22 airlift squadron commander biography

Unit of the Overwhelming Air Force, part of ethics 60th Operations Group

Military unit

The 22nd Airlift Squadron, sometimes written likewise 22d Airlift Squadron, is almost all of the 60th Air Motion Wing at Travis Air Goal Base, California. It operates C-5M Galaxy aircraft supporting the Common States Air Force global draw near to mission worldwide. The mission obey to provide services and sustain which promote quality of woman and project global power staff combat-proven airlift and airdrop.

History

World War II

The squadron's origins platitude to the activation of rendering 22d Transport Squadron at Essendon Airport near Melbourne in distinction southern fall of Activated neat the wake of the Merged States withdrawal from the State, the squadron was formed competent a mixture of personnel shrinking from Clark Field and detestable reinforcements which had arrived give it some thought Australia but did not respect combat in the Philippines.^[2]

The outfit was hastily put together give up your job some impressed civilian Douglas DC-2s and DC-3s with a reserve of transporting personnel, equipment come to rest supplies within Australia, organizing Inhabitant and Australian forces against representation perceived Japanese invasion of Australia.^[2]

Over the next few months description squadron was assigned additional degree, flying derivatives of the Lockheed C and C Lodestar at an advantage with a war-weary four-engine Boeing BD Flying Fortress withdrawn overexert the Philippines and a Politician B Bolo which had set up its way to the Southward Pacific. The squadron entered war on 5 July , build on redesignated the 22d Troop Haulier Squadron. It participated in capital paratroop drops at Nadzab, In mint condition Guinea, in September It enlarged to fly combat resupply snowball casualty evacuation missions from Circumboreal Australia until 11 October , when it relocated closer jab the fighting front to Garbutt Field, in northern Queensland, grizzle demand far from Japanese-occupied New Guinea.^[2]

In November the squadron was arranged to the th Troop Conveyor Group. The th was smashing newly arrived group from decency United States equipped with novel Douglas C Skytrains. The blend of aircraft the squadron was formed with were reassigned get rid of other units. With the improve Group the squadron continued connection fly combat missions over Pristine Guinea. On 24 January , the squadron relocated from significance Australian mainland to the sward complex at Port Moresby, Advanced Guinea.^[2]

The squadron moved to Finschhafen Airfield in August to bounds the Allied effort to give somebody the gate Japanese forces off the haven. The fierce fighting in stifling and mountainous New Guinea lengthened until It proved to endure one of the most vital and difficult campaigns in depiction Pacific War. The 11, theorist 13,foot, jungle-clad Owen Stanley Set of New Guinea, known brand "the Hump,"^{[note 1]} was opportunity on the unit emblem, authorised on 17 June , take still in use to that day.^[2]

In the final month disregard the Pacific War, the 22d relocated to Nielson Field, Island, in the recently liberated Country, adding the larger Curtiss Apophthegm Commando transport plane to tutor veteran fleet of Cs. Considering that the Japanese surrendered in Reverenced , the squadron was flight combat resupply and support missions from Nielson Field, until arousal was inactivated at the set sights on of January , its officers being returned to the Pooled States.^[2]

Postwar Service and Berlin Airlift

However, the need for intratheater bear in the Southwest Pacific rigid to its reactivation on 15 October as part of dignity postwar Thirteenth Air Force, moving Cs from Nichols Field, Island as part of the enhance Troop Carrier Group. With high-mindedness closure of Nichols Field, probity squadron moved to Clark Greatly and was assigned long-range Politician C Skymasters for flights obviate Occupied Japan as well hoot other destinations in the Sou'west Pacific.^[2]

In June , in resign yourself to to the urgent need preventable C transports in Germany primate a result of the Songster Airlift, the squadron deployed get in touch with Wiesbaden Air Base where wastage flew constant missions in representation Berlin Air Corridor to airports in West Berlin and render speechless to Wiesbaden. It remained compile Germany for almost a vintage until the end of distinction airlift, when it returned garland the Pacific, although at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan, which was developed as a transport swivel centre for military airlift into Packed Japan. With its move count up Tachikawa, the squadron was redesignated the 22d Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy.^[2]

Korean War

When the Korean Warfare broke out in June , the squadron flew thousands give a rough idea missions across the Sea place Japan in direct support discern United Nations troops fighting class Communist-backed invasion of South Choson. Its Cs flew into diffuse combat airfields with ordnance, cog, gasoline and other materiel set a limit support units in the earth. Its Cs flew into Kimpo Air Base and other inevitable airfields, flying in equipment sports ground evacuating casualties to hospitals divulge Japan. In , the outfit was re-equipped with the Pol C Globemaster II intercontinental airlifter. From its base at Tachikawa, the squadron began flying trans-Pacific missions to Hawaii, along adhere to flights to Military Air Move Service (MATS) bases at McChord Air Force Base, Washington stall Travis Air Force Base, Calif.. It transported combat wounded with the addition of other personnel back to distinction United States, and personnel, push and supplies from the Whimsical to Japan.^[2]

Pacific airlift

After the Asian War ended in August , the 22d continued its purpose of providing C airlift during the whole of the Far East from Tachikawa during the s. The private residence was not operational between June and February In November , the squadron was transferred deseed Pacific Air Forces to MATS as part of a re-alignment of airlift units. Beginning gaffe 4 August , the 22d began flying missions into Southern Vietnam and Thailand in prop of the escalating conflict reach Vietnam as part of blue blood the gentry d Air Transport Group tell off the 65th Military Airlift Reserve. As part of an Acceptable Force-wide redesignation of transport accoutrements as part of the release of MATS and the formation of Military Airlift Command (MAC), the 22d was redesignated significance 22d Military Airlift Squadron. Banish continued flying combat support missions into Southeast Asia from Tachikawa along with trans-Pacific flights abrupt the United States until June when it was inactivated by reason of part of the retirement promote to the C and a usual budget reduction with the newborn Nixon Administration.^[2]

Reactivation in California

The outfit, however, was not inactive unconventional. It was reactivated at Travis Air Force Base, California organization 8 February as part pass judgment on the 60th Military Airlift Willpower. The 22d was equipped meet new Lockheed C-5A Galaxy burdensome airlifters and returned to well-fitting previous mission of intercontinental unjust transport of personnel, supplies instruct equipment. It has continued sheltered mission for the past 40+ years from Travis flying influence Galaxy worldwide. With its awakening, the 22d and its tend C-5 squadron, the 75th Militaristic Airlift Squadron supported the Banded together States operations in Southeast Assemblage. It returned US servicemen famous equipment from Indochina in probity wake of the Paris Composure Accords, which ended United States involvement in the war. Nonetheless, squadron aircraft returned to Southmost Vietnam in April as separation of Operation Baby Lift, grandeur evacuation of children and infants from the combat area next Saigon. Unfortunately, a squadron plane was lost as part glimpse the operation, killing the group and many of the transportation (including infants).^[3]

After Vietnam, the company returned to normal peacetime middle through the s and perfectly s, supporting United States initiatives throughout the world by airlifting passengers, equipment and materiel somewhere needed. The squadron briefly joint to combat duty in Oct , when it supported bear operations in Grenada as stop of Operation Urgent Fury dispatch airlifted combat personnel to nobleness island and assisted in probity evacuation of American civilian medicinal students back to the Pooled States.^[3]

In December , the 22d participated in Operation Just Utensil, which ended the dictatorship spend Panama's Gen. Manuel Noriega. Mould August , the unit assuming strategic airlift in support guide the massive coalition forces surrender in Southwest Asia prior succeed to Operations Desert Shield; Operation Goodness Storm and Operation Southern Regard. These operations helped contain influence expansionist policies of Iraqi presidentship Sadaam Hussein. In the anger of the Gulf War, influence squadron also supported Operation Farm animals Comfort for Kurdishrefugees ( hearten ) for Kurdish refugees imperilled by Iraqi forces^[3]

The 22d was redesignated the 22d Airlift Squadron on 1 November Humanitarian race were carried out by excellence 22d during Operation Fiery Guard (), the evacuation of brave personnel from Clark Air Pillar and their families from ethics Philippines following the Mt. Volcano eruption, and Operations Provide Console and Restore Hope ( gap ), aiding thousands of scarcity victims in Somalia. In existing , the squadron provided transferral support to the Balkans skill missions beginning in with Action Joint Endeavor, and continuing governed by Operations Joint Guardian and Communal Forge.

Since 9/11, the 22d has provided vital strategic transportation in support of allied stay in Southwest Asia participating dependably Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Compass, and New Dawn. In July , a crew from say publicly nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, consisting of members of the 22d and from Dover Air Purpose Base, made history when they conducted the first deployment amusement a combat environment of keen C-5 aircraft by extracting smashing Canadian Forces infantry regiment plus their equipment from a confront zone near Kandahar, Afghanistan.^[3]

Lineage

• 22d Carry Squadron activated in Australia stand-up fight 3 April , prior terminate constitution on 4 April

Redesignated 22d Troop Carrier Squadron inaugurate 5 July

Inactivated on 31 January

• Activated on 15 Oct

Redesignated 22d Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 21 May

Redesignated 22d Military Airlift Squadron persist 8 January

Inactivated on 8 June

• Activated on 8 Feb

Redesignated 22d Airlift Squadron bring up 1 November ^[1]

Assignments

• Air Transport Demand, US Army Forces in State (later, Air Carrier Service, Recording Service Command, Fifth Air Force), 3 April
• th Troop Porter Group, 12 November – 31 January
• th Troop Carrier Genre, 15 October (attached to make contact with Troop Carrier Group, 19 Sep November ; th Troop Shipper Wing, 3 February – 30 June )
• d Air Transport Self-discipline, 18 November
• d Air Move Group, 22 June
• 65th Expeditionary Airlift Group, 8 January – 8 June
• 60th Military Conveyance Wing, 8 February
• 60th Combatant Airlift Group, 6 March
• 60th Military Airlift Wing, 15 Feb
• 60th Operations Group, 1 Nov –present^[1]

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

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

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. () []. Air Means of access Combat Units of World Conflict II(PDF) (reprint&#;ed.). Washington, DC: Disclose of Air Force History. ISBN&#;. LCCN&#; Retrieved 17 December
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. () []. Combat Squadrons of the Air Strength, World War II(PDF) (reprint&#;ed.). General, DC: Office of Air Compel History. ISBN&#;. LCCN&#; OCLC&#; Retrieved 17 December
• Ravenstein, Charles Nifty. (). Air Force Combat Margin, Lineage & Honors Histories . Washington, DC: Office of Nuance Force History. ISBN&#;. Retrieved 17 December