15th Airlift Squadron

15th Airlift Squadron

15th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active 20 November 1940 - Present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Airlift
Part of Air Mobility Command
18th Air Force
437th Airlift Wing
437th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ Charleston Air Force Base
Nickname(s) Global Eagles, "The Company"
Decorations DCU
AFOUA
ROK PUC
RVGC w/ Palm

The 15th Airlift Squadron (15 AS) is part of the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.

History

Activated in December 1940 flying converted Douglas DC-2 transport aircraft as a GHQ Air Force transport squadron. Converted to C-47 Skytrains in early 1942, trained under I Troop Carrier Command for combat operations. Assigned to Twelfth Air Force and deployed North Africa during May 1943. The squadron's aircraft flew supplies to front-line units in Algeria and Tunisia during the 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 Sicily during the Operation Husky invasion and later into areas around Anzio, Italy as part of Operation Shingle, the invasion of mainland Italy and the initiation of the Italian Campaign, January 1944. Moved north though 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.

Was moved to England in February 1944, assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command, Ninth Air Force. 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 Allies made the air assault across 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 V-E Day, the squadron was moved to 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.

During the Cold War the 4th was involved in the Berlin Airlift from 1948–1949; aerial transport from the U.S. to Japan, August–December 1950; and between Japan and Korea, 13 December 1950–November 1952. It has carried out worldwide airlift since 1953, including to Southeast Asia from 1966–1973 and supporting military operations in Grenada, October–November 1983; Panama, 18 December 1989 – 8 January 1990 and to Southwest Asia, August 1990–January 1991.

Operations and Decorations

Lineage

Activated on 4 Dec 1940
Re-designated: 15th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942
Inactivated on 31 Jul 1945
Re-designated: 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 1 Jul 1948
Re-designated: 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 15 Aug 1948
Re-designated: 15th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 Jan 1966
Re-designated: 15th Airlift Squadron on 1 Jan 1992
Inactivated on 26 Jul 1993

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

References

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

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 3/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.