The missions of the aircrews include airlifting personnel and material worldwide as well as aerial refueling a wide variety of aircraft.

The 349th Troop Carrier Group was a Curtiss C-46 Commando transport unit assigned to Ninth Air Force in Western Europe.

[1] The wing was manned at 25% of normal strength but its combat group was authorized four squadrons rather than the three of active duty units.

[8] Ironically, its initial aircraft were again C-46 Transports, and it was not until 1953 that it received World War II era North American F-51 Mustangs, along with trainers.

Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed ConAC to convert three reserve fighter bomber wings, including the 349th, to the troop carrier mission by September 1957.

To resolve this, at the start of 1962, ConAC determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons.

However, as this plan was entering its implementation phase, another partial mobilization, which included the 349th Wing and its flying squadrons, occurred for the Cuban Missile Crisis.

[1][22] Only four hours after the first call to report for duty was made, 95 percent of the wing's flying personnel had checked in and were ready to move.

[1] During the mobilization, they served for one month to airlift troops and supplies to the buildup of military forces in the south Florida area.

[20] On 1 February 1992, the 349th adopted the USAF objective organization was redesignated the 349th Airlift Wing, deleting the word "military" from its name to conform with the active duty Air Force's reorganization and realignment policies.

In September 1994, the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aerial refueling mission was added to the Wing and became the 349th Air Mobility Wing, the only Air Force Reserve unit at the time to fly three types of aircraft: the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and the KC-10.

[20] With the McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III arrival at Travis in Summer 2006, the wing and its host became the only units in the country to fly three major aircraft.

[20] In 2021, the Wing consists of the following major units:[citation needed] The 349th AMW is also home to the 349th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron which is responsible for treating patients in flight; the 349th Airlift Control Flight, tasked to enter austere locations and prepare for USAF aircraft arrival; and the 349th Medical Squadron, capable of providing hospital services worldwide, in a contingency environment.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency