16th Airlift Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 16th Airlift Squadron


caption= 16th Airlift Squadron Patch
dates= 20 November 1940 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Airlift
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Mobility Command
18th Air Force
437th Airlift Wing
437th Operations Group
current_commander=
garrison= Charleston Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
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battles=
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The 16th Airlift Squadron (16 AS) is one squadron of four active duty C-17A Globemaster III squadrons at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina.

The 16th Airlift Squadron is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel, who serves as the leader of the squadron and the pilots. The Chief Loadmaster is in charge of the loadmasters, and the First Sergeant takes charge of the few support military personnel and civilians working in the squadron.

Lineage

Constituted 16th Transport Squadron on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 11 Dec 1940. Redesignated 16th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 31 Jul 1945. Activated on 19 May 1947. Inactivated on 10 Sep 1948. Redesignated 16th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Light on 19 Sep 1950. Activated on 5 Oct 1950. Redesignated 16th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Fixed Wing on 8 Nov 1954. Inactivated on 8 Jul 1955. Redesignated 16th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron on 14 Aug 1969. Activated on 15 Oct 1969. Redesignated 16th Airlift Squadron on 1 Dec 1991. Inactivated on 29 Sep 2000. Activated on 1 Jul 2002.

Assignments

* 64th Transport (later, 64 Troop Carrier) Group, 11 Dec 1940-31 Jul 1945
* 64th Troop Carrier Group, 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948
* 316th Troop Carrier Group, 5 Oct 1950
* Eighteenth Air Force (attached to 463d Troop Carrier Wing), 14 Nov 1954-8 Jul 1955.
* 4442d Combat Crew Training Wing, 15 Oct 1969
* 314th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Aug 1971
* 34th Tactical Airlift Training Group, 1 Nov 1978
* 314th Operations Group, 1 Dec 1991
* 437th Operations Group, 1 Oct 1993-29 Sep 2000
* 437th Operations Group, 1 Jul 2002-

tations

* McClellan Field, California, 11 Dec 1940
* Portland, Oregon, 9 Jul 1941
* Westover Field, Massachusetts, 12 Jun-31 Jul 1942
* Ramsbury, England, 18 Aug-Nov 1942 (operated from Maison Blanche, Algeria, 11 Nov-Dec 1942)
* Blida, Algeria, c. 12 Dec 1942
* Kairouan, Tunisia, 28 Jun 1943
*El Djem, Tunisia, 26 Jul 1943
*Comiso, Sicily, 4 Sep 1943 (operated from bases in India, 7 Apr-Jun 1944)
*Ciampino, Italy, 10 Jul 1944 (operated from Istres, France, 7 Sep-11 Oct 1944)
*Rosignano Airfield, Italy, 10 Jan-23 May 1945 (operated from Brindisi, Italy, 29 Mar-13 May 1945)
*Waller Field, Trinidad, 4 Jun-31 Jul 1945
*Langley Field, Virginia, 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948
*Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 5 Oct 1950
*Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma, 14 Nov 1954-8 Jul 1955
*Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 15 Oct 1969
*Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, c. 15 Mar 1970
*Charleston AFB, South Carolina, 1 Oct 1993-29 Sep 2000
*Charleston AFB, South Carolina, 1 Jul 2002-

Aircraft

C-47, 1941-1945. C-119, 1950-1951; YC-122, 1951-1955; H-19, 1952; H-5, 1952. C-130, 1969-1993; C-141, 1993-2000. C-17, 2002-.

Operations

World War II: Airborne assaults on Sicily and Southern France; support for partisans in Northern Italy, Jan-May 1945; aerial transportation in MTO, and briefly in CBI. Airlift of Army assault troops in training exercises, 1951-1954. Aircrew training, 1969-1993; flew humanitarian and resupply missions worldwide, including to Bosnia and Southwest Asia, 1993-2000.

Awards and Decorations

ervice Streamers

World War II American Theater.

Campaign Streamers

World War II:
* Algeria-French Morocco
* Tunisia
* Sicily
* Naples-Foggia
* Rome-Arno
* Southern France
* North Apennines
* Po Valley
* India-Burma
* Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Decorations

* Distinguished Unit Citation: CBI Theater, 7 Apr-15 Jun 1944.
* Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 30 Sep 1975-30 Jun 1976; 1 Jun 1985-31 May 1986; 1 Jul 1991-30 Jun 1993; 1 Jul 1993-30 Jun 1995; 1 Jul 1995-30 Jun 1997; 1 Jul 1997-30 Jun 1998; 1 Jul 1998-29 Sep 2000.

ources

* [http://www.au.af.mil/au/afhra/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0016as.html 16th Airlift History at AFHRA]
* [http://public.charleston.amc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4174 16th Airlift Squadron web site]