| 109th Airlift Squadron | |
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109th Airlift Squadron Emblem |
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| Active | 1922-Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Airlift |
| Part of | Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport |
| Engagements | World War II |
The 109th Airlift Squadron flies the C-130H Hercules. It is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 133rd Airlift Wing.
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The 109th Airlift Squadron provides the U.S. Air Force with tactical airlift of troops, cargo, and medical patients anywhere in the world. Additionally, the 109th Airlift Squadron is prepared to support the State of Minnesota with troops and aircraft assets capable of assisting in a disaster.
The 109th Squadron, National Guard (34th ID) was federally recognized by the War Department on January 17, 1921. It was the first aviation National Guard squadron to receive federal recognition following World War I. It began flight operations, flying the JN-6H "Jennys" in 1923. It was called to federal duty in 1941 (World War II). The 109th Observation Squadron was assigned to the 67th Observation Group at Esler Field, LA in Aug 1941. The Squadron flew antisubmarine patrols along the east coast of the USA after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The 109th was transferred to the European theatre Aug-Oct 1942, becoming part of the Eighth Air Force and then in late 1943 it came under the command of the Ninth Air Force. In May 1943 remained the 109th Reconnaissance Squadron and then the 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in Nov 1943 and then another name change in 1945 to the 109th Reconnaissance Squadron. In addition to flying photo reconnaissance missions in support of the strategic bombing missions in the ETO, the 109th flew photo reconnaissance missions in preparation for the D-Day landing at Normandy. The Squadron, also, flew photo reconnaissance missions over the V-1 bomb sites in France. The Squadron returned to the USA in September 1945 and was disbanded in March 1946. Following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force in 1947 the Squadron, again, received federal recognition and was assigned to the Minnesota Air National Guard. The Squadron was called up in 1951 (Korea), stationed at Wold-Chamberlain Airport in Minneapolis, MN. The primary mission of the 109th during this period was air defense in support of NORAD. Again the 109th was called up for the 1961 Berlin Crisis. By this time the 109th was flying the C-97G in support of a worldwide airlift mission. During the Vietnam War, the 109th flew numerous airlift missions each month into Vietnam on a volunteer basis. It was, again, called up and deployed for "Iraqi Freedom". Today, it is one of the premier Air National Guard airlift squadron's in the country.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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