The unit was organized as the 315th Troop Carrier Wing under PACAF control at Brady AB, Japan in June 1952, with a variety of transport aircraft including the C-46. The wing was inactivated in January 1955, but was redesignated 315th Air Commando Wing in February 1966 and activated at Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam with the UC/C-123B and C-130E-I Combat Talon I. The 315th moved to Phan Rang AB, South Vietnam in June 1967, and changed to a Special Operations Wing in August 1968. In January 1970 the unit became the 315th TAW, operating A-37Bs and AC-47Ds alongside C-123Ks. The wing was inactivated in March 1972, but redesignated by AFRes as the 349th MAW (Associate) in July 1973 providing reservist personnel to operate front-line C-5A and C-141A aircraft at Charleston AFB. The C-5As were transferred to Dover AFB in mid-1973 with the unit upgrading to C-141Bs in 1980/81. The C-17A was added in 1994, with the wing loosing its Associate status in October 1994.