| 158th Airlift Squadron | |
|---|---|
 158th Airlift Squadron C-130s taxiing at Savannah AGB | |
| Active | 1 October 1942 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  Georgia (U.S. state) |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Airlift |
| Part of | Georgia Air National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | Savannah Air National Guard Base, Savannah, Georgia |
| Tail Code | Red tail stripe "Savannah" in white letters |
| Engagements | World War II Assigned Fuselage Code: YJ |
| Insignia | |
| 158th Airlift Squadron emblem |  |
The158th Airlift Squadron (158 AS) is a unit of theGeorgia Air National Guard's165th Airlift Wing (165 AW) located atSavannah Air National Guard Base, Georgia. The 158th is equipped with theC-130J Super Hercules and is operationally-gained by theAir Mobility Command (AMC).
158th Airlift Squadron flies theC-130J Super Hercules, which performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission. The aircraft is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.
Activated in late 1942. Trained underFirst Air Force in northeastern United States withP-40 Warhawks, also performing Air Defense as part ofNorfolk andPhiladelphia Fighter Wings. Deployed to European Theater of Operations, June 1943, being equipped withP-47 Thunderbolts inEngland. Assigned as a heavy bomber escort squadron underVIII Fighter Command. Re-equipped with long-rangeP-51D Mustangs, July 1944, Thunderbolts being transferred toIX Fighter Command as tactical fighter-bombers supporting ground forces inFrance. Performed bomber escort missions until the end of the war in Europe, April 1945.
Squadron demobilized in England during the summer of 1945, inactivated in United States as a paper unit, October 1945. Became part of postwarGeorgia Air National Guard in May 1946.
The wartime 351st Fighter Squadron was re-activated and re-designated as the158th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to theGeorgia Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized atChatham Field(Chatham Army Air Field)(Also known as Travis Field), Savannah, Georgia, and was extended federal recognition on 20 August 1946 by theNational Guard Bureau. The 158th Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history, honors, and colors of the 351st Fighter Squadron.
The squadron was equipped withF-47N Thunderbolts and was temporarily assigned to the54th Fighter Wing on 20 August, then permanently to the116th Fighter Group on 9 September 1946. The 116th Fighter Group consisted of the 158th and the128th Fighter Squadron atMarietta Army Airfield, near Atlanta. In March 1949, the 158th moved toHunter AFB, near Savannah. As part of theContinental Air CommandFourteenth Air Force, the unit trained for tactical fighter missions and air-to-air combat.
The 158th Fighter Squadron and its parent 116th Fighter Group were federalized on 10 October 1950 due to theKorean War. In November the units were assigned initially toTactical Air Command (TAC) and moved toGeorge AFB, California where they were joined by the159th Fighter Squadron (Jet Propelled) from theFlorida ANG and the196th Fighter Squadron (Jet Propelled) from theCalifornia ANG. On 11 November the 116th was changed in status to become the 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing. At George the three fighter squadrons were equipped withF-80C Shooting Stars and began operational training.
After losing many of their F-80 pilots to assignment toFar East Air Force as replacements, all three squadrons were forced to transfer pilots between themselves in order to maintain a balance of qualified pilots, and they were no longer individual squadrons of Georgia, Florida and California. In April 1951 116thFighter Bomber Wing (FBW) began receiving brand newF-84E Thunderjets directly from Republic. On 14 May the 116th FBW received a Warning Order for an impending transfer, and they expected to be transferred to Europe. With a Readiness Date of 25 June, the 116th FBW was ready to move, and by 1 July they had sent their seventy-five F-84Es to the New York POE for shipment to France. However, on 3 July 1951 they received orders transferring them to Japan. Fifty-four F-84Es had to be obtained fromBergstrom AFB, Texas andLangley AFB, Virginia as partial replacements for these Thunderjets.
The 116th FBG with the 158th and 159th FBS's departed from San Diego on the transport aircraft carrierUSS Windham Bay on 12 July, while the 196th FBS had preceded them by two days on theUSS Sitkoh Bay. The USAF, having learned from the expensive previous experience with open air transportation of the F-84 on an aircraft carrier deck, heavily protected their F-84s this time with cosmoline and tarpaulins. The wing off-loaded atYokosuka Naval Base, Japan, between 24 and 27 July, with their aircraft being barged toKisarazu, Japan, for cleaning and preparation for flight. Regardless of the care taken, thirty-three F-84s suffered some degree of salt damage.
Two squadrons, the 158th and 159th FBSs, were then sent toMisawa Air Base, Japan, while the 196th was established atChitose Air Base, Japan. Their initial role was to serve as an augmentation of Japanese air defenses, and their op¬erational training began on 6 August. The 116th FBW remained on garrison duty in Japan into fall 1951. During that period they concentrated on providing air-to-ground support to Army units training in Japan as well as assisting in providing aerial defense of northern Japan as a supplement to the other air defense units.
On 30 November 1951 the 159th FBS was alerted for a combat role, and on 2 December they dispatched sixteen F-84Es toTaegu AB (K-2), South Korea. The 159th FBS flew their first combat mission of twelve Thunderjets to rail targets atWonsan in southeastern North Korea that morning. Three F-84s suffered flak damage. They then returned again that afternoon. The following day they again returned to Wonsan two fly two more strikes. Further missions were flown on 4 and 5 December, and then on 6 December they sent twelve F-84s toSinanju andSunchon, also in North Korea on a rail cutting mission, and then returned to Misawa AB.
On 12 December the 1116th FBW pilots flew eighty-eight effective combat sorties. On 15 December the 158th FBS was attacking a train when they were jumped by North KoreanMiG-15s that attacked from 20,000 feet in pairs from the F-84s Six O'clock High position. Captain Paul Mitchel, flying as "Able 3" saw two MiGs behind two F-84s, so he came in behind them and closed to 100 feet, firing on the MiG leader's wingman. The MiG pilot bailed out, and his leader slowed down to see what was happening, so Mitchel fired on him, too, scoring some hits. Mitchel was credited with 1-0-1, obtaining the last officially credited F-84 MiG kill during the Korean War, and the only "kill" for the 116th FBW. The following day, 16 December, the 158th FBS lost their only aircraft attributed to enemy action during the conflict. While strafing ox carts south ofPyongyang Captain David Mather, "George 3", was hit by antiaircraft fire and his F-84 burst into flames. His wingman told him to bail out, and Mather's canopy was seen to come off, but the F-84 crashed before he could get out. On 18 December the 158th FBS returned to Japan.
The 196th FBS started for Taegu AB (K-2) on 26 December for their turn, but didn't get there until 28 December, because of weather problems. The 196th FBS flew missions from K-2 until 3 January 1952, mostly close air support, with a 70% accuracy, and returned to Japan on 4 January 1952. The 116th FBG returned to combat on 26 May 1952. The first mission was with sixteen F-84Es that flew from Misawa to Chitose AB for a pilot briefing, and then after arming with 500-pound general-purpose bombs, they took off for an attack againstSariwon, in southwestern North Korea. The F-84s were refueled en route byKB-29 Superfortress tankers nearTaegu, South Korea, upon their return from the target, which gave any aircraft unable to be aerial refueled an alternate landing spot. After refueling the mission landed atJohnson Air Base, Japan, and resumed the air defense mission.
On 10 June 1952 the 116th FBW was relieved from assignment to TAC and reassigned to Far East Air Force without personnel. The Guardsmen were returned to the United States; the jets and equipment of the wing were then re-designated as the474th Fighter-Bomber Wing and assigned toFifth Air Force.
The 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing status was returned to a Group designation, and the unit was returned to the Georgia Air National Guard. At this time the Group was restructured to include the 128th at Dobbins AFB and the 158th Fighter Squadron was returned to Chatham AFB. Initially upon their return to State Control both squadrons were equipped with the long-rangeF-51H Mustang and given an air defense mission. The 116th was assigned toAir Defense Command (ADC), being assigned to the35th Air Division with a mission of the air defense of the Southeastern United States.
Commencing in July 1953 the 158th began conversion toF-84D Thunderjet, yet most were not received until mid summer. On 1 July 1955 the 158th was re-designated as the 158th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and converted the swept-wingF-84F Thunderstreak in March 1957.
On 10 July 1958 the 165th Fighter Interceptor Group was activated at Savannah with the 158th FIS assigned as their flying unit. The 158th FIS then switched to theF-86L Sabre Interceptor in 1958, a day/night/all-weather aircraft designed to be integrated into the ADC SAGE interceptor direction and control system.In 1958, the 116th implemented the ADC Runway Alert Program, in which interceptors of the 128th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron were committed to a five-minute runway alert.
Reorganization came in 1962 when the unit transitioned from a fighter mission to an airlift mission The 158th Fighter Squadron became 158th Air Transport Squadron on 1 July 1962 assigned to the 165th Air Group. They traded in its Sabre interceptors for 4-enginesC-97 Stratofreighter transports. With air transportation recognized as a critical wartime need, the squadron was re-designated the 128th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy). The 116th ATG was assigned to the MATSEastern Transport Air Force, (EASTAF), and the squadron flew long-distance transport missions in support of Air Force requirements, frequently sending aircraft to the Caribbean, Europe Greenland, and the Middle East in support of Air Force requirements.
In 1966 MATS became theMilitary Airlift Command (MAC) and EASTAF became the MACTwenty-First Air Force. The 116th ATG was upgraded to theC-124 Globemaster II strategic heavy airlifter in 1967. Due to requirements generated by theVietnam War, missions were flown across the Pacific to Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, South Vietnam, Okinawa and Thailand.
On 8 August 1975, the first of the C-130E aircraft, aptly named "Hercules", came to the City of Savannah at the international airport to replace the older C-124's. While the C-124's were being retired from the Air Force inventory, the C-130s were arriving at the 165th Tactical Airlift Group.
The 158th received seven new C-130H Hercules aircraft directly from the Lockheed Factory manufactured for the unit during September and October 1981. On 15 April 1992, the unit was redesignated the 165th Airlift Group. On 1 October 1995, the unit received its current designation, the 165th Airlift Wing. On 22 January 2024, the 158th received its first of eight planned C-130J-30 Super Hercules.[1]
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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