37th Airlift Squadron

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
A C-47 from the 37th TCS in June 1944.
A 37th TAS C-130E at RAF Mildenhall, in 1984.
C-130E 37th AS
C-130J Formation Low-Level

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.

Mission

Conduct airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation operations .

History

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 September 1943. Remained in the MTO until February 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 the Netherlands. 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.

Operations and Decorations

Lineage

Activated on 14 February 1942
Re-designated as: 37th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942
Re-designated as: 37th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 23 June 1948
Re-designated as: 37th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 8 October 1949
Re-designated as: 37th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 28 January 1950
Inactivated on 8 May 1952
Inactivated on 18 June 1957
Organized on 1 October 1966
Re-designated as: 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 May 1967
Re-designated as: 37th Airlift Squadron on 1 April 1992.

Assignments

Attached to 314th Troop Carrier Group, 21 August 1950 – 8 May 1952

Stations

Operated from Ashiya AB, Japan, 29 November 1950
  • Ashiya AB, Japan, 11 February-8 May 1952
  • Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 8 May 1952 – 15 November 1954
  • Ashiya AB, Japan, 15 November 1954 – 18 June 1957
  • Langley AFB, VA, 1 October 1966 – 30 September 1977
Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 24 November 1968 – 26 February 1969
Deployed at: Rhein-Main AB, West Germany, 13 July-26 Sep 1969
Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 24 February-11 May 1970
Deployed at: Rhein-Main AB, West Germany, 7 February-13 Apr 1971
Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 13 January-14 Mar 1972
Deployed at: Ching Chaun Kang AB, Taiwan, 6 December 1972 – 15 March 1973
Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 31 August-c. 1 October 1973
Deployed at: Rhein-Main AB, West Germany, 5 April-15 Jun 1975

Aircraft

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

    External links

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