[2] 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.

[7] Upon mobilization, the wing moved to George Air Force Base, California,[2] and began accelerated aircrew training.

On the last day of the month, the aircrews of the 452nd learned they were in a real shooting war, as three Yakovlev fighters jumped one of their B-26s and a Mosquito controller near Yangsi.

Until June 1951, it gave close support to ground units in Korea and engaged in interdiction of communist-held airfields, supply lines, and bridges, reaching peak operations in February 1951.

The wing moved to Miho Air Base on Honshu, Japan, on 10 December, and within a few days it suffered its first combat losses.

One aircraft hit a cable on a power line during a low-level attack, a second flew into a mountain on takeoff in a snow squall, and a third dove out of the overcast into water.

As their effort began to exhaust the combat crews, pilots and observers serving in wing staff and support positions were pressed into service.

This surge in operations also produced a sharp increase in maintenance activity as the aircraft sustained extensive battle damage.

The B-26s were effective in low-level attacks with machine guns, rockets, and bombs, but their crews found it difficult to maneuver at low altitudes in the small valleys of Korea, walled by hills rising from 500 to 5,000 feet.

Four crews which had left George as an advance echelon on 15 September participated in combat during October, and the unit put up its first complete squadron mission on 14 November 1950.

Its missions included high-, medium-, and low-level visual and radar bombing, front-line close support, flare drops, and armed reconnaissance-all under conditions of darkness.

Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed ConAC to convert units to the troop carrier mission by September 1957.

[2] The wing began troop carrier operations with Curtiss Commandos and Douglas C-47 Skytrains, finally receiving Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars in 1958.

In October 1960, the wing moved its Long Beach operations to March Air Force Base, California.

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.

From 1957 to 1976 the 452nd participated in troop carrier and airlift joint training exercises with ground forces and performed routing, special transport, and humanitarian missions within the U.S.

Airlifted troops and cargo to the Dominican Republic during the 1965 contingency operation (Power Pack) to restore a stable government there.

Deployed aircraft and volunteer aircrews and other personnel to Saudi Arabia in support of Desert Shield, beginning August 1990.

The 336th ARS went on active duty in December 1990 and two squadron aircrews were among the first refuelers to launch on the first day of the Southwest Asia War (Desert Storm) against Iraq.

August 9, 2005 the wing received its first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter, named "Spirit of California".