21st Airlift Squadron
21st Airlift Squadron | |
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C-17 Globemaster III |
The 21st Airlift Squadron is part of the
First formed as the 21st Transport Squadron at
History
World War II
The
Over the next few months the squadron was assigned additional aircraft, flying derivatives of the
In November 1942 the squadron was assigned to the
The squadron moved to
Postwar Service
With the end of the war, the 21st remained in the Pacific and assigned to the 374th.
The 374th Group moved to
Cold War
When the
From its base at Tachikawa, the squadron began flying airlift missions in the southwest Pacific and to Alaska. In addition, the squadron began flying trans-pacific missions to Hawaii, along with flights to
In late 1956, the squadron moved to
Based in Okinawa, the squadron used its cargo and personnel hub at Naha AB to transship personnel and cargo to bases on Taiwan, the Philippines and increasingly to support United States forces that were building up in South Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. As the level of American involvement increased in the ongoing conflict in Southeast Asia, the C-130s of the squadron were becoming a more common sight during the 1960s in support of operations.[5]
In 1967, the squadron was redesignated the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron. In 1968, during the siege of Khe Sanh, crews from the 21st performed massive combat airdrops and assault landing supporting the besieged outpost. In 1971 Naha Air Base was closed and the squadron moved to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base on Taiwan,[1] however the political sensitivity of having a permanently assigned USAF unit on Taiwan led the squadron to move to Clark Air Base in the Philippines in November 1973.[citation needed] Through 1973 and 1974, the "Bee liners" were instrumental in repatriating American POWs to US soil.[5]
During the 1980s, the 21st frequently participated in exercises including Team Spirit, Foal Eagle, Tandem Orbit, and Cope Thunder. In 1989 due to the decision to downsize Clark Air Base,[citation needed] the squadron again moved to Yokota Air Base, Japan,[1] which was being developed as a Military Airlift Command passenger/cargo hub.[citation needed] The 21st was selected for the 1991 Military Airlift Command's Outstanding Tactical Airlift Unit Award and best Active Duty Tactical Airdrop Award at the 1993 Rodeo competition.[5]
Modern era
As part of a worldwide realignment of
Since the conversion to the C-5 Galaxy in 1993, the 21st helped avert conflict between North and South Korea by flying triple aerial-refueling mission carrying Patriot missile batteries directly to South Korea.[5]
They were also involved in several humanitarian missions in 1994 including transportation of tons of badly needed medical supplies and food to disease-ravaged Rwanda, missions in support of the Haitian and Cuban relief efforts, and closer to home, the 21st provided the first C-5 crew to fly critically needed firefighters equipment to earthquake-stricken Los Angeles. With the combination of the C-5 and aerial-refueling, the 21st delivered heavy and outsized cargo from the cold of Russia to the heat of Indonesia.[5]
On 3 April 2006, the 21st Airlift Squadron celebrated its 64th anniversary. On the same day, the squadron transferred from the C-5 Galaxy to the
Lineage
- Constituted as the 21st Transport Squadron on 7 March 1942
- Activated on 3 April 1942
- Redesignated 21st Troop Carrier Squadron on 5 July 1942
- Inactivated on 31 January 1946
- Activated on 15 October 1946
- Redesignated 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 21 May 1948
- Redesignated 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 2 February 1951
- Redesignated 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 1 December 1952
- Redesignated 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 18 September 1956
- Redesignated 21st Troop Carrier Squadron on 8 December 1966
- Redesignated 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 August 1967
- Redesignated 21st Airlift Squadron on 1 April 1992[1]
Assignments
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Stations
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Aircraft
- Douglas DC-2, 1942
- Douglas DC-3, 1942
- Douglas C-39, 1942
- Lockheed C-40 Electra, 1942
- Douglas C-49, 1942
- Douglas C-50, 1942
- Douglas C-53 Skytrooper, 1942
- Lockheed C-56 Lodestar, 1942
- Lockheed C-60 Lodestar, 1942
- Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress, 1942
- Douglas B-18 Bolo, 1942
- Consolidated LB-30 Liberator, 1942
- Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1942–1946, 1950–1952
- Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1945–1946; 1946–1949, 1950, 1952
- Douglas C-54 Skymaster, 1946–1950, 1952–1956
- Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1956–1959
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1958–1971, 1971–1993
- Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, 1993–2006
- Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, 2006–present[1]
References
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Kane, Robert B. (29 April 2010). "21 Airlift Squadron (AMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 113–114
- ^ Endicott, pp. 479–481
- ^ Hubbard, p. 720
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "21st Airlift Squadron". 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.[failed verification]
- ^ Baugher, Joe (16 July 2016). "1953 USAF Serial Numbers". www.joebaugher.com. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Endicott, Judy G. (1998). Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ASIN B000113MB2. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- Hubbard, Gerard (1943). "Aircraft Insignia, Spirit of Youth". The National Geographic Magazine. LXXXIII (6). National Geographic Society: 718–722. Retrieved 1 September 2017. (subscription required for web access)
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.