97th Airlift Squadron

97th Airlift Squadron
97th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	25 May 1943 - 18 October 1945 15 September 1947 - 4 May 1951 15 June 1952 - 1 July 1957 16 November 1957 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command 4th Air Force 446th Airlift Wing 446th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	McChord Air Force Base
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

The 97th Airlift Squadron (97 AS) is part of the 446th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.

Mission

Train and equip C-17 aircrews for global air-land and airdrop operations.

History

During World War II the 97th participated in Allies airborne assaults on Normandy, southern France, the Netherlands, and Germany as well as the relief of Bastogne and the transportation of cargo and personnel in the European Theater of Operations and Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

It trained for troop carrier missions from 1947-1951 and for fighter-bomber operations from 1952-1957. The squadron has conducted worldwide airlift since 1957 including Supporting contingency operations in Panama, 1989-1990, and in southwest Asia, 1990-1991.

Lineage

• Constituted 97 Troop Carrier Squadron on 25 May 1943

Activated on 1 Jul 1943

Inactivated on 18 Oct 1945

• Activated in the Reserve on 15 Sep 1947

Re-designated: 97 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 27 Jun 1949

Ordered to active duty on 1 May 1951

Inactivated on 4 May 1951

• Re-designated: 97 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 26 May 1952

Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jun 1952

Inactivated on 1 Jul 1957

• Re-designated: 97 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 24 Oct 1957

Activated in the Reserve on 16 Nov 1957

Ordered to active duty on 28 Oct 1962

Relieved from active duty on 28 Nov 1962

Re-designated: 97 Air Transport Squadron, Heavy on 1 Dec 1965

Re-designated: 97 Military Airlift Squadron on 1 Jan 1966

Ordered to active duty on 26 Jan 1968

Relieved from active duty on 2 Jun 1969

Re-designated: 97 Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 25 Jul 1969

Re-designated: 97 Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 Feb 1992

Re-designated: 97 Airlift Squadron on 1 Oct 1994.

Assignments

• 440 Troop Carrier Group, 1 Jul 1943-18 Oct 1945
• 440 Troop Carrier Group, 15 Sep 1947-4 May 1951
• 440 Fighter-Bomber Group, 15 Jun 1952-1 Jul 1957
• 440 Troop Carrier Group, 16 Nov 1957
• 349 Troop Carrier Group, 25 Mar 1958
• 349 Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959
• 941 Troop Carrier (later, 941 Air Transport; 941 Military Airlift) Group, 11 Feb 1963
• 939 Military Airlift Group, 25 Jul 1969
• 446 Military Airlift (later, 446 Airlift) Wing, 1 Jul 1973
• 446 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992-Present

Stations

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Aircraft

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• C-47 Skytrain (1942–1945, 1946–1948)
• C-54 Skymaster (1948–1949)
• C-82 Packet (1949–1953)
• C-119 Flying Boxcar (1953–1960)
• VT-29A (1969–1970)

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• C-131 Samaritan (1969–1970)
• C-23 (1984–1990)
• C-141 Starlifter (1990–2003)
• C-17 Globemaster III (2003 – Present)

Operations

• World War II
• Operation Overlord
• Operation Dragoon
• Operation Market Garden
• Operation Vittles
• Vietnam War
• Operation Just Cause
• Operation Urgent Fury
• Operation Desert Shield
• Operation Desert Storm
• Operation Joint Endeavor
• Operation Joint Forge
• Operation Enduring Freedom
• Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Operation Deep Freeze

References

• Official USAF 97th Airlift Squadron History