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758th Airlift Squadron

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758th Airlift Squadron
Airmen of the910th Airlift Wingboard aC-130 Herculesof the 758th Airlift Squadron to participate in Exercise Global Medic
Active1943–1945; 1947–1949; 1957–present
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
RoleAirlift
Part ofAir Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQPittsburgh International Airport
EngagementsMediterranean Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
758th Airlift Squadron emblem[a][1]
Patch with 758th Troop Carrier Squadron emblem[b][2]
Patch with 758th Bombardment Squadron emblem[3]

The758th Airlift Squadronis part of the911th Airlift WingatPittsburgh International Airport,Pennsylvania. It operates theBoeing C-17 Globemaster IIIaircraft, providing global strategic airlift.

Thesquadronwas first activated duringWorld War IIas the758th Bombardment Squadron.After training in the United States, it deployed to theMediterranean Theater of Operations,where it participated in thestrategic bombing campaign against Germany,and it earned aDistinguished Unit Citationfor its actions. FollowingV-E Day,the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated.

In 1947, the squadron was reactivated in thereserves,but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped before inactivating in June 1949. The squadron was redesignated the758th Troop Carrier Squadronand again activated at Pittsburgh Airport in the reserve in 1957. It has served as anairliftunit there ever since.

Mission

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To organize, recruit, and train Air Forcereservepersonnel to provideairliftofairborne forces,their equipment and supplies, and delivery of these forces and materials byairdrop,landing, or cargo extraction systems.

History

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World War II

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459th Bombardment Group B-24 Liberator attacking a target[c]

Thesquadronwas first activated as the758th Bombardment SquadronatAlamogordo Army Air Field,New Mexico on 1 July 1943 as one of the original squadrons of the459th Bombardment Group.It was equipped withConsolidated B-24 Liberatorheavy bombers and trained atDavis-Monthan Field,Arizona.[1][4]The squadron received deployment orders for theMediterranean Theater of Operationsin September 1943, but was diverted to fly long-range convoy escort missions over the Newfoundland Banks to Long Island Sound, November–December 1943 while its station in Italy was being constructed.[citation needed]

The squadron deployed to Southern Italy in January 1944 and entered combat in March as part ofFifteenth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. The squadron attacked enemy military, industrial and transportation targets in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Yugoslavia, bombing railroadmarshalling yards,oil refineries, airfields, concentration centers and other strategic objectives. The squadron earned aDistinguished Unit Citationwhen the 459th Group led the304th Bombardment Wingon a raid against an aircraft plant atBad Vöslau.Thegrouppressed its attack despite opposition by enemyinterceptorsand intenseflak.[4]

The squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic bombing campaign to carry out support andinterdictionoperations. It struck railroads during March 1944 to supportOperation Shingle,the landings atAnzio.It struck bridges, harbors, and troop concentrations in August 1944 in the preinvasion phase ofOperation Dragoon,th invasion of southern France. It also hit communications lines and other targets during March and April 1945 to support the advance ofBritish Eighth ArmyandAmerican Fifth Armyin northern Italy.[4]

FollowingVE Day,the squadron returned to the United States in August 1945.[1]The squadron was programmed for deployment to thePacific Theater of Operationsas aBoeing B-29 Superfortressvery heavy bombardment squadron[citation needed]and reassembled atSioux Falls Army Air Field,South Dakota at the end of August. However, Japan surrendered shortly after the squadron's arrival and it was inactivated on 28 August 1945.[1]

Reserve training

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The squadron was reactivated as areserveunit atLong Beach Army Air Field,California in July 1947. Although nominally a very heavy bomber squadron, it operated a variety of trainer aircraft to maintain proficiency underAir Defense Command's 416th AAF Base Unit (later the 2347th Air Force Reserve Training Center).[5][6]PresidentTruman'sreduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,[7]In addition,Continental Air Command,which had assumed responsibility for reserve training in 1948, reorganized its reserve units under thewing base organizationsystem in 1949. This resulted in the squadron's parent 459th Group being reduced to a single operational squadron, and the 758th was inactivated on 27 June 1949.[1][4]

Reactivation as a reserve airlift unit

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Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar

During the first half of 1955, the Air Force began detaching Air Force reserve squadrons from their parent wing locations to separate sites. Communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning.s[8]The 459thWing,located atAndrews Air Force Base,Maryland activated the 758th, now the758th Troop Carrier Squadron,in 1957 as its third flying squadron atGreater Pittsburgh Airport,Pennsylvania. In April 1959, the wing reorganized under the Dual Deputy system. Its459th Troop Carrier Groupwas inactivated[9]and the756th,757thand 758th Troop Carrier Squadrons were assigned directly to the wing.[1][10]

Activation of groups under the wing

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Although the dispersal of flying units was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during theBerlin Crisis of 1961To resolve this, at the start of 1962, Continental Air Command determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishinggroupswith support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed. However, as this plan was entering its implementation phase, another partial mobilization occurred for theCuban Missile Crisis.The formation of troop carrier groups was delayed until January for wings that had not been mobilized.[11]The squadron was assigned to the new911th Troop Carrier Groupon 17 January.[1][10]

Lineage

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  • Constituted as the758th Bombardment Squadron(Heavy) on 19 May 1943
Activated on 1 July 1943
Redesignated758th Bombardment Squadron,Heavy c. Sep 1944
Inactivated on 28 August 1945
  • Redesignated758th Bombardment Squadron,Very Heavy on 13 May 1947
Activated in the reserve on 12 July 1947
  • Inactivated on 27 June 1949
  • Redesignated758th Troop Carrier Squadron,Medium on 24 October 1957
Activated in the reserve on 16 November 1957
Redesignated758th Military Airlift Squadronon 1 January 1967
Redesignated758th Tactical Airlift Squadronon 1 March 1972
Redesignated758th Airlift Squadronon 1 February 1992[1]

Assignments

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  • 459th Bombardment Group,1 July 1943 – 28 August 1945
  • 459th Troop Carrier Group, 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949
  • 459th Troop Carrier Group, 16 November 1957
  • 459th Troop Carrier Wing,14 April 1959
  • 911th Troop Carrier Group(later 911th Military Airlift Group, 911th Tactical Airlift Group, 911th Airlift Group), 17 January 1963
  • 911th Operations Group, 1 August 1992 – present[1]

Stations

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Aircraft

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|}

Awards and campaigns

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Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Distinguished Unit Citation 23 April 1944 Bad Vöslau, Austria 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 January 1977-31 December 1978 757th Tactical Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 August 1987-31 July 1989 757th Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 15 September 1990-14 September 1992 757th Airlift Squadron[1]
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm 1 January 1968-29 February 1972 757th Tactical Airlift Squadron[1]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe 12 February 1944 – 5 June 1944 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Air Combat, EAME Theater 12 February 1944 – 11 May 1945 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Rome-Arno 12 February 1944 – 9 September 1944 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Central Europe 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Normandy 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Northern France 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Southern France 15 August 1944 – 14 September 1944 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
North Apennines 10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Rhineland 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Po Valley 3 April 1945 – 8 May 1945 758th Bombardment Squadron[1]

See also

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References

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Notes

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Explanatory notes
  1. ^Approved 1 October 1990.
  2. ^Approved 20 August 1960. Description: On a sky blue disc bordered Air Force golden yellow, two white lightning flashessaltirewisethroughout issuing fromsinisterchiefabove an Air Force blue parachute highlighted sky blue; surmounting the flashes a red flying carpetbendwise,fringed Air Force golden yellow leaving speed lines Air Force golden yellow to sinister; over all an Air Force golden yellow spear bendwise its head extending beyond the border in dexter its shaft surmounted by a white helmet shaded sky blue, plumed Air Force blue; outlines and details Air Force blue throughout.
  3. ^Aircraft isFord Motorsbuilt Consolidated B-24L-10-FO Liberator, serial 44-49750. This plane returned to the United States after the war and was scrapped atKingman Army Air Fieldon 16 November 1945.Baugher, Joe (10 June 2023)."1944 USAF Serial Numbers".Joe Baugher.Retrieved21 June2023.Photo taken while bombing nearPadua,Italy on 4 May 1945.
Citations
  1. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyEndicott, Judy D. (7 April 2008)."Factsheet 758 Airlift Squadron (AFRC)".Air Force Historical Research Agency.Retrieved21 June2018.
  2. ^Maurer,Combat Squadrons,p. 740
  3. ^Watkins, p. 104
  4. ^abcdMaurer,Combat Units,pp. 334–335
  5. ^ab"Abstract, History Long Beach Air Force Field, Jul–Dec 1947".Air Force History Index.Retrieved22 June2018.
  6. ^"Abstract, History 2347 AF Reserve Training Center, Jul–Dec 1948".Air Force History Index.Retrieved22 June2018.
  7. ^Knaack, p. 25
  8. ^Cantwell, p. 156
  9. ^Robertson, Patsy (9 August 2017)."Factsheet 459 Operations Group (AFRC)".Air Force Historical Research Agency.Retrieved22 June2018.
  10. ^ab"Fact Sheet 459th Air Refueling Wing".459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs. 20 August 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 20 August 2016.Retrieved2 August2016.
  11. ^Cantwell, pp. 189–191
  12. ^"Abstract, History Long Beach Airport, Jan–Jun 1948".Air Force History Index.Retrieved22 June2018.
  13. ^Station information in Dollman, except as noted.

Bibliography

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Public DomainThis article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theAir Force Historical Research Agency

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