US Army Priority Air Transport

The mission of the United States Priority Air Transport (USAPAT) is to provide global jet air support to the Army’s senior leadership operational command, control airlift support to the Army’s staff for local, regional and worldwide contingency missions, and special airlift support to the U.S. Army Military District of Washington Army Air Operations Group.

The United States Army Priority Air Transport Command, located at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland was activated on 1 August 1988 as a jet detachment of the United States Army Davison Aviation Command and the United States Army Military District of Washington.  Its mission was to provide the senior Army leadership and key government officials with fast, long-range and professional executive transportation throughout the world.

In February of 1988, following a high-level decision, the authorization was given for two C-20E Gulfstream III jets to be entered into the Army inventory and to be operated by Army personnel.  Training of the initial crews soon commenced with Flight Safety International in Savannah, Georgia and by 1 August 1988, USAPAT was operational.  USAPAT’s first mission was flown with the Secretary of the Army, Honorable John O. Marsh Jr., to Wright AAF, Georgia, MacDill AFB, Florida and then back to Andrews AFB.

USAPAT expanded its fleet providing the capability to travel in excess of 5,000 nautical miles non-stop anywhere in the world.  The current inventory of executive aircraft consists of three UC-35s, two C-37A aircraft, the “Normandy” and “Gettysburg” and one C-37B, the “Valley Forge”, as well as one C-20F, the “Victory”, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor/Hickam AFB.  With the inactivation this year of the unit’s Europe Flight Detachment, the only C-20E in the Army’s inventory, the “Lexington” was decommissioned.

USAPAT was realigned under the command of United States Army Air Operations Group and the United States Army Military District of Washington in October 2005.  USAPAT’s current organizational structure consists of a headquarters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland and a subordinate flight detachment at Joint Base Pearl Harbor / Hickam, Hawaii.

Battalion Commander (240) 857-6667

Battalion First Sergeant (240) 857-7885