29th Weapons Squadron

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"29th Transport Squadron" redirects here. For the 29th Transport Squadron (formerly 29th Ferrying Squadron), see 29th Military Airlift Squadron.

29th Weapons Squadron
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
29th Weapons Squadron emblem (Approved 28 October 2003)[2]
29th Tactical Airlift Squadron emblem (Approved 24 August 1943)[3][note 1]
Emblem used by the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron in the 1950s.
Fuselage code while in European Theater[4]5X

The 29th Weapons Squadron is a

Lockheed C-130J Hercules
instructional flying.

The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the 29th Transport Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to the

VE Day
, the squadron returned to the United States where it was inactivated in September 1945.

The squadron was activated again in September 1946 and served with the

335th Troop Carrier Squadron, a reserve unit that had been activated for the Korean War
, and which was returning to reserve status. The squadron was inactivated in June 1955.

The squadron was again activated in October 1964 at

38th Tactical Airlift Squadron
, which was simultaneously activated.

Mission

The 29th Weapons Squadron conducts graduate-level instruction in weapons and tactics employment with the

Rosecrans Field performs the same mission for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve C-130H crews.[6]

History

World War II

313th Troop Carrier Group C-47

The

group was expanded from a headquarters and a single squadron in June, when the 47th, 48th, and 49th Transport Squadrons were activated to fill out the 313th.[7][8] The 29th trained under Air Transport Command (later I Troop Carrier Command) and equipped with Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft and other military models of the Douglas DC-3, including the C-53 Skytrooper in the southeastern United States.[2][8]

Mediterranean operations

The squadron, now named the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, moved to

Oujda Airfield, French Morocco after the Operation Torch landings. It performed airlift of supplies and personnel to ground forces advancing through Algeria into Tunisia as part of Twelfth Air Force. The unit also evacuated wounded personnel to rear areas.[8]

The 29th, along with the 47th and 48th Squadrons of the 313th Group, took part in

Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC).[2]

It moved to Sicily for

82d Airborne Division south of Salerno on the night of 13 September 1943 and flew a reinforcement mission the following night.[8]

European operations

313th Troop Carrier Group C-46 Commando[note 2]

In February 1944, the squadron moved to

D-Day the squadron dropped paratroopers near Picauville, Normandy and dropped reinforcements the following day. The squadron's efforts during Operation Overlord earned it a second DUC.[8]

On 17 September, the squadron participated in

17th Airborne Division near Wesel.[8]

The squadron continued to operate from Achiet during 1945, performing transportation of personnel and supplies within Europe. It evacuated wounded and former

V-E Day, it continued to transport medical equipment and other supplies. In September, the squadron's personnel returned to the United States and it was inactivated on arrival at the port of embarkation.[2][8]

In August 1945 the squadron returned to the United States, and was inactivated at the port of embarkation in September.[2]

Army of Occupation and Berlin Airlift

C-54 landing at Tempelhof Airport, Berlin

The squadron was activated at

Tulln Air Base, Austria in the spring of 1947.[2]

The squadron transferred without personnel and equipment to the States in June 1947. At

United States Air Forces Europe bases in Germany, the unit used Douglas C-54 Skymasters to transport cargo including coal, food, and medicine into West Berlin. As airlift forces in Europe were reduced following the lifting of the Soviet blockade, and faced with President Truman’s smaller 1949 defense budget, the Air Force was required to reduce the number of its groups to 48. The squadron was inactivated in September 1949.[8][13][14]

Cold War

Fairchild C-119A

The squadron was activated at

Air Force Reserve unit that had been called to active duty for the Korean War and was transitioning to the C-119 from the Curtiss Commando.[15] The squadron trained to maintain combat readiness in tactical airlift operations. It was inactivated on 8 June 1955.[2]

Vietnam War

Squadron C-130 Hercules taking off from Khe Sanh

The squadron was reactivated at

Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas in 1964, flying Lockheed C-130 Hercules.[2] In March 1965, the 29th became the first combat-ready unit of Tactical Air Command at Forbes. It then assumed a commitment to rotate aircraft to the Panama Canal Zone. The squadron frequently deployed to support airlift requirements of overseas commands, participate in tactical exercises and disaster relief.[citation needed
]

In December 1965 the squadron left Forbes for

463d Tactical Airlift Wing
's other squadrons.

The squadron was reactivated in April 1971 at

38th Tactical Airlift Squadron and the 29th was inactivated.[2]

Weapons system training

The squadron was redesignated the 29th Weapons Squadron and reactivated in June 2003 at

Air Force Reserve aircrews flying the C-130H. This allowed the elements at Little Rock the ability to focus primarily on the C-130J.[6]

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 29th Transport Squadron on 28 January 1942
Activated on 2 March 1942
Redesignated 29th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942
Inactivated on 22 September 1945
  • Activated on 30 September 1946
Redesignated: 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 30 July 1948
Redesignated: 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, Special on 1 February 1949
Inactivated on 18 September 1949
  • Redesignated 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 26 November 1952
Activated on 1 February 1953
Inactivated on 8 June 1955
  • Activated on 15 June 1964 (not organized)
Organized on 1 October 1964
Redesignated 29th Troop Carrier Squadron on 1 January 1967
Redesignated 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 August 1967
Inactivated on 31 October 1970
  • Activated on 1 April 1971
Inactivated on 15 November 1971
  • Redesignated 29th Weapons Squadron on 30 May 2003
Activated on 1 June 2003[2]

Assignments

  • 313th Transport Group
    (later 313 Troop Carrier Group), 2 March 1942 – 22 September 1945
  • 313th Troop Carrier Group, 30 September 1946 – 18 September 1949
  • 313th Troop Carrier Group, 1 February 1953 – 8 June 1955
  • Tactical Air Command, 15 June 1964 (not organized)
  • 313th Troop Carrier Wing
    , 1 October 1964
  • 315th Air Division, 27 January 1966
  • 463d Troop Carrier Wing (later 463d Tactical Airlift Wing), 25 March 1966 – 31 October 1970
  • 316th Tactical Airlift Wing
    , 1 April – 15 November 1971
  • USAF Mobility Weapons School, 1 June 2003
  • USAF Weapons School, 5 July 2006 – present[2]

Stations

Aircraft

  • Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1942–1945, 1946–1948
  • Douglas C-53 Skytrooper, 1942–1943[8]
  • Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1945, 1953
  • Fairchild C-82 Packet, 1947–1948
  • Douglas C-54 Skymaster, 1948–1949
  • Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953–1955
  • Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1964–1970, 1971, 2003–present[2]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ The 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron resumed use of the original emblem of the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron.
  2. ^ Aircraft is Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando serial 44-77541 at Achiet Airfield in April 1945. Shortly after this picture was taken the plane was damaged and written off.

Citations

  1. ^ McGowan, p. 142
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Robertson, Patsy (16 March 2015). "Factsheet 29 Weapons Squadron (AMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  3. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 147–148
  4. ^ Watkins, pp. 66–67
  5. ^ "Little Rock Air Force Base Units". 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  6. ^ a b Crane, TSG Michael (28 August 2014). "C-130 'weapons' course comes to Air National Guard base". Defense Video Information and Distribution System. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  7. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 147, 207–208, 210, 214
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 188–190
  9. ^ Warren , p. 35
  10. ^ Garland & Smyth, pp. 177–181
  11. ^ Warren, p. 39
  12. ^ See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 369–370 (305th Squadron inactivation)
  13. ^ See Warnock, pp. 1–10 (Operation Vittles)
  14. ^ Knaack, p. 25
  15. ^ See Ravenstein, pp. 281–283 (514th Wing and components replaced by 313th Wing and components. Transition to C-119 began in December 1952)
  16. ^ Station number in Anderson
  17. ^ Station number in Johnson

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Further reading

External links
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