37th Airlift Squadron

37th Airlift Squadron
37th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	2 February 1942 - 18 June 1957 17 May 1966 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	United States Air Forces in Europe 3rd Air Force 86th Airlift Wing 86th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Ramstein Air Base
Nickname(s)	Blue Tail Flies
Engagements	Operation Overlord Operation Market Garden Battle of Pakchon Operation Tomahawk
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

A C-47 from the 37th TCS in June 1944.

A 37th TAS C-130E at RAF Mildenhall, in 1984.

C-130E 37th AS

The 37th Airlift Squadron (37 AS) is part of the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It operates C-130J Super Hercules aircraft providing theater airlfit.

Mission

Conduct airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation operations .

History

During World War II the 37th participated in airborne assaults on Normandy, Holland, and Germany, and transportation of passengers and cargo in European Theater of Operations and Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

In the Korean War the squadron flew airborne assaults at Sukchon and Munsan-ni and aerial transportation between Japan and Korea.

While deployed in Taiwan, crews of the 37th flew to Hanoi on 17 February 1973 in support of Operation Homecoming, the repatriation of American prisoners of war to Clark Air Base, Philippines, on 5 March 1973. It conducted airlift operations during Operation Desert Shield in Southwest Asia, 14 August 1990–29 March 1991. It airdropped humanitarian supplies in Operation Provide Comfort for the relief of fleeing Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq, April–May 1991. The 37th flew airlift and airdrop missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina for Operation Provide Promise from July 1992-January 1996.

In November 2009, the 37th gave up its last C-130E and now flies only C-130J models.[1]

Lineage

• Constituted as 37 Transport Squadron on 2 Feb 1942

Activated on 14 Feb 1942

Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942

Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 23 Jun 1948

Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 8 Oct 1949

Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 28 Jan 1950

Inactivated on 8 May 1952

• Activated on 8 May 1952

Inactivated on 18 Jun 1957

• Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron, and activated on 17 May 1966

Organized on 1 Oct 1966

Re-designated as: 37 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 May 1967

Re-designated as: 37 Airlift Squadron on 1 Apr 1992.

Assignments

• 316 Transport (later 316 Troop Carrier) Group, 14 Feb 1942-8 May 1952

Attached to 314 Troop Carrier Group, 21 Aug 1950-8 May 1952

• 316 Troop Carrier Group, 8 May 1952-18 Jun 1957
• Tactical Air Command, 17 May 1966
• 316 Troop Carrier (later, 316 Tactical Airlift) Wing, 1 Oct 1966
• 317 Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 Sep 1975
• 435 Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Oct 1977
• 435 Tactical Airlift Group, 15 Dec 1978
• 435 Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Jun 1980
• 435 Operations Group, 1 Apr 1992
• 86 Operations Group, 1 Oct 1994-Present

Stations

• Patterson Field, Ohio, 15 Jun 1942
• Bowman Field, Kentucky, 16 Jun 1942
• Lawson Field, Georgia, 9 Aug 1942
• Del Valle Army Airbase, Texas, 29 Sep-10 Nov 1942
• RAF Deversoir, Egypt, 23 Nov 1942
• RAF El Adem, Egypt, 10 Dec 1942
• RAF Fayid, Egypt, Jan 1943
• Nouvion Airfield, Algeria, 10 May 1943
• Guercif Airfield, French Morocco, 28 May 1943
• Enfidaville Airfield, Tunisia, 24 Jun 1943
• Mazzara Airfield, Sicily, 1 Sep 1943
• Borizzo Airfield, Sicily, 18 Oct 1943-16 Feb 1944
• RAF Cottesmore (AAF-489), England, Feb 1944-May 1945
• Pope Field, North Carolina, May 1945
• Greenville AAB (later, AFB), SC, 30 Jul 1946
• Smyrna (later, Sewart) AFB, TN, 4 Nov 1949-4 Sep 1950
• Ashiya AB, Japan, c. 11 Sep 1950

• Komaki AB, Japan

Operated from Ashiya AB, Japan), 29 Nov 1950

• Ashiya AB, Japan, 11 Feb-8 May 1952
• Sewart AFB, TN, 8 May 1952-15 Nov 1954
• Ashiya AB, Japan, 15 Nov 1954-18 Jun 1957
• Langley AFB, VA, 1 Oct 1966-30 Sep 1977

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 24 Nov 1968-26 Feb 1969

Deployed at: Rhein-Main AB, Germany, 13 Jul-26 Sep 1969

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 24 Feb-11 May 1970

Deployed at: Rhein-Main AB, Germany, 7 Feb-13 Apr 1971

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 13 Jan-14 Mar 1972

Deployed at: Ching Chaun Kang AB, Taiwan, 6 Dec 1972-15 Mar 1973

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 31 Aug-c. 1 Oct 1973

Deployed at: Rhein-Main AB, Germany, 5 Apr-15 Jun 1975

• Rhein-Main AB, Germany, 1 Oct 1977
• Ramstein AB, Germany, 1 Oct 1994-Present

Aircraft

• C-47 Skytrain (1942–1947)
• C-109 Liberator Express (1944–1945)
• C-46 Commando (1946–1947)
• C-82 Packet (1947–1950)

• C-119 Flying Boxcar (1950–1957)
• C-130 Hercules (1966–2010)
• C-130J Super Hercules (April 7, 2009–Present)

Operations

• World War II
• Korean War
• Operation Desert Shield
• Operation Provide Comfort
• Operation Provide Promise
• Operation Iraqi Freedom

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
• USAF 37th Airlift Squadron History