93rd Air-Ground Operations Wing

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The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing (93d AGOW) is a United States Air Force unit under Air Combat Command, Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, as a tenant unit. The wing directs two Forward Air Control groups that provide air support to ground forces: the 3d Air Support Operations Group at Fort Cavazos, Texas (supporting III Corps) and the 18th Air Support Operations Group at Pope Field, North Carolina (supporting XVIII Airborne Corps). It also oversees the 820th Base Defense Group at Moody, a force-protection unit with airborne capability.

History in brief
- Roots go back to the 93d Bombardment Group, formed in 1942, which was the first VIII Bomber Command B-24 unit to bomb Occupied Europe from RAF Alconbury.
- The wing’s bomber lineage began in 1947 as the 93d Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy), later redesignated 93d Bombardment Wing (Medium). It flew B-29s, then B-50s, B-47s, and eventually B-52s, and it operated KC-135 tankers for refueling.
- Notable feats include:
- Quick Kick (1956): four B-52s began a nonstop flight around North America with in-air refuelings.
- Power Flight (1957): the first nonstop jet around-the-world flight, earning awards for the crews.
- Desert Shield/Desert Storm support (1990–1991): KC-135s refueled aircraft and supported operations in the Gulf.
- The unit underwent several reorganizations after the Cold War. It became the 93d Wing in 1991, joined Air Combat Command in 1992, and was inactivated in 1995 with the closure of Castle AFB.
- In 1996, it was reactivated at Robins AFB as the 93d Air Control Wing, equipped with the E-8 Joint STARS for battlefield surveillance. It deployed to the Balkans in the late 1990s, contributed to Kosovo operations, and supported post-9/11 operations. The Joint STARS mission eventually moved to the 116th Air Control Wing in 2002.
- The 93d AGOW was activated at Moody AFB on 25 January 2008 as a non-flying wing. Its mission is to manage and provide combat-ready tactical air-control party personnel, battlefield weather personnel, and force-protection assets to support joint-force commanders.

Current emphasis
- The 93d AGOW focuses on controlling air support for ground forces, providing weather support for operations, and ensuring security and protection for joint missions. It remains based at Moody AFB, Georgia.

Motto and honors
- Motto: Defend, Attack, Defeat!
- Decorations include the Distinguished Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and Meritorious Unit Citation, among others, reflecting its long history of combat and support roles.

Leadership
- Current commander: Colonel John W. Blocher
- Notable past commander: Brig Gen Michael A. Longoria

Campaigns and heritage
- The wing carries lineage from World War II campaigns in the European and Mediterranean theaters and later earned recognition for its Cold War and post-Cold War air-defense and air-control missions.