16th Airlift Squadron

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 16th Airlift Squadron (16 AS) is one squadron of four active duty C-17A Globemaster III squadrons at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. The 16 AS is under the 437th Operations Group, 437th Airlift Wing, Eighteenth Air Force, Air Mobility Command, United States Air Force.

The 16th Airlift Squadron is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel, who serves as the leader of the squadron and the pilots. The Chief Loadmaster is in charge of the loadmasters, and the First Sergeant takes charge of the few support military personnel and civilians working in the squadron.

1 Lineage
2 Assignments
3 Stations
4 Aircraft
5 Operations
6 Awards and Decorations
7 Sources

[edit] Lineage

Constituted 16th Transport Squadron on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 11 Dec 1940. Redesignated 16th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 31 Jul 1945. Activated on 19 May 1947. Inactivated on 10 Sep 1948. Redesignated 16th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Light on 19 Sep 1950. Activated on 5 Oct 1950. Redesignated 16th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Fixed Wing on 8 Nov 1954. Inactivated on 8 Jul 1955. Redesignated 16th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron on 14 Aug 1969. Activated on 15 Oct 1969. Redesignated 16th Airlift Squadron on 1 Dec 1991. Inactivated on 29 Sep 2000. Activated on 1 Jul 2002.

[edit] Assignments

64th Transport (later, 64 Troop Carrier) Group, 11 Dec 1940-31 Jul 1945
64th Troop Carrier Group, 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948
316th Troop Carrier Group, 5 Oct 1950
Eighteenth Air Force (attached to 463d Troop Carrier Wing), 14 Nov 1954-8 Jul 1955.
4442d Combat Crew Training Wing, 15 Oct 1969
314th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Aug 1971
34th Tactical Airlift Training Group, 1 Nov 1978
314th Operations Group, 1 Dec 1991
437th Operations Group, 1 Oct 1993-29 Sep 2000
437th Operations Group, 1 Jul 2002-

[edit] Stations

McClellan Field, California, 11 Dec 1940
Portland, Oregon, 9 Jul 1941
Westover Field, Massachusetts, 12 Jun-31 Jul 1942
Ramsbury, England, 18 Aug-Nov 1942 (operated from Maison Blanche, Algeria, 11 Nov-Dec 1942)
Blida, Algeria, c. 12 Dec 1942
Kairouan, Tunisia, 28 Jun 1943
El Djem, Tunisia, 26 Jul 1943
Comiso, Sicily, 4 Sep 1943 (operated from bases in India, 7 Apr-Jun 1944)
Ciampino, Italy, 10 Jul 1944 (operated from Istres, France, 7 Sep-11 Oct 1944)
Rosignano Airfield, Italy, 10 Jan-23 May 1945 (operated from Brindisi, Italy, 29 Mar-13 May 1945)
Waller Field, Trinidad, 4 Jun-31 Jul 1945
Langley Field, Virginia, 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948
Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 5 Oct 1950
Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma, 14 Nov 1954-8 Jul 1955
Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 15 Oct 1969
Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, c. 15 Mar 1970
Charleston AFB, South Carolina, 1 Oct 1993-29 Sep 2000
Charleston AFB, South Carolina, 1 Jul 2002-

[edit] Aircraft

C-47, 1941-1945. C-119, 1950-1951; YC-122, 1951-1955; H-19, 1952; H-5, 1952. C-130, 1969-1993; C-141, 1993-2000. C-17, 2002-.

[edit] Operations

World War II: Airborne assaults on Sicily and Southern France; support for partisans in Northern Italy, Jan-May 1945; aerial transportation in MTO, and briefly in CBI. Airlift of Army assault troops in training exercises, 1951-1954. Aircrew training, 1969-1993; flew humanitarian and resupply missions worldwide, including to Bosnia and Southwest Asia, 1993-2000.

[edit] Awards and Decorations

[edit] Service Streamers

World War II American Theater.

[edit] Campaign Streamers

World War II:

Algeria-French Morocco
Tunisia
Sicily
Naples-Foggia
Rome-Arno
Southern France
North Apennines
Po Valley
India-Burma
Air Combat, EAME Theater.

[edit] Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citation: CBI Theater, 7 Apr-15 Jun 1944.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 30 Sep 1975-30 Jun 1976; 1 Jun 1985-31 May 1986; 1 Jul 1991-30 Jun 1993; 1 Jul 1993-30 Jun 1995; 1 Jul 1995-30 Jun 1997; 1 Jul 1997-30 Jun 1998; 1 Jul 1998-29 Sep 2000.