The 2nd Airlift Squadron is an inactive
airlift
An airlift is the organized delivery of Materiel, supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft.
Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material lo ...
of 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 ...
squadron that specializes in airlift and transport missions. Established in 1940 as the 2nd Transport Squadron, the unit served primarily as a cargo and personnel transport squadron during World War II and subsequent conflicts. The squadron operated various transport aircraft throughout its history, including the C-47 Skytrain, C-124 Globemaster II, and C-141 Starlifter. Based at different times at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina and McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, the 2nd Airlift Squadron participated in numerous military operations, humanitarian missions, and strategic airlifts before its inactivation. The squadron's extensive service record included supporting Allied operations in World War II, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, and operations in Vietnam, as well as later missions in the Middle East and humanitarian efforts worldwide.
Mission
Provide the
Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...
with highly trained, highly motivated, combat-ready aircrews who execute the best tactical airlift/airdrop operations in the United States Air Force.
History
Early airlift in the Air Corps
Prior to the early 1930s, transport aircraft in the
Air Corps had been assigned to air depots and to service squadrons, although provisional transport squadrons had been formed for special projects. By 1932 Major Hugh J. Kerr, Chief of the Field Service Section of the
Materiel Division, proposed the formation of a transport squadron at each air depot to act as a
cadre for the transport
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
the Air Corps proposed to support a field army in the event of mobilization. Major General
Benjamin Foulois approved the formation of four provisional squadrons in November 1932.
[Maurer, ''Aviation in the U.S. Army'', pp. 367-368]
The 2nd Provisional Transport Squadron was constituted in October 1933. By March 1934, it had become a Regular Army Inactive unit at
Norton Field, Ohio, with
reserve officers assigned.
[Clay, p. 1369]
In the spring of 1935, these squadrons, including the 2nd Transport Squadron at
Olmsted Field, Pennsylvania, were made regular units and activated with
Bellanca C-27 Airbus aircraft assigned. With enlisted men as pilots, the squadron hauled engines, parts, and other equipment to airfields in their assigned depot area, returned items to the depot, and transferred materiel between depots. They also furnished transportation for
maneuvers. The rapid transport of supplies by the squadrons permitted the Air Corps to maintain low levels of materiel at its airfields, relying on replenishment from depot stocks only when needed.
[
In May 1937, the squadron was reassigned from the Middletown Air Depot to the newly activated ]10th Transport Group
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
, which assumed command of all four squadrons. The squadron received two-engine Douglas C-33s, the military version of the DC-2 in 1936 and Douglas C-39s (DC-2s with tail surfaces of the DC-3) in 1939 to replace the single engine Bellancas. These, and various other militarized DC-3s remained as the squadron's equipment until the entry of the United States into World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.[
]
World War II
The squadron trained transport pilots, 21 May-1 October 1942; transported troops and airdropped them during the airborne assault on Myitkyina, Burma, 17 May 1944; aerial transportation in China-Burma-India theater, 25 February 1943-c. August 1945; airlift of Chinese troops to eastern China for disarmament operations, September–November 1945. Airlift for airborne troops, 1 June 1992 – 2015.
Air Mobility Command
The squadron flew C-130H2 Hercules transport aircraft on airlift missions and shared these aircraft in an association with the Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...
's 440th Airlift Wing. After being moved to Pope in the 2005 BRAC, the 440th became the first Air Force Reserve Wing to have an active duty associate squadron.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 2nd Provisional Transport Squadron on 1 March 1935
: Redesignated 2nd Transport Squadron and activated on 28 June 1935
: Redesignated 2nd Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942
: Inactivated on 24 December 1945
* Redesignated 2nd Airlift Squadron and activated, on 1 June 1992[Lineage, including stations, through 2008 in AFHRA Factsheet, 2 Airlift Squadron]
: Inactivated 3 June 2016
Assignments
* Middletown Air Depot, 28 June 1935
* 10th Transport Group
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
(later 10th Troop Carrier Group), 20 May 1937
* Tenth Air Force, c. 17 February 1943 (attached to India-China Wing, Air Transport Command, 9 March–1 July 1943)
* Assam Air Base Command, c. 1 July 1943 (attached to Troop Carrier Command, Eastern Air Command, 20 December 1943 – 6 March 1944)
* 443rd Troop Carrier Group, 6 March 1944 – 24 December 1945
* 23d Operations Group, 1 June 1992[Assignments through 1992 in AFHRA Factsheet, 2 Airlift Squadron]
* 43rd Operations Group (later 43rd Airlift Group), 1 April 1997 – 3 June 2016[
]
Stations
* Olmsted Field, Pennsylvania, 28 June 1935
* Stout Field, Indiana, 21 May 1942
* Kellogg Field, Michigan, 1 July 1942
* Bowman Field, Kentucky, 4 August 1942
* 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, 1 October 1942 – 23 January 1943
* Yangkai Airfield, China, 17 February 1943
* Dinjan Airfield, India, 1 July 1943
* Shingbwiyang, Burma, 14 August 1944
* Dinjan Airfield, India, 1 June 1945
* Chihkiang Airfield, China, 24 August 1945
* Hankow Airfield, China, 25 September–21 November 1945
* Camp Anza, California, 23–24 December 1945
* Pope Air Force Base (later Pope Army Airfield), North Carolina, 1 June 1992 – 3 June 2016[
]
Aircraft
* Bellanca C-27 Airbus, 1935–1937
* Douglas C-33, 1936–1939
* Douglas C-39, 1939-1941
* Various civilian and military modifications of the Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II.
It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
, 1939-1941
* 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 ...
, 1942–1945
* Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1945
* Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1992–2016[
]
References
Notes
; Explanatory notes
; Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{USAAF 10th Air Force World War II
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