History 4th Airlift Squadron

1 history

1.1 origins
1.2 world war ii
1.3 korean war
1.4 cold war
1.5 modern era
1.6 lineage
1.7 assignments
1.8 stations
1.9 aircraft

history
origins

prior 1930s, transport aircraft in air corps had been assigned air depots , service squadrons, although provisional transport squadrons had been formed special projects. 1932 major hugh j. kerr, chief of field service section of materiel division, proposed formation of transport squadron @ each air depot act cadre transport wing air corps proposed support field army in event of mobilization. major general benjamin foulois approved formation of 4 provisional squadrons in november 1932.

the 4th provisional transport squadron constituted on 1 october 1933 , allotted fifth corps area. organized reserve personnel march 1934 @ bowman field, kentucky regular army inactive unit.

in spring of 1935, provisional transport squadrons, including 4th transport squadron @ rockwell field, california, made regular units , activated bellanca c-27 airbus aircraft assigned. reserve officers of unit reassigned. enlisted men pilots, squadron hauled engines, parts, , other equipment airfields in rockwell air depot area, returned items depot, , transferred materiel between depots. furnished transportation maneuvers. rapid transport of supplies squadrons permitted air corps maintain low levels of materiel @ airfields, relying on replenishment depot stocks when needed.

in may 1937, squadron reassigned rockwell air depot newly activated 10th transport group, assumed command of 4 squadrons. squadron received two-engine douglas c-33s, military version of dc-2 in 1936 , douglas c-39s (dc-2s tail surfaces of dc-3) in 1939 replace single engine bellancas. these, , various other militarized dc-3s remained squadron s equipment until entry of united states world war ii. in 1938 when rockwell field transferred united states navy, rockwell depot moved sacramento, california , squadron continued transport mission mcclellan field.

world war ii

the squadron s origins begin after pearl harbor attack, squadron transferred 62d troop carrier group , re-equipped c-47 skytrain transports. transferred selfridge field, michigan training, squadron trained combat resupply , casualty evacuation mission @ several airfields during spring , summer of 1942. ordered deployed england, assigned eighth air force in september 1942. performed intro-theater transport flights of personnel, supply , equipment within england during summer , fall of 1942, reassigned twelfth air force after operation torch invasion of north africa, stationed @ tafaraoui airfield, algeria.

in combat, performed resupply , evacuation missions across morocco, algeria , tunisia during north african campaign. during june 1943, unit began training gliders in preparation operation husky, invasion of sicily. towed gliders syracuse, sicily , dropped paratroopers @ catania during operation. after moving sicily, squadron airdropped supplies escaped prisoners of war in northern italy in october. operated sicily until december until moving italian mainland in december.

supported italian campaign during balance of 1944 supporting partisans in balkans. unarmed aircraft flew @ night on uncharted territory, landing @ small unprepared airfields provide guns, ammunition, clothing, medical supplies, gasoline, , mail partisans. carried jeeps , mules cargo. on return trips evacuated wounded partisans, evadees , escaped prisoners. during spring of 1944, squadron transferred 10th air force in india carried combat cargo during siege of myitkyina, burma. returning mediterranean theater of operations (mto) in july 1944, carried paratroopers during invasion of southern france in august 1944. squadron returned operations on italy , in balkans until end of combat in europe, may 1945. in 4th earned 9 campaign ribbons during operations in both european , china-burma-india theaters in second world war.

korean war

the squadron returned united states in september 1946, being assigned troop carrier squadron training school @ bergstrom field, texas. when school closed in july 1947, moved mcchord field, washington parent 62d troop carrier group became host unit @ airfield. conducted routine peacetime transport operations, training army units @ fort lewis simulated combat parachute training drops flying c-46 commandos , new c-82 packet combat cargo aircraft, designed operate forward, rugged airfields.

with outbreak of korean war in june 1950, squadron deployed japan in december 1950 attached various far east air forces units next year. squadron re-equipped c-54 skymaster 4-engine cargo aircraft flew combat resupply missions on korean peninsula, supporting united nations ground forces resupply , casualty evacuation flights rough airfields , feaf japanese air bases. conducted trans-pacific aerial transportation united states. squadron returned mcchord in november 1951.

cold war

with return korea, squadron re-equipped new c-124 globemaster ii strategic airlifter. moved nearby larson afb when mcchord taken on air defense command in 1952. larson afb, squadron airlifted troops, blood plasma, aircraft parts, ammunition, medical supplies, , more, japan, in support of korean war until armistice in june 1953. during balance of 1950s, squadron supported french forces in french indochina, transporting replacement french garrison dien bien phu in 1954. operation bali hai saw globemasters fly around world in period of 8 10 days. c-124s departed desert of moses lake germany , france, french troops onloaded flight through tunisia, libya, egypt, saudi arabia, pakistan, ceylon (now sri lanka), thailand, and, finally, vietnam, french joined comrades in indochina.

by 1955 cold war under way, , north american air defense command (norad) set out build chain of radar stations on northernmost reaches of continent. chain of radars, known distant warning (dew) line, detect incoming soviet missiles , bombers, , give our forces enough warning launch counterattack, , national command authorities safety. between 1955 , 1957, squadron began fly missions alaskan arctic regions, carrying 13 million pounds of supplies , equipment build dew line. resupply of dew line stations kept wing occupied until 1969.

in re-alignment of assets, on 1 june 1960, squadron s parent 62d troop carrier wing moved mcchord in june 1960. during 1960s, squadron found in indochina april 1962. @ time when overt american participation in war in vietnam minimized, squadron began carrying army supplies , equipment dover afb, delaware, saigon, south vietnam. next month, squadron participated in operation spare bed, airlifting army field hospital classified location in thailand. during 1960s aircraft of squadron found continually supporting united states military missions in south vietnam growing american commitment required more troops, supplies , equipment. squadron upgraded c-141 starlifter intercontinental jet transport in 1966 flying troops , supplies regularly ton son nhut, cam rahn bay, da nang air bases in south vietnam, clark air base in philippines , don mung airport in thailand, among others.

with ending of united states involvement in vietnam war in 1970s, squadron flew missions in support of operation homecoming in 1973, return of our prisoners of war vietnam. missions flown hanoi, north vietnam pick pows , transport them clark air base, philippines. subsequently, flown united states, return these brave men waiting families. in march 1975, fall of south vietnam imminent, squadron returned saigon 1 last time during operation babylift, carried hundreds of vietnamese orphans united states, adoptive parents awaited arrival.

during 1970s, squadron returned peacetime status, routine flights around world carrying personnel, equipment , supplies needed. interrupted in 1978 following mass murder-suicide of more 900 people @ jonestown religious compound in guyana, south america. squadron airlifted bodies morgue @ dover afb, delaware (most of victims u.s. citizens). crew members reported using oxygen masks during flight, in effort stifle stench of decaying bodies in cargo compartment.

in 1980, squadron began exchange c-141a starlifters newer, stretched c-141b models. new version of aircraft increased cargo carrying capacity inserting 2 fuselage plugs, 1 forward, 1 aft of wings, totaling on 23 feet in length. of note in b series, air refueling receptacle, lending yet longer range proven c-141. beginning in june 1983, squadron took full advantage of longer, air-refuelable c-141b carry out perilous mid-winter (june beginning of winter in southern hemisphere) airdrop on antarctica. air refueling made possible trip christchurch, new zealand, south pole , back.

modern era

in august 1990, totalitarian iraq invaded kuwait, on shores of persian gulf. within days squadron began flying missions middle easr part of operation desert shield, effort deter further aggression iraq. operations tempo unprecedented. january 1991, desert shield became desert storm, allied air power unleashed upon invaders irresistible force. squadron joined rest of military airlift command in providing round-the-clock airlift middle east, keeping air war supplied, , aiding buildup of ground forces highly successful, though brief ground war in february. before long, kuwait free, although tremendous effort put forth squadron had accelerated aging process of c-141s. increased payloads , incessant flying have lasting negative effects on fleet.

in 1992, squadron crews , aircraft began participating in operation provide hope, helping deliver hundreds of tons of food , medicine former soviet union. august, operation provide relief (later known restore hope), rushing food supplies starving people of somalia, relief of victims of hurricane andrew in our own country, , relief efforts guamanian victims of typhoon omar kept our crews , aircraft on move.

in late 1995, president bill clinton ordered deployment of 20,000 u.s. troops former yugoslav republic of bosnia, part of multinational peacekeeping force. squadron aircraft deployed rhein-main air base, germany, 18 december, ready part. in spite of severe weather conditions, crews , aircraft flying troops , equipment tazsar, hungary, operation joint endeavor. in january 1996 squadron, operating under provisional wing located @ rhein-main air base germany, continued supporting airlift missions tuzla , sarajevo, bosnia-herzogovina. , taszar, hungary in support of operation joint endeavor. in april 1996, squadron provided equipment , personnel transportation in support of air power expeditionary force in middle eastern kingdom of jordan part of operation southern watch.

on night of 15 may 1996, aircrews took part in big drop iii, largest airdrop since world war ii. squadron helped deploy members of army 82d airborne division, u.k. 5th airborne brigade personnel, , heavy equipment onto 3 drop zones on fort bragg, north carolina. al humanitarian mission included deliverance of relief supplies kadena ab, japan ho chi minh city, vietnam after typhoon linda devastated area in november 1997. typhoon unleashed torrential rains , winds wiped out coastal villages, killed hundreds of people , left thousands homeless.

in 2000, squadron retired c-141 starlifters new c-17 globemaster iii airlifter. in response terrorist attacks against america on 11 september 2001, president george bush initiated war against terrorism named operation infinite justice, later renamed operation enduring freedom. squadron supported these efforts airlifting troops , supplies destined afghanistan. flew humanitarian airdrops hundreds of thousands of rations starving afghans. flights in support of coalition efforts in afghanistan continue present day.

in january 2003 additional personnel , aircraft deploy locations around world in support airlift operations. end of january aircraft supporting effort fly missions charleston afb, sc, east coast c-17 base. similar c-17 stage operations had been operating afghanistan base in germany. after repeated noncompliance un demands operation iraqi freedom begins. on orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance undermine saddam hussein s ability wage war, president bush stated in address nation. during time of war squadron personnel in thick of fight. under cover of darkness @ forward operation location @ aviano, italy on 26 march 2003, squadron aircraft flew combat in hostile sky s of northern iraq. nine-hour mission, covering distance equivalent of seattle st. louis, delivered members of army s 173rd airborne brigades sky soldiers area north of baghdad. mission, largest combat airdrop since invasion of panama in december 1989 in operation cause, first combat insertion of paratroopers using c-17 s. operations in support of operation iraqui freedom continued until united states withdraw iraq @ end of 2011.

lineage

constituted 4th provisional transport squadron on 1 march 1935


re-designated 4th transport squadron on 25 june 1935
activated on 8 july 1935
re-designated 4th troop carrier squadron on 4 july 1942
inactivated on 13 december 1945


activated on 7 september 1946


re-designated 4th troop carrier squadron, medium, on 23 june 1948
re-designated 4th troop carrier squadron, heavy, on 12 october 1949
re-designated 4th air transport squadron, heavy, on 8 july 1962
re-designated 4th military airlift squadron on 8 january 1966
re-designated 4th airlift squadron on 1 december 1991.

assignments

rockwell air depot, 8 july 1935
10th transport group, 20 may 1937
62d transport (later, 62d troop carrier) group, 10 may 1941 – 14 nov 1945


attached 64th troop carrier group, 3 apr-19 jun 1944


unknown, 14 nov-13 dec 1945
62d troop carrier group, 7 september 1946


attached to: 374th troop carrier wing, 1–24 dec 1950
attached to: 6122d air base group, 25 dec 1950 – 25 jan 1951
attached to: 315th air division, 25 jan 1951 – 1 oct 1951
attached to: far east air forces, 1 oct-7 nov 1951


62d troop carrier (later, 62d air transport; 62d military airlift) wing, 15 january 1960
62d operations group, 1 dec 1991–present

stations

aircraft