The 1st Airlift Squadron is part of the 89th Airlift Wing, 89th Operations Group, at

Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint B ...

, Maryland. It conducts transport of various high-level U.S. military and government officials.

Mission

Provides global Special Air Mission (SAM) airlift, logistics, aerial port and communications for the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

, Combat Commanders, senior leaders and the global mobility system as tasked by the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and

Air Mobility Command Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri. Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from elements ...

History

World War II

Established under

Air Transport Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...

in 1944 to provide aerial transportation in

China-Burma-India Theater China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was officia ...

from May 1944–May 1945 and in Western Pacific from c. September–December 1945. The unit was equipped first with the

Curtiss C-46 Commando The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...

, and then converted to the

Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express The Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express was a transport derivative of the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber built during World War II for the United States Army Air Forces. A total of 287 C-87s were officially delivered from Consolidated Aircraft pla ...

in 1944.

Heavy airlift operations

Re-established under

Military Air Transport Service 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's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...

in November 1953, providing airlift of personnel and equipment initially flying

Douglas C-54 Skymaster The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian a ...

s. Converted to long range

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is an American heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. The C-124 was the primary heavy-lift transport for United States Air Force (USAF ...

s and provided long range heavy strategic transport on a global scale. In 1960 converted to the

Douglas C-133 Cargomaster The Douglas C-133 Cargomaster is an American large turboprop 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 stra ...

and provided very heavy strategic airlift until the end of the C-133's service in 1971.

Special air missions

Reactivated in 1977 at

, Maryland and assigned to the

Special Air Mission The United States Air Force Special Air Mission provides air transportation for the president of the United States (POTUS), vice president of the United States (VPOTUS), first lady of the United States (FLOTUS), presidential Cabinet, U.S. congres ...

supporting transportation for the President and other high-ranking dignitaries of US and foreign governments, and

Beechcraft C-12 Huron The Beechcraft C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United S ...

training for personnel from all branches of the military in 1977. At Andrews, has operated a variety of aircraft including the

McDonnell Douglas VC-9 Skytrain II The McDonnell Douglas C-9 was a military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airliner. It was produced as the C-9A Nightingale for the United States Air Force, and the C-9B Skytrain II for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The final flight of th ...

, C-12,

Boeing VC-135 Stratolifter The Boeing C-135 Stratolifter is a transport aircraft derived from the prototype Boeing 367-80 jet airliner (also the basis for the 707) in the early 1950s. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave the aircraft the i ...

Lockheed VC-140 JetStar The Lockheed JetStar (company designations L-329 and L-1329; designated C-140 in US military service) is a business jet produced from the early 1960s to the 1970s. The JetStar was the first dedicated business jet to enter service, as well as t ...

, Boeing VC-137 and Gulfstream C-20. These aircraft were used to transport VIPs throughout the United States and around the world. It also transported personnel to

Southwest Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Anat ...

from August 1990–April 1991 during Operation Desert Shield/Storm.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 1st Air Transport Squadron (Mobile) on 13 March 1944 : Activated on 23 March 1944 : Inactivated on 25 March 1946 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted as the 1st Air Transport Squadron, Medium on 1 September 1953 : Activated on 18 November 1953 : Redesignated 1st Air Transport Squadron, Heavy on 8 September 1954 : Redesignated 1st Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966 : Inactivated on 30 June 1971 * Activated on 12 September 1977 : Redesignated 1st Airlift Squadron on 12 July 1991

Assignments

* Caribbean Wing, Air Transport Command, 23 March 1944 * India-China Wing, Air Transport Command (later

India-China Division, Air Transport Command The India-China Division (ICD) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Air Transport Command, stationed at Dum Dum Airport Calcutta, British India. It was inactivated in 1946. The organization was formed as th ...

), c. 2 May 1944 (attached to

XX Bomber Command The XX Bomber Command was a United States Army Air Forces bomber formation. Its last assignment was with Twentieth Air Force, based on Okinawa. It was inactivated on 16 July 1945. History The idea of basing Boeing B-29 Superfortresses in C ...

after 17 May 1944 * XX Bomber Command, 21 November 1944 (attached to 22d Air Depot Group, November - December 1944) * United States Army Air Forces, Pacific Ocean Areas (later US Army Strategic Air Forces), c. 20 June 1945 *

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...

, 31 July 1945 * Okinawa Air Depot, 10 September 1945 * Far East Air Service Command, 9 January 1946 * IV Air Service Area Command, 15 January - 25 March 1946 * 1607th Air Base Group, 18 November 1953 * 1607th Air Transport Group, 1 January 1954 *

1607th Air Transport Wing The 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. It was inactivated on 8 January ...

, 18 January 1963 *

436th Military Airlift Wing The 436th Airlift Wing is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force, and is based at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. Known as the "Eagle Wing", the 436th consists of the operations, ...

, 8 January 1966 - 30 June 1971 * 89th Military Airlift Wing (later 89 Military Airlift Group, 89 Military Airlift Wing), 12 September 1977 * 89th Operations Group, 12 July 1991 – present

Stations

* Homestead Army Air Field, Florida, 23 March - 21 April 1944 *

Kalaikunda Airfield Kalaikunda Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force Base in Kharagpur, located in the West Midnapur district of the state of West Bengal. It was the home of No. 18 Squadron IAF, the Flying Bullets. The squadron flew the Indian license-buil ...

, India, 3 May 1944 : Air echelon operated from

Kharagpur Airfield Kalaikunda Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force Base in Kharagpur, located in the West Midnapur district of the state of West Bengal. It was the home of No. 18 Squadron IAF, the Flying Bullets. The squadron flew the Indian license-bui ...

, India, 7 May - 4 August 1945 *

Naha Air Base , formally known as the , is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force formerly under control of the United States Air Force. It is located at Naha Airport on the Oroku Peninsula in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. History Imperial Period Naha Air ...

, Okinawa, 20 June 1945 - 25 March 1946 *

Dover Air Force Base Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware. 436th AW is the host wing and runs the busiest and largest a ...

, Delaware, 18 November 1953 - 30 June 1971 * Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, 12 Sept 1977–Present

Aircraft

* Curtiss C-46 Commando (1944–1946) * Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express (1944) *

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

(1945) * Douglas C-54 Skymaster (1953–1955) * Douglas C-124 Globemaster II (1954–1960) * Douglas C-133 Cargomaster (1960–1971) * Beechcraft VC–6 King Air (1977–1985) * McDonnell Douglas VC-9 Skytrain II (1977–1988) * Beechcraft C-12 Huron (1977 – 1994) * Boeing VC-135 Stratolifter (1977–1991) * Lockheed VC-140 JetStar (1977–1987) * Gulfstream C-20 (1983–1988) * Boeing VC-137 (1990–2001) *

Boeing C-32 The Boeing C-32 is the United States Air Force designation for variants of the Boeing 757 in military service. Two variants exist, filling different parts of the military passenger transport role. The C-32A serves the Special Air Mission, prov ...

(1998–present) *

Boeing C-40 Clipper The Boeing C-40 Clipper is a military version of the Boeing 737 Next Generation used to transport cargo and passengers. It is used by the United States Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The Navy C-40A variant is named "Clipper", whereas the U ...

(Dec 2002–present) *

C-37A The Gulfstream V (Model GV, pronounced "G-five") is a long-range, large business jet aircraft produced by Gulfstream Aerospace, derived from the previous Gulfstream IV. It flies up to , up to and has a range. It typically accommodates four cr ...

(present)

Notes

Attribution

External links

Remembering an Unsung Giant The Douglas C-133 Cargomaster and Its People
{{US Air Force navbox 0001 Military units and formations in Maryland