459th Airlift Squadron

459th Airlift Squadron
459th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	1 July 1942 - 21 December 1945 12 October 1966 - 1 June 1970 1 April 1975 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Pacific Air Forces 5th Air Force 374th Airlift Wing 374th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Yokota Air Base
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

Emblem of the 459th Bombardment Squadron

The 459th Airlift Squadron (459 AS) is part of the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It operates UH-1 Iroquois and C-12J Huron aircraft providing aeromedical evacuation and search and rescue missions.

History

The first C-12J arriving at Yokota Air Base, 29 June 2007.

The 459th conducted replacement training from 1942–1944 and participated in combat in the Western Pacific from, c. 12 April 1945 – 14 August 1945.

It provided intratheater airlift in Southeast Asia from, January 1967-May 1970. The squadron conducted airlift of key Department of Defense personnel from, April 1975-March 1978, aeromedical airlift from, March 1978-November 1991, and operational support airlift since December 1991.

Lineage

• Constituted as 459 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 1 Jul 1942

Activated on 6 Jul 1942

Inactivated on 1 Apr 1944

• Redesignated 459 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, and activated on 1 Apr 1944

Inactivated on 21 Dec 1945

• Redesignated 459 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 26 May 1952

Activated in the Reserve on 14 Jun 1952

Inactivated on 14 Jul 1952

• Redesignated 459 Troop Carrier Squadron, and activated, on 12 Oct 1966

Organized on 1 Jan 1967

Redesignated 459 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Aug 1967

Inactivated on 1 Jun 1970

• Consolidated (1 Dec 1991) with the 1400 Military Airlift Squadron, which was designated, and activated, on 1 Apr 1975.

Redesignated 459 Airlift Squadron on 1 Dec 1991

Inactivated on 1 Oct 1993

Activated on 1 Oct 1993.

Assignments

• 330 Bombardment Group, 6 Jul 1942-1 Apr 1944; 1 Apr 1944-21 Dec 1945
• 330 Troop Carrier Group, 14 Jun-14 Jul 1952
• Pacific Air Forces, 12 Oct 1966
• 483 Troop Carrier (later, 483 Tactical Airlift) Wing, 1 Jan 1967-1 Jun 1970
• 89 Military Airlift Wing (later, 89 Military Airlift Group), 1 Apr 1975
• 375 Aeromedical (later, 375 Military) Airlift Wing, 15 Mar 1978
• 375 Operations Group, 1 Dec 1991
• 22 Operations Group, 1 Apr-1 Oct 1993
• 374 Operations Group, 1 Oct 1993-Present

Bases stationed

• Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, 6 Jul 1942
• Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 1 Aug 1942
• Biggs Field, Texas, 2 Sep 1942
• Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 29 Nov 1942
• Biggs Field, Texas, 5 Apr 1943-1 Apr 1944
• Walker Army Airfield, Kansas, 1 Apr 1944
• Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 25 May 1944
• Walker Army Airfield, Kansas, 1 Aug 1944-7 Jan 1945

• North Field, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 18 Feb-19 Nov 1945
• Camp Anza, California, c. 18-27 Dec 1945
• March AFB, California, 27 Jun 1949-16 Jun 1951
• Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pennsylvania, 14 Jun-14 Jul 1952
• Cam Ranh Air Base, South Vietnam, 1 Jan 1966-30 Apr 1972

Detachment at Don Muang Airport, Thailand

• Andrews AFB, Maryland, 1 Apr 1975-Present
• Yokota Air Base, Japan, 1 Oct 1993-Present

Aircraft operated

• B-17 Flying Fortress (1942, 1944)
• B-24 Liberator (1942–1944)
• B-29 Superfortress (1944–1945)
• C-7 Caribou (1967–1970)

• T-39 Sabreliner (1975–1984)
• C-12 Huron (1984–1992)
• C-21 (1985–2007)
• C-12 Huron (2007–Present)
• UH-1 Iroquois ( – Present)

Operations

• World War II
• Vietnam War

References

• USAF 459th Airlift Squadron History
• 374th Operations Group