30th Airlift Squadron | |
|---|---|
 153d Airlift WingC-130 Hercules over the Rockies | |
| Active | 1942–1943; 1952–1965; 1967–2003; 2006–2015 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Airlift |
| Mottos | Ubivis Quando VisLatin Anytime, Anywhere |
| Decorations | Air Force Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm |
| Insignia | |
| 30th Airlift Squadron emblem[note 1][1] |  |
| 30th Air Transport Squadron emblem[note 2] |  |
The30th Airlift Squadron is an inactiveUnited States Air Force unit, last assigned to the19th Airlift Wing. It was the firstactive-duty associate unit attached to anAir National Guardwing, working with the187th Airlift Squadron atCheyenne Regional Airport (National Guard Base), Wyoming. It operated theLockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft of its co-located Guard unit, conductingairlift missions. The squadron was last active in this role from 2006 until about 1 September 2015.
The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the30th Ferrying Squadron. It ferried aircraft across theNorth Atlantic ferry route until it was disbanded in 1943 in a reorganization ofAir Transport Command units. The squadron was reactivated in 1952 as the30th Air Transport Squadron. Except for a brief period from 1965 to 1967, it conducted strategic airlift missions throughout the world until 1993, when it moved toYokota Air Base, Japan and conducted aeromedical airlift missions until inactivating in 2003.
The squadron was first activated atPresque Isle Army Air Field, Maine in late July 1942 as the30th Ferrying Squadron, one of the original squadrons of the 8th Ferrying Group. In August, the 8th Group squadrons were moved to various bases along theNorth Atlantic ferrying route and the squadron moved toBluie West One, atNarsarsuak, Greenland. The 30th ferriedbombers andLockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft until August 1943.[1] On 1 September 1943, the squadron, now titled the30th Transport Squadron, was disbanded, and its personnel and equipment transferred to Station 11,North Atlantic Wing, Air Transport Command.
In July 1952Military Air Transport Service replaced its Major Command Controlled air transport squadrons (4 digit) with Air Force Controlled squadrons that were able to continue their history if they were temporarily inactive.[note 3] Implementing this program, the 30th, now the30th Air Transport Squadron was activated atWestover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it was assigned to the 1600th Air Transport Group and took over the personnel and eightDouglas C-74 Globemaster aircraft of the 1253d Air Transport Squadron, which was discontinued. The squadron began to convert toDouglas C-54 Skymaster transports shortly after activation, but this conversion was cancelled and the unit reverted to flyingDouglas C-118 Liftmasters in August.[2]
Although the squadron continued to fly C-118s, by 1954, the advent of larger transport aircraft, such as the c-74 and theDouglas C-124 Globemaster II prompted the Air Force to change its designation from a heavy transport squadron to a medium transport unit. In April 1955,Strategic Air Command took over Westover from MATS.[3] The 1600th Air Transport Wing was inactivated, but the squadron moved its operations toMcGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.[1] It provided air transport for the Atlantic Division of theMilitary Air Transport Service from July 1952 until inactivating in June 1965, when the1611th Air Transport Wing discontinued its C-118 operations.[1][4]
The squadron was organized again in April 1967 as the30th Military Airlift Squadron and equipped withLockheed C-141 Starlifters. Starting in August, conducted worldwide airlift, including support for theVietnam War, earning aRepublic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm for its support.[1]
It supportedOperation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia from August 1990 to June 1991. Other operations includedOperation Just Cause,Operation Iraqi Freedom andOperation Enduring Freedom[1]
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In 1993 the squadron moved toYokota Air Base, Japan where it flew aeromedical evacuation missions with theMcDonnell Douglas C-9 Nightingale until 2003, when the Nightingale was retired and the squadron was inactivated.[1][5]
On 8 July 2006 the 30th became the first active-duty associate unit partnering with theWyoming Air National Guard's153d Airlift Wing. As an associate unit, the squadron flies theLockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft of the 153d Wing on tacticalairlift missions in the "Total Force Integration" concept. Although its administrative headquarters is an active duty group, it is under the operational control of the 153d Wing. Housing, medical, and other support is provided by the90th Mission Support Group atFrancis E. Warren Air Force Base. The 153d Wing added five aircraft to support this program, which was implemented as a result of the2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.[1][6][7]
Members of the squadron deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan after its reactivation, including supporting *Operation New Dawn, although the squadron does not appear to have deployed as a unit. In 2014, two consecutive commanders of the squadron were relieved of command, as the unit went through four commanders in less than a year. The reliefs were due to a "lack of confidence" in the commanders involved and the atmosphere in the squadron, although no additional information was publicly released.[8] On 1 September 2015, due to budget cuts, the active duty airmen and their aircraft were withdrawn from Wyoming and the aircraft were transferred to the152d Airlift Wing of theNevada Air National Guard by the following month.[9]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| Air Mobility Command (AMC) | |||||||||||||
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