89th Airlift Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 1943–1945; 1949–1951; 1952–1957; 1982–present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Airlift |
Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
Garrison/HQ | Wright-Patterson Air Force Base |
Nickname(s) | Rhinos |
Engagements | Operation Overlord Operation Dragoon Operation Market Garden Battle of Bastogne |
Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
Insignia | |
89th Airlift Squadron emblem (Approved 15 August 1985) [1] | |
World War II Fuselage Code | 4U |
The 89th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 445th Operations Group, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
The squadron was first activated in June 1943 as the 89th Troop Carrier Squadron. After training in the United States, it served in the European Theater of Operations, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for its action on D-Day during Operation Overlord. After VE Day. the unit returned to the United States, where it was inactivated.
The squadron was activated in the Air Force Reserve in June 1949. It trained in troop carrier operations at Offutt Air Force Base until March 1951, when it was called to active duty and its personnel used as fillers for other units. It was activated again in the reserves as a fighter-bomber unit the following year and served until 1957, when reserve fighter units were replaced by troop carrier units. It was again activated in the reserve in 1972 as the 89th Tactical Fighter Squadron'. It returned to the airlift mission in 1994.
It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft providing strategic, tactical and global airlift.
The squadron was first activated as the 89th Troop Carrier Squadron in June 1943 by I Troop Carrier Command and equipped with Douglas C-47 Skytrains. It trained in various parts of the eastern United States until the end of 1943. The squadron deployed to England, where it became part of IX Troop Carrier Command.
The squadron prepared for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. On 5 June 1944, the squadron took off for assigned drop zones in Occupied France, commencing at 23:48 hours. Despite radio black-out, overloaded aircraft, low cloud cover and lack of marked drop zones, they carried parachute infantry of the 101st Airborne Division's 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment, who were dropped soon after midnight in the area northwest of Carentan. Glider-borne reinforcement missions followed, carrying weapons, ammunition, rations, and other supplies.
On 20 July 1944 the 89th departed for Italy in preparation for the August invasion of Southern France, Operation Dragoon. In that invasion, it dropped paratroops and towed gliders that carried reinforcements.
Returning to England, during Operation Market Garden in September 1944, the group released gliders carrying troops and equipment for the airborne attack in the occupied Netherlands. Resupply missions were flown on 20 September and on the 21st to Overasselt and on the 21st to Son.
During the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945), the squadron flew air supply missions to battle areas, including the first two flights into beleaguered Bastogne, resupplying the 101st Airborne Division.
After moving to France in February 1945, the squadron flew combat operations from rough resupply and evacuation airfields carrying supplies and ammunition to front line forces and evacuating wounded personnel to rear-zone hospitals. The unit released gliders in support of an American crossing of the Rhine River called Operation Varsity in March 1945.
After V-E Day, the unit evacuated prisoners of war and displaced persons to relocation centers. It returned to the United States in August 1945, where it was inactivated in September 1945.
In 1949 Continental Air Command reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization, which placed support units under the same headquarters as the combat group they supported. As part of this reorganization, the 438th Troop Carrier Wing was activated at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. [2] The 89th Squadron was activated along with the wing. [1] [3] The squadron's manning, however, was limited to 25% of active duty organization authorizations. [4] The squadron trained under the 2473d Air Force Reserve Training Center for troop carrier operations with the C-46, but also flew the North American T-6 Texan trainer. [2] [5]
All combat units of the Air Force Reserve were ordered to active service for the Korean War. [6] The 89th was called up in the second wave of mobilizations on 10 March 1951. Its personnel were used to man other organizations, primarily those of Strategic Air Command, and it was inactivated on 14 March 1951. [1] [7] Its aircraft were distributed to other organizations as well. [8]
Little more than a year later the squadron was redesignated the 89th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and activated at Billy Mitchell Field, Wisconsin when the 438th Fighter-Bomber Wing replaced the 924th Reserve Training Wing there. The reserve mobilization for the Korean war, however, had left the Reserve without airplanes, and the unit did not receive aircraft until July 1952. [9] When it finally began to receive its planes, they were World War II era North American F-51 Mustangs, which would serve until the squadron's Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars arrived. [2] Once more, the 2473d Air Force Reserve Training Center was responsible for the training of the 438th Wing and other units at the station. Despite its designation as a fighter bomber unit, the squadron initially trained in the air defense role. [10]
In 1957 the squadron began to upgrade to the North American F-86 Sabre. However, its time with this plane would be short. By 1956, the Joint Chiefs of Staff were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift. At the same time, about 150 Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars became available from the active force. Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed Continental Air Command to convert three fighter bomber wings to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. [11] The squadron was inactivated 16 November 1957. [2] [12]
In 1982 the squadron was again activated as the 89th Tactical Fighter Squadron and trained on fighter operations until 1994. [1]
Since 1994 the 89th has trained for and flown strategic airlift missions worldwide, taking part in contingency operations as needed. [1] The wing was fully equipped with the C-17 in February 2012. [13]
The 445th Airlift Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. If mobilized, the wing is gained by the Air Mobility Command.
The 89th Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force is based at Joint Base Andrews and has an operational force of over 1,000 personnel. The 89th provides global Special Air Mission (SAM) airlift, logistics, aerial transport and communications for the president, vice president, combatant commanders, senior leaders and the global mobility system as tasked by the White House, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Air Mobility Command.
The 442d Fighter Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
The 700th Airlift Squadron is part of the 94th Airlift Wing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. It operates Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft providing global airlift.
The 701st Airlift Squadron is part of the 315th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft providing global airlift.
The 729th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 452d Operations Group, stationed at March Air Reserve Base, California. It operates Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft providing global airlift any time, any place.
The 730th Air Mobility Training Squadron is an Air Force reserve unit stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where it trains airmen on Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aircraft systems. It is assigned to the 507th Operations Group at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, but performs its training mission under the direction of the 97th Air Mobility Wing of Air Education and Training Command.
The 482d Operations Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 482d Fighter Wing. It is stationed at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida.
The 445th Operations Group is the flying component of the 445th Airlift Wing, assigned to Fourth Air Force of the United States Air Force Reserve. The group is stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
The 319th Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit assigned to 319th Reconnaissance Wing, Air Combat Command. It is stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota operating RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) role.
The 438th Air Expeditionary Wing was a United States Air Force unit operating in Afghanistan and assigned to United States Air Forces Central. The wing trained Afghan Air Force members, including pilots.
The 89th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 89th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
The 813th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 482d Fighter-Bomber Group at Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia.
The 702d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed. It was active at Kandahar Airfield from 2011 to 2012.
The 87th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 438th Fighter-Bomber Group, based at General Mitchell Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it was inactivated on 16 November 1957.
The United States Air Force's 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group is a provisional unit assigned to United States Air Forces Central to activate or inactivate as needed. It was last active in Al Anbar province, Iraq to provide close-air support to coalition forces in the region with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. It was composed of deployed aircraft, equipment and personnel from Air Force units around the world.
The 88th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 438th Fighter-Bomber Group, based at General Mitchell Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was inactivated on 16 November 1957.
The 335th Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last active with the 514th Operations Group at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1995
The 24th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was organized in February 1942 as the 24th Transport Squadron and served as a training unit for I Troop Carrier Command until disbanding in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units in 1944. The squadron was reconstituted in the reserves in 1949 and served until May 1951, when it was called to active duty for the Korean War. It was then inactivated, and its personnel were assigned to other units. When the reserves reactivated their operational units in 1952, it was activated as the 24th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. When the reserve fighter mission was concentrated in the Air National Guard in 1957, the squadron was inactivated and its assets transferred to elements of the 94th Troop Carrier Wing
The 25th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was organized in February 1942 as the 25th Transport Squadron and served as a training unit for I Troop Carrier Command until disbanding in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units in 1944. The squadron was reconstituted in the reserves in 1949 and served until May 1951, when it was called to active duty for the Korean War. It was then inactivated, and its personnel were assigned to other units. When the reserves reactivated their operational units in 1952, it was activated as the 25th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. When the reserve fighter mission was concentrated in the Air National Guard in 1957, the squadron was inactivated and its assets transferred to elements of the 94th Troop Carrier Wing
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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