Editing Malmstrom Air Force Base (section)

===Military Air Transport Service===
After World War II ended Great Falls AAB assumed a support mission for military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations. A reserve training unit was established by the [[Continental Air Forces]] [[Fourth Air Force]] under the 418th Army Air Force Base Unit on 10 October 1946. In September 1947, the [[United States Air Force]] became a separate service and the base's name was changed to '''Great Falls Air Force Base'''.<ref name="mul2"/>

[[File:An USAF C-54 Skymaster.jpg|right|thumb|USAF C-54 Skymaster]]

Tensions between the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]] increased dramatically when the Soviet Union closed all land travel between the western occupation sectors of [[Germany]] and the American, French and British sectors of [[Berlin]]. The Western allies decided to try to supply Berlin by air. On 25 June 1948 "Operation Vittles," the strategic airlift of supplies to Berlin's 2,000,000 inhabitants, was initiated, beginning what became known as the [[Berlin Airlift]]. Great Falls AFB played a critical role in assuring the success of this vital operation. Officials selected the base as the only replacement aircrew training site for Berlin Airlift-bound [[C-54 Skymaster]]s, reinforcing the [[United States Air Forces in Europe]]. Thus the 517th Air Transport Wing was activated. Using radio beacons, Great Falls AFB was transformed to resemble [[Tempelhof Airport]] in Berlin, Germany. Hundreds of pilots and flight engineers, many of whom were recalled to active duty, were qualified on the C-54 aircraft and on flight procedures to and from Berlin by practicing on ground mock-ups and flying simulated airlift missions.<ref name="mul2"/>

Later, the 517th Air Transport Wing was redesignated the 1701st Air Transport Wing on 1 June 1948 when Air Transport Command was redesignated the [[Military Air Transport Service]] (MATS). Great Falls was assigned to the MATS Pacific Division. Transport units assigned to Great Falls were the 5th, 6th and 7th Air Transport Squadrons (later redesignated 1270th, 1271st and 1272d ATS) which flew C-54 Skymasters.<ref name="mul2"/><ref>[http://airforcehistoryindex.org/data/000/172/684.xml USAFHRA Document 00172684]</ref>

MATS reopened the C-54 Flight Training School as the 1272 Medium Transition Training Unit (Squadron) in May 1950, one month before the [[Korean War]] began. The unit's primary mission was the routing and scheduling of flights throughout the Pacific Ocean region and in support of Allied forces in the conflict. The 1701st ATW was later replaced by the 1300th Air Base Wing.<ref name="mul2"/>

Great Falls became the temporary home of the [[582nd Air Resupply and Communications Wing]] on 1 May 1953 which was transferred from [[Mountain Home AFB]], [[Idaho]]. The 582d was a special operations unit which focused on PSYWAR missions. It deployed from Great Falls to [[RAF Molesworth]], [[United Kingdom]] (UK), and set up operations as part of [[USAFE]]'s [[Third Air Force]] in February 1954.<ref>Thigpen, Jerry L. (2001). The Praetorian STARShip: The untold story of the Combat Talon. Air University Press , Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ASIN: B000116LSI</ref>