29th Weapons Squadron
Encyclopedia
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. It is assigned to the USAF Weapons School
USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 57th Wing. It is stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada.-Mission:...
, stationed at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas.
The 57th WPS is a Geographically Separated Unit (GSU) of the 57th Wing
57th Wing
The 57th Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy into a combat arena to conduct integrated combat operations.-Mission:The 57...
, assigned to Nellis AFB, Nevada. The mission of the squadron is to provide C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
instructional flying.
World War II
Activated as a C-47 Transport, later re-designated a Troop Carrier squadron under I Troop Carrier CommandI Troop Carrier Command
The I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training...
. Trained for overseas duty with C-47's and C-53's. Moved to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, April–May 1943, and assigned to Twelfth Air Force.
Trained for the invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and entered combat on the night of 9 July 1943 by dropping paratroops near Gela
Gela
Gela is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta in the south of Sicily, Italy. The city is at about 84 kilometers distance from the city of Caltanissetta, on the Mediterranean Sea. The city has a larger population than the provincial capital, and ranks second in land area.Gela is an...
. Although attacked by ground and naval forces while carrying reinforcements to Sicily on the night of 11 July. Transported supplies and evacuated wounded in the Mediterranean area until late in August when the group moved to Sicily for the invasion of 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...
. Dropped paratroops of 82d Airborne Division south of Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
on the night of 13 September 7943 and flew a reinforcement mission the following night.
Resumed transport activities in the theater until February 1944, and then joined Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Prepared for the invasion of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and on D-Day 1944, released paratroops near Picauville
Picauville
Picauville is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-Heraldry:-World War II:After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in early June 1944, engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground to the...
; dropped reinforcements over the same area on 7 June 1944.
Dropped paratroops near Arnheim
Arnheim
Arnheim may refer to:* Edith Arnheim , Swedish tennis player* Fritz Arnheim , German historian* Gus Arnheim , American band leader* Rudolf Arnheim , German American author...
and Nijmegen on 17 September during the airborne attack on Holland and released gliders carrying reinforcements to that area on 18 and 23 September Moved to France, February–March 1945, and received C-46's for the airborne assault across the Rhine
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
; dropped paratroops of 17th Airborne Division near Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
on 24 March. When not engaged in airborne operations the group evacuated wounded personnel and ex-prisoners of war, and also transported cargo such as ammunition, gasoline, medical supplies, and food until after V-E Day.
Returned to the US, August–September 1945. Inactivated on 15 November 1945.
Cold War
Activated in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
on 30 September 1946. Assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
Army of Occupation and equipped with C-47 and C-54 aircraft was assigned to Tulln Air Base, Austria.
Transferred, without personnel and equipment, to the US on 25 June 1947 and assigned to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
. Trained with gliders and C-82's. Moved to Germany, October–November 1948, and joined United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
for participation in the Berlin airlift. Transported cargo such as coal, food, and medicine into West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
from November 1948 to September 1949. Inactivated in Germany on 18 September 1949.
Activated in the US on February 1953. Assigned to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
. Trained with C-119's to become proficient and to maintain combat readiness in tactical airlift operations, Inactivated on 8 June 1955 due to budget restrictions.
Reactivated at Forbes AFB, Kansas in 1964, flying C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
. In March 1965, the 29th TCS became the first combat-ready unit of Tactical Air Command at Forbes. It immediately assumed a rotational commitment to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. frequently deployed on a global basis to support airlift requirements of overseas commands, participate in tactical exercises and disaster relief on a regular basis.
Deployed to Clark AB, Philippines 27 January 1966, being assigned to the Pacific Air Forces 483d Troop Carrier Wing. Assigned the mission of providing intra-theater airlift in support of United States military civic actions, combat support and civic assistance throughout the Republic of Vietnam. Flew many combat missions within South Vietnam on a rotational basis from Clark AB until inactivated as part of the drawdown of US forces in Southeast Asia on 15 November 1971.
Modern era
Reactivated in 2003 as part of the USAF Mobility Weapons School at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. Equipped with C-130 Hercules as a training unit. School was incorporated into the Nellis AFB USAF Weapons SchoolUSAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 57th Wing. It is stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada.-Mission:...
in 2006, becoming a GSU of the 57th Wing
57th Wing
The 57th Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy into a combat arena to conduct integrated combat operations.-Mission:The 57...
.
Lineage
- Constituted 29th Transport Squadron on 28 Jan 1942
- Activated on 2 Mar 1942
- Re-designated 29th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942
- Inactivated on 22 Sep 1945
- Activated on 30 Sep 1946
- Re-designated: 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 30 Jul 1948
- Re-designated: 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, Special on 1 Feb 1949
- Inactivated on 18 Sep 1949
- Re-designated 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 26 Nov 1952
- Activated on 1 Feb 1953
- Inactivated on 8 Jun 1955
- Activated on 15 Jun 1964
- Organized on 1 Oct 1964
- Re-designated: 29th Troop Carrier Squadron on 1 Jan 1967
- Re-designated: 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Aug 1967
- Inactivated on 31 Oct 1970
- Activated on 1 Apr 1971
- Inactivated on 15 Nov 1971
- Re-designated 29th Weapons Squadron on 30 May 2003
- Activated on 1 Jun 2003.
Assignments
- 313th Transport (later, 313 Troop Carrier) Group313th Troop Carrier GroupThe 313th Tactical Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 322d Airlift Division at RAF Mildenhall, England. It was inactivated on 1 February 1992....
, 2 Mar 1942-22 Sep 1945 - 313th Troop Carrier Group313th Troop Carrier GroupThe 313th Tactical Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 322d Airlift Division at RAF Mildenhall, England. It was inactivated on 1 February 1992....
, 30 Sep 1946-18 Sep 1949 - 313th Troop Carrier Group313th Troop Carrier GroupThe 313th Tactical Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 322d Airlift Division at RAF Mildenhall, England. It was inactivated on 1 February 1992....
, 1 Feb 1953-8 Jun 1955 - 313th Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Oct 1964
- 315th Air Division315th Air DivisionThe 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated in April 1969.-History:...
, 27 Jan 1966 - 463d Troop Carrier (later, 463p Tactical Airlift) Wing463d Airlift GroupThe United States Air Force's 463d Airlift Group is a tactical airlift unit headquartered in Little Rock AFB, Arkansas.During World War II as the 463d Bombardment Unit, it was one of the last B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber groups deployed to Southern Italy as part of the Fifteenth Air Force in...
, 25 Mar 1966-31 Oct 1970 - 316th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Apr-15 Nov 1971
- USAF Mobility Weapons School, 1 Jun 2003
- USAF Weapons SchoolUSAF Weapons SchoolThe USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 57th Wing. It is stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada.-Mission:...
, 5 Jul 2006-Present
Stations
- Daniel Field, GA, 2 Mar 1942
- Bowman Field, KY, 21 Jun 1942
- Florence Army Airfield, SC, 4 Aug 1942
- Maxton Army Airfield, NC, 13 Dec 1942-25 Apr 1943
- Oujda Airfield, French Morocco, 11 May 1943
- Kairouan AirfieldKairouan AirfieldKairouan Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia, which is located approximately 11 km south-southeast of Kairouan, 126 km south of Tunis. It was a major Troop Carrier unit base of the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign...
, Tunisia, 16 Jun 1943 - Sciacca Airfield, Sicily, 4 Sep 1943
- Trapani/Milo Airdrome, Sicily, 3 Oct 1943
- RAF FolkinghamRAF FolkinghamRAF Folkingham is a former World War II Royal Air Force flying station in Lincolnshire, England. The airfield is located south west of Folkingham and due east of Lenton village, approximately due south of county town Lincoln and north of London...
(AAF-484), England, 23 Feb 1944 - Achiet Airfield (B-54), France, 28 Mar 1945-5 Aug 1945
- Camp Myles StandishCamp Myles StandishCamp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts. It functioned as a prisoner-of-war camp, a departure area for about a million U.S...
, MA, 21-22 Sep 1945 - Capodichino Airport, Naples, Italy, 30 Sep 1946
- Pisa Airfield, Italy, 5 Mar 1947
- Tulln Air Base, Austria, 5 May-25 Jun 1947
- Langley Field, VA, 25 Jun 1947
- Bergstrom Field (later AFB), TX, 15 Jul 1947-22 Oct 1948
- RAF FassbergRAF FassbergThe former Royal Air Force Station Fassberg, more commonly known as RAF Fassberg, was a Royal Air Force airbase in Germany situated in the northern suburbs of Fassberg, Lower Saxony...
, Germany (later West Germany), 9 Nov 1948-18 Sep 1949 - Mitchel AFB, NY, 1 Feb 1953
- Sewart AFB, TN, 2 Oct 1953-8 Jun 1955
- Forbes AFB, KS, 1 Oct 1964-c. Dec 1965
- Clark AB, Philippines, 27 Jan 1966-31 Oct 1970
- Langley AFB, VA, 1 Apr-15 Nov 1971
- Little Rock AFB, AR, 1 Jun 2003-Present
Aircraft
- Principally C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, 1942-1945, 1946-1948 - C-46 CommandoC-46 CommandoThe Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
, 1945, 1953 - C-82 PacketC-82 PacketThe C-82 Packet was a twin-engine, twin-boom cargo aircraft designed and built by Fairchild Aircraft. It was used briefly by the United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy following World War II.-Design and development:...
, 1947-1948 - C-54 SkymasterC-54 SkymasterThe Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
, 1948-1949 - C-119 Flying BoxcarC-119 Flying BoxcarThe Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
, 1953-1955 - C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
, 1964-1970, 1971, 2003-Present