61st Airlift Squadron

61st Airlift Squadron
61st Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	13 October 1942 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Mobility Command 18th Air Force 19th Airlift Wing
Garrison/HQ	Little Rock Air Force Base
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

The 61st Airlift squadron is part of the 19th Operations Group and operates C-130 Hercules aircraft from Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. The unit predominantly deploys in support of Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom.

History

World War II

Provided airlift in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and European Theater of Operations (ETO) during World War II, taking part in airborne assaults on Sicily, Normandy, Holland, and Germany (1943-1945).

Cold War

During the Korean War (1950-1953) furnished airlift between Japan and Korea and airdropped paratroops and supplies at Sukchon/Sunchon and Munsan-ni. Transported supplies from the Philippines into Southeast Asia, Dec 1965-Jun 1966. Part of squadron deployed to Vietnam in the summer of 1972 to test the Adverse Weather Aerial Delivery System (AWADS) in combat for the first time. Provided flood relief in the Philippines during same deployment. Airdropped humanitarian relief supplies in northern Iraq, Apr-May 1991.

Modern era

Conducted airdrop and aeromedical evacuation; supported combatant commanders with theater delivery of personnel and supplies, 2000-Present

Lineage

• Constituted as 61st Troop Carrier Squadron on 13 Oct 1942

Activated on 26 Oct 1942

Inactivated on 30 Sep 1946

• Re-designated as 61st Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 20 Sep 1949

Activated on 17 Oct 1949

Re-designated as: 61st Troop Carrier Squadron on 1 Mar 1966

Re-designated as: 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 May 1967

Re-designated as: 61st Airlift Squadron on 1 Dec 1991.

Assignments

• 315 Troop Carrier Group

Attached to: 314 Troop Carrier Group, 26 Oct 1942

• 314 Troop Carrier Group, 15 Mar 1943
• 441 Troop Carrier Group

Attached in Oct 1945

Assigned Dec 1945-30 Sep 1946

• 314 Troop Carrier Group, 17 Oct 1949
• 314 Troop Carrier Wing, 8 Oct 1957
• 839 Air Division, 1 Dec 1965

Attached to Troop Carrier Wing Provisional, 4413, 1 Dec 1965-30 Jun 1966

• 64 Troop Carrier (later 64 Tactical Airlift) Wing, 1 Jul 1966

Attached to: 513 Tactical Airlift Wing, 6 May-11 Aug 1967, 8 Apr-29 Jun 1968, 27 May-6 Jul 1970

Attached to: 322 Tactical Airlift Wing, 21 Oct-19 Dec 1970

• 314 Tactical Airlift Wing, 31 May 1971

Attached to: 374 Tactical Airlift Wing, 16 May-1 Sep 1972

Attached to: 513 Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 Jan-16 Mar 1973

Attached to: 322 Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 Jun-11 Aug 1973, 16 Oct-16 Dec 1974, 15-30 Jun 1975

Attached to: 435 Tactical Airlift Wing, 30 Jun-17 Aug 1975, 5 Mar-17 May 1976, 3 Dec 1976-13 Feb 1977, 5 Jul-9 Sep 1977, 13 Jul-13 Sep 1978

• 314 Tactical Airlift Group, 1 Nov 1978

Attached to: 435 Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 Apr-12 Jun 1980

• 314 Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 Jun 1980

Attached to: 435 Tactical Airlift Wing, 4 Dec 1982-15 Feb 1983

Attached to: 313 Tactical Airlift Group, 8 Aug-10 Oct 1984, 1 Dec 1985-12 Feb 1986, 1 Feb-15 Apr 1987, 3 Apr-15 Jun 1988, 27 Dec 1990-12 May 1991, 3 Feb-6 Apr 1992

• 314 Operations Group, 1 Dec 1991
• 463 Airlift Group, 1 Apr 1997
• 19 Operations Group, 1 Oct 2008-Present

Stations

• Bowman Field, KY, 26 Oct 1942
• Knobnoster, MO, 5 Nov 1942
• Lawson Field, GA, 20 Feb-3 May 1943
• Berguent, French Morocco, May 1943
• Kairouan, Tunisia, 26 Jun 1943
• Castelvetrano, Sicily, 1 Sep 1943-16 Feb 1944
• RAF Saltby, England, 24 Feb 1944
• Poix, France, Feb 1945
• AAF Station Frankfurt, Germany, 15 Oct 1945-30 Sep 1946
• Smyrna (later, Sewart) AFB, TN, 17 Oct 1949-27 Aug 1950
• Ashiya AB, Japan, 4 Sep 1950-15 Nov 1954

• Sewart AFB, TN, 15 Nov 1954

Deployed at: Clark AFB, Philippines, 1 Dec 1965-30 Jun 1966

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 5 May-14 Aug 1967, 28 Mar-29 Jun 1968

• Little Rock AFB, AR, 5 Mar 1970-

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 28 May-7 Jul 1970; 3 Jan-17 Mar 1973, 5 Mar-17 May 1976, 3 Dec 1976-13 Feb 1977, 5 Jul-9 Sep 1977, 13 Jul-13 Sep 1978, 5 Apr-12 Jun 1980, 4 Dec 1982-15 Feb 1983, 8 Aug-10 Oct 1984, 1 Dec 1985-12 Feb 1986, 1 Feb-15 Apr 1987, 3 Apr-15 Jun 1988, 27 Dec 1990-12 May 1991, 3 Feb-6 Apr 1992

Deployed at: Rhein-Main AB, Germany, 12 Oct-19 Dec 1970, 12 Jun-16 Aug 1973, 3 Oct-16 Dec 1974, 15 Jun-17 Aug 1975

Deployed at: Ching Chaun Kang AB, Taiwan, 16 May-1 Sep 1972

Aircraft

• C-53 Skytrooper, 1942-1943
• C-47 Skytrain, 1943-1945
• Waco CG-4A Glider, 1943-1945
• L-4 Grasshopper, 1945

• C-82 Packet, 1949-1950
• C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1950-1957
• C-130 Hercules, 1956-Present

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
• AFHRA 61st Airlift Squadron History