14th Airlift Squadron

14th Airlift Squadron
14th Airlift Squadron
	Ricky N. Rupp, Brig Gen Steven A. Roser, Brig Gen Joseph M. Reheiser
Insignia
14th Airlift Squadron emblem (approved 28 December1942)

The 14th Airlift Squadron (The Pelicans) is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command. It is based at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The squadron operates Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission worldwide.

Mission

The 14th Airlift Squadron "Pelicans" provide combat-ready

Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircrews for worldwide airlift

missions supporting Department of Defense and National Command Authority directives. They conduct airdrop and airland operations supporting global contingencies for combatant commanders by projecting and sustaining combat forces directly into theater drop zones and austere airfields.

"Pelicans" perform emergency nuclear airlift, aeromedical evacuation & humanitarian relief missions in the technologically advanced, $262.7M C-17A airlift aircraft in all phases of ground and flight activity.

History

World War II

Activated in December 1940 flying converted

North African Campaign

as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties back to rear area field hospitals.

Squadron engaged in combat operations, dropping airborne units into

Operation Shingle

, the invasion of mainland Italy and the initiation of the Italian Campaign, January 1944. Moved north through Italy, in 1943 in support of Allied ground forces, evacuated wounded personnel and flew missions behind enemy lines in Italy and the Balkans to haul guns, ammunition, food, clothing, medical supplies, and other materials to the partisans and to drop propaganda leaflets.

Moved to England in February 1944, assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command. Prepared for the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. In June 1944, subordinate units dropped paratroops in Normandy, subsequently flying numerous missions to bring in reinforcements and needed supplies. During the airborne attack on The Netherlands (Operation Market Garden, September 1944), the squadron dropped paratroops, towed gliders, and flew resupply missions. Several of its subordinate units also participated in the invasion of southern France in August 1944. The 50th supported the 101st Airborne Division in the Battle of the Bulge by towing gliders full of supplies near Bastogne on 27 December 1944.

When the

Rhine River in March 1945, each aircraft towed two gliders with troops of the 17th Airborne Division and released them near Wesel

. The squadron also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals.

In late May 1945, after

Waller Field, Trinidad and attached to Air Transport Command. From Trinidad, the squadron ferried returning military personnel to Morrison Field, Florida, where they were sent on to other bases or prepared for separation after the war.^[1]

Berlin Airlift

During the

Berlin Airlift from 1948 to 1949.^[1]

An accident occurred to 2 C-47 of the squadron in French Alps in January 1948, see Cheval Blanc Moutain [fr].

Korean War

Conducted aerial transport from the U.S. to Japan, August – December 1950, and between Japan and Korea, 16 November 1951 – 1 December 1952.^[1]

Strategic airlift

Conducted worldwide airlift since 1953, including to Southeast Asia from 1966 to 1973 and supporting military operations in

Panama, 18 December 1989 – 8 January 1990, and to Southwest Asia, August 1990 – January 1991.^[1]

Operations and decorations

Combat Operations. World War II: Included airborne assaults on Sicily, Normandy, the Netherlands, and Germany; aerial transportation in MTO and ETO. Berlin Airlift, 1948–1949. Korea: Aerial transportation from US to Japan, Aug–Dec 1950, and between Japan and Korea, 13 December 1950 – Nov 1952. Worldwide airlift, 1953–1993, including to Southeast Asia, 1966–1973;
Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq 2003–Present); Operation Enduring Freedom
(Afghanistan 2001–Present)

Other operations included:

Operation Urgent Fury
Operation Just Cause
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Fiery Vigil
Operation Provide Hope
Operation Provide Comfort

Operation Provide Relief
Operation Restore Hope
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Support Hope
Operation Joint Endeavor

Campaigns. World War II: Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe. Korea: CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korean Summer-Fall, 1952.

Decorations.
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 April 1966 – 8 January 1973.^[1]

Lineage

Constituted as the 14th Transport Squadron on 20 November 1940

Activated on 4 December 1940

Re-designated: 14th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942

Inactivated on 31 July 1945

Activated on 30 September 1946

Redesignated 14th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 July 1948

Redesignated 14th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 15 August 1948

Redesignated 14th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966

Redesignated 14th Airlift Squadron on 1 January 1992 [1]

Assignments

61st Transport Group
(later 61st Troop Carrier Group), 4 December 1940 – 31 July 1945
61st Troop Carrier Group, 30 September 1946 (attached to
62d Troop Carrier Group
, 5 December 1950 – 16 November 1951)
63d Troop Carrier Group
, 8 October 1959
63d Troop Carrier Wing
(later 63d Military Airlift Wing), 18 January 1963
63d Military Airlift Group, 1 October 1978
63d Military Airlift Wing, 1 July 1980
63d Operations Group, 1 January 1992
437th Operations Group, 1 April 1992 – present^[1]

Stations

Duncan Field
, Texas, 4 December 1940
Augusta Airport, Georgia, 12 July 1941
Pope Field, North Carolina, 24 May 1942
Dalhart Army Air Field
, Texas, 9 October 1942
Pope Field, North Carolina, 26 February–30 April 1943
Lourmel Airfield, Algeria, 15 May 1943
Kairouan Airfield, Tunisia, 21 June 1943
Licata Airfield, Sicily, Italy, 3 September 1943
Sciacca Airfield, Sicily, Italy, 6 October 1943 – 12 February 1944
RAF Barkston Heath (AAF-483),^[2] England, 18 February 1944
Abbeville/Drucat Airfield (B-92),^[3] France, 13 March–19 May 1945

Waller Field
, Trinidad, 19 May–31 July 1945
AAF Station Eschborn
, Germany, 30 September 1946
AAF Station Frankfurt
, Germany, 9 February 1947 – 21 July 1950
McChord Air Force Base
, Washington, 26 July–4 December 1950
Ashiya Air Base
, Japan, 13 December 1950
Tachikawa Air Base
, Japan, 26 March–18 November 1952
Larson Air Force Base, Washington, 21 November 1952
Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina, 25 August 1954
Hunter Air Force Base
, Georgia, 1 April 1963
Norton Air Force Base, California, 1 April 1967 – 26 July 1993
Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, 1 October 1993 – present^[4]

Aircraft

Douglas C-33 (1941)
Douglas C-39 (1941–1942)
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (1942–1945, 1946–1948)
Douglas C-54 Skymaster (1948–1952)

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II (1952–1967)
Lockheed C-141 Starlifter (1967–1995)
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (1993 – present)^[1]

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "Factsheet 14 Airlift Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 3 January 2008. Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
^ Station number in Anderson.
^ Station number in Johnson.
^ Station information in Air Force Historical Research Agency Factsheet, 14th Airlift Squadron, except as noted.