C-119 Flying Boxcar

C-119 Flying Boxcar - Reserve Citizen Airmen flew the unique-looking Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, a twin-engine, twin-boom and twin-tail aircraft that perfectly suited the domestic humanitarian missions they would be called upon to execute.

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349th Air Mobility Wing 75th Anniversary Series, C-119 Flying Boxcar

Published Sept. 21, 2018
By Kenneth Wright, 349th Public Affairs
349 AMW

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- In 1957 the 349th Fighter Bomber Wing was re-designated the 349th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, and our aircrews were given the difficult task of transitioning from jet-engine fighters, back to propeller-driven cargo planes.

As discussed earlier in this series, in the 1940s and 1950s the Airmen of the 349th Troop Carrier Group and 349th Fighter-Bomber Wing served in significant military operations during war. In the 1960s, the 349th TCW supported the war effort in Vietnam, but also lent an important helping hand during domestic crises close to home. During that time, our Reserve Citizen Airmen flew the unique-looking Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, a twin-engine, twin-boom and twin-tail aircraft that perfectly suited the domestic humanitarian missions they would be called upon to execute. Their relentless efforts to serve fellow Americans in need earned them both a U.S. Postal Service citation, as well as the first Air Force Outstanding Unit Award presented to an Air Force Reserve wing.