36th Airlift Squadron

36th Airlift Squadron
	36th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	2 February 1942 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Pacific Air Forces ; 5th Air Force ; 374th Airlift Wing ; 374th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Yokota Air Base
Nickname(s)	Eagle Airlifters
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

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-130 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 June 1942 under First Air Force, being formed at Patterson Field, Ohio. Trained at various stationd 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 the USAAF 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 DUC 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 MTO until February 1944 until being reassigned back to Ninth Air Force in England, 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 Holland. 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. Deployed frequently to NATO, sending aircraft to both England and West Germany. When Langley became an F-15 base in 1975, was moved to McChord AFB, Washington where it operated C-130s under Military Airlift Command primarily within the United States. It also participated and supported the ground troops during military operations in Grenada, October–November 1983, and in Panama, December 1989–January 1990.

Reassigned back to Japan in 1993 where it performed its current theater airlift mission.

Operations and Decorations[]

Combat Operations. Included airborne assaults on Sicily, Normandy, Holland, 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 36th Transport Squadron on 2 February 1942

Activated on 14 February 1942

Re-designated: 36th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942

Re-designated: 36th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 23 June 1948

Re-designated: 36th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 8 October 1949

Re-designated: 36th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 28 January 1950

Inactivated on 18 June 1957

Re-designated: 36th Troop Carrier Squadron, and activated, on 15 November 1965

Organized on 1 April 1966

Re-designated: 36th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 May 1967

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 March 1968

Activated on 1 July 1968

Organized on 5 July 1968

Re-designated: 36th Military Airlift Squadron on 1 October 1989

Re-designated: 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, 1 April 1966 – 25 March 1968

Attached to: 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 21 March-29 Jun 1967

Attached to: 439th Military Airlift Group, 17 August-17 Sep 1967

Tactical Air Command, 1 July 1968
316th Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 July 1968

Attached to: 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 24 February-19 Jun 1969

Attached to: 7310th Tactical Airlift Wing, 24 November-31 Dec 1969

Attached to: 322d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 January-7 Feb 1970 and 13 August-21 Oct 1970

Attached to: 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 2 July-16 Sep 1971

Attached to: United States Air Forces in Europe, 28 September-31 Oct 1971

Attached to: 347th Tactical Airlift Wing, 14 May-c. 7 September 1972

Attached to: 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 March-18 May 1973 and 15 January-16 Mar 1974

Attached to: 322d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 July-16 Oct 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-10 Nov 1942
RAF Deversoir, Egypt, 23 November 1942
RAF El Adem, Egypt, 10 December 1942
RAF Fayid, Egypt, Jan 1943
Nouvion Airfield, Algeria, 10 May 1943
Guercif Airfield, French Morocco, 28 May 1943
Enfidaville Airfield, Tunisia, 24 June 1943
Mazzara Airfield, Sicily, 1 September 1943
Borizzo Airfield, Sicily, 18 October 1943 – 16 February 1944
RAF Cottesmore (AAF-489), England, Feb 1944-May 1945
Pope Field, North Carolina, May 1945
Greenville AAB (later, AFB), South Carolina, 30 July 1946
Smyrna (later, Sewart) AFB, 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-8 May 1952
Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 8 May 1952 – 15 November 1954
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 AB, West Germany, 17 August-17 Sep 1967

Langley AFB, Virginia, 5 July 1968

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 24 February-19 Jun 1969

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

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 2 July-16 Sep 1971

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

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

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

Deployed at: Rhein-Main AB, West Germany, 1 July-16 Oct 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 (1966–1968, 1968 – present)

References[]

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Maurer, Maurer, ed (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.
AFHRA 36th Airlift Squadron page

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