36th Airlift Squadron

36th Airlift Squadron
290px A Lockheed C-130 Hercules of the 36th Airlift Squadron at engine start up
Active	1942–1957; 1966-1968; 1968-Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Part of	Pacific Air Forces 5th Air Force 374th Airlift Wing 374th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Yokota Air Base
Nickname(s)	Eagle Airlifters
Engagements	Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Commanders
Notable commanders	Norton A. Schwartz
Insignia
36th Airlift Squadron Emblem (updated version approved 24 August 1995)	180px

The 36th Airlift Squadron (36 AS) is the only forward-based tactical airlift squadron in the Pacific Area of Responsibility. Formerly an Air Mobility Command (AMC) unit, and a Military Airlift Command (MAC) and a Tactical Air Command (TAC) unit before that, the squadron is now part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It maintains a forward presence and supports combat operations by providing responsive movement of personnel and equipment through aerial delivery and assault airland operations. It maintains C-130H Hercules mission-ready aircrews to conduct theater airlift, special operations, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, repatriation and humanitarian relief missions.

Mission

Provide services and support, which promote quality of life and project global power through combat-proven airlift and airdrop.

History

Activated in February 1942 at Patterson Field, Ohio as the 36th Transport Squadron. Trained at various stations in the southeast and Texas with C-47 Skytrain transports. Deployed to Egypt in November 1942 as part of President Roosevelt's decision to aid the Royal Air Force Western Desert Air Force, assigned to the newly established Ninth Air Force, headquartered in Cairo.

Transported supplies and evacuated casualties in support of the British Eighth Army, operating from desert airfields in Egypt and Libya. Reassigned in May 1943 to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria, supporting Fifth Army forces in the Tunisian Campaign. Began training for the invasion of Sicily; dropped paratroops over the assault area on the night of 9 July. Carried reinforcements to Sicily on 11 July and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for carrying out that mission although severely attacked by ground and naval forces; dropped paratroops over the beachhead south of the Sele River on the night of 14 September 1943. Remained in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations until February 1944 until being reassigned back to IX Troop Carrier Command to participate in the buildup of forces prior to the Allied landings in France during D-Day in June 1944.

Engaged in combat operations by dropping paratroops into Normandy near Ste-Mere-Eglise on D-Day (6 June 1944) and releasing gliders with reinforcements on the following day. The unit received a third Distinguished Unit Citation and a French citation for these missions.

After the Normandy invasion the squadron ferried supplies in the United Kingdom. The squadron also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals. It dropped paratroops near Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on the Netherlands. In December, it participated in the Battle of the Bulge by releasing gliders with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division near Bastogne.

Returned to the United States in May 1945, becoming a domestic troop carrier squadron for Continental Air Forces. In the Korean War the squadron flew airborne assaults at Sukchon and Munsan-ni and aerial transportation between Japan and Korea. Returned to the United States in 1952, however re-deployed back to Japan in 1954 and performed theater airlift missions. Inactivated in 1957 as part of the draw down of occupation forces in Japan.

Reactivated in 1966 at Langley AFB, Virginia as a Tactical Air Command C-130 Hercules troop carrier squadron under the 316th Troop Carrier Wing with C-130E Hercules aircraft. Redesignated as a tactical airlift squadron in 1967 concurrent with parent wing's redesignation as a tactical airlift wing. Deployed frequently to NATO and U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), sending aircraft to both England and West Germany. In early 1975, operational claimancy of the unit shifted from Tactical Air Command to Military Airlift Command. When Langley AFB became the first operational F-15 base in the Air Force for the 1st Fighter Wing in 1975, the 316th Tactical Airlift Wing and two of its three airlift squadrons were inactivated. As the sole surviving airlift squadron, the 36 TAS moved to McChord AFB, Washington where it operated C-130s under Military Airlift Command's 62nd Military Airlift Wing, both within the United States and during rotational deployment of aircraft and crews to Howard AFB, Panama in support Operation CORONET OAK, providing airlift support for United States Southern Command throughout Central and South America. It also participated and supported the ground troops during Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada from October to November 1983, and Operation Just Cause in Panama from December 1989 to January 1990.

In 1989, the squadron transitioned from the C-130E to the C-141B Starlifter, flying that aircraft until 1993. In 1993, the squadron transitioned back to the C-130, this time the C-130H, and was reassigned from McChord AFB back to Japan, where it performs its current theater airlift mission.

Operations and Decorations

• Combat Operations. Included airborne assaults on Sicily, Normandy, the Netherlands, and Germany, and aerial transportation in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during World War II. Participated and supported the ground troops during military operations in Grenada, Oct-Nov 1983, and in Panama, Dec 1989-Jan 1990.
• Campaigns. World War II: Egypt-Libya; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe.
• Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, 25 November 1942 – 25 August 1943; Sicily, 11 July 1943; France, [6-7] Jun 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 March-2 Jul 1967; 3 July 1967-25 March 1968 and 5 July 1968 – 30 April 1969; 1 May 1970 – 30 April 1972; 20–29 September 1970; 1 May 1972 – 30 April 1974; 10 October 1975 – 9 October 1977; 1 July 1981 – 30 June 1983; 1 July 1983 – 30 June 1985; 14 June-3 Jul 1991; 1 October 1993 – 1 October 1994; 1 October 2000 – 30 September 2002; 1 October 2003 – 30 September 2005. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 October 1967 – 30 August 1972. Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation: 21 July-15 Aug 1972.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 36th Transport Squadron on 2 February 1942

Activated on 14 February 1942

Redesignated 36th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942

Redesignated 36th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 23 June 1948

Redesignated 36th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 8 October 1949

Redesignated 36th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 28 January 1950

Inactivated on 18 June 1957

• Redesignated 36th Troop Carrier Squadron, and activated on 15 November 1965 (not organized)

Organized on 1 April 1966

Redesignated 36th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 May 1967

Discontinued and inactivated, on 25 March 1968

• Activated on 1 July 1968 (not organized)

Organized on 5 July 1968

Redesignated 36th Military Airlift Squadron on 1 October 1989

Redesignated 36th Airlift Squadron on 1 December 1991

Assignments

• 316th Transport (later, 316th Troop Carrier) Group, 14 February 1942 – 18 June 1957
• Tactical Air Command, 15 November 1965
• 316th Troop Carrier Wing (later 316th Tactical Airlift Wing), 1 April 1966 – 25 March 1968 (attached to 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 21 March 1967 - 29 June 1967; 439th Military Airlift Group, 17 August 1967 - 17 September 1967)
• Tactical Air Command, 1 July 1968 (not organized)
• 316th Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 July 1968 (attached to 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 24 February - 19 June 1969; 7310th Tactical Airlift Wing, 24 November 1969 - 31 December 1969; 322d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 January 1970 - 7 Feb 1970 and 13 August 1970 - 21 Oct 1970; 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 2 July 1971 - 16 September 1971; United States Air Forces in Europe, 28 September 1971 - 31 October 1971; 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, 14 May 1972 - c. 7 September 1972; 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 March 1973 - 18 May 1973 and 15 January 1974 - 16 Mar 1974; 322d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 July 1974 - 16 October 1974)
• 62d Military Airlift Wing, 1 July 1975
• 62d Operations Group, 1 December 1991
• 374th Operations Group, 1 October 1993 – present

Stations

• Patterson Field, Ohio, 15 June 1942
• Bowman Field, Kentucky, 16 June 1942
• Lawson Field, Georgia, 9 August 1942
• Del Valle Army Airbase, Texas, 29 September 1942 - 10 November 1942
• RAF Deversoir, Egypt, 23 November 1942
• RAF El Adem, Egypt, 10 December 1942
• RAF Fayid, Egypt, January 1943
• Nouvion Airfield, Algeria, 10 May 1943
• Guercif Airfield, French Morocco, 28 May 1943
• Enfidaville Airfield, Tunisia, 24 June 1943
• Mazzara Airfield, Sicily, italy1 September 1943
• Borizzo Airfield, Sicily, Italy 18 October 1943 – 16 February 1944
• RAF Cottesmore (AAF-489), England, Feb 1944 - May 1945
• Pope Field, North Carolina, May 1945
• Greenville Army Air Base (later, Air Force Base), South Carolina, 30 July 1946
• Smyrna (later, Sewart) Air Force Base, Tennessee, 4 November 1949 – 4 September 1950
• Ashiya AB, Japan, c. 11 September 1950
• Komaki AB, Japan (operated from Ashiya AB, Japan, 29 November 1950)

• Ashiya AB, Japan, 11 February 1952
• Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 8 May 1952
• Ashiya AB, Japan, 15 November 1954 – 18 June 1957
• Langley AFB, Virginia, 1 April 1966 – 25 March 1968

Deployed at RAF Mildenhall, England, 21 March-29 Jun 1967

Deployed at Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany, 17 August-17 Sep 1967

• Langley AFB, Virginia, 5 July 1968

Deployed at RAF Mildenhall, England, 24 February 1969 - 19 June 1969

Deployed at Rhein-Main AB, West Germany, 24 November 1969 - 7 February 1970 and 13 August 1970 - 21 October 1970

Deployed at RAF Mildenhall, England, 2 July 1971 - 16 September 1971

Deployed at Wiesbaden AB, West Germany, 28 September 1971 - 31 October 1971

Deployed at Ching Chaun Kang AB, Taiwan, 14 May 1972 - c. 7 September 1972

Deployed at RAF Mildenhall, England, 5 March 1973 - 18 May 1973 and 15 January 1974 - 16 March 1974

Deployed at Rhein-Main AB, West Germany, 1 July 1974 - 16 October 1974

• McChord AFB, Washington, 1 July 1975 – 1 October 1993
• Yokota AB, Japan, 1 October 1993 – present

Aircraft

• C-47 Skytrain (1942–1946)
• C-82 Packet (1946–1950)
• C-119 Flying Boxcar (1950–1957)
• C-130 Hercules (1966–1989, 1993–present)
• C-141 Starlifter (1989-1993)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Robertson, Patsy, AFHRA Factsheet 36 Airlift Squadron 11/7/2008 (retrieved November 22, 2013)