459th Airlift Squadron | |
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Active | 1942–1944; 1944–1945; 1952–1952; 1966–1970; 1975–1993; 1993–present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Airlift |
Part of | Pacific Air Forces |
Garrison/HQ | Yokota Air Base |
Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm |
Insignia | |
459th Airlift Squadron emblem [lower-alpha 1] [1] | |
459th Airlift Squadron emblem [lower-alpha 2] [2] | |
459th Bombardment Squadron emblem [lower-alpha 3] [1] |
The 459th Airlift Squadron is part of the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It operates the UH-1N Iroquois and the C-12J Huron aircraft, performing passenger transport (including VIPs), aeromedical evacuation and search and rescue missions. [3]
The 459th was originally established in mid-1942 as the 459th Bombardment Squadron under II Bomber Command as a B-17 Flying Fortress Replacement Training Unit (RTU). They operated until March 1944 with the end of Heavy Bomber training.
The 459th Bombardment Squadron was reorganized as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron on 1 April 1944. After completion of training in January 1945, they moved to North Field, Guam, in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area, and were assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. The squadron's mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese home islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.[ citation needed ]
The Squadron Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The squadron began missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide-area firebombing attacks, but when the Army Air Forces ran out of incendiary bombs after ten days, the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.[ citation needed ]
The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities and causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. They also conducted raids against strategic objectives such as aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, the squadron's B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria.[ citation needed ]
The squadron remained in the western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some of the squadron's aircraft were scrapped on Tinian; others were flown to storage depots in the United States. The squadron was inactive from the end of 1945 until 1949.[ citation needed ]
During the Vietnam War the squadron was reactivated at Cam Ranh Air Base, South Vietnam, in 1966. It provided intra-theatre airlift services in Vietnam, including air-land and airdrop assault missions from 1966 to 1970. The unit was inactivated as part of the drawdown of United States forces.[ citation needed ]
The squadron conducted airlifts of key Department of Defense personnel from April 1975 to March 1978, aeromedical airlifts from March 1978 to November 1991, and operational support airlifts since December 1991.[ citation needed ]
459th Airlift Squadron
1400th Military Airlift Squadron
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The 374th Airlift Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Fifth Air Force. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is part of Pacific Air Forces. The 374th Airlift Wing is the only airlift wing in PACAF and provides airlift support to all Department of Defense agencies in the Pacific theater of operation. It also provides transport for people and equipment throughout the Kantō Plain and the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The 356th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 433d Operations Group Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Kelly Field Annex, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. The 356th is a C-5M Super Galaxy Formal Training Unit.
The 73rd Airlift Squadron, sometimes written as 73d Airlift Squadron, is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 932nd Operations Group, stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Originally constituted as the 73rd Troop Carrier Squadron, the unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation and a French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its D-Day missions in Normandy in 1944. It was one of the units trained for space capsule recovery in the 1960s. The squadron was redesignated the 73rd Military Airlift Squadron in 1967, the 73rd Aeromedical Airlift Squadron in 1969, and finally the 73rd Airlift Squadron in 1994. It currently operates C-40C Clipper aircraft providing executive airlift for distinguished visitors and their staffs.
The 457th Airlift Squadron was part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing and was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. It operated C-21 aircraft providing executive airlift.
The 458th Airlift Squadron is part of the 375th Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It operates C-21 aircraft providing executive airlift and aeromedical evacuation. It has performed its current mission since activating in 1975 as the 1401st Military Airlift Squadron. The 1401st Squadron was consolidated with the 458th in 1991.
The 758th Airlift Squadron is part of the 911th Airlift Wing at Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania. It operates the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, providing global strategic airlift.
The 815th Airlift Squadron is a flying unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command and part of the 403d Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates Lockheed C-130J Hercules aircraft providing global airlift.
The 475th Air Base Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last duty station was at Yokota Air Base, Japan, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1992.
The 756th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 459th Operations Group, stationed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
The 452d Operations Group is the flying component of the 452d Air Mobility Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Reserve. The group is stationed at March Air Reserve Base, California.
The 308th Armament Systems Group is a unit of the United States Air Force's 308th Armament Systems Wing, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The group was first activated at Gowen Field, Idaho as the 308th Bombardment Group. It served as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator unit in the China-Burma-India Theater, where it conducted long range bombing missions against Japanese forces, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation. Following V-J Day, it returned to the United States and was inactivated in January 1946.
The 375th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 375th Air Mobility Wing. It is stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
The 374th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 374th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
The 375th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 308th Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York.
The 776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force squadron activated after 11 September 2001, being engaged in the Global War on Terrorism. Its current status is not publicly known.
The 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed. Its most recent known deployment was with the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan prior to the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The 355th Tactical Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 906th Tactical Airlift Group stationed at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 1 July 1982.
The 459th Operations Group is a reserve component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 459th Air Refueling Wing, Fourth Air Force of Air Force Reserve Command, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. If mobilized, the Wing is gained by Air Mobility Command.
The 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed. It engaged in combat operations in Southwest Asia.
The 330th Aircraft Sustainment Group was a group of the United States Air Force stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It was last active in June 2010
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency