Congress commends Wing Published March 17, 2010 By Senior Airman April Bachler 139th Airlift Wing St. Joseph, Mo. -- The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a resolution submitted by Congressman Sam Graves expressing the appreciation of Congress for the service and sacrifice of the members of the 139th Airlift Wing and their families. The resolution acknowledges the 139th AW's proud lineage and accomplishments since its deployment in support of the Korean War in December 1951 as the 180th Bombardment Squadron (Light), which was one of the first federally recognized Air National Guard units in the United States. Recognition was given for the unit's support of humanitarian operations in Bosnia, Sarajevo, Africa and Haiti (1992-96); disaster relief efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina (2005); and its response to a devastating ice storm that struck Northwest Missouri (2007). Their deployments include supporting military operations with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces as part of Operation Joint Forge in Europe (1998-2004), Operation Desert Storm (1990) and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (2002). Today, 139th AW hosts the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center (AATTC) that NATO air forces utilize in support of training operations all of which has a tremendous positive economic impact in Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas, accounting for nearly 2,500 civilian and military jobs. - Information provided by the Library of Congress.