The 15th Airlift Squadron is part of the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates

Boeing C-17 Globemaster III The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) between the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two previ ...

aircraft supporting the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

global reach mission worldwide.

Mission

The 15th Airlift Squadron, "Global Eagles", provides combat-ready C-17 aircrews for strategic airlift missions worldwide. The squadron is tasks include emergency nuclear airlift, Presidential support and humanitarian relief efforts.

History

World War II

Constituted 15th Transport Squadron on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 4 Dec 1940 at Duncan Field, TX, and was assigned to the 61st Transport (later, 61st Troop Carrier) Group. The squadron flew the C-33 and then C-39 between 1941 and 1942. Converted to

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for tro ...

s in early 1942, trained under I Troop Carrier Command for combat operations. Redesignated 15th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942.

Post WW2

Reactivated on 30 Sep 1946. Redesignated: 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, Eschborn AB, Germany. Then, relocated to Rhein-Main AB, Germany, on 9 February 1947, it was redesignated as the 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 1 July 1948. The 15th moved to McChord AFB, WA, on 26 July 1950, before relocating to Ashiya AB,

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

on 13 December 1950. During the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

it provided aerial transportation from the US to Japan, from August–December 1950, and between Japan and Korea, from 13 December 1950-November 1952. The squadron relocated from Tachikawa AB,

, relocating there on 26 March 1952, to Larson AFB, WA, on 21 November 1952. During 1952 also saw the 15th transition to the C-124 aircraft, and the following year, the squadron was tasked was tasked with providing worldwide airlift. The squadron moved to Donaldson AFB, SC on 25 August 1954, before being reassigned to the 63rd Troop Carrier Group on 8 October 1959, and to the 63rd Troop Carrier (later, 63rd Military Airlift) Wing, on 18 January 1963. The unit relocated to Hunter AFB, GA, on 1 April 1963. The squadron was redesignated as the 15th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966.

Global airlift

The 15th relocated to Norton AFB, CA, on 1 April 1967. That same year, it transitioned to the C-141. The squadron was reassigned to the 63rd Military Airlift Group, on 1 October 1978; and to the 63rd Military Airlift Wing, on 1 July 1980. The squadron provided airlift to Southeast Asia, 1966–1973; and to Grenada,

Operation Urgent Fury The United States and a coalition of Caribbean countries invaded the small island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela, at dawn on 25 October 1983. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, it resulted in military occupation with ...

, from October–November 1983; to Panama,

Operation Just Cause Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

, from 18 December 1989 – 8 January 1990; and to Southwest Asia, from August 1990-January 1991. Redesignated as the 15th Airlift Squadron on 1 January 1992 under the 63rd Operations Group, the 15th inactivated on 26 July 1993. The squadron reactivated on 1 October 1993 at Joint Base Charleston, SC, and was assigned to the 437th Operations Group. The 15th received its first C-17 in June 1993.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 15th Transport Squadron on 20 November 1940 : Activated on 4 December 1940 : Redesignated 15th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942 : Inactivated on 31 July 1945 * Activated on 30 September 1946 : Redesignated 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 July 1948 : Redesignated 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 15 August 1948 : Redesignated 15th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966 : Redesignated 15th Airlift Squadron on 1 January 1992 : Inactivated on 26 July 1993 * Activated on 1 October 1993

Assignments

* 61st Transport Group (later 61st Troop Carrier Group), 4 December 1940 – 31 July 1945 * 61st Troop Carrier Group, 30 September 1946 * 63d Troop Carrier Group, 8 October 1959 * 63d Troop Carrier Wing (later 63d Military Airlift Wing), 18 January 1963 * 63d Military Airlift Group, 1 October 1978 * 63d Military Airlift Wing, 1 July 1980 * 63d Operations Group, 1 January 1992 – 26 July 1993 * 437th Operations Group, 1 October 1993 – present

Stations

* Duncan Field, Texas, 4 December 1940 * Augusta Airport, Georgia, 12 July 1941 *

Pope Field Pope Field is a U.S. military facility located northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Fayetteville, in Spring Lake, North Carolina, Spring Lake, Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.. Federal A ...

, North Carolina, 24 May 1942 *

Lubbock Army Air Field Reese Technology Center is a research and business park located on the grounds of former Reese Air Force Base in western Lubbock, Texas, Lubbock at the unincorporated community of Reese Center, Texas, Reese Center. History In 1995, Reese Air For ...

, Texas, 15 November 1942 * Pope Field, North Carolina, 26 February–30 April 1943 * Lourmel Airfield, Algeria, 15 May 1943 * Kairouan Airfield, Tunisia, 21 June 1943 * Licata Airfield, Sicily, 3 September 1943 * Sciacca Airfield, Sicily, 6 October 1943 – 12 February 1944 *

RAF Barkston Heath Royal Air Force Barkston Heath or RAF Barkston Heath is a Royal Air Force Relief Landing Ground under the command of RAF Cranwell near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. RAF Barkston Heath is the home of 57 Sqn's B Flight of No. 3 Flying Train ...

(AAF-483), England, 18 February 1944 * Abbeville/Drucat Airfield (B-92), France, 13 March–19 May 1945 * Waller Field, Trinidad, 19 May–31 July 1945 * AAF Station Eschborn, Germany, 30 September 1946 * AAF Station Frankfurt, Germany, 9 February 1947 – 21 July 1950 * McChord Air Force Base, Washington, 26 July–4 December 1950 * Ashiya Air Base, Japan, 13 December 1950 *

Tachikawa Air Base is an aerodrome, airfield in the city of Tachikawa, Tokyo, Tachikawa, in the western part of Tokyo, Japan. Currently under the administration of the Ministry of Defense (Japan), Ministry of Defense, it has also served as a civilian airport with ...

, Japan, 26 March–18 November 1952 * Larson Air Force Base, Washington, 21 November 1952 * Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina, 25 August 1954 * Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 April 1963 *

Norton Air Force Base Norton Air Force Base (1942–1994) was a United States Air Force facility east of downtown San Bernardino in San Bernardino County, California. Overview For the majority of its operational lifetime, Norton was a logistics depot and heavy-l ...

, California, 1 April 1967 – 26 July 1993 * Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, 1 October 1993 – presentStation information in AFHRA Factsheet, 15 Airlift Squadron, except as noted.

Aircraft

* Douglas C-33 (1941) * Douglas C-39 (1941–1942) * Douglas C-47 Skytrain (1942–1945, 1946–1948) *

Douglas C-54 Skymaster The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilia ...

(1948–1952) *

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is a retired American heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. The C-124 was the primary heavy-lift transport for United States Air Forc ...

(1952–1967) * Lockheed C-141 Starlifter (1967–1997) *

(1997–present)

Awards and campaigns

* Campaigns. World War II: Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe. Korea: CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korean Summer-Fall, 1952. * Decorations.

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...

s: Sicily, 11 July 1943; France, –7Jun 1944; Korea, 13 December 1950 – 21 April 1951.

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...

s: 1 July 1957 – 10 December 1962; 1 July 1968 – 30 June 1969; 1 July 1970 – 30 June 1971; 1 June 1978 – 31 May 1980; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1983; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1987; 1 January 1990 – 30 April 1991. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 1 Jul 1951– 8 Nov 1952 Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 April 1966 – 8 January 1973.

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

15th Airlift Squadron Home Page
{{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II 0015 Military units and formations in South Carolina