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===Ohio Air National Guard===
===Ohio Air National Guard===
The wartime 363d Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 164th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport, Ohio, and was extended federal recognition on 20 June 1948 by the National Guard Bureau. The 164th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 363d Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was assigned to the Ohio ANG 55th Fighter Wing, operationally gained by Continental Air Command.
The wartime 363d Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 164th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport, Ohio, and was extended federal recognition on 20 June 1948 by the National Guard Bureau. The 164th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 363d Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was assigned to the Ohio ANG 55th Fighter Wing, operationally gained by Continental Air Command.

With the formation and federal recognition of the Ohio ANG 121st Fighter Group at Lockbourne Field, near Columbus, the squadron was reassigned. The mission of the 164th Fighter Squadron was the air defense of Ohio. Parts were no problem and many of the maintenance personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high and the planes were often much better maintained than their USAF counterparts. In some ways, the postwar Air National Guard was almost like a flying country club and a pilot could often show up at the field, check out an aircraft and go flying. However, the unit also had regular military exercises that kept up proficiency and in gunnery and bombing contests they would often score at least as well or better than active-duty USAF units, given the fact that most ANG pilots were World War II combat veterans.


===Lineage===
===Lineage===
Line 86: Line 88:
* [[357th Fighter Group]], 1 Dec 1942-20 Aug 1946
* [[357th Fighter Group]], 1 Dec 1942-20 Aug 1946
* 55th Fighter Wing, 20 June 1948
* 55th Fighter Wing, 20 June 1948
* [[121st Fighter Group]], 1 November 1950
* [[121st Fighter Group]], 26 June 1948
* [[Ohio Air National Guard]], 10 February 1951
* [[Ohio Air National Guard]], 10 February 1951
: Gained by: [[Eastern Air Defense Force]], [[Air Defense Command]]
: Gained by: [[Eastern Air Defense Force]], [[Air Defense Command]]

Revision as of 17:26, 11 November 2012

164th Airlift Squadron
164th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-27J Spartan flies above the runway at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Oct. 17, 2011
Active1942-Present
Country United States
Branch  Air National Guard
TypeSquadron
RoleTactial Airlift
Part ofOhio Air National Guard
Garrison/HQMansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base, Mansfield, Ohio
Tail Code"Mansfield"
Insignia
164th Airlift Squadron emblem

The 164th Airlift Squadron (164 AS) is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard 179th Airlift Wing located at Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base, Mansfield, Ohio. The 164th is equipped with the C-27J Spartan.

History

World War II

Established as the 363d Fighter Squadron at Hamilton Field, California in December 1942. Began training on the P-39 at Tonopah AAF, Nevada. Except for a very few veterans, all pilots and ground personnel were recently out of Air Force training schools. Seven months later, in October 1943, the squadron was ready for overseas deployment to Europe.

Arrived in England at the turn of 1943/44 and was committed to combat on 11 February 1944. Assigned to VIII Figher Command, mission was to fly escort for heavy bombers during combat missions over occupied Europe. Equipped with various models of the P-51 Mustang. Flew first allied fighter sorties over Berlin on 4 March 1944. In August, escorted a fleet of B-17s to Poltava Air Base, Ukraine then to bases in Southern Italy and back to England on one of the Operation Frantic shuttle missions. During Operation Market-Garden airborne landing at Arnhem in September, the squadron eganged in air-to-air combat against Luftwaffe fighters. On 14 January 1945 brought what will always be "THE BIG DAY". During a massive air battle in the Berlin area, 357th Fighter Group pilots shot down 55 1/2 German fighters. No other fighter group has even come close to this score.

Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe army of occupation in Germany during 1945. Inactivated in Germany during August 1946.

Ohio Air National Guard

The wartime 363d Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 164th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport, Ohio, and was extended federal recognition on 20 June 1948 by the National Guard Bureau. The 164th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 363d Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was assigned to the Ohio ANG 55th Fighter Wing, operationally gained by Continental Air Command.

With the formation and federal recognition of the Ohio ANG 121st Fighter Group at Lockbourne Field, near Columbus, the squadron was reassigned. The mission of the 164th Fighter Squadron was the air defense of Ohio. Parts were no problem and many of the maintenance personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high and the planes were often much better maintained than their USAF counterparts. In some ways, the postwar Air National Guard was almost like a flying country club and a pilot could often show up at the field, check out an aircraft and go flying. However, the unit also had regular military exercises that kept up proficiency and in gunnery and bombing contests they would often score at least as well or better than active-duty USAF units, given the fact that most ANG pilots were World War II combat veterans.

Lineage

  • Constituted 363d Fighter Squadron and activated, on 1 December 1942
Inactivated on 20 August 1946.
  • Re-designated: 164th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to Ohio ANG, on 21 August 1946.
Extended federal recognition on 20 June 1948
Re-designated: 164th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 5 November 1952
Re-designated: 164th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 10 November 1958
Federalized and ordered to active service on: 1 October 1961
Released from active duty and returned to Ohio state control, 31 August 1962
Re-designated: 164th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 5 January 1976
Re-designated: 164th Airlift Squadron on 15 March 1992
Components designated as: 164th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron when deployed as part of an Air and Space Expeditionary unit after June 1996.

Assignments

Gained by: Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command
Elements attached to: 7122d Tactical Wing (Special Delivery), 1 October 1961-31 August 1962

Stations

Ohio Air National Guard deployments

Aircraft

References

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

External links


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