180th Airlift Squadron
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| 180th Airlift Squadron | |
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 180th Airlift Squadron patch |
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| Active | 22 Aug 1946 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air National Guard |
| Role | Tactical Airlift |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Saint Joseph, Missouri |
The 180th Airlift Squadron (180th AS) is located at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base at Rosecrans Memorial Airport, Saint Joseph, Missouri. It is part of the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, and operationally flies the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. It was among the first Air National Guard units that received federal recognition.
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[edit] History
As the 180th Bombardment Squadron (Light) flying the Douglas B-26B/C "Invader", the 180th received federal recognition on 22 August 1946 from an inspection team from 2nd Air Force making it among the first federally recognized Air National Guard units in the nation. Lt Col John B. Logan, a World War II pilot, along with local civic leaders Henry Bradley and William Barrow, are credited with getting approval from the National Guard Bureau to form the unit. Lt Col Logan was named as the first Squadron Commander of the 180th. He had accumulated more than 250 combat hours in 22 combat missions as a B-17 pilot and had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters and campaign ribbons representing the Northern France, Central Europe and Normandy theaters of operation.
On 22 August 2006, the 180th Airlift Squadron observed its Sixtieth Anniversary at a ceremony at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base.
[edit] Lineage
Lineage: Constituted as the 438th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 Jun 1942. Activated on 26 Jun 1942. Redesignated 438th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 3 Feb 1945. Inactivated on 13 Dec 1945. Redesignated 180th Bombardment Squadron (Light), and allocated to ANG, on 24 May 1946.
Assignment: 319th Bombardment Group 319th BG, 26 Jun 1942 – 13 Dec 1945.
Stations: Barksdale Field, La, 26 Jun 1942; Harding Field, La, 8-27 Aug 1942; Shipdham, England, 12 Sep 1942; Horsham St. Faith, England, 5-21 Oct 1942; St-Leu , Algeria, c. 10 Nov 1942, Tafaraoui, Algeria, 17 Nov 1942; Maison Blanche, Algeria, c. 26 Nov 1942; Telergma, Algeria, c. 13 Dec 1942; Oujda, French Morocco, 3 Mar 1943; Rabat/ Sale, French Morocco, 25 Apr 1943; Sedrata, Algeria, 1 Jun 1943; Djedeida, Algeria, 26 Jun 1943; Decimomannu, Sardinia, 1 Nov 1943; Serragia, Corsica, 22 Sep 1944 c. 9 Jan 1945; Bradley Field, Conn, 25 Jan 1945; Columbia AAB, SC, c. 28 Feb-28 Apr 1945; Kadena, Okinawa, c. 3 Jul 1945; Machinato, Okinawa, 21 Jul-23 Nov 1945; Vancouver Barracks, Wash, c. 11-13 Dec 1945.
Aircraft: B-26, 1942-1944; B-25, 1944-1945; A-26, 1945.
Operations: Ground echelon in assault landing at Arzeu, Algeria, 8 Nov 1942. Combat in MTO, 28 Nov 1942-13 Feb 1943; withdrawn for reorganization and re-equipment, 27 Feb-31 May 1943; combat in MTO, 6 Jun 1943-30 Dec 1944; returned to the United States for reorganization and re-equipment, 25 Jan-28 Apr 1945; combat in Western Pacific, 16 Jul-12 Aug 1945.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaigns: Algeria-French Morocco, with Arrowhead; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Air Combat, EAME Theater; Air Offensive, Japan; Ryukyus; China Offensive.
Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citations: Rome, Italy, 3 Mar 1944; Florence, Italy, 11 Mar 1944. French Croix de Guerre with Palm: Apr, May, and Jun 1944.
Emblem: On a disk, divided by a center line into semi circles, each containing 180 degrees, or and gules, piped azure, a mule courant proper (brown, with nose, mane and hoofs shades of light tan) wearing goggles and earphones (shades of tan with blue glasses and trimmings), and belted on his back all within a saddle bag proper (light tan) two bombs proper (steel blue).
(Source: Combat Squadrons Of The Air Force – World War II; Mauer, Mauer; page 542-543)
[edit] Aircraft conversions
- 1946, Douglas B-26B/C "Invader" as the 180th Bombardment Squadron (Light).
- 1957, F-84 Thunderjet and became the 180th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.
- 1958, RF-84 Thunderflash and became the 180th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.
- 1961, C-97 Stratofreighter and became the 180th Air Transport Squadron. The squadron was renamed the 180th Military Airlift Squadron in 1966 when the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) was replaced by the Military Airlift Command (MAC).
- 1968, KC-97 Stratotanker and became the 180th Air Refueling Squadron.
- 1976, C-130A and became the 180th Tactical Airlift Squadron.
- 1987, C-130H2 and remained the 180th Tactical Airlift Squadron. The C-130H2 aircraft were brand new aircraft direct from the Lockheed plant. The first aircraft named the “Spirit of St. Joseph” arrived at Rosecrans ANGB on 6 March 1987.
[edit] Federal mobilizations
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- The 180th Bombardment Squadron (Light) was alerted on January 18, 1951 that it would be mobilized as a result of the Korean War. The 180th BS(L) was ordered to active service on 1 April 1951 and reported to Langley Air Force Base in July 1951 for training. On 13 October 1951, the 180th received orders directing the unit and its 12 B-26 aircraft to Bordeaux-Merignac Air Base, Bordeaux, France to replace NATO units which had been transferred to Korea. It became part of the 126th Bomb Wing which was also an Air National Guard unit that was mobilized from Chicago, IL. The 180th relocated to Laon-Couvron Air Base Laon, France in the late spring of 1952. The 180th BS(L) was relieved from active duty reverted back to state control on 1 January 1953.
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- The 180th Tactical Airlift Squadron was ordered to the active service on 28 December 1990 as a result of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait to support Operation Desert Shield. For some unit members, this would be a return to the Persian Gulf as they had volunteered and deployed with 2 C-130H aircraft, aircrews, maintenance and support personnel, to form the first Air National Guard provisional airlift squadron in September 1990. On January 2, 1991, the 180th TAS and its 8 C-130H aircraft and personnel departed Rosecrans Air National Guard Base for Al Ain Air Base, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and were redesignated as the 1632nd Tactical Airlift Squadron (Provisional) as part of the 1630th Tactical Airlift Wing (Provisional) which was under the 1610th Airlift Division (Provisional). The unit remained at Al Ain Air Base through the air war and the ground war flying combat and combat support missions in support of the allied operations. Beginning on 22 March 1991, the 180th TAS redeployed to Al Kharj Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 180th TAS departed Al Kharj Air Base on 28 May 1991 and returned to Rosecrans Air National Guard Base on 30 May 1991. When the aircraft arrived home, they had "nose art" on each courtesy of the crew chiefs. The nose art was 391 "Connie Kay", 392 "Desert Possum", 393 "Spirit of St. Joe", 394 "The Hog", 395 "Chief", 396 "Buzzard", 397 "Riders on the Storm" and 398 "Fike's Filly". The 180th TAS was relieved from active duty and released back to state control on 24 June 1991.
- Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom
- The 180th Airlift Squadron was notified in February 2003 that it would be partially mobilized as a result of the impending conflict in Iraq which would later be known as Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit deployed in March 2003 to the Iraqi theater and later supported Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and was release from active duty in March 2006. This was a historic partial mobilization that lasted three years.
[edit] Photos
[edit] References
- Combat Squadrons Of The Air Force– World War II; Mauer, Mauer (1982)[1]
