From delivering supplies to the high Arctic to airlifting troops and equipment worldwide, 8 Wing is the heart of Canada's air mobility forces. It is responsible for search and rescue in central Canada and home to the famous Skyhawks with the Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre.

8 Wing / CFB Trenton is at the forefront of Canadian military aviation with its fleet of tactical transport and search and rescue aircraft. Daily flights to the four corners of the globe tie this community into the mainstream of international events.

Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, the base's history begins in the interwar period - building here started in the early 1930's, and expanded during the Second World War. Many of the original buildings still stand. Base Trenton and several lodger units are located here.

Over the years, the base has seen many changes and has fulfilled several different roles. Today, 8 Wing/CFB Trenton is one of the largest and busiest air force bases in Canada. The hub of air transport operations it is involved in virtually every Canadian Forces operation. Most personnel and equipment deployed to places such as Afghanistan pass through Trenton at some point.

Along with higher-profile deployments, aircraft and personnel from 8 Wing are often involved with resupplying Canadian Forces Station Alert, the world's northernmost inhabited location. Also, 8 Wing's 424 Squadron is responsible for providing search and rescue coverage to a million square-kilometre area in central Canada.

Along with its air transport and Search & Rescue roles, 8 Wing/CFB Trenton maintains the equipment warehouse for the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) which provided humanitarian aid to Pakistan following a devastating earthquake in 2005 (Operation Plateau), to Sri Lanka in 2005 following the tsunami that hit the region (operation Structure), and to Turkey in 1999 after a severe earthquake (Operation Torrent).