"shuttle" missions out of the airfield. C-130s from Tan Son Nhut Air Base and Nha Trang Air Base made pickups at Cam Ranh, as did C-123s. In May 1966 C-130As formerly used for flareship operations at Da Nang Air Base began operations from Cam Ranh and by November 1966 13 C-130As were based there. On 1 December 1965 the 14th Aerial Port Squadron was activated at the base to manage the airfield. In 1966 a new ramp was constructed on the west side of the airfield to handle airlift operations. Cam Ranh remained as the Air Force's primary airlift base in South Vietnam until it closed. MAC aircraft also operated into Cam Ranh. The 6485th Operations Squadron based at Tachikawa Airfield (and later moved to Clark Air Base) stationed 4 C-118 Liftmasters on rotation at the base for casualty evacuation. On 8 July 1966 the 903d Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron was established at Tan Son Nhut AB and it maintained a detachment at Cam Ranh. In November 1966 the first MAC C-141 Starlifter landed at Cam Ranh AB. In April 1967 medical evacuation flights began from the base to Andrews Air Force Base. 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing On 15 October 1966 the 483rd Troop Carrier Wing was activated at Cam Ranh under the recently activated 834th Air Division to operate the former US Army CV-2 Caribous (later redesignated C-7A) which were transferring to the USAF. Squadrons assigned to the 483rd TAW were: 457th Troop Carrier Squadron, 1 January 1967 – 30 April 1972 (C-7A Tail Code: KA) 458th Troop Carrier Squadron, 1 January 1967 – 1 March 1972 (C-7A Tail Code: KC) 459th Troop Carrier Squadron, 1 January 1967 – 1 June 1970 535th Troop Carrier Squadron, 1 January 1967 – 24 January 1972 536th Troop Carrier Squadron, 1 January 1967 – 15 October 1971 537th Troop Carrier Squadron, 1 January 1967 – 24 January 1972 Royal Australian Air Force, No. 35 Squadron assigned to 834th Air Division, 1 January 1967 – 24 January 1972: Assigned to: Vung Tau Army Airfield In January 1967 the 483rd Consolidated Maintenance Squadron formed at the base. On 15 August 1967 the C-130 detachments from the 315th Air Division were assigned to the 834th Air Division as Detachment 2 and by 4 January 1968 this force numbered 35 C-130A/Cs. Due to its location on a peninsula, Cam Ranh AB was one of the most secure