16th Airlift Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 16th Airlift Squadron (16 AS) is one squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...

 of four active duty C-17A Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...

 squadrons at Charleston Air Force Base
Charleston Air Force Base
Joint Base Charleston is a United States military facility located in North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 628th Air Base Wing, Air Mobility Command...

, South Carolina.

The 16th Airlift Squadron is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...

, who serves as the leader of the squadron and the pilots
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...

. The Chief Loadmaster is in charge of the loadmasters, and the First Sergeant
First Sergeant
First sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...

 takes charge of the few support military personnel and civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...

s working in the squadron.

Lineage

Constituted 16th Transport Squadron on November 20, 1940. Activated on December 11, 1940. Redesignated 16th Troop Carrier Squadron on July 4, 1942. Inactivated on July 31, 1945. Activated on May 19, 1947. Inactivated on September 10, 1948. Redesignated 16th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Light on September 19, 1950. Activated on October 5, 1950. Redesignated 16th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Fixed Wing on November 8, 1954. Inactivated on July 8, 1955. Redesignated 16th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron on August 14, 1969. Activated on October 15, 1969. Redesignated 16th Airlift Squadron on December 1, 1991. Inactivated on September 29, 2000. Activated on July 1, 2002.

Assignments

  • 64th Transport (later, 64 Troop Carrier) Group, December 11, 1940 – July 31, 1945
  • 64th Troop Carrier Group, May 19, 1947 – September 10, 1948
  • 316th Troop Carrier Group, October 5, 1950
  • Eighteenth Air Force
    Eighteenth Air Force
    Eighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...

     (attached to 463d Troop Carrier Wing), November 14, 1954 – July 8, 1955.
  • 4442d Combat Crew Training Wing, October 15, 1969
  • 314th Tactical Airlift Wing, August 1, 1971
  • 34th Tactical Airlift Training Group, November 1, 1978
  • 314th Operations Group, December 1, 1991
  • 437th Operations Group, October 1, 1993 – September 29, 2000
  • 437th Operations Group, July 1, 2002 –

Stations

  • McClellan Field, California
    California
    California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

    , December 11, 1940
  • Portland, Oregon
    Oregon
    Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

    , July 9, 1941
  • Westover Field, Massachusetts
    Massachusetts
    The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

    , June 12 – July 31, 1942
  • RAF Ramsbury
    RAF Ramsbury
    RAF Station Ramsbury is a former World War II airfield in Wiltshire, England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Marlborough; about west of London. Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily...

    , England
    England
    England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

    , August 18 – November 1942 (operated from Maison Blanche, Algeria, November 11 – December 1942)
  • Blida Airfield, Algeria
    Algeria
    Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

    , c. December 12, 1942
  • Kairouan Airfield
    Kairouan Airfield
    Kairouan Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia, which is located approximately 11 km south-southeast of Kairouan, 126 km south of Tunis. It was a major Troop Carrier unit base of the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign...

    , Tunisia
    Tunisia
    Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...

    , June 28, 1943
  • El Djem Airfield
    El Djem Airfield
    El Djem Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, which is located approximately 4 km west-northwest of El Djem; about 170 km south-southeast of Tunis. It was a pre-1942 military airfield used by the German Luftwaffe which was attacked and seized by Allied forces...

    , Tunisia
    Tunisia
    Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...

    , July 26, 1943
  • Comiso Airfield, Sicily
    Sicily
    Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

    , September 4, 1943 (operated from bases in India
    India
    India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

    , April 7 – June 1944)
  • Ciampino Airfield, Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

    , July 10, 1944 (operated from Istres Air Base
    Istres Air Base
    Istres-Le Tubé Air Base is a large multi-role tasked French Air Force base located near Istres, northwest of Marseille, France. The airport facilities are also known as Istres - Le Tubé .- Armée de l'air :...

    , France
    France
    The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

    , September 7 – October 11, 1944)
  • Rosignano Airfield
    Rosignano Airfield
    Rosignano Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located near the comune of Rosignano Marittimo in the Province of Livorno in Tuscany....

    , Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

    , January 10 – May 23, 1945 (operated from Brindisi Airfield, Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

    , March 29 – May 13, 1945)
  • Waller Field, Trinidad
    Trinidad
    Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...

    , June 4 – July 31, 1945
  • Langley Field, Virginia
    Virginia
    The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

    , May 19, 1947 – September 10, 1948
  • Sewart AFB, Tennessee
    Tennessee
    Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

    , October 5, 1950
  • Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma
    Oklahoma
    Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

    , November 14, 1954 – July 8, 1955
  • Sewart AFB, Tennessee
    Tennessee
    Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

    , October 15, 1969
  • Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
    Arkansas
    Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

    , c. March 15, 1970
  • Charleston AFB, South Carolina
    South Carolina
    South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

    , October 1, 1993 – September 29, 2000; July 1, 2002 –Present

Aircraft

  • C-17 Globemaster III
    C-17 Globemaster III
    The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...

     (2002-Present)
  • C-141 Starlifter
    C-141 Starlifter
    The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter was a military strategic airlifter in service with the Air Mobility Command of the United States Air Force...

     (1993–2000)
  • C-130 Hercules
    C-130 Hercules
    The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...

     (1969–1993)
  • H-5 Horse (1952)
  • H-19 Chickasaw
    H-19 Chickasaw
    For other uses of "H19" see H19 .The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom...

     (1952)
  • YC-122 Avitruc
    YC-122 Avitruc
    |-References:NotesBibliography* Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989. ISBN 0-517-69186-8.* World Aircraft Information Files, File 891 Sheet 26–27. London: Bright Star Publishing....

     (1951–1955)
  • C-119 Flying Boxcar
    C-119 Flying Boxcar
    The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...

     (1950–1951)
  • C-47 Skytrain
    C-47 Skytrain
    The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...

     (1941–1945)

Operations

World War II: Airborne assaults on Sicily and Southern France; support for partisans in Northern Italy, January–May 1945; aerial transportation in MTO, and briefly in CBI. Airlift of Army assault troops in training exercises, 1951–1954. Aircrew training, 1969–1993; flew humanitarian and resupply missions worldwide, including to Bosnia and Southwest Asia, 1993–2000.

Campaign Streamers

World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

:
  • Algeria-French Morocco
  • Tunisia
  • Sicily
  • Naples-Foggia
  • Rome-Arno
  • Southern France
  • North Apennines
  • Po Valley
  • India-Burma
  • Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Decorations

  • Distinguished Unit Citation: CBI Theater, April 7 – June 15, 1944.
  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: September 30, 1975 – June 30, 1976; June 1, 1985 – May 31, 1986; July 1, 1991 – June 30, 1993; July 1, 1993 – June 30, 1995; July 1, 1995 – June 30, 1997; July 1, 1997 – June 30, 1998; July 1, 1998 – September 29, 2000.

Sources

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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