Military Air Transport Service
Encyclopedia
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) 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
(NATS) and the United States Air Force
Air Transport Command
(ATC) into a single, joint, unified command. It was inactivated on 8 January 1966.
William H. Tunner
, in order to harness interservice efforts more efficiently. It was an amalgamation of Navy and Army air transport commands, jointly placed by the Department of Defense under the control of the newly created United States Air Force (USAF) as what is known as today today as a Unified Combatant Command
.
During World War II, the Army Air Force's needs were looked after by the Air Transport Command
which focused on transportation of troops and supplies, also organized by Tunner. The Naval Air Transport Service
focused on supporting deployed Naval and Marine personnel transporting vital cargo, specialist personnel and mail to the Fleet and ground forces, especially in advanced areas of operation.
MATS was the first Joint-Service command and Naval aircrews participated in every major MATS airlift operation. MATS would organizationally be under the Department of the Air Force, as the vast majority of its equipment and personnel of ATC had been inherited by the Air Force with the inactivation of the USAAF.
During the Berlin Airlift, Naval aviators flew transport aircraft from the United States to European supply depots; in the Korean War
, MATS Navy Squadrons airlifted some 17,000 battle casualties. In its original organization, a Rear Admiral
commanded the MATS Pacific Division and another rear admiral served as MATS vice-commander. During the 1958 reorganization, senior Naval officers were on the staffs of the commanders of both EASTAF and WESTAF, and at MATS Headquarters.
In 1965 conflicting views of the Air Force and Navy triggered by the demands of the Vietnam War
led to the services returning to separate airlift commands. In turn, MATS was disbanded and superseded in the Air Force by the Military Airlift Command
, during a 1966 restructuring.
found itself in limbo. Senior USAAF authorities considered ATC to be a wartime necessity that was no longer needed, and expected its civilian personnel, including former airline pilots, to return to their peacetime occupations. Senior ATC officers, on the other hand, thought that ATC should be developed into a national government operated airline, an idea that was soundly opposed by the airline industry. While the war had firmly established the necessity of a troop carrier mission, most military officers believed the role performed by ATC should be provided by contract carriers.
When the United States Air Force was established as a separate service in 1947, the Air Transport Command was not established as one of its major commands. The ATC commander and his staff took it upon themselves to convince the new civilian leadership of the newly created Department of Defense (DOD) (and Secretaries of the Army and Air Force) that ATC had a mission. They seized upon testimony by former I Troop Carrier Command
commander Major General Paul L. Williams
that the Air Force should have a long-range troop deployment capability, and began advocating that ATC transports could be used to deploy troops. Williams had been pressing for the development of a long-range troop carrier airplane when he made his statement.
The DOD believed it should have its own air transport service and decided that ATC should become the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), supported by the Air Force, even though not listed as a formal military mission. Also, as a cost saving measure, MATS would combine the resources of Air Transport Command with those of the Naval Air Transport Service
. This way the command would be sanctioned by the Department of Defense, and not by either the Air Force or the Navy.
Although MATS was under the operational control of the United States Air Force, the United States Navy was a full partner in the command and operational components of the organization. Major Naval components of MATS were Naval Air Transport squadrons. VR-3 was assigned to McGuire AFB and VR-22 was assigned to the Naval Air Transport Station at Naval Station Norfolk
/Chambers Field, Virginia. Together they constituted MATS EASTAF's Naval Air Transport Wing, Atlantic. On the Pacific Coast, Naval Air Transport Wing, Pacific, consisted of Air Transport Squadron VR-7 and Maintenance Squadron VR-8, both at Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California. A detachment of VR-7 was also stationed at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan.
Naval aviators flew scheduled MATS routes to Newfoundland
, Iceland
, Scotland
, West Germany
, Italy, Puerto Rico
and Africa. In the Pacific, MATS Naval aviators flew to all MATS stations from Hawaii
to Japan to South Vietnam
, Bangkok
, India and to Saudi Arabia
.
Also Air Force pilots flew MATS Navy planes, just as Naval aviators could be found piloting Air Force transport aircraft.
During World War II, the USAAF Air Transport Command
provided worldwide transport service to every continent on the globe. Inheriting that legacy, MATS continued that service and organized it into three major transport divisions;
.*Note: Eliminated on 1 July 1958, with mission divided between Eastern Transport Air Force, (EASTAF) and Western Transport Air Force (WESTAF)
MATS also amalgamated several other missions into its organization:
The Special Air Mission was the transport of the President of the United States
; Vice-President; Cabinet Members; Member of Congress; Senator
s, and designated other individuals, such as Foreign Heads of State
.
Provided rescue of downed military service members in enemy occupied areas; humanitarian relief to civilians in emergency conditions (floods, hurricanes, earthquakes)
Weather forecasting for military airfields; hurricane hunters.
Mapping the world providing accurate aerial charts to military aviators wherever they need to be. Also producing all Air Force training films; public relations films; monthly newsreels, and coordinating with private filmmakers with regards to use of Air Force equipment and facilities.
Evacuation of wounded military personnel from combat zones; transport of critically ill military personnel (and dependents) to military medical facilities for treatment.
Performed unconventional warfare missions during the Korean War
and early years of the Cold War
(1950–1956).
and Japan, and included two of the U.S. Navy's air transport squadrons assigned to MATS. MATS itself was not "in charge" of the airlift, although several MATS staff officers were sent to Germany to serve in the Airlift Task Force in an administrative role. Lt. General William H. Tunner
was placed in overall command of airlift operations, reporting to the commander of United States Air Forces, Europe. The airlift itself was a USAFE operation and all airplanes assigned to it were assigned to one of five troop carrier groups that were sent to Europe to operate the airlift. MATS played a supporting role, including ferrying C-54s to and from the airlift bases and maintenance depots in the United States and the MATS C-54 training school trained pilots for temporary duty in the airlift. MATS transports delivered crucial aircraft parts to the airlift bases in Europe. This operation would continue for some 15 months until the Soviets lifted the blockade. MATS would provide numerous humanitarian airlifts of global proportions. The U.S. Navy was an integral part of MATS, providing five transport squadrons to the joint service effort, but they operated under USAFE while they were part of the airlift.
troops under General Douglas MacArthur
in the country of South Korea
which was nearly overrun by the time UN forces were mobilized. The MATS role was purely logistical, and operated from the United States to Japan. Theater transport forces assigned to the Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command, which became the 315th Air Division
, operated supply routes into Japan and provided troop carrier services for UN forces.
, MATS MATS airlifted 1,300 Colombian and Indian troops from Bogotá
and Agra
to the United Nations staging area in Naples
, Italy, to supplement the UN police force in the Suez area. In 1958, MATS airlifted 5,500 tons of cargo and 5,400 troops to the Middle East in support of the Lebanese government, also supporting the move of a TAC Composite Air Strike Force to the area. Also in 1958, MATS flew 144 airlift trips to the Far East when the crisis arose in the Formosa Straits, supporting the move of a Composite Air Strike Force, and airlifting a squadron of F-104 Starfighter
s to Taiwan
.
. During that time the aircraft, operated by the 63d Troop Carrier Wing stationed at Donaldson Air Force Base
, South Carolina, air-dropped about 4,000 tons of supplies from the main Antarctic base at McMurdo Sound
to remote stations near and at the South Pole. Beginning in 1963, Lockheed C-130E Hercules, newer, faster, and longer range, picked up the MATS portion of the mission. The performance of the C-124s in the Antarctic cold strengthened the concept of airlift flexibility by doing in a few weeks (each year) a job that would have taken surface transportation several months. During Deep Freeze III, a C-124 air-dropped a seven-ton tractor to an isolated site, and during Deep Freeze 62 (October–December, 1961), three C-124's made the longest flight in Antarctic history, a 3,100-mile round trip to airdrop supplies. Also during Deep Freeze 62, Lt. Gen. Joe W. Kelly
became the first MATS commander to visit the operation. MATS vice commander, Maj. Gen. Raymond J. Reeves
, visited Deep Freeze 63.
s) by the end of November had chalked up more than 2,000 missions in history's longest airlift reaching 5,000 miles from Europe around Africa's West Coast to Leopoldville
in the Congo
. MATS entered the United Nations
airlift under direction of the United States Air Forces in Europe
(USAFE) 322d Air Division, July 16, 1960, and at the peak had 60 aircraft committed. By the end of 1962, about 49,000 troops and 11,000 tons of cargo had been airlifted to and from points as far away as New Delhi
, India.
and France.
When the Reserve Forces were called to active duty in October, 1961, MATS airlift force and technical units provided support for their movement to Europe. Operation Stair Step was the name given to the deployment of Air National Guard
fighter units overseas to NATO bases in France, and Operation High Top was the redeployment, June–August, 1962. In High Top, for example, more than 260 missions were flown by MATS aircraft of all types, including the C-97's which themselves had been called to active duty. These aircraft returned more than 9,600 ANG personnel and 1,400 tons of equipment.
On addition, the 101st Airborne Division was airlifted from Fort Campbell, Kentucky to locations in Turkey. Approximately 2,000 personnel and 900 tons of equipment were airlifted (Exercise Checkmate II). During the exercise, about 300 MATS airmen and officers lived in tents for about three weeks handling maintenance and communications. Lt. Gen. Joe W. Kelly, MATS commander, was on hand to greet the first arriving aircraft, Despite "miserable" weather, no accidents or incidents occurred.
Throughout 1962, tensions were high in Europe and in January, Exercise Long Thrust II was commenced in which MATS new four-engined jets, the Boeing C-135 Stratolifter
, made their first appearance in a major airlift when 12 of them airlifted nearly 500 Army troops over the Arctic Circle from Fort Lewis
, Washington, to central West Germany
. They made the nonstop trip in little more than 10 hours compared to the piston-engined aircraft which averaged between 30 and 35 hours along normal routes. Altogether, more than 200 MATS aircraft moved 5,300 troops of three battle groups of the Army's 4th Infantry Division in the deployment phase. The jets brought one battle group back. In West Germany, the troops participated in ground maneuvers with NATO forces.
and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
. Included in this was the first major airlift of United States Marines and their combat gear by MATS. Also, during this buildup, MATS lost its first C-135 Stratolifter
jet while it was engaged in an ammunition airlift to Guantanamo Bay. All three of the technical services stepped up activities to provide close weather, rescue, and documentation support to the buildup.
During the airlift operation, MATS was called on to react to a call for arms to India in early November to stem the Communist Chinese invasion. The airlift required the movement of 980 tons of small arms more than 6,000 miles from Rhein-Main AB, West Germany
, to Dum-Dum Airport
, Calcutta. This "no notice" airlift was accomplished in eight days by MATS C-135 Stratolifter
jets.
division and elements of a Tactical Air Command
Strike Force were ferried across the ocean in one big airlift, 15,358 officers and men of the 2nd Armored Division
, their support troops, and 504 tons of battle equipment were airlifted by 204 MATS aircraft from eight bases in the South and southwestern United States to France and Germany. They were accompanied by 116 tactical fighters and reconnaissance aircraft of the Composite Air Strike Force (CASF) who flew across the Atlantic. The entire operation was accomplished in 2½ days, employing 234 missions. The C-135 Stratolifter
jets made the 5,600-mile trip in 10½ hours nonstop, carrying 75 troops each. It took the C-124 Globemasters three times as long, with refueling stops in Bermuda
and the Azores
to carry 80 troops and cargo. Following the NATO ground manoeuvers in Europe, the troops were lifted back to the United States on 21 November 1963
, providing airlifts of military equipment and supplies to the French government and colonial Vietnamese forces fighting the Viet Minh
. In 1954, at the request of the French, wounded Legion
naires from Dien Bien Phu
were transported from Tan Son Nhut Airport to either Algeria
or France. Initially flown from Saigon to Tachikawa AB near Tokyo on C-124s, over 14,000 wounded soldiers received stabilization medical care. From Japan, the wounded were airlifted across the Pacific Ocean to the Western United States on MATS C-97s
. At each of the subsequent stops at Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Travis AFB, California, and Westover AFB, Massachusetts, there were layovers of about a day. This portion of the journey was carried out by MATS' Pacific Division. From Westover, the Atlantic Division took charge and airlifted the wounded to Orly Air Base
in France and Oran Airport in Algeria
. From start to finish, the mission took about a month to complete.
Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s military aid was shipped to the South Vietnamese government by MATS airlift flights into Tan Son Nhut. In addition, military flights were made to Don Muang Airport in Bangkok
which were designated for the Thai Militarily to protect their border along the Mekong River, or clandestinely to the Laotian Government, who were fighting communist rebels in Laos
.
As the United States built up its forces in Southeast Asia in the early 1960s, the number of MATS flights to the area increased. MATS C-124s and C-133 Cargomaster
s were common sights. After the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Incident
, and the decision being made to escalate United States involvement in the Vietnam War, MATS performed a critical role in the air transport of personnel and equipment to the war zone. Throughout 1964 and 1965 MATS flew large numbers of United States Army and United States Marines to South Vietnam. Large MATS aerial ports were established at Da Nang
, Cam Ranh Bay
and Tan Son Nhut in South Vietnam, as well as at Don Muang Airport in Thailand to support the United States forces there. The first large scale MATS jet transport flights of C-141A Starlifters were to Tan Son Nhut Air Base
in 1965.
(MAC) stood up and was activated as a new United States Air Force major command on 1 January 1966 inheriting the MATS strategic airlift mission, along with its lineage and honors.
The R5D Skymasters of Naval Transport Squadron Seven Alpha (VR-7A) were retired in July 1966 and the unit inactivated. VR-7, flying C-121/RV-7 Super Constellations remained attached to MAC until 31 January 1967, and the Naval Air Transport Wing (Pacific) was inactivated on 23 March 1967. VR-8 and VR-22 at NAS Moffett Field withdrew its C-130s from MAC on 20 April. The last naval squadron, VR-3, flying C-130s from McGuire AFB, was inactivated on 30 June and the formal DOD program action directive relieving the Navy from MAC responsibilities became effective 1 July 1967.
Most passenger transport missions except the Special Air Mission were contracted out by MAC to commercial airlines such as Pan American
, TWA
, United
, Continental
, Northwest
and charter companies such as Flying Tiger
, using the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). This provided commercial airline pilots and aircrews valuable training, and during the years of the Vietnam War
, seeing Boeing 707
and Douglas DC-8
commercial airliners at MAC aerial ports in Southeast Asia was a common sight.
On 1 December 1974, MAC expanded its mission by acquiring the theater troop carrying and tactical airlift mission (i.e., C-130 Hercules
, C-123 Provider
, C-7 Caribou) previously performed by the combat commands (TAC, PACAF, USAFE). In 1987, MAC was designated as the Air Force component of the United States Transportation Command
(TRANSCOM) unified joint-service command.
In June 1992, MAC was reorganized and redesignated as the Air Mobility Command
(AMC) with a broadened mission of aerial refueling (i.e., KC-135 Stratotanker
and KC-10 Extender
), acquired from the inactivating Strategic Air Command
.
Note: 4-digit Military Air Transport Service units at all levels were considered Major Command (MAJCOM) provisional units by the USAF due to MATS being a Department of Defense Unified Command. Under the USAF lineage system they did not a permanent lineage or history and were discontinued upon inactivation.
Eighteenth Air Force
heavy-lift C-124 Globemaster II
units to MATS. However, the units retained their troop carrier designation and remained dedicated to support TAC on worldwide troop deployments.
in support of United States interests around the world.
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Naval Air Transport Service
Naval Air Transport Service
The Naval Air Transport Service or NATS, was a branch of the United States Navy from 1941 to 1948. At its height during WW II, NATS’s totaled four wings of 18 squadrons that operated 540 aircraft with 26,000 personnel assigned....
(NATS) and the United States Air Force
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...
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air 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...
(ATC) into a single, joint, unified command. It was inactivated on 8 January 1966.
Overview
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) was activated under United States Air Force Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
William H. Tunner
William H. Tunner
William Henry Tunner was a general officer in the United States Air Force and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces...
, in order to harness interservice efforts more efficiently. It was an amalgamation of Navy and Army air transport commands, jointly placed by the Department of Defense under the control of the newly created United States Air Force (USAF) as what is known as today today as a Unified Combatant Command
Unified Combatant Command
A Unified Combatant Command is a United States Department of Defense command that is composed of forces from at least two Military Departments and has a broad and continuing mission. These commands are established to provide effective command and control of U.S. military forces, regardless of...
.
During World War II, the Army Air Force's needs were looked after by the Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air 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...
which focused on transportation of troops and supplies, also organized by Tunner. The Naval Air Transport Service
Naval Air Transport Service
The Naval Air Transport Service or NATS, was a branch of the United States Navy from 1941 to 1948. At its height during WW II, NATS’s totaled four wings of 18 squadrons that operated 540 aircraft with 26,000 personnel assigned....
focused on supporting deployed Naval and Marine personnel transporting vital cargo, specialist personnel and mail to the Fleet and ground forces, especially in advanced areas of operation.
MATS was the first Joint-Service command and Naval aircrews participated in every major MATS airlift operation. MATS would organizationally be under the Department of the Air Force, as the vast majority of its equipment and personnel of ATC had been inherited by the Air Force with the inactivation of the USAAF.
During the Berlin Airlift, Naval aviators flew transport aircraft from the United States to European supply depots; in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, MATS Navy Squadrons airlifted some 17,000 battle casualties. In its original organization, a Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
commanded the MATS Pacific Division and another rear admiral served as MATS vice-commander. During the 1958 reorganization, senior Naval officers were on the staffs of the commanders of both EASTAF and WESTAF, and at MATS Headquarters.
In 1965 conflicting views of the Air Force and Navy triggered by the demands 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...
led to the services returning to separate airlift commands. In turn, MATS was disbanded and superseded in the Air Force by the Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The 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...
, during a 1966 restructuring.
Origins
With the end of World War II, the United States Army Air Force Air Transport CommandAir Transport Command
Air 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...
found itself in limbo. Senior USAAF authorities considered ATC to be a wartime necessity that was no longer needed, and expected its civilian personnel, including former airline pilots, to return to their peacetime occupations. Senior ATC officers, on the other hand, thought that ATC should be developed into a national government operated airline, an idea that was soundly opposed by the airline industry. While the war had firmly established the necessity of a troop carrier mission, most military officers believed the role performed by ATC should be provided by contract carriers.
When the United States Air Force was established as a separate service in 1947, the Air Transport Command was not established as one of its major commands. The ATC commander and his staff took it upon themselves to convince the new civilian leadership of the newly created Department of Defense (DOD) (and Secretaries of the Army and Air Force) that ATC had a mission. They seized upon testimony by former I Troop Carrier Command
I 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...
commander Major General Paul L. Williams
Paul L. Williams (US general)
Paul Langdon Williams was a United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force general. As head of the IX Troop Carrier Command during World War II, he was responsible for the airlift of the airborne landings in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Normandy, southern France, Holland and...
that the Air Force should have a long-range troop deployment capability, and began advocating that ATC transports could be used to deploy troops. Williams had been pressing for the development of a long-range troop carrier airplane when he made his statement.
The DOD believed it should have its own air transport service and decided that ATC should become the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), supported by the Air Force, even though not listed as a formal military mission. Also, as a cost saving measure, MATS would combine the resources of Air Transport Command with those of the Naval Air Transport Service
Naval Air Transport Service
The Naval Air Transport Service or NATS, was a branch of the United States Navy from 1941 to 1948. At its height during WW II, NATS’s totaled four wings of 18 squadrons that operated 540 aircraft with 26,000 personnel assigned....
. This way the command would be sanctioned by the Department of Defense, and not by either the Air Force or the Navy.
Although MATS was under the operational control of the United States Air Force, the United States Navy was a full partner in the command and operational components of the organization. Major Naval components of MATS were Naval Air Transport squadrons. VR-3 was assigned to McGuire AFB and VR-22 was assigned to the Naval Air Transport Station at Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
/Chambers Field, Virginia. Together they constituted MATS EASTAF's Naval Air Transport Wing, Atlantic. On the Pacific Coast, Naval Air Transport Wing, Pacific, consisted of Air Transport Squadron VR-7 and Maintenance Squadron VR-8, both at Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California. A detachment of VR-7 was also stationed at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan.
Naval aviators flew scheduled MATS routes to Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, 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....
, Italy, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Africa. In the Pacific, MATS Naval aviators flew to all MATS stations from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to Japan to 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...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, India and to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
Also Air Force pilots flew MATS Navy planes, just as Naval aviators could be found piloting Air Force transport aircraft.
Organization
Air Transport Command
Air 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...
provided worldwide transport service to every continent on the globe. Inheriting that legacy, MATS continued that service and organized it into three major transport divisions;
- Atlantic Division (after 1 July 1958: EASTAF) - From McGuire AFB, New Jersey, provided service across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe; to the Caribbean and South America; to North Africa and the Middle East to DhahranDhahranDhahran is a city located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
, Saudi Arabia - Pacific Division (after 1 July 1958: WESTAF) - From Travis AFB, California, provided service to Hawaii and on to locations in the Pacific, including Japan and the Philippines; across Southeast Asia; India; Pakistan and on to DhahranDhahranDhahran is a city located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
, Saudi Arabia. - Continental Division* - From McGuire to points in Northern Canada; along the North Atlantic coast north to Thule AB, Greenland. From Travis north to McChord AFB, Washington, then north to AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and Aleutian Islands, then a connection into Tachikawa AB, Japan from Shemya AFS. Also provided coast to coast aeromedical evacuation flights within the United States and cargo service between major Air Force Air Materiel CommandAir Force Logistics CommandAir Force Logistics Command was a United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio...
depots.
.*Note: Eliminated on 1 July 1958, with mission divided between Eastern Transport Air Force, (EASTAF) and Western Transport Air Force (WESTAF)
MATS also amalgamated several other missions into its organization:
- Special Air MissionSpecial Air MissionThe United States Air Force Special Air Mission is the safe, comfortable, and reliable air transportation for the President, Vice President, Cabinet, members of Congress, and other high-ranking American and foreign dignitaries....
(SAM)
The Special Air Mission was the transport of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
; Vice-President; Cabinet Members; Member of Congress; Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
s, and designated other individuals, such as Foreign Heads of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
.
- Air Rescue ServiceAir Rescue ServiceThe Air Rescue Service is a disestablished organization in the United States Air Force. Previously a subcommand of the Military Air Transport Service , a USAF major command , ARS was redesignated as the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service on 1 Jan 1966 when MATS was redesignated as the Military...
(ARS)
Provided rescue of downed military service members in enemy occupied areas; humanitarian relief to civilians in emergency conditions (floods, hurricanes, earthquakes)
- Air Weather Service (ARS)
Weather forecasting for military airfields; hurricane hunters.
- Air Photographic and Charting Service (APCS)
Mapping the world providing accurate aerial charts to military aviators wherever they need to be. Also producing all Air Force training films; public relations films; monthly newsreels, and coordinating with private filmmakers with regards to use of Air Force equipment and facilities.
- Aeromedical Transport Wing (AMTW)
Evacuation of wounded military personnel from combat zones; transport of critically ill military personnel (and dependents) to military medical facilities for treatment.
- Air Resupply And Communications ServiceAir Resupply And Communications ServiceThe Air Resupply And Communications Service is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.- Mission :The mission of ARCS was:...
(ARCS)
Performed unconventional warfare missions during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and early years of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
(1950–1956).
Berlin Airlift (1948–1949)
MATS was established on June 1, 1948, less than a month before the commencement of the Berlin Airlift -- "OPERATION VITTLES" where at peak operations, planes were landing and departing every ninety seconds or so shuttling in thousands of tons of supplies, food, and fuel each day - but they were not MATS airplanes. The Soviet Union had blocked all surface transportation in the western part of Berlin. Railroads tracks were destroyed, barges were stopped on the rivers, and highways and roads blocked. The only avenue left was through the air. On June 26, 1948, the airlift began. Troop carrier transports from around the globe began making their way to Germany, where they were assigned to United States Air Forces, Europe. Squadrons transferred from as far away as HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Japan, and included two of the U.S. Navy's air transport squadrons assigned to MATS. MATS itself was not "in charge" of the airlift, although several MATS staff officers were sent to Germany to serve in the Airlift Task Force in an administrative role. Lt. General William H. Tunner
William H. Tunner
William Henry Tunner was a general officer in the United States Air Force and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces...
was placed in overall command of airlift operations, reporting to the commander of United States Air Forces, Europe. The airlift itself was a USAFE operation and all airplanes assigned to it were assigned to one of five troop carrier groups that were sent to Europe to operate the airlift. MATS played a supporting role, including ferrying C-54s to and from the airlift bases and maintenance depots in the United States and the MATS C-54 training school trained pilots for temporary duty in the airlift. MATS transports delivered crucial aircraft parts to the airlift bases in Europe. This operation would continue for some 15 months until the Soviets lifted the blockade. MATS would provide numerous humanitarian airlifts of global proportions. The U.S. Navy was an integral part of MATS, providing five transport squadrons to the joint service effort, but they operated under USAFE while they were part of the airlift.
Korean War (1950–1953)
The organization's next major test was the bootstrap supply operations supporting the United NationsUnited 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...
troops under General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
in the country of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
which was nearly overrun by the time UN forces were mobilized. The MATS role was purely logistical, and operated from the United States to Japan. Theater transport forces assigned to the Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command, which became the 315th Air Division
315th Air Division
The 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:...
, operated supply routes into Japan and provided troop carrier services for UN forces.
Suez, Lebanon and Taiwan Straits Crisis (1956–1958)
During the 1956 Suez CrisisSuez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
, MATS MATS airlifted 1,300 Colombian and Indian troops from Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
and Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
to the United Nations staging area in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy, to supplement the UN police force in the Suez area. In 1958, MATS airlifted 5,500 tons of cargo and 5,400 troops to the Middle East in support of the Lebanese government, also supporting the move of a TAC Composite Air Strike Force to the area. Also in 1958, MATS flew 144 airlift trips to the Far East when the crisis arose in the Formosa Straits, supporting the move of a Composite Air Strike Force, and airlifting a squadron of F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
s to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Operation Deep Freeze (1957–1963)
In December, 1962, MATS Douglas C-124 Globemasters ended six years of seasonal flying as members of the Air Force-Navy team resupplying scientific stations in the AntarcticAntarctic
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...
. During that time the aircraft, operated by the 63d Troop Carrier Wing stationed at Donaldson Air Force Base
Donaldson Air Force Base
Donaldson Air Force Base is a closed facility of the United States Air Force. Currently known as Donaldson Center, the former Air Force Base is located south of Greenville, South Carolina....
, South Carolina, air-dropped about 4,000 tons of supplies from the main Antarctic base at McMurdo Sound
McMurdo Sound
The ice-clogged waters of Antarctica's McMurdo Sound extend about 55 km long and wide. The sound opens into the Ross Sea to the north. The Royal Society Range rises from sea level to 13,205 feet on the western shoreline. The nearby McMurdo Ice Shelf scribes McMurdo Sound's southern boundary...
to remote stations near and at the South Pole. Beginning in 1963, Lockheed C-130E Hercules, newer, faster, and longer range, picked up the MATS portion of the mission. The performance of the C-124s in the Antarctic cold strengthened the concept of airlift flexibility by doing in a few weeks (each year) a job that would have taken surface transportation several months. During Deep Freeze III, a C-124 air-dropped a seven-ton tractor to an isolated site, and during Deep Freeze 62 (October–December, 1961), three C-124's made the longest flight in Antarctic history, a 3,100-mile round trip to airdrop supplies. Also during Deep Freeze 62, Lt. Gen. Joe W. Kelly
Joe W. Kelly
General Joe William Kelly was a U.S. Air Force general and Commander, Military Air Transport Service . He was the first four-star commander of MATS, and was commander at the time the command was transitioning to jet aircraft...
became the first MATS commander to visit the operation. MATS vice commander, Maj. Gen. Raymond J. Reeves
Raymond J. Reeves
General Raymond Judson Reeves was a United States Air Force four star general who served as Commander in Chief, North American Air Defense Command/Commander in Chief, Continental Air Defense Command from 1966 to 1969.Reeves was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1909...
, visited Deep Freeze 63.
Congo Airlift (1960–1963)
MATS C-124 Globemasters and C-118 Liftmasters (and in November, 1962, pure-jet C-135 StratolifterC-135 Stratolifter
|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
s) by the end of November had chalked up more than 2,000 missions in history's longest airlift reaching 5,000 miles from Europe around Africa's West Coast to Leopoldville
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
in the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. MATS entered 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...
airlift under direction of the 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...
(USAFE) 322d Air Division, July 16, 1960, and at the peak had 60 aircraft committed. By the end of 1962, about 49,000 troops and 11,000 tons of cargo had been airlifted to and from points as far away as New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India.
Berlin Crisis (1961)
As a result of the Soviet construction of the Berlin Wall and the ending of free crossing to and from their occupation zone of Berlin, More than 100 MATS global airlift aircraft from EASTAF and WESTAF participated in deployments of American forces from the United States to West GermanyWest 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....
and France.
When the Reserve Forces were called to active duty in October, 1961, MATS airlift force and technical units provided support for their movement to Europe. Operation Stair Step was the name given to the deployment of Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
fighter units overseas to NATO bases in France, and Operation High Top was the redeployment, June–August, 1962. In High Top, for example, more than 260 missions were flown by MATS aircraft of all types, including the C-97's which themselves had been called to active duty. These aircraft returned more than 9,600 ANG personnel and 1,400 tons of equipment.
On addition, the 101st Airborne Division was airlifted from Fort Campbell, Kentucky to locations in Turkey. Approximately 2,000 personnel and 900 tons of equipment were airlifted (Exercise Checkmate II). During the exercise, about 300 MATS airmen and officers lived in tents for about three weeks handling maintenance and communications. Lt. Gen. Joe W. Kelly, MATS commander, was on hand to greet the first arriving aircraft, Despite "miserable" weather, no accidents or incidents occurred.
Throughout 1962, tensions were high in Europe and in January, Exercise Long Thrust II was commenced in which MATS new four-engined jets, the Boeing C-135 Stratolifter
C-135 Stratolifter
|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
, made their first appearance in a major airlift when 12 of them airlifted nearly 500 Army troops over the Arctic Circle from Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington, to central 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....
. They made the nonstop trip in little more than 10 hours compared to the piston-engined aircraft which averaged between 30 and 35 hours along normal routes. Altogether, more than 200 MATS aircraft moved 5,300 troops of three battle groups of the Army's 4th Infantry Division in the deployment phase. The jets brought one battle group back. In West Germany, the troops participated in ground maneuvers with NATO forces.
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
In the midst of one of the heaviest airlift schedules it has ever had (more than 17 airlifts under way or developing during October and November), MATS was called on to support the buildup of forces in the southeastern part of the United States. On October 16, MATS began working at its wartime activity rate. Between October 16 and the end of the month, MATS airlifted thousands of troops and thousands of tons in hundreds of sorties from bases throughout the country into FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Included in this was the first major airlift of United States Marines and their combat gear by MATS. Also, during this buildup, MATS lost its first C-135 Stratolifter
C-135 Stratolifter
|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
jet while it was engaged in an ammunition airlift to Guantanamo Bay. All three of the technical services stepped up activities to provide close weather, rescue, and documentation support to the buildup.
During the airlift operation, MATS was called on to react to a call for arms to India in early November to stem the Communist Chinese invasion. The airlift required the movement of 980 tons of small arms more than 6,000 miles 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 Dum-Dum Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...
, Calcutta. This "no notice" airlift was accomplished in eight days by MATS C-135 Stratolifter
C-135 Stratolifter
|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
jets.
Operation "Big Lift" (1963)
In the first time that a full United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
division and elements of a 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...
Strike Force were ferried across the ocean in one big airlift, 15,358 officers and men of the 2nd Armored Division
U.S. 2nd Armored Division
The 2nd Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army. The division played an important role during World War II in the invasions of North Africa and Sicily and the liberation of France, Belgium, and Holland and the invasion of Germany...
, their support troops, and 504 tons of battle equipment were airlifted by 204 MATS aircraft from eight bases in the South and southwestern United States to France and Germany. They were accompanied by 116 tactical fighters and reconnaissance aircraft of the Composite Air Strike Force (CASF) who flew across the Atlantic. The entire operation was accomplished in 2½ days, employing 234 missions. The C-135 Stratolifter
C-135 Stratolifter
|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
jets made the 5,600-mile trip in 10½ hours nonstop, carrying 75 troops each. It took the C-124 Globemasters three times as long, with refueling stops in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
to carry 80 troops and cargo. Following the NATO ground manoeuvers in Europe, the troops were lifted back to the United States on 21 November 1963
Vietnam War
Beginning in 1948, MATS flew airlift missions into French IndochinaFrench Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, providing airlifts of military equipment and supplies to the French government and colonial Vietnamese forces fighting the Viet Minh
Viet Minh
Việt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
. In 1954, at the request of the French, wounded Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
naires from Dien Bien Phu
Dien Bien Phu
Điện Biên Phủ is a city in northwestern Vietnam. It is the capital of Dien Bien province, and is known for the events there during the First Indochina War, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, during which the region was a breadbasket for the Việt Minh.-Population:...
were transported from Tan Son Nhut Airport to either Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
or France. Initially flown from Saigon to Tachikawa AB near Tokyo on C-124s, over 14,000 wounded soldiers received stabilization medical care. From Japan, the wounded were airlifted across the Pacific Ocean to the Western United States on MATS C-97s
C-97 Stratofreighter
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long range heavy military cargo aircraft based on the B-29 bomber. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several...
. At each of the subsequent stops at Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Travis AFB, California, and Westover AFB, Massachusetts, there were layovers of about a day. This portion of the journey was carried out by MATS' Pacific Division. From Westover, the Atlantic Division took charge and airlifted the wounded to Orly Air Base
Orly Air Base
Orly Air Base was located at Aeroport de Paris-Orly, nine miles south of Paris, France off Autoroute A6/A10m with a highway exit directly into the base....
in France and Oran Airport in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. From start to finish, the mission took about a month to complete.
Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s military aid was shipped to the South Vietnamese government by MATS airlift flights into Tan Son Nhut. In addition, military flights were made to Don Muang Airport in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
which were designated for the Thai Militarily to protect their border along the Mekong River, or clandestinely to the Laotian Government, who were fighting communist rebels in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
As the United States built up its forces in Southeast Asia in the early 1960s, the number of MATS flights to the area increased. MATS C-124s and C-133 Cargomaster
C-133 Cargomaster
The Douglas C-133 Cargomaster was a large cargo aircraft built between 1956 and 1961 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for use with the United States Air Force. The C-133 was the USAF's only production turboprop-powered strategic airlifter, entering service shortly after Lockheed's better known C-130...
s were common sights. After the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, or the USS Maddox Incident, are the names given to two incidents, one fabricated, involving North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin...
, and the decision being made to escalate United States involvement in the Vietnam War, MATS performed a critical role in the air transport of personnel and equipment to the war zone. Throughout 1964 and 1965 MATS flew large numbers of United States Army and United States Marines to South Vietnam. Large MATS aerial ports were established at Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
, Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay is a deep-water bay in Vietnam in the province of Khánh Hòa. It is located at an inlet of the South China Sea situated on the southeastern coast of Vietnam, between Phan Rang and Nha Trang, approximately 290 kilometers / 180 miles northeast of Hồ Chí Minh City / Saigon.Cam Ranh is...
and Tan Son Nhut in South Vietnam, as well as at Don Muang Airport in Thailand to support the United States forces there. The first large scale MATS jet transport flights of C-141A Starlifters were to Tan Son Nhut Air Base
Tan Son Nhut Air Base
Tan Son Nhut Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. It is located near the city of Saigon in southern Vietnam. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...
in 1965.
Military Airlift Command
On 31 December 1965, as a result of the Navy announcing the withdraw of its components, MATS was deactivated. The Military Airlift CommandMilitary Airlift Command
The 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...
(MAC) stood up and was activated as a new United States Air Force major command on 1 January 1966 inheriting the MATS strategic airlift mission, along with its lineage and honors.
The R5D Skymasters of Naval Transport Squadron Seven Alpha (VR-7A) were retired in July 1966 and the unit inactivated. VR-7, flying C-121/RV-7 Super Constellations remained attached to MAC until 31 January 1967, and the Naval Air Transport Wing (Pacific) was inactivated on 23 March 1967. VR-8 and VR-22 at NAS Moffett Field withdrew its C-130s from MAC on 20 April. The last naval squadron, VR-3, flying C-130s from McGuire AFB, was inactivated on 30 June and the formal DOD program action directive relieving the Navy from MAC responsibilities became effective 1 July 1967.
Most passenger transport missions except the Special Air Mission were contracted out by MAC to commercial airlines such as Pan American
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
, TWA
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
, United
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, Continental
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, Northwest
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
and charter companies such as Flying Tiger
Flying Tiger Line
Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, was the first scheduled cargo airline in the United States and a major military charter operator during the Cold War era for both cargo and personnel .- History :...
, using the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). This provided commercial airline pilots and aircrews valuable training, and during the years 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...
, seeing Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
and Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
commercial airliners at MAC aerial ports in Southeast Asia was a common sight.
On 1 December 1974, MAC expanded its mission by acquiring the theater troop carrying and tactical airlift mission (i.e., 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...
, C-123 Provider
C-123 Provider
The C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
, C-7 Caribou) previously performed by the combat commands (TAC, PACAF, USAFE). In 1987, MAC was designated as the Air Force component of the United States Transportation Command
United States Transportation Command
The United States Transportation Command is one of nine unified commands of the United States Department of Defense. The mission of USTRANSCOM is to provide air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and time of war.USTRANSCOM, located at Scott Air Force...
(TRANSCOM) unified joint-service command.
In June 1992, MAC was reorganized and redesignated as the 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....
(AMC) with a broadened mission of aerial refueling (i.e., KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
and KC-10 Extender
KC-10 Extender
The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is the military adaptation of the three-engined DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force . The KC-10 incorporates military-specific equipment for its primary roles of transport and aerial refueling. It was developed to supplement the KC-135 Stratotanker...
), acquired from the inactivating Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
.
Lineage
- Established and activated as Military Air Transport Service on 1 June 1948
- Mission and operational control of Air Transport Command, established on 29 May 1941, consolidated into organization same date.
- Air Transport command discontinued and inactivated same date.
- Mission and operational control of Naval Air Transport Service, established on 12 December 1941, consolidated into organization same date.
- Naval Air Transport Service disestablished, 1 July 1948
- Disestablished on 8 January 1966
- Air Force components assigned to: Military Airlift Command
- Navy components assigned to: United States Navy.
Headquarters
- Headquarters, MATS
- Andrews AFB, Maryland, 1 June 1948
- Scott AFB, Illinois, 15 January 1958 – 1 January 1966
- Continental DivisionTwenty-Second Air ForceTwenty-Second Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of Air Force Reserve Command . It was activated on 1 July 1993 and is headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia....
, 1 June 1948
- Headquartered: Kelly AFB, Texas
- Redesignated: Western Transport Air Force, (WESTAF) 1 July 1958 – 1 January 1966
- Headquarters moved to: Travis AFB, California
- Atlantic Division, 1 June 1948
- Headquartered: Westover AFB, Massachusetts
- Redesignated: Eastern Transport Air Force, (EASTAF) 1 July 1958 – 1 January 1966
- Headquarters moved to: McGuire AFB, New Jersey
- Pacific Division, 1 June 1948 – 30 June 1958
- Headquarters: Hickam AFB, Territory of Hawaii
- Inactivated, units reassigned to WESTAF
Services
- Air Rescue ServiceAir Rescue ServiceThe Air Rescue Service is a disestablished organization in the United States Air Force. Previously a subcommand of the Military Air Transport Service , a USAF major command , ARS was redesignated as the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service on 1 Jan 1966 when MATS was redesignated as the Military...
(ARS)
- Redesignated: Aerospace Rescue Recovery Service (ARRS)
- Air Weather Service (AWS)
- Special Airlift Mission (SAM)
- Air Photographic and Charting Service (APCS)
- Aeromedical Transport Wing (AMTW)
- Air Resupply And Communications ServiceAir Resupply And Communications ServiceThe Air Resupply And Communications Service is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.- Mission :The mission of ARCS was:...
(ARCS)
Air Transport Units
- 1100th Special Air Missions Wing, Bolling AFB, District of Columbia, 1 June 1948
- Redesignated: 1254th Air Transport Wing1254th Air Transport WingThe 1254th Air Transport Wing was an United States Air Force unit, existing between 1948 and 1968 It was stationed at Andrews AFB, Maryland.The 1254th Air Transport Wing was a transport wing of the Military Air Transport Service which was established on 10 July 1961...
, Andrews AFB, Maryland, 10 July 1961 – 8 January 1966 - Personnel and equipment reassigned to: 89th Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
- 1405th Aeromedical Transport Wing, Scott AFB, Illinois, 26 August 1948
- Redesignated: 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing, 31 December 1965
- Transferred to Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
- 1501st Air Transport Wing1501st Air Transport WingThe 1501st Air Transport Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit, being inactivated on 8 January 1966.The 1501st ATW was a heavy cargo transport wing of the Military Air Transport Service , formed on 1 June 1948...
, Fairfield-Suisun (Later Travis) AFB, California, 1 June 1948 – 8 January 1966
- Personnel and equipment reassigned to: 60th Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
- 1500th Air Transport Wing, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, 1 June 1948
- Redesignated: 1502d Air Transport Wing1502d Air Transport WingThe 1502d Air Transport Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit, being inactivated on 8 January 1966.The 1502d ATW was a heavy cargo transport wing of the Military Air Transport Service , formed on 1 June 1948...
, 1 July 1955 – 8 January 1966 - Personnel and equipment reassigned to: 61st Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
- 1503d Air Transport Group1503d Air Transport GroupThe 1503d Air Transport Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 1502d Air Transport Wing, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan...
, Tachikawa AB, Japan, 1 June 1948
- Redesignated: 1503d Air Transport Group1503d Air Transport GroupThe 1503d Air Transport Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 1502d Air Transport Wing, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan...
, 22 June 1964 – 8 January 1966
- 1600th Air Transport Group1600th Air Transport GroupThe 1600th Air Transport Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Atlantic Division, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts...
, Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 1 June 1948 – 1 April 1955
- 1602d Air Transport Wing, Wiesbaden AB, Germany (later West Germany), 1 June 1948 – 1 July 1952
- Transferred to Kindley AFB, Bermuda, Bermuda Base Command
- 1603d Air Transport Wing, Wheelus AB, Libya, 1 June 1948 – 1 January 1953
- Reassigned to United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe 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...
- 1605th Air Transport Wing, Lajes AB, Azores, 1 June 1948 – 8 January 1966
- 1607th Air Transport Group, Dover AFB, Delaware, 1 January 1954
- Redesignated: 1607th Air Transport Wing1607th Air Transport WingThe 1607th 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 Dover Air Force Base, Delaware...
, 1 February 1954 – 8 January 1966 - Personnel and equipment reassigned to: 436th Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
- 1608th Air Transport Group, Charleston AFB, South Carolina, 15 January 1954
- Redesignated: 1608th Air Transport Wing1608th Air Transport WingThe 1608th 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 Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina...
, 1 March 1955 – 8 January 1966 - Personnel and equipment reassigned to: 437th Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
- 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...
, McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 1 May 1954 – 8 January 1966
- Personnel and equipment reassigned to: 438th Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
- 1700th Air Transport Group1700th Air Transport GroupThe 1700th Air Transport Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Continental Division, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas...
, Kelly AFB, Texas, 1 June 1948 – 1 May 1957
- 1701st Air Transport Wing1701st Air Transport WingThe 1701st Air Transport Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Western Transport Air Force, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at Brookley Air Force Base, Alabama. It was inactivated on 18 June 1957.-History:...
, Great Falls AFB, Montana, 1 June 1948 – 1 May 1953
- Reassigned to: Brookley AFB, Alabama, 1 May 1953 – 18 June 1957
- 1703d Air Transport Group1703d Air Transport GroupThe 1703d Air Transport Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 1701st Air Transport Wing, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at Brookley Air Force Base, Alabama...
, Brookley AFB, Alabama, 1 October 1948 – 18 June 1957
- 1703d Air Transport Group
- 1705th Air Transport Group1705th Air Transport GroupThe 1705th Air Transport Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Western Transport Air Force, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 18 June 1960...
, McChord AFB, Washington, 1 August 1950
- Reassigned to: North Pacific Air Transport Wing, (Provisional), 1 October 1951 – 1 January 1952
- Reassigned to: 1705th Air Transport Group1705th Air Transport GroupThe 1705th Air Transport Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Western Transport Air Force, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 18 June 1960...
, 1 January 1952 – 18 June 1960 - Personnel and equipment reassigned to: 62d Troop Carrier Wing, 18 June 1960
- Redesignated: 62d Air Transport Wing, 1 January 1965
- Redesignated: 62d Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
- 1707th Air Transport Wing1707th Air Transport WingThe 1707th Air Transport Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Western Transport Air Force, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma...
, Palm Beach AFB, Florida, 1 September 1951
- Reassigned to: Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, 1 July 1959 – 8 January 1966
- Personnel and equipment reassigned to: 443d Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
Note: 4-digit Military Air Transport Service units at all levels were considered Major Command (MAJCOM) provisional units by the USAF due to MATS being a Department of Defense Unified Command. Under the USAF lineage system they did not a permanent lineage or history and were discontinued upon inactivation.
Troop Carrier Units
On 1 July 1957 a reorganization of USAF troop carrier forces included the transfer of Tactical Air CommandTactical 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...
Eighteenth Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
heavy-lift C-124 Globemaster II
C-124 Globemaster II
The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shakey", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....
units to MATS. However, the units retained their troop carrier designation and remained dedicated to support TAC on worldwide troop deployments.
- 62d Troop Carrier Group, Larson AFB, Washington, 1 July 1957 – 18 June 1960
- 62d Troop Carrier Wing, McChord AFB, Washington, 18 June 1960
- Redesignated: 62d Air Transport Wing, Heavy, on 1 January 1965
- Redesignated: 62d Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
- 61st Troop Carrier Group, Donaldson AFB, South Carolina, 1 July 1957 – 8 October 1959
- 63d Troop Carrier Group63d Troop Carrier GroupThe 63d Troop Carrier Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 63d Troop Carrier Wing, Eastern Transport Air Force , stationed at Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia. It was inactivated on 18 January 1963....
, Donaldson AFB, South Carolina, 1 July 1957 – 18 January 1963 - 63d Troop Carrier Wing, Hunter AFB, Georgia, 18 January 1963 – 8 January 1966
- Redesignated: 63d Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, 8 January 1966
Station facilities
Upon its establishment, Military Air Transport Service inherited much of Air Transport Command's worldwide network of stations and transport routes. By the time of its disestablishment, MATS had closed its facilities at many of these stations, however some are still in use today by Air Mobility CommandAir 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....
in support of United States interests around the world.
- United States
- Biggs AFB, Texas
- Griffiss AFB, New York
- Hill AFB, Utah
- Langley AFB, Virginia
- March AFB, California
- McClellan AFB, California
- Mitchel AFB, New York
- Muroc (Edwards) AFB, California
- NAS Alameda, California
- NAS Corpus Christi, Texas
- NAS Norfolk, Virginia
- NAS Oakland, California
- NAS Jacksonville, Florida
- NAS Patuxent River, Maryland
- NAS San Diego, California
- National Airport, Washington, D.C.
- NOTS China Lake, California
- Olmsted AFB, Pennsylvania
- Robins AFB, Georgia
- Saufley FieldSaufley FieldSaufley Field is a military airport located five nautical miles west of the central business district of Pensacola, in Escambia County, Florida, United States. It is an active U.S...
, Florida - Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
- Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- Alaska
- Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage
- Ladd AFB, Fairbanks
- NAS Adak, Aleutian Islands
- Shemya AFB, Aleutian Islands
- Canada
- Churchill AirportChurchill AirportChurchill Airport is located east southeast of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.Churchill Airport serves the town of Churchill and the surrounding region. Although it is a small domestic airport, it handles a relatively high number of passengers throughout the year as it is a major destination for...
, Manitoba - Edmonton Airport, Alberta
- Ernest Harmon AFB, Newfoundland
- Fort Nelson/Gordon Field AirportFort Nelson/Gordon Field AirportFort Nelson/Gordon Field Airport, , is located near to Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.-See also:*Fort Nelson Airport*Fort Nelson Water Aerodrome*Fort Nelson/Mobil Sierra Airport...
, British Columbia - Goose AFB, Labrador
- Ottawa/Rockcliffe AirportOttawa/Rockcliffe AirportOttawa/Rockcliffe Airport or Rockcliffe Airport, , a former military base, is a non-towered airport located on the south shore of the Ottawa River, northeast of Downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada...
, Ontario - Torbay Air Base, Newfoundland
- Whitehorse Airport, Yukon
- Caribbean/South America
- Atkinson Field, Georgetown, British Guiana
- Albrook AFB, Canal Zone
- Coco SoloCoco SoloCoco Solo was a United States Navy submarine base established in 1918 on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Panama Canal Zone, near Colón, Panama....
, Canal Zone - Galeão Airport, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- San Juan Municipal Airport, Puerto Rico
- Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico
- Val de Cães Field, Belém, Brazil
- Waller AFB, Trinidad
- Atlantic Ocean Region
- Bluie West OneBluie West OneBluie West One airfield was built on a glacial moraine at what is now the village of Narsarsuaq, near the southern tip of Greenland. Construction by the U.S. Army began in June 1941, and the first plane landed there in January 1942...
(Narsarsuaq Air Base), Greenland - Keflavík Air Base, Iceland
- Kindley AFB, Bermuda
- Lagens Field, Azores
- Pacific Ocean Region
- Andersen AFB, Guam
- Kwajalein Airport, Marshall Islands
- Kobler Field, Saipan 15°07′22.188"N 145°42′14.7954"E
- NAS Johnston Island, USMOI
- Asia
- Chitose Air BaseChitose Air Base, is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base located in Chitose, Hokkaidō, adjacent to New Chitose Airport. It is the JASDF's primary base in northern Japan and tasked with monitoring Japan's maritime borders with Russia. It was also Hokkaidō's primary civilian airport until the opening of New Chitose...
, Hokkaidō, Japan - Clark AB, Luzon, Philippines
- Don Muang RTAFB, Bangkok, Thailand
- Dum Dum Airport, Calcutta, India
- Haneda Airfield, Tokyo, Japan
- Kadena Airfield, Okinawa
- Karachi Airport, Pakistan
- Kiangwan Airfield, Shanghai, china
- MCAS Tsingtao, China
- Palam Airfield, Delhi, India
- Europe/Africa/Middle East
- Ankara airport, Turkey
- Ciampino AirportCiampino Airport-Access:There is no rail transport at Ciampino Airport. There are direct bus connections both to Roma Termini railway station and to close local stations...
, Rome, Italy - Dhahran AirfieldDhahran AirfieldThe Dhahran Airfield was an airfield operated by the United States from 1945 until 1962. The military relationship that exists today between the United States and Saudi Arabia was highly influenced by the origin and development of this airfield.-Background:...
, Saudi Arabia - Farouk Field, Cairo, Egypt
- Hellenikon Air BaseHellenikon Air BaseHellenikon Air Base was a former United States Air Force base located in Athens, Greece. After its closure, it was redeveloped into Ellinikon International Airport.-History:...
, Athens, Greece - RAF LynehamRAF LynehamRAF Lyneham is a Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England. It was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force before they were relocated to RAF Brize Norton.The station was also home to No...
, England - To: RAF BurtonwoodRAF BurtonwoodRAF Burtonwood was a Royal Air Force station in England, 2 miles north-west of Warrington, Lancashire. During World War II and the Cold War it was used by the United States Air Force and was also known as USAAF station 590.- Overview :...
, England, 1950 - To: RAF MildenhallRAF MildenhallRAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
, England, 1959 - PrestwickPrestwickPrestwick is a town in South Ayrshire on the south-west coast of Scotland, about south-west of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr, the centre of which is about south...
, Scotland - Rhein-Main AB, Germany (later:West Germany)
- Orly Air BaseOrly Air BaseOrly Air Base was located at Aeroport de Paris-Orly, nine miles south of Paris, France off Autoroute A6/A10m with a highway exit directly into the base....
, Paris, France - Wheelus Air BaseWheelus Air Base-See also:*List of airports in Libya-External links:*****...
, Libya
Major aircraft assigned
- C-141A Starlifter, 1965
- 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...
, 1956–1965 - C-135 StratolifterC-135 Stratolifter|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
, 1961–1965 - C-133 CargomasterC-133 CargomasterThe Douglas C-133 Cargomaster was a large cargo aircraft built between 1956 and 1961 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for use with the United States Air Force. The C-133 was the USAF's only production turboprop-powered strategic airlifter, entering service shortly after Lockheed's better known C-130...
, 1957–1965 - C-124 Globemaster IIC-124 Globemaster IIThe Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shakey", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....
, 1950–1965 - C-118 Liftmaster, 1948–1965
- C-121 Super Constellation, 1948–1965
- C-74 GlobemasterC-74 GlobemasterThe Douglas C-74 Globemaster was a United States heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California.The Globemaster was developed after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The long distances across the Atlantic, and especially the Pacific Ocean to the combat...
, 1948–1965 - C-97 StratofreighterC-97 StratofreighterThe Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long range heavy military cargo aircraft based on the B-29 bomber. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several...
, 1948–1965 - 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...
, 1948–1965 - 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...
, 1948–1965 - C-131 SamaritanC-131 SamaritanThe Convair C-131 Samaritan was an American military transport produced from 1954 to 1956. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240.-Design and development:...
, 1950–1990
- VC-137, 1962–1965
- Used by Special Air MissionSpecial Air MissionThe United States Air Force Special Air Mission is the safe, comfortable, and reliable air transportation for the President, Vice President, Cabinet, members of Congress, and other high-ranking American and foreign dignitaries....
- RC-130 Hercules, 1957–1965
- Used by Air Photographic and Charting Service
- Various Helicopters/Utility aircraft: HH-43; HH-19; HH-21; HU-16 AlbatrossHU-16 AlbatrossThe Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat that was utilized by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and rescue aircraft...
; SB-17 Flying Fortress; SB-29/B-29 Superfortress
- Various Helicopters/Utility aircraft: HH-43; HH-19; HH-21; HU-16 Albatross
- Used by Air Rescue ServiceAir Rescue ServiceThe Air Rescue Service is a disestablished organization in the United States Air Force. Previously a subcommand of the Military Air Transport Service , a USAF major command , ARS was redesignated as the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service on 1 Jan 1966 when MATS was redesignated as the Military...
, Air Resupply And Communications ServiceAir Resupply And Communications ServiceThe Air Resupply And Communications Service is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.- Mission :The mission of ARCS was:...
- WB-47 Stratojet; WB-50 SuperfortressB-50 SuperfortressThe Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
- WB-47 Stratojet; WB-50 Superfortress
- Used by Air Weather Service