| 357th Airlift Squadron | |
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357th Airlift Squadron Patch |
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| Active | 28 January 1942 - 15 April 1946 14 June 1952 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Airlift |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command 22d Air Force 908th Airlift Wing 908th Operations Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Maxwell Air Force Base |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
The 357th Airlift Squadron (357 AS) is part of the 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. It operates C-130 Hercules aircraft providing global airlfit.
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Activated in early 1942 as a B-24 Liberator Operational Training Unit (OTU), later becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for deployed combat units, assigned to II Bomber Command. Inactivated in April 1944 when heavy bomber training ended.
Redgesignated as a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment Squadron under Second Air Force. Deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), assigned to Northwest Field, Guam under XXI Bomber Command. Flew very long range strategic bombardment missions over the Japanese Home Islands, attacking military, industrial and transportation targets. Switched to night incendiary raids attacking major Japanese cities in the spring of 1945, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Continued strategic bombing raids and incendiary attacks until Japanese Capitulation in August 1945.
Squadron remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft scrapped on Tinian; others flown to storage depots in the United States. Inactivated in April 1946.
It trained for C-54 airlift operations from 1949-1950 and for troop carrier missions from 1952-1967. The squadron airlifted troops and their equipment during the Cuban Missile Crisis, October-November 1962.
The squadron has flown numerous, worldwide airlift missions, including missions in the Gulf War and the Bosnian relief effort.
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