It was a Military Airlift Command (MAC) and United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) installation, occupying the south side of Frankfurt Airport.

[citation needed] The 61st Troop Carrier Group (TCG) was reassigned to Rhein-Main on 30 September 1946 from nearby Eschborn Air Base.

The next day, 25 June, the commander of the American occupation zone in Germany, General Lucius D. Clay, gave the order to launch a massive airlift using both civil and military aircraft.

[citation needed] On 19 November 1948, the 513th Troop Carrier Group (Special) was activated at Rhein-Main Air Base to assist in the airlift, also using C-54s.

However, the airlift did not end until 30 September, as the Western nations wanted to build up sufficient amounts of supplies in West Berlin in case the Soviets blockaded it again.

Although originally envisioned as a bomber base by USAFE, as a result of the Berlin Airlift, Rhein-Main became a principal European air transport terminal.

The 61st TCG returned to routine transport operations until the outbreak of the Korean War, and on 21 July 1950, was reassigned to McChord Air Force Base, Washington.

In 1955, with the opening of USAFE bases in France, most heavy transport flights were shifted there and Rhein-Main became a passenger and tactical cargo hub.

Rhein-Main was placed under the 7310th Air Base Wing, which for over a decade provided ground service as well as cargo and passenger loading and unloading for USAFE and MATS transports.

On 1 July 1975, the USAF and Military Airlift Command entered into an agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany that only transport aircraft would be stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base.

[citation needed] On 10 December 1978, a group of military dependents evacuated from Iran on C-141s landed at Rhein-Main after leaving Tehran late the day before.

[citation needed] They had spent the first night in Athens, their second leg of the trip was to Rhein-Main, then on to McGuire Air Force Base.

During the Soviet-Afghan War of the 1980s, Rhein-Main AB was the primary airbase supporting a program run by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Affairs, under the authority of George M. Dykes, IV, DoD Director of Humanitarian Assistance, supporting Afghan guerrillas (at that time known as Mujaheddin) in their fight against the Soviet Union.

They included approximately 50 aeromedical evacuation flights bringing combat wounded Afghan guerrillas and, women and children, from PAF Base Nur Khan, Chaklala, Pakistan to the US and Europe for surgery.

On 8 August 1985, the Red Army Faction snuck a car laden with explosives onto the base and parked it behind the headquarters building.

At approximately 7:15 AM the car exploded killing Airman First Class Frank Scarton of Michigan and Becky Jo Bristol of San Antonio, Texas, and wounding 20 others.

It also air-dropped humanitarian supplies supporting Operation Provide Comfort for the relief of fleeing Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq in April–May 1991.

Starting in July 1992, the 37th TAS conducted airlift and airdrop missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina supporting Operation Provide Promise.

[citation needed] On 1 July 1993, the 55th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron moved to Ramstein Air Base with its C-9A Nightingale aircraft.

[citation needed] From September 2001 until 2005, Rhein-Main continued to provide support for transient military cargo aircraft and AMC-chartered civilian airliners supporting military transport activities throughout Europe, also acting as a waypoint for air mobility operations throughout Southwest Asia towards the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Between 5–10 June 1967, during the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War, the 7406th flew missions over the battle zone gathering electronic intelligence data.

The 7th SOS's MC-130Es, code-named Combat Talon, were no less mysterious and were also striking to look at with their matte black camouflage scheme and two large hooks on the nose.

The 7405th had recently moved from Wiesbaden Air Base and converted to flying heavily modified C-130E Hercules reconnaissance aircraft.