28th Military Airlift Squadron

28th Military Airlift Squadron

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II as flown by the 28th MAS
Active 1942-1954; 1952-1969
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Airlift
Engagements European Theater of Operations Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
Patch showing 28th Military Airlift Squadron emblem

The 28th Military Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 62d Military Airlift Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, where it was inactivated in April 1969.

The squadron was first activated as the 28th Transport Squadron in 1942. As the 28th Troop Carrier Squadron the unit saw combat in the European and Mediterranean Theaters. It earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for its combat performance.

The 28th Logistic Support Squadron was activated in 1953 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah under Air Materiel Command (AMC) as an airlift unit for special weapons under AMC control. The squadron also provided other airlift support as a secondary mission. In 1962 the squadron transferred to Military Air Transport Service.

The two squadrons were consolidated in 1985 as the 18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron but have not been active since that date.

History

World War II

Established as part of the Army Air Corps on 1 February 1942 at Daniel Field, Georgia. Equipped with C-47 Skytrain transports as one of the original four squadrons of the 89th Transport Group.[1] The 89th group provided transition training for transport pilots.[1] However, a little more than three months later, the squadron was reassigned to the 60th Transport Group at Westover Field, Massachusetts.[2][2]

C-47s of the 60th Troop Carrier Group

The 60th group at Westover was preparing for shipment overseas, and the squadron trained and trained for combat resupply and casualty evacuation missions. Was ordered deployed to England, assigned to Eighth Air Force in June 1942. Assigned fuselage code 3D. Performed intro-theater transport flights of personnel, supply and equipment within England during summer and fall of 1942, reassigned to Twelfth Air Force after Operation Torch invasion of North Africa in November 1942, transporting paratroopers to Oran, Algeria during the early hours of Operation Torch.[3]

Emblem of the 28th Troop Carrier Squadron

In combat, performed resupply and evacuation missions across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia during North African Campaign. During June 1943, the unit began training with gliders in preparation for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. It towed gliders to Syracuse, Sicily and dropped paratroopers at Catania during the operation. After moving to Sicily, the squadron airdropped supplies to escaped prisoners of war in Northern Italy in October.[3]

The unit provided support for partisans operating in the Balkans. Its unarmed aircraft flew at night over uncharted territory, landing at small unprepared airfields to provide guns, ammunition, clothing, medical supplies, gasoline, and mail to the partisans. It even carried jeeps and mules as cargo. On return trips it evacuated wounded partisans, evadees and escaped prisoners. These operations earned the squadron the Distinguished Unit Citation. It also dropped paratroopers at Megava, Greece in October 1944 and propaganda leaflets in the Balkans in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations until end of combat in Europe, May, 1945.[3]

After hostilities ended, was transferred to Waller Field, Trinidad attached to the Air Transport Command Transported personnel and equipment from Brazil to South Florida along the South Atlantic Air Transport Route.[3] Squadron picked up personnel and equipment in Brazil or bases in Northern South America with final destination being Miami, Boca Raton Army Airfield or Morrison Fields in South Florida. Inactivated at the end of July, 1945.[2]

28th Logistics Support Squadron emblem

Special Airlift

The 28th Logistic Support Squadron was activated at Hill Air Force Base,[4] Utah and equipped with Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIs in July 1953. Its mission was to provide world-wide airlift of special weapons and related equipment, with a secondary mission to airlift other Department of Defense cargo as required when space was available.[5]

In 1955 Air Material Command organized the 3079th Aviation Depot Wing to exercise command jurisdiction over all its logistic support squadrons.[6] Previously, the 7th, 19th and 28th Logistic Support Squadrons had been assigned to separate air materiel areas. The 3097th wing also commanded aviation depot groups[6] responsible for the storage and maintenance of special weapons.

In 1962 the squadron was transferred to Military Air Transport Service (MATS)'s 1501st Air Transport Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California.[7] It was redesignated the 28th Air Transport Squadron, but remained at Hill with the same mission (as indicated by the "Special" added to its designation). When MATS became Military Airlift Command in 1966, the squadron was renamed the 28th Military Airlift Squadron and its headquarters, now the 60th Military Airlift Wing, remained at Travis.[8] In 1967, the 60th wing retired its C-124s and the squadron was reassigned to the 62d Military Airlift Wing, which now had the global special weapons airlift support mission.[9] The squadron was inactivated in the spring of 1969.

Lineage

28th Troop Carrier Squadron

  • Constituted as the 28th Transport Squadron (Mail & Cargo) on 19 January 1942
Activated on 1 February 1942
Redesignated 28th Transport Squadron on 19 May 1942
Redesignated 28th Troop Carrier Squadron 4 July 1942
Inactivated on 31 July 1945[10]
  • Consolidated with the 28th Military Airlift Squadron on 19 September July 1985 as the 18th Airborne Command & Control Squadron[11]

28th Military Airlift Squadron

  • Constituted as the 28th Logistic Support Squadron on 28 April 1953
Activated on 8 July 1953[12]
Redesignated 28th Air Transport Squadron, Special on 18 January 1962
Redesignated 28th Military Airlift Squadron, Special on 8 January 1966
  • Inactivated on 8 April 1969[12]
  • Consolidated with the 28th Troop Carrier Squadron on 19 September 1985 as the 18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron[11]

18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron (not active)

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

Awards and Campaigns

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Distinguished Unit Citation28 March 1944-15 September 194428th Troop Carrier Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 January 1962-31 December 196228th Logistic Support Squadron (later 28th Air Transport Squadron)[14]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1965-30 June 196628th Air Transport Squadron (later 28th Military Airlift Squadron)[14][15]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1966-30 June 196728th Military Airlift Squadron[15]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Tunisia14 November 1942 – 13 May 194328th Troop Carrier Squadron[2]
Sicily14 May 1943 – 17 August 194328th Troop Carrier Squadron[2]
Naples-Foggia18 August 1943 – 21 January 194428th Troop Carrier Squadron[2]
Rome-Arno22 January 1944 – 9 September 194428th Troop Carrier Squadron[2]
North Apennines10 September 1944 – 4 April 194528th Troop Carrier Squadron[2]
Po Valley3 April 1945 – 8 May 194528th Troop Carrier Squadron[2]
Air Combat, EAME Theater28 July 1942 – 11 May 194528th Troop Carrier Squadron[2]

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 154–155. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 144–145. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 123-125
  4. 1 2 Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 243. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
  5. ↑ Abstract, History 28 Logistic Support Squadron Jan-Jun 1955 Retrieved December 26, 2013
  6. 1 2 Abstract, History 3079 Aviation Depot Wing Jan-Jun 1956 Retrieved December 26, 2013
  7. 1 2 Abstract, History 1501 Air Transport Wing Jan-Jun 1963 Retrieved December 26, 2013
  8. 1 2 Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 95. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
  9. 1 2 3 Ravenstein, p. 99
  10. 1 2 3 4 Lineage of 28th Troop Carrier Squadron, including assignments, stations and aircraft in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 144-145
  11. 1 2 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
  12. 1 2 See Mueller, p. 243
  13. 1 2 Station numbers in Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  14. 1 2 AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 Jun 1971, p. 151
  15. 1 2 AFP 900-2 p. 153

Bibliography

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

Further reading

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