By Troy Turner
MONTGOMERY – Special-mission aviators for worldwide service in nuclear security, VIP transportation, and survival/evasion/resistance/escape operations will be in the high-level training activities at Maxwell Air Force Base as it becomes a key component for the military’s MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter program.
The recent activation of the 24th Helicopter Squadron, under the 908th Flying Training Wing at Maxwell, will involve training Grey Wolf pilots and developing highly skilled personnel for a wide variety of special missions.
The assignment also adds yet another important role for the ever-growing significance of Maxwell AFB to U.S. military ability and preparedness.
The 908th for nearly four years worked to transition from using the C-130 fixed-wing plane to becoming the formal training unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. After divesting the last of its C-130s in April 2022, it received its first Grey Wolf in April 2024.
The MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter is one of the newer assets in the Air Force inventory. It is a dual-piloted, twin-engine helicopter capable of carrying nine combat-equipped troops and security response equipment; with cockpit and cabin armor, countermeasures and two externally mounted M240 crew-served weapons.
Maxwell’s storied history
Commander of the 58th Operations Group, Col. Derek Price, praised the selection of Maxwell for hosting the 908th Wing.
“I can think of no other base across our Air Force that is more suited to this mission than Maxwell,” said Price during a recent ceremony. “This is arguably one of the most profound institutions in our history, and it is the heartbeat of the Air Force. Where we stand, was once used by Wilber and Orville Wright to open up their very first civilian flying school. And in the 1930s, the Army Air Corps Tactical School moved here, followed by numerous initial and advanced flight training units.
“Add in the doctrinal foundation of Air University and I’m confident that no other base in the Air Force can match the historical significance and perfect operating environment for the 908th… to thrive and provide Grey Wolf crews well into the future,” Price said.
The 908th and 24th connection
The 24th Helicopter Squadron activation ceremony was Dec. 6, 2024.
“The difference between the 908th Flying Training Wing and the 24th Helicopter Squadron is that the 908th Wing is a Reserve Unit, and the 24th squadron is an active-duty unit; and the size of each as well,” said Brad Clark, a public affairs official for the 908th.
“The 908th and the 24th are now ‘associate’ units. Many Air Force Reserve Command units have an active associate unit,” he said. “The 908th will continue as previously designated and will be the Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter.”
The 908th Flying Training Wing belongs to the 22nd Air Force, which belongs to the Air Force Reserve Command.
“We are still a Reserve Unit,” Clark said of the 908th. “At the moment we have roughly 1,000 members in our unit, with a full-time force of 200-250 people,” including civilian workers, Air Reserve technicians, and military personnel serving under full-time orders.
The 24th Helicopter Squadron belongs to the 58th Operations Group, the 58th Special Operations Wing, based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 58th Wing’s parent organization is the 19th Air Force located at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, which belongs to Air Education and Training Command.
“The 24th Helicopter Squadron will provide mission support to the 908th’s flying training mission and local support to Air Education and Training Command’s mission of managing MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter training courseware and syllabi,” Clark said. “The unit will also assist in the responsibility of providing trained Grey Wolf pilots and special mission aviators to four major commands, ensuring aircrew members are trained and qualified for worldwide employment in nuclear security, VIP transportation operations, and survival/evasion/resistance/escape training support.”
The next 18 months
The 24th Helicopter Squadron’s story began in December 1939 as the 24th Bombardment Squadron, established at Maxwell Field. Over its decades-long history, the squadron evolved through roles as a reconnaissance unit, a tactical air support squadron, and a special operations squadron, contributing to missions in World War II’s China-Burma-India Theater and beyond.
In 2020, the squadron was deactivated, but its heritage endured.
Bringing the 24th’s heritage full circle back to Maxwell has generated a sense of pride and excitement among squadron members, squadron commander Lt. Col. Derek Cumbie noted.
“Taking on this new identity anchors us through the massive changes. Recently, we’ve gone from a fixed wing C-130 to a rotary wing MH-139, and from a tactical airlift mission to a flying training mission,” he said. “We’ve also gone from solely Reserve only, where there was no association, to now having an active-duty associated partner, which is the 24th Helicopter Squadron. Our identity has changed to fit the demands of the mission, and the training mission is right around the corner.”
In the next 18 months, the squadron will welcome its first cohort of students for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter, where they will build on foundational skills learned in basic helicopter courses, refining them into mission-ready capabilities focuses on complex operational scenarios, including night landings, low-altitude maneuvers, and precision targeting.
Operating a helicopter training unit is more than just flying helicopters Cumbie said. “Maybe some people don’t know what all is involved with a helicopter training unit. It’s about flying a multi-million-dollar aircraft at 50 feet above treetops, landing in unlit fields on moonless nights, and ensuring that our team is ready to protect our nation’s strategic assets.”
Senior Airman Erica Webster of the 908th Flying Training Wing contributed to this report.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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