19th Military Airlift Squadron

19th Aerromedical Airlift Squadron

Active 1942–1943; 1952–1969
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Airlift
Part of Military Airlift Command
Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1][2]
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[2]
Insignia
19th Logistic Support Squadron emblem (approved 26 January 1956)

The 19th Military Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 62d Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 22 December 1969.

History

World War II

B-24 modified for antisubmarine warfare

The first predecessor of the squadron was activated at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah in July 1942 as the 363d Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 304th Bombardment Group. In September, the squadron moved to Geiger Field, Washington, where it received its first personnel and began training with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, but soon moved to Virginia and switched to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator.[3][4]

After its arrival on the eastern seaboard, the squadron began antisubmarine warfare patrols. In November, it was renamed the 19th Antisubmarine Squadron and in December, its parent 304th Bombardment Group, whose squadrons had dispersed to various locations, was inactivated and the squadron was assigned to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing, which supervised Army Air Forces throughout the Atlantic coast.[3][5] The Navy believed that more antisubmarine forces were required to protect convoys in the North Atlantic, where attacks were becoming more concentrated. In March, the 19th Antisubmarine Squadron relocated to Gander Airport in Newfoundland, soon joined by two other squadrons.[6]

AAF Antisubmarine Command had moved antisubmarine units to England in December 1943, but they had moved to French Morocco, where they formed the 480th Antisubmarine Group. To replace them, the antisubmarine squadrons in Newfoundland, including the 19th, moved to RAF St Eval in Cornwall in March 1943, where they formed the 479th Antisubmarine Group.[7] The squadron conducted patrols over the Bay of Biscay, achieving its greatest success in the first two months it was in action. Following this period, German U-boats adopted tactics that kept them submerged in the group's area of operations during daylight hours. The 480th Group continued its patrols, occasionally engaging Luftwaffe aircraft until October. It was disbanded in England in November, along with the 19th Squadron.[3][8]

Special Weapons transportation

The second predecessor of the unit was established as the 19th Logistic Support Squadron in 1952 as the first of three logistic support squadrons organized by Air Materiel Command.[note 1] Its mission was to provide worldwide airlift of nuclear weapons and related equipment,[9][10] with a secondary mission to airlift other Department of Defense cargo as required when space was available.

In 1963, Military Air Transport Service assumed the mission of transporting special weapons and the squadron was reassigned to the 62d Troop Carrier Wing, one of the command's two C-124 troop carrier wings. Shortly before its inactivation, its mission changed to that of strategic transport squadron flying worldwide airlift operations. It was inactivated in 1969 with the retirement of the C-124.

In 1985 the two squadrons were consolidated and redesignated as the 19th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron.[11]

Lineage

19th Antisubmarine Squadron
Activated on 15 July 1942
Redesignated 19th Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) on 29 November 1942
Disbanded on 11 November 1943[12]
19th Military Airlift Squadron
Activated on 23 September 1952[9]
Redesignated 19th Air Transport Squadron, Special on 8 July 1964 1965
Redesignated 19th Military Airlift Squadron, Special on 27 December 1965
Redesignated 19th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 April 1969
Inactivated on 22 December 1969

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes
  1. ↑ The other two squadrons were the 28th Logistic Support Squadron, activated at Hill Air Force Base in 1953, and the 7th Logistic Support Squadron, activated at Robins Air Force Base in 1954. The squadrons were familiarly known as the "7th, 19th and 28th Logs" and each incorporated a log into its squadron emblem.
Citations
  1. ↑ AF Pamphlet 900-2, 15 June 1971, p. 128
  2. 1 2 AF Pamphlet 900-2, Vol. II, 30 September 1976, p. 17
  3. 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 101
  4. ↑ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 177
  5. ↑ Maure, p.
  6. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 25–26, 37–38, 101
  7. ↑ Ferguson, p. 99
  8. ↑ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 350-351
  9. 1 2 3 "Abstract, History 19 Logistic Support Squadron Sep-Dec 1952". Air Force History Index. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Abstract, History 19 Logistic Support Squadron Jan-Jun 1958". Air Force History Index. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
  12. 1 2 3 4 1942-1943 Lineage, including assignments, stations and aircraft, in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 101
  13. ↑ Ravenstein, pp. 98-100
  14. 1 2 3 Station number in Anderson.
  15. ↑ Mueller, p. 283

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Further reading
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