th was involved in every major troop carrier mission in the European theater: operations Dragoon, over Southern France; Market Garden, over the Netherlands; and Varsity, the final Allied crossing of the Rhine River. The 435th also led the aerial resupply of Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge.
After the war’s end, the 435th cased its colors on Nov. 15, 1945.
“In its 80 years, the 435th has proven its mettle repeatedly, no matter the mission it was assigned,” said Dr. Jordan Malfoy, 435th AGOW historian. “Over its long history, the wing has played a role in most important and historic events taking place in Europe, whether key World War II battles or massive humanitarian operations, like Provide Promise or Operation Allies Refuge.”
435th AGOW Today
Today, the 435th AGOW is composed of 3 groups, 9 permanent squadrons, 3 deployed squadrons, and more than 1400 personnel at 21 locations across Europe. Their mission is to rapidly deploy forces to the forward edge and conduct information superiority, command and control, execute the kill-chain, and set the theater to project combat airpower inside the anti-access/area denial threat environment in support of combined forces air commander and joint objectives.
Recently, the members of the 435th AGOW lead operations in Poland in support of Ukraine, trained with NATO Allies and Partners to increase interoperability, and continued to develop unique tactical skill sets that are shaping the future of theater combat operations.
The history of the 435th AGOW and its current mission have some similarities. From its inception, the organization has been tasked to enter enemy spheres of influence, fight from inside those spheres to outside of them, and be the first to the fight.
The 435th AGOW was the first in the DoD to the Ukrainian border. They established the first and most critical logistics hub in NATO to be used to support Ukraine. Additionally, they set up and received the 82nd Airborne Division into the European theater and partnered with them to help evacuees from Ukraine.
“The Airmen of the 435th AGOW have been answering our nation's call since D-Day,” said Callahan. “We have and will continue to be the first to the fight.”
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2023 11:03 |
| Story ID: | 446477 |
| Location: | NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY, FR |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The 435th Air Ground Operations Wing honors legacy of being ‘first to the fight’, by Capt. Lou Burton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
