357th Airlift Squadron

357th Airlift Squadron
357th Airlift Squadron
	357th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	28 January 1942 – 15 April 1946 ; 14 June 1952 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command ; 22d Air Force ; 908th Airlift Wing ; 908th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Maxwell Air Force Base
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation ; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

The 357th Airlift Squadron (357 AS) is part of the 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. It operates C-130 Hercules aircraft providing global airlfit.

History

Activated in early 1942 as a B-24 Liberator Operational Training Unit (OTU), later becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for deployed combat units, assigned to II Bomber Command. Inactivated in April 1944 when heavy bomber training ended.

Redgesignated as a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment Squadron under Second Air Force on 1 April 1944 at Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas. Initially equipped with B-17 Flying Fortresses for training, due to shortage of B-29 Superfortresses. Moved to Harvard Army Airfield, Nebraska, in August 1944 and equipped with B-29B limited production aircraft.

After completion of training deployed to Central Pacific Area (CPA), assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Northwest Field (Guam) for operational missions. B-29Bs were standard production aircraft stripped of most defensive guns to increase speed and bomb load, The tail gun was aimed and fired automatically by the new AN/APG-15B radar fire control system that detected the approaching enemy plane and made all the necessary calculations.

Mission of the squadron was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands. Dntered combat on 16 June 1945 with a bombing raid against an airfield on Moen. Flew first mission against the Japanese home islands on 26 June 1945 and afterwards operated principally against the enemy's petroleum industry. Flew primarily low-level, fast attacks at night using a mixture of high-explosive and incendary bombs to attack targets.

Flew last combat mission on 15 August 1945, later flew in "Show of Force" mission on 2 September 1945 over Tokyo Bay during formal Japanese Surrender. Inactivated on Guam 15 April 1946, personnel returned to the United States and aircraft sent to storage in Southwest United States.

It trained for C-54 airlift operations from 1949 to 1950 and for troop carrier missions from 1952 to 1967. The squadron airlifted troops and their equipment during the Cuban Missile Crisis, October–November 1962.

The squadron has flown numerous, worldwide airlift missions, including missions in the Gulf War and the Bosnian relief effort.

Operations and Decorations

Combat Operations: Combat in Western Pacific, 23 Jun-14 Aug 1945.
Campaigns: Air Offensive; Japan; Eastern Mandates; Western Pacific.
Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citation: Japan, 22–29 July 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 July 1972 – 15 March 1974; 1 January 1976 – 30 November 1977; 1 February 1980 – 31 January 1982; 1 September 1986 – 31 August 1988; 1 September 1991 – 31 August 1993.

Lineage

Constituted 357th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 1 June 1942

Inactivated on 10 April 1944

Redesignated 357th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 27 June 1944

Activated on 7 July 1944

Inactivated on 15 April 1946

Redesignated 357th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 26 May 1952

Activated in the Reserve on 14 June 1952

Ordered to active duty on 28 October 1962

Relieved from active service on 28 November 1962

Redesignated: 357th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 July 1967

Redesignated: 357th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 25 April 1969

Redesignated: 357th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 15 December 1971

Redesignated: 357th Airlift Squadron on 1 February 1992.

Assignments

302d Bombardment Group, 1 June 1942 – 10 April 1944
331st Bombardment Group, 7 July 1944 – 15 April 1946
302d Troop Carrier Group, 14 June 1952
445th Troop Carrier Group, 16 November 1957
446th Troop Carrier Group, 25 March 1958
446th Troop Carrier Wing, 14 April 1959
302d Troop Carrier Wing, 8 May 1961
908th Troop Carrier (later, 908 Tactical Airlift; 908 Tactical Air Support 908th Tactical Airlift; 908 Airlift) Group, 11 February 1963
908th Operations Group, 1 August 1992–.

Bases stationed

Geiger Field, Washington, 1 June 1942
Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 23 June 1942
Wendover Field, Utah, 30 July 1942
Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado, 30 September 1942
Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 1 December 1942
Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico, 29 January 1943
Langley Field, Virginia, 17 December 1943
Chatham Army Airfield, Georgia, 27 January-10 April 1944
Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 7 July 1944

McCook Army Airfield, Nebraska, 22 November 1944 – 8 April 1945
Northwest Field, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 12 May 1945 – 15 April 1946
Clinton County AFB, Ohio, 14 June 1952
Donaldson AFB, South Carolina, 16 November 1957
New Orleans NAS, Louisiana, 25 March 1958
Bates Field, Alabama, 8 May 1961
Brookley AFB, Alabama, 1 October 1964
Maxwell AFB, Alabama, 25 April 1969 – present

Aircraft operated

B-24 Liberator (1942–1944)
B-17 Flying Fortress (1944)
B-29B Superfortress (1945–1946)
C-46 Commando (1952–1957)
C-119 Flying Boxcar (1956–1969)

U-3 (1969–1970)
O-2 Skymaster (1970–1971)
C-7 Caribou (1971–1983)
C-130 Hercules (1983 – present)

Aircraft flying in this unit

C-130
85-0039(H) (Jul'92)

References

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

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
USAF 357th Airlift Squadron History

External links