The 204th Airlift Squadron (204 AS) is a unit of the
Hawaii Air National Guard
The Hawaii Air National Guard (HI ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Hawaii, United States of America. It is, along with the Hawaii Army National Guard, an element of the Hawaii National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in the ...
154th Wing stationed at
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (JBPHH) is a United States military base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It is an amalgamation of the United States Air Force's Hickam Air Force Base and the United States Navy's Naval Station Pearl Harbor, ...
, Honolulu, Hawaii. The 204th is equipped with the
C-17 Globemaster III
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of t ...
.
Overview
The 204th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the 154th Wing. The unit is a classic associate unit with the 535th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam. It flies the C-17 Globemaster III, the newest, most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and can also transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations when required.
History
Established in 1994 to provide the Hawaii Air National Guard a theater airlift capability and to support joint exercises in Hawaii with Army and Marine Corps units. The squadron supports operational training, provides paratroop and tactical air drop capability, and deliver relief supplies following natural disasters.
![204th Airlift Squadron -C-130H](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/204th_Airlift_Squadron_-C-130H.jpg)
Since its establishment, squadron C-130 crews have made airdrops over India, shuttled military crews involved in the search for missing in action servicemen in New Zealand and Cambodia, and have even transported to Oahu 30 to 40 people arrested on neighbor island drugs raids.
In April 1999, the 204th Airlift Squadron was awarded the Air Force's Outstanding Unit Award for the period of 14 July 1996 to 13 July 1998. While providing airlift support during the exercise Balitakan 2000, in February 2000, the 204th Airlift Squadron, HIANG, delivered books and school supplies to Virgen Delos Remedios Elementary School, Angeles City, Philippines, while here supporting Balikatan 2000.
After more than a decade the C-130s were the Hawaii National Guard's workhorse—the main means of moving supplies, soldiers, airmen, and even prisoners between the islands. In 2008, the unit was upgraded to the Air Force's latest jet cargo plane, the C-17 Globemaster III.
The eight C-17s are part of a 190-member unit manned by active Air Force personnel from the 535th Airlift Squadron and the Hawaii Air Guard's 204th Airlift Squadron. When established in 2008, it was the first active joint Air Force and Air National Guard unit outside of the mainland.
In July 2018 a
C-17 of the squadron collected 55 cases of human remains from
Wonsan
Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...
in
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
. It is thought that these are remains of US or possibly other UN servicemen from the Korean War. The C-17 then flew to
Osan Air Base
Hanja:)
, partof =
, location =
, nearest_town = Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province
, country = South Korea
, image = Osan Air Base 51 FW F-16 A-10 Flyby.jpg
, alt = US Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon and A-1 ...
in South Korea.
[ ]
Lineage
* Established as 204th Airlift Squadron and allotted to Hawaii ANG in 1994
: Received federal recognition and activated on 1 August 1994
Assignments
* 154th Operations Group, 1 August 1994 – Present
Stations
*
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lieutenant Colonel Horace Meek Hickam. The installation merged in 2010 with Naval Station Pearl Harbor to become part of the newly formed Joint ...
, 1 August 1994
: Re-designated:
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (JBPHH) is a United States military base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It is an amalgamation of the United States Air Force's Hickam Air Force Base and the United States Navy's Naval Station Pearl Harbor, ...
, 1 January 2010-Present
Aircraft
*
C-130A Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
, 1989-1994
*
C-130H2 and H3 Hercules, 1994-2006
*
C-17A Globemaster III, 2006–Present
References
* Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978.
Labors of Hercules draw to a close154th Wing units webpage
External links
{{Hawaii
Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard
Military units and formations in Hawaii
204