68th Airlift Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 1943–1946; 1947–1952; 1955–present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Airlift |
Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
Garrison/HQ | Lackland Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio, Kelly Field Annex |
Motto(s) | Nulli Secundis Latin Second to None [1] |
Engagements | Southwest Pacific Theater Desert Storm [1] |
Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Philippine Presidential Unit Citation [1] |
Insignia | |
68th Airlift Squadron emblem (approved 7 July 1961) [1] |
The 68th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 433d Operations Group, stationed at Kelly Field Annex, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. The squadron operates Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft providing global airlift. [2] If mobilized, the wing is gained by Air Mobility Command.
The 68th flew troop carrier missions in New Guinea, Philippines, and the western Pacific from 1943 to 1945 and participated in the airborne assault at Aparri, Luzon, 23 June 1945. [1]
The squadron was activated in the reserve in 1947 and conducted flying training until it was mobilized in 1950. It served on active duty until 1952, moving to Germany in 1951. [1]
Between 1955 and 1985, the squadron trained for and flew tactical airlift missions at home and abroad, often taking part in joint exercises, humanitarian airlift operations, and firefighting missions. [1]
In 1985, it converted to strategic airlift missions. The 68th took part in Operation Just Cause in 1989-1990, flying medical supplies, tanks, and field rations to Panama. The squadron also took part in the defense of Saudi Arabia and liberation of Kuwait in 1990 and 1991, airlifting men and materiel destined for southwestern Asia. [1]
The 89th Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force is based at Joint Base Andrews and has an operational force of over 1,000 personnel. The 89th provides global Special Air Mission (SAM) airlift, logistics, aerial transport and communications for the president, vice president, combatant commanders, senior leaders and the global mobility system as tasked by the White House, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Air Mobility Command.
The 403rd Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command. It is located at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi and employs a military manning authorization of more than 1,400 reservists, including some 250 full-time air reserve technicians. The 403rd Wing is a subordinate unit of the 22nd Air Force at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
The 94th Airlift Wing is a reserve unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Twenty-Second Air Force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and is stationed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. When mobilized, most of the wing would be presented to US Transportation Command, while a smaller proportion would be retained by AFRC.
The 349th Air Mobility Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California. The 349th AMW is an associate unit of the 60th Air Mobility Wing, Air Mobility Command (AMC) and if mobilized the wing is gained by AMC.
The 433rd Airlift Wing, sometimes written as 433d Airlift Wing, is an Air Reserve component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Kelly Field Annex, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. If mobilized, the wing is gained by Air Mobility Command.
The 56th Air Refueling Squadron is an active unit of the United States Air Force. It is part of the 97th Operations Group at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aircraft, conducting initial and advanced aircrew training for air refueling operations.
The 97th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 446th Operations Group, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. It is a USAF Associate Unit of the active duty 4th Airlift Squadron, 62d Airlift Wing.
The 89th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 445th Operations Group, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
The 731st Airlift Squadron is a flying unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command and part of the 302d Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. It operates Lockheed C-130H Hercules aircraft providing global airlift. The squadron also has the specialized mission of Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System.
The 67th Troop Carrier Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 433d Troop Carrier Group, based at Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany. It was inactivated on July 14, 1952.
The 313th Expeditionary Operations Group is a Provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe to activate or inactivate as needed. It was last active at Moron Air Base, Spain, supporting Operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya. It was inactivated on 31 October 2011.
The 52d Airlift Squadron is a Regular Component United States Air Force unit. Its currently assigned to the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, but is based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. There, the squadron flies and maintains aircraft with the Air Force Reserve's 302d Airlift Wing.
The 435th Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 435th Airlift Wing at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1995.
The 433rd Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force Reserve 433rd Airlift Wing. It is stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
The 374th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 374th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
The 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron was a provisional United States Air Force unit. Its most recent activation was in 2018 for Operation Inherent Resolve. The squadron was based at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, and was filled by rotating Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command C-130 wings. The last two units that made up the 779th were the Delaware Air National Guard's 166th Airlift Wing and Air Force Reserve Command's 908th Airlift Wing. The squadron was redesignated as the 61st Expeditionary Airlift Squadron on November 2, 2021. It has also been activated for contingency operations at Ramstein Air Base.
The 705th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 924th Tactical Airlift Group at Ellington Air Force Base, Texas where it was inactivated on 30 June 1976, when reserve flying operations at Ellington ended.
The 921st Tactical Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last active with the 433d Tactical Airlift Wing, based at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 1 November 1994.
The 317th Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last stationed at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina as part of Air Mobility Command. It was activated in 1992 during the Air Force's Objective Wing reorganization, and inactivated the following year when all Air Force units at Pope were assigned to the 23d Wing.
The 55th Airlift Flight is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force, last stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It was inactivated in 2007.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency