3rd Airlift Squadron

3rd Airlift Squadron
3d Airlift Squadron C-17A Globemaster III
Active	1942–1943; 1952–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Strategic Airlift
Part of	Air Mobility Command
Garrison/HQ	Dover Air Force Base, Delaware
Motto(s)	Safe, Swift, Sure Third but First
Engagements	Asia-Pacific Theater (World War II) Southwest Asia Service Defense of Saudi Arabia Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (13x) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant Colonel Edward Szczepanik
Notable commanders	William J. Begert

The 3rd Airlift Squadron is a squadron of the 436th Airlift Wing of the USAF. It is based at Dover Air Force Base near Dover, Delaware.

History

World War II

The squadron goes back to the days of World War II when it was activated at Pope Field, North Carolina, in March 1942, as the 3d Air Corps Ferrying Squadron. Two months later, the 3d moved to India, where it was stationed at Chabua Airfield, Upper Assam, India. It was part of the India-China Wing of Air Transport Command and carried supplies and equipment back and forth across The Hump. The squadron was disbanded in late 1943.

Strategic airlift

Douglas C-74 Globemaster 42-65402, 3rd ATS, early 1950s

During the Korean War, the 3rd was reconstituted at Brookley Air Force Base, Alabama as the 3d Air Transport Squadron, and began flying regularly scheduled airlift missions in its eight Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIs to the Arctic, Caribbean, and South America. In June 1958, the squadron moved to Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, where it continued to fly C-124s until August 1965, when it transitioned into jets with the arrival of the first Lockheed C-141 Starlifter.

In June 1970, the squadron, now the 3rd Military Airlift Squadron received the first operational Lockheed C-5 Galaxy to be assigned to a Military Airlift Command (MAC) flying organization. Three years later, the 3d moved to its present home with the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base. Aircrews of the 3d flew support missions for French troops in the Zaire peacekeeping effort. For their efforts, they were co-recipients with a 9th Military Airlift Squadron crew of the Mackay Trophy for the 1978 airlift operation. The 3d proved itself and the C-5 by setting MAC records for departure reliability. In 1986, the 3d received the 436th Military Airlift Wing's Flying Eagle award four times for having the highest percentage of on-time departures in the wing.

In April 1988, a 3d crew, overcoming the difficulties of flying into unfamiliar territory, airlifted drilling equipment into Semipalitinsk, in the Soviet Union. The mission was part of a joint nuclear weapons detonation monitoring agreement signed by the United States and the Soviet Union. The crew was subsequently awarded the Mackay Trophy for the "most meritorious flight of the year".

The 3rd continues its distinct history and support of Air Mobility Command by flying humanitarian and contingency missions into such places as Southwest Asia, Somalia, Rwanda, and Haiti. The squadron participated in the first-ever six-ship formation flights of C-5's in support of the Strategic Brigade Airdrop Test. In October 2003 a crew from the 3rd Airlift Squadron landed the first Galaxy in Iraq at Baghdad International Airport. Until 2004 the unit was also the only Special Operations Low Level capable unit to fly the C-5 Galaxy. This capability was transferred to the smaller and more modern C-17 in 2001.

In 2007 the 3rd Squadron transitioned from operation of the C-5 to the newer Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 3rd Air Corps Ferrying Squadron on 18 February 1942

Activated on 7 March 1942

Redesignated 3rd Transport Squadron on 24 March 1943

Disbanded on 1 December 1943

• Reconstituted and redesignated 3rd Air Transport Squadron, Heavy on 20 June 1952

Activated on 20 July 1952

Redesignated 3rd Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966

Redesignated 3rd Airlift Squadron on 1 December 1991

Assignments

• 1st Ferrying Group (later 1st Transport Group), 7 March 1942 – 1 December 1943
• 1703rd Air Transport Group, 20 July 1952
• 1700th Air Transport Group, 18 June 1957
• 1608th Air Transport Wing, 24 November 1957
• 1608th Air Transport Group, 18 June 1958
• 1608th Air Transport Wing, 18 January 1963
• 437th Military Airlift Wing, 8 January 1966
• 436th Military Airlift Wing, 1 August 1973
• 436th Operations Group, 1 December 1991 – present

Stations

• Pope Field, North Carolina, 7 March 1942
• Charleston Army Air Base, South Carolina, 17–19 March 1942
• Karachi Airport, India, 15 May 1942
• New Malir Cantonment, India, 17 May 1942
• Chabua Airfield, India, 1 August 1942 – 1 December 1943
• Brookley Air Force Base, Alabama, 20 July 1952
• Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, 18 June 1958
• Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, 1 August 1973 – present

Aircraft

• Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1942–1943
• Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, 1952–1965
• Douglas C-74 Globemaster, 1955
• Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, 1965–1970
• Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, 1970–2007
• Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, 2007–present

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

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

• Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.