18th Airlift Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 18th Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last was assigned to the 305th Operations Group
, Air Mobility Command
, stationed at McGuire Air Force Base
, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 1 July 1995.
and Southwest Pacific theaters of operations
. Most flights originated from McClellan Field and proceeded via the Hawaiian Islands
, Christmas Island
, Canton Island, Fiji Islands, and New Caledonia
, to Australia
. From July 1942 until disbandment in October 1943, the 18th serviced outbound aircraft, briefed crews of these aircraft and controlled flights until they reached Hawaii.
Reactivated on 18 Jul 1954, at McGuire AFB, NJ, under the Military Air Transport Service
(MATS). Became operational in September, flying C-118’s to transport passengers cargo, and mail to South America
, Europe
, Africa
, Asia
, and Australia
, as well as within the U.S.. Participated in operations, exercises, and maneuvers of the U.S. armed services; transported important U.S. and foreign officials: and provided airlift support for the United Nations
(UN).
In December 1956 and January 1957 airlifted over 9,700 Hungarian refugees from Rhein Main AB, West Germany
to the United States. In 1961 began flying C-135’s. The first major airlift with these new aircraft was to the Arctic
with 2,300 Army personnel for cold weather training. In 1963 participated in the airlift of UN forces and cargo to the Congo
and airlifted personnel and cargo to New Zealand
in support of Antarctic
operations. Changed in 1965 from mostly European flights to airlift support of forces in South Vietnam
. Participated in an airlift to the Dominican Republic
in March 1965 with US forces to preserve order. On 1 Feb 1966, shortly after being designated the 18th Military Airlift Squadron (MAS), all personnel were reassigned, and on 15 Jun 1966 the squadron inactivated.
Became a C-141 squadron when activated in July and organized in August 1968. On 15 August, flew its first mission--to Southeast Asia
(SEA). Most regularly scheduled flights through 1969 were to SEA in support of the Vietnam War
. Typically, the trip from McGuire AFB and back took from five to seven days. Again in March-June 1972, flights to SEA took a major share of C-141 missions. With the exception of SEA missions, the 18th MAS usually flew transatlantic missions to Greenland
, Europe, the Middle East
, and Africa. Each year from activation in 1968 to 1974, resupplied scientific stations in the Antarctic involved in Operation Deep Freeze. For three or four months each year, between October and February, flew to New Zealand from McGuire, and then shuttled from New Zealand to the Antarctic.
Often provided airlift for U.S. Army’s airborne exercises and supported other U.S. services and NATO forces. Provided airlift support for Presidential and Vice-Presidential trips within the U.S. and overseas. Supported NASA
’s Apollo program through 1971. Frequently flew humanitarian missions for relief of victims of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and snowstorms; including flights to Pakistan
in 1970 and 1971; Managua
, Nicaragua
, in 1972 and 1973; Guatemala
, Italy
, and Turkey
in 1976; the Dominican Republic in 1978; and the Yemen Arab Republic in December 1982. Provided, on occasion, airlift for the U.S. State Department and in April 1972 transported two musk oxen to China
in exchange for two giant pandas. Airlifted supplies to Israel
, 13 October-14 November, in support of that country's defense against its Arab neighbors. Provided airlift of UN peace Keeping forces to the Middle East after the ceasefire, between 19 November and 16 December 1973. Participated, April-June 1975, in airlift of Vietnamese refugees from SEA to the United States. Airlifted French and Belgian troops to Zaire
in May and June 1978 to protect and evacuate Europeans threatened by civil war. In Ju1y-October 1980, helped airlift an F-4 wing to Egypt in support of first joint USAF/Egyptian Air Force exer¬cise. On 9-12 May 1983, the first all woman C-141 crew, members of the 18th MAS, flew from McGuire AFB to Rhein Main AB, Germany on an aeromedical evacuation mission.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last was assigned to the 305th Operations Group
305th Operations Group
The 305th Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing. It is stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey....
, Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
, stationed at McGuire Air Force Base
McGuire Air Force Base
JB MDL McGuire is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command...
, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 1 July 1995.
History
From activation in April until July 1942 the 18th ferried aircraft from the United States to the South PacificPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
and Southwest Pacific theaters of operations
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
. Most flights originated from McClellan Field and proceeded via the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
, Canton Island, Fiji Islands, and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. From July 1942 until disbandment in October 1943, the 18th serviced outbound aircraft, briefed crews of these aircraft and controlled flights until they reached Hawaii.
Reactivated on 18 Jul 1954, at McGuire AFB, NJ, under the Military Air Transport Service
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
(MATS). Became operational in September, flying C-118’s to transport passengers cargo, and mail to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, as well as within the U.S.. Participated in operations, exercises, and maneuvers of the U.S. armed services; transported important U.S. and foreign officials: and provided airlift support for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(UN).
In December 1956 and January 1957 airlifted over 9,700 Hungarian refugees from Rhein Main AB, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
to the United States. In 1961 began flying C-135’s. The first major airlift with these new aircraft was to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
with 2,300 Army personnel for cold weather training. In 1963 participated in the airlift of UN forces and cargo to the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
and airlifted personnel and cargo to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in support of Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
operations. Changed in 1965 from mostly European flights to airlift support of forces in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. Participated in an airlift to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
in March 1965 with US forces to preserve order. On 1 Feb 1966, shortly after being designated the 18th Military Airlift Squadron (MAS), all personnel were reassigned, and on 15 Jun 1966 the squadron inactivated.
Became a C-141 squadron when activated in July and organized in August 1968. On 15 August, flew its first mission--to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
(SEA). Most regularly scheduled flights through 1969 were to SEA in support of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Typically, the trip from McGuire AFB and back took from five to seven days. Again in March-June 1972, flights to SEA took a major share of C-141 missions. With the exception of SEA missions, the 18th MAS usually flew transatlantic missions to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, Europe, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and Africa. Each year from activation in 1968 to 1974, resupplied scientific stations in the Antarctic involved in Operation Deep Freeze. For three or four months each year, between October and February, flew to New Zealand from McGuire, and then shuttled from New Zealand to the Antarctic.
Often provided airlift for U.S. Army’s airborne exercises and supported other U.S. services and NATO forces. Provided airlift support for Presidential and Vice-Presidential trips within the U.S. and overseas. Supported NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
’s Apollo program through 1971. Frequently flew humanitarian missions for relief of victims of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and snowstorms; including flights to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1970 and 1971; Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, in 1972 and 1973; Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in 1976; the Dominican Republic in 1978; and the Yemen Arab Republic in December 1982. Provided, on occasion, airlift for the U.S. State Department and in April 1972 transported two musk oxen to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in exchange for two giant pandas. Airlifted supplies to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, 13 October-14 November, in support of that country's defense against its Arab neighbors. Provided airlift of UN peace Keeping forces to the Middle East after the ceasefire, between 19 November and 16 December 1973. Participated, April-June 1975, in airlift of Vietnamese refugees from SEA to the United States. Airlifted French and Belgian troops to Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
in May and June 1978 to protect and evacuate Europeans threatened by civil war. In Ju1y-October 1980, helped airlift an F-4 wing to Egypt in support of first joint USAF/Egyptian Air Force exer¬cise. On 9-12 May 1983, the first all woman C-141 crew, members of the 18th MAS, flew from McGuire AFB to Rhein Main AB, Germany on an aeromedical evacuation mission.
Lineage
- Constituted 18th Ferrying Squadron on 18 Feb 1942
- Activated on 27 Apr 1942
- Redesignated 18th Transport Squadron on 19 Mar 1943
- Disbanded on 31 Oct 1943
- Reconstituted, and redesignated 18th Air Transport Squadron, Medium on 22 Mar 1954
- Activated on 18 Jul 1954
- Redesignated: 18th Air Transport Squadron, Heavy, on 1 Jan 1962
- Redesignated: 18th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 Jan 1966
- Redesignated: Discontinued, and inactivated on 15 Jun 1966
- Activated on 11 Jul 1968
- On 1 Aug 1968
- Redesignated 18th Airlift Squadron 1992
- Inactivated 1 July 1995.
Assignments
- Pacific Sector, Air Corps Ferrying Command, 27 Apr 1942
- 25th Wing, Army Air Forces Ferrying Command (later, South Pacific Wing, Air Transport CommandAir Transport CommandAir Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
), 23 Jun 1942 - 11th Ferrying Group, 28 Jul 1942-31 Oct 1943
- 1611th Air Transport Group, 18 Jul 1954
- 1611th Air Transport Wing1611th Air Transport WingThe 1611th Air Transport Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Eastern Transport Air Force, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey...
, 18 Jan 1963 - 438th Military Airlift Wing, 8 Jan-8 Jun 1966
- Military Airlift CommandMilitary Airlift CommandThe Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
, 11 Jul 1968 - 438th Military Airlift Wing, 1 Aug 1968
- 438th Military Airlift Group, 1 Oct 1978
- 438th Military Airlift Wing, 1 Jun 1980 – 30 September 1994
- 305th Operations Group305th Operations GroupThe 305th Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing. It is stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey....
, 1 October 1994 – 1 July 1995.
Stations
- Hamilton FieldHamilton Air Force BaseHamilton Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located along the western shore of San Pablo Bay, south of Novato, California.-History:...
, California, 27 Apr 1942-31 Oct 1943 - McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 18 Jul 1954-8 Jun 1966; 1 Aug 1968 - 1995.
Aircraft
- Unkn, 1942-1943 (ferried B-17 and B-26 to Jun 1942)
- C-118 Liftmaster, 1954-1961
- C-135 StratolifterC-135 Stratolifter|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
, 1961-1966 - C-141 StarlifterC-141 StarlifterThe Lockheed C-141 Starlifter was a military strategic airlifter in service with the Air Mobility Command of the United States Air Force...
, 1968 - 1995.