37th Airlift Squadron: Difference between revisions

37th Airlift Squadron
37th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	2 February 1942 - 18 June 1957 17 May 1966 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	United States Air Forces in Europe 3rd Air Force 86th Airlift Wing 86th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Ramstein Air Base
Nickname(s)	Blue Tail Flies
Engagements	Operation Overlord Operation Market Garden Battle of Pakchon Operation Tomahawk
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

The 37th Airlift Squadron (37 AS) is part of the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It operates C-130J Super Hercules aircraft providing theater airlfit.

Conduct airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation operations .

Activated in June 1942 under First Air Force, being formed at Patterson Field, Ohio. Trained at various stationd in the southeast and Texas with C-47 Skytrain transports. Deployed to Egypt in November 1942 as part of President Roosevelt's decision to aid the Royal Air Force Western Desert Air Force, assigned to the newly-established Ninth Air Force, headquartered in Cairo.

Transported supplies and evacuated casualties in support of the British Eighth Army, operating from desert airfields in Egypt and Libya. Reassigned in May 1943 to the USAAF Twelfth Air Force in Algeria, supporting Fifth Army forces in the Tunisian Campaign. Began training for the invasion of Sicily; dropped paratroops over the assault area on the night of 9 July. Carried reinforcements to Sicily on 11 July and received a DUC for carrying out that mission although severely attacked by ground and naval forces; dropped paratroops over the beachhead south of the Sele River on the night of 14 Sep 1943. Remained in the MTO until Feburary 1944 until being reassigned back to Ninth Air Force in England, IX Troop Carrier Command to participate in the buildup of forces prior to the Allied landings in France during D-Day in June 1944.

Engaged in combat operations by dropping paratroops into Normandy near Ste-Mere-Eglise on D-Day (6 June 1944) and releasing gliders with reinforcements on the following day. The unit received a third Distinguished Unit Citation and a French citation for these missions.

After the Normandy invasion the squadron ferried supplies in the United Kingdom. The squadron also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals. It dropped paratroops near Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on Holland. In December, it participated in the Battle of the Bulge by releasing gliders with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division near Bastogne.

Returned to the United States in May, 1945, becoming a domestic troop carrier squadron for Continental Air Forces.

In the Korean War the squadron flew airborne assaults at Sukchon and Munsan-ni and aerial transportation between Japan and Korea.

While deployed in Taiwan, crews of the 37th flew to Hanoi on 17 February 1973 in support of Operation Homecoming, the repatriation of American prisoners of war to Clark Air Base, Philippines, on 5 March 1973. It conducted airlift operations during Operation Desert Shield in Southwest Asia, 14 August 1990–29 March 1991. It airdropped humanitarian supplies in Operation Provide Comfort for the relief of fleeing Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq, April–May 1991. The 37th flew airlift and airdrop missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina for Operation Provide Promise from July 1992-January 1996.

In November 2009, the 37th gave up its last C-130E and now flies only C-130J models.[1]

• Constituted as 37 Transport Squadron on 2 Feb 1942

Activated on 14 Feb 1942

Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942

Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 23 Jun 1948

Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 8 Oct 1949

Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 28 Jan 1950

Inactivated on 8 May 1952

• Activated on 8 May 1952

Inactivated on 18 Jun 1957

• Re-designated as: 37 Troop Carrier Squadron, and activated on 17 May 1966

Organized on 1 Oct 1966

Re-designated as: 37 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 May 1967

Re-designated as: 37 Airlift Squadron on 1 Apr 1992.

• 316 Transport (later 316 Troop Carrier) Group, 14 Feb 1942-8 May 1952

Attached to 314 Troop Carrier Group, 21 Aug 1950-8 May 1952

• 316 Troop Carrier Group, 8 May 1952-18 Jun 1957
• Tactical Air Command, 17 May 1966
• 316 Troop Carrier (later, 316 Tactical Airlift) Wing, 1 Oct 1966
• 317 Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 Sep 1975
• 435 Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Oct 1977
• 435 Tactical Airlift Group, 15 Dec 1978
• 435 Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Jun 1980
• 435 Operations Group, 1 Apr 1992
• 86 Operations Group, 1 Oct 1994-Present

• World War II
• Korean War
• Operation Desert Shield
• Operation Provide Comfort
• Operation Provide Promise
• Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
• USAF 37th Airlift Squadron History