135th Airlift Squadron

135th Airlift Squadron
135th Airlift Squadron - C-27J Spartan
Active	1955-Present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Airlift
Part of	Maryland Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Warfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Maryland
Nickname(s)	Baltimore's Best
Tail Code	"Baltimore" Black/Yellow tailstirpe
Insignia
135th Airlift Squadron emblem

The 135th Airlift Squadron (135 ARS) is a unit of the Maryland Air National Guard 135th Airlift Group located at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Maryland. The 135th is equipped with the C-27J Spartan.

Mission

Operates combat-ready aircrew and aircraft to mobilize, deploy and provide intra-theater C-27J aircraft in support of U.S. interests worldwide. Supports theater commanders’ requirements for combat delivery capability through tactical airland/airdrop operations and humanitarian aeromedical evacuations.

Heraldry

Symbolism: Ultramarine blue and golden yellow are the Air Force colors and symbolize that the unit is a part of the Air Force. The escutcheon portrays the coat of arms of the State of Maryland and signifies the home location of the unit. The crossed jousting lances reflect the military preparedness of the squadron and allude the Maryland state sport.

Background: Designed by Lt Col Ronald James and approved for the 135th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 3 October 1990. Re-designated for the 135th Airlift Squadron in 1992. The motto, "Baltimore's Best" was suggested by Master Sgt. Lee Cherry and arose from the unit having been recognized by the Baltimore Is Best Committee on 18 February 1987. This insignia superseded one approved by the Air Force for the squadron in October 1960.

History

Established in September 1955 as a new Maryland Air National Guard unit with no previous United States Air Force history or lineage by the National Guard Bureau. Activated on 10 September at Harbor Field, Baltimore, Maryland and assigned to the 135th Air Resupply Group. Allocated to Military Air Transport Service (MATS), and equipped with C-46D Commando transports.

The 135th was designated at the time as a "Psychological Warfare" unit which supported USAF unconventional warfare (guerrilla warfare), direct action (commando-type raids), strategic reconnaissance (intelligence gathering), and PSYWAR operations. Was later assigned the Grumman SA-16A Albatross seaplane and for a short time retained the C-46.

In 1960, it relocated to the south side of the Martin Company Airport (now the Martin State Airport) in Middle River Maryland. Reassigned to Tactical Air Command in 1962 and re-designated as an Air Commando squadron in line with President Kennedy's initiative to bolster the United States military special forces during the early involvement in the Vietnam War. At the time it was one of a handful of Air National Guard units nationwide with a special operations mission, which included covert infiltration, resupply and exfiltration of special operations troops.

It remained a special operations-type unit until 1971, when it was reorganized as a tactical air support unit. In this role, it was tasked with providing Forward Air Controllers to direct air strikes in support of troops on the ground.

In 1977 it was again reorganized, this time as a tactical airlift unit as part of a general program to upgrade Air National Guard units. Was assigned the C-7A Caribou light transport, the aircraft being Vietnam War veterans. In 1980, the unit converted to the C-130B Hercules. In 1981, it moved across the field to join other Maryland Air National Guard units based on the north side of the field. The military facilities are named Warfield Air National Guard Base. The 135th participated in humanitarian relief efforts in Somalia, peacekeeping and humanitarian relief in Bosnia, the U.S. intervention in Haiti and the enforcement of U.N. sanctions against Iraq during the 1990s.

BRAC 2005 saw the C-130J aircraft of the squadron being transferred to the 146th Airlift Wing (ANG), Channel Islands AGS, CA (four aircraft), and 143d Airlift Wing (ANG), Quonset State Airport AGS, RI (four aircraft). In 2011, the first C-27J Spartan light transport was received. The squadron will obtain four of the C-27Js.

Lineage

• Designated: 135th Air Resupply Squadron, and allotted to Maryland ANG in September 1955

Extended federal recognition on 10 September 1955

Re-designated: 135th Air Commando Squadron, 1 July 1962

Re-designated: 135th Special Operations Squadron, 15 June 1968

Re-designated: 135th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 1 July 1971

Re-designated: 135th Tactical Airlift Squadron, 1 July 1977

Re-designated: 135th Airlift Squadron, 16 March 1992

Assignments

• 135th Air Resupply Group, 10 September 1955
• Maryland Air National Guard, 1 July 1958

Gained by Military Air Transport Service

• 135th Air Commando Group, 1 July 1962
• 135th Special Operations Group, 15 June 1968
• 135th Tactical Air Support Group, 1 July 1971
• 135th Tactical Airlift Group, 1 July 1977
• 135th Airlift Group, 16 March 1992
• 175th Operations Group, 1 April 1996
• 135th Airlift Group, 1 May 1999-Present

Stations

• Baltimore Municipal Airport, Maryland, 10 September 1955
• Martin State Airport, Maryland, 1 July 1960

Designated: Warfield Air National Guard Base, Maryland, 1991-Present

Aircraft

• C-46D Commando, 1955-1958
• HU-16A Albatross, 1956-1962
• HU-16B Albatross, 1957-1971
• U-10 Super Courier, 1963-1972
• U-6A Bever, 1965-1967
• O-2A Super Skymaster, 1971-1977

• C-7A Caribou, 1977-1980
• C-130B Hercules, 1980-1989
• C-130E Hercules, 1989-2000
• C-130J Hercules, 1999-2011
• C-27J Spartan, 2011-Present

References

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

External links

• Maryland National Guard
• 175th Wing
• Maryland Military Historical Society