109th Airlift Squadron

109th Airlift Squadron
109th Airlift Squadron Emblem
Active	1922-Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Airlift
Part of	Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command
Garrison/HQ	Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Engagements	World War II

The 109th Airlift Squadron flies the C-130H Hercules. It is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 133rd Airlift Wing.

Mission

The 109th Airlift Squadron provides the U.S. Air Force with tactical airlift of troops, cargo, and medical patients anywhere in the world. Additionally, the 109th Airlift Squadron is prepared to support the State of Minnesota with troops and aircraft assets capable of assisting in a disaster.

History

109th Airlift Squadron C-130 in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, prior to airlifting the Mars Institute Humvee

The 109th Squadron, National Guard (34th ID) was federally recognized by the War Department on January 17, 1921. It was the first aviation National Guard squadron to receive federal recognition following World War I. It began flight operations, flying the JN-6H "Jennys" in 1923. It was called to federal duty in 1941 (World War II). The 109th Observation Squadron was assigned to the 67th Observation Group at Esler Field, LA in Aug 1941. The Squadron flew antisubmarine patrols along the east coast of the USA after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The 109th was transferred to the European theatre Aug-Oct 1942, becoming part of the Eighth Air Force and then in late 1943 it came under the command of the Ninth Air Force. In May 1943 remained the 109th Reconnaissance Squadron and then the 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in Nov 1943 and then another name change in 1945 to the 109th Reconnaissance Squadron. In addition to flying photo reconnaissance missions in support of the strategic bombing missions in the ETO, the 109th flew photo reconnaissance missions in preparation for the D-Day landing at Normandy. The Squadron, also, flew photo reconnaissance missions over the V-1 bomb sites in France. The Squadron returned to the USA in September 1945 and was disbanded in March 1946. Following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force in 1947 the Squadron, again, received federal recognition and was assigned to the Minnesota Air National Guard. The Squadron was called up in 1951 (Korea), stationed at Wold-Chamberlain Airport in Minneapolis, MN. The primary mission of the 109th during this period was air defense in support of NORAD. Again the 109th was called up for the 1961 Berlin Crisis. By this time the 109th was flying the C-97G in support of a worldwide airlift mission. During the Vietnam War, the 109th flew numerous airlift missions each month into Vietnam on a volunteer basis. It was, again, called up and deployed for "Iraqi Freedom". Today, it is one of the premier Air National Guard airlift squadron's in the country.

History

Lineage

• Organized as 109th Aero Squadron on 27 Aug 1917

Re-designated 803d Aero Squadron on 1 Feb 1918

Demobilized on 23 Jun 1919

• Reconstituted and consolidated (1936) with 109th Squadron which, having been allotted to Minnesota NG, was organized on 17 Jan 1921

Re-designated 109th Observation Squadron on 25 Jan 1923

Ordered to active service on 10 Feb 1941

Re-designated: 109th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 Jan 1942

Re-designated: 19th Observation Squadron on 4 Jul 1942

Re-designated: 109th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 31 May 1943;

Re-designated: 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 Nov 1943

Inactivated on 9 Nov 1945

• Re-designated 109th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to Minnesota ANG, 24 May 1946

Extended federal recognition and activated on 28 August 1947

Federalized and placed on active duty, 2 March 1951

Re-designated: 109th Fighter Squadron (Single Engine), 2 March 1951

Released from active duty and returned to Minnesota state control, 1 December 1952

Re-designated 109th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1953

Re-designated 109th Airlift Squadron, 1960

Re-designated 109th Tactical Airlift Squadron, 1975

Re-designated 109th Airlift Squadron, 1992–Present

Assignments

• Unknown: 27 Aug 1917-Jan 1918
• Air Service Production Center No. 2, Jan 1918-Jun 1919
• Minnesota National Guard (divisional aviation, 34th Division) , 17 Jan 1921
• V Army Corps, 10 Feb 1941;

With Observation (later Reconnaissance; Tactical Reconnaissance; Reconnaissance) Group, 1 Sep 1941-9 Nov 1945

• Minnesota Air National Guard, 24 May 1946

133d Fighter Group, (ADC) 28 August 1947

133d Fighter Group, (ConAC) 1 Dec 1948

133d Fighter Group, (ADC) 1 Jan 1951

Federalized and placed on active duty under Air Defense Command, 2 March 1951

133d Fighter-Interceptor Group, 2 March 1951

31st Air Division (CADF), 6 February 1952

Released from active duty and returned to Minnesota state control, 1 December 1952

133d Fighter Group (ADC), 1 December 1952

133d Fighter-Interceptor Group (ADC), 1956

133d Air Transport Group (MATS), 1960

133d Military Airlift Group (MAC), 1966

133d Tactical Airlift Group (MAC), 1975

133d Airlift Group (AMC), 1992

133d Airlift Wing (AMC), 1995-Present

Stations

• Kelly Field, Tex, 27 Aug 1917
• Garden City, NY, 1 Nov-7 Dec 1917
• St Maixent, France, 2 Jan 1918
• Romorantin, France, 18 Jan 1918~Jun 1919
• Mitchel Field, NY, c. 13-23 Jun 1919
• Curtiss Field (Snelling Ave. and Larpenter Ave., St. Paul), St. Paul, Minnesota (1921–1922)
• Speedway Field (Changed to Wold-Chamberlain Field (1923) Now Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport), St. Paul, Minnesota (1922–1930)
• Holman Field (Now Downtown St. Paul Airport), St. Paul, Minnesota (1930–1941)
• Camp Beauregard Army Field, La, 27 Feb 1941
• Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia, 18 Dec 1941
• Esler Army Airfield, La, 29 Jan-12 Aug 1942
• RAF Membury, England, 7 Sep 1942
• RAF Atcham, England, 21 Nov 1942

• RAF Membury, England, 15 May 1943
• RAF Middle Wallop, England, 12 Dec 1943
• Le Molay Airfield (A-9), France, 4 Jul 1943
• Toussus-le-Noble Airport (A-46), France, 29 Aug 1944;
• Buc Airfield, France, c. 31 Aug 1944
• Gosselies, Belgium, 20 Sep 1944

Operated from Chievres Airfield (A-84), Belgium, 7-18 Dec 1944)

• Vogelsang, Germany, 24 Mar 1945
• Limburg, Germany, 2 Apr 1945
• Eschwege, Germany, 12 Apr-c. 6 Jul 1945
• Drew Field, Fla, 16 Sep-9 Nov 1945.
• Holman Field (Now Downtown St. Paul Airport), St. Paul, Minnesota (1945–1958)
• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, St. Paul, Minnesota (1958–Present)

Aircraft Operated

• C-130H Hercules (1995–Present)
• C-130E Hercules (1981–1995)
• C-130A Hercules (1971–1981)
• C-97G Stratofreighter (1960–1971)
• F-89H Scorpion (1958–1960)
• F-94C Starfire (1957–1960)
• F-94A-B Starfire (1956–1957)
• T-28A Trojan (1954–1955)
• F-51D Mustang (1947–1954)

• T-6A Texan (1947–1954)
• O-47 (1938–1942)
• BC-1 (1938–1941)
• O-38E (1935–1938)
• O-38B (1930–1938)
• JNS-1 (JN-6) Jenny (1922–1927)
• JN-4H Jenny (1922–1927)
• Curtiss Oriole (Leased)(1921)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
• Maurer, Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force: World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1982.

External links

• Minnesota Air National Guard Units