The 378th Troop Carrier Squadron is an inactive
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
unit. It was last assigned to the
60th Troop Carrier Wing 060 may refer to:
* Motorola 68060 microprocessor
* 0-6-0, wheel arrangement for railway locomotives
* emergency telephone number in Mexico, "060"
* Bermuda, country code "060" (ISO 3166-1 numeric)
* 060, the area code for Chimay in the Belgian te ...
. It was inactivated at
Dreux-Louvilliers Air Base,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on 25 September 1958.
History
Established as a
B-25 Mitchell medium bombardment squadron in early 1942; trained under
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in ...
. Assigned to
Columbia Army Air Base
Columbia Army Air Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces base. It was primarily used for advanced combat training of B-25 Mitchell medium bomber units and replacement pilots.
It was used as a training base in early 1942 for Doo ...
,
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
as first an Operational Training Unit (OTU) for newly formed squadrons, then in 1943 becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for pilots and aircrew on the B-25 prior to the personnel being assigned overseas to combat units. Inactivated on 1 May 1944 with the phaseout of B-25 training.
Reactivated in 1949 in the
Air Force Reserve as a Troop Carrier Squadron Programmed for
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 ...
es, never manned or equipped. Inactivated in 1951.
Reactivated in 1955 as a
Tactical Air Command C-123 Provider
The Fairchild C-123 Provider is an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and then built by Fairchild Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. In addition to its USAF service, which included later service with the Air Force Re ...
Troop Carrier Squadron, being one of the first squadrons being equipped with the aircraft. Deployed to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
in 1956 to reinforce
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
and the
United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
. Flew transport and special air missions (SAM) throughout France,
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Flew several Dispersed Operating Base supply missions and reduced the need for road convoys. However cost of operations were high and USAFE decided that the C-123s were worth the expense. Aircraft, equipment and personnel returned to Ardmore AFB during July and August 1958 where aircraft and personnel reassigned to squadrons of the
463d Troop Carrier Wing at
Sewart AFB,
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
. Squadron inactivated as a paper unit in September 1958.
Lineage
* Constituted 378th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 28 January 1942
: Activated on 15 March 1942
: Disbanded on 1 May 1944
* Reconstituted, and redesignated 378th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium), on 16 May 1949
: Activated in the reserve on 26 June 1949
: Inactivated on 28 January 1950
* Redesignated 378th Troop Carrier Squadron (Assault, Fixed Wing) on 14 April 1955
: Activated on 8 July 1955
: Redesignated 378th Troop Carrier Squadron (Assault) on 15 July 1958
: Inactivated on 25 September 1958
Assignments
*
309th Bombardment Group, 15 March 1942 – 1 May 1944
*
309th Troop Carrier Group
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, 26 June 1949 – 28 January 1950; 8 July 1955
: Attached to
60th Troop Carrier Wing 060 may refer to:
* Motorola 68060 microprocessor
* 0-6-0, wheel arrangement for railway locomotives
* emergency telephone number in Mexico, "060"
* Bermuda, country code "060" (ISO 3166-1 numeric)
* 060, the area code for Chimay in the Belgian te ...
, 15 November 1956 – 11 March 1957
*
60th Troop Carrier Wing 060 may refer to:
* Motorola 68060 microprocessor
* 0-6-0, wheel arrangement for railway locomotives
* emergency telephone number in Mexico, "060"
* Bermuda, country code "060" (ISO 3166-1 numeric)
* 060, the area code for Chimay in the Belgian te ...
, 12 March 1957 – 25 September 1958
Stations
*
Davis–Monthan Field,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, 15 March 1942
*
Jackson Army Air Base
Hawkins Field is a joint civil-military public airport in Jackson, Mississippi. It is owned by the City of Jackson and operated by the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 call ...
,
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
, 15 March 1942
*
Key Field
Meridian Regional Airport is a joint civil-military public use airport located at Key Field, a joint-use public/military airfield. It is located southwest of Meridian, a city in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States. The Meridian Airp ...
,
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
, 29 April 1942;
*
Columbia Army Air Base
Columbia Army Air Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces base. It was primarily used for advanced combat training of B-25 Mitchell medium bomber units and replacement pilots.
It was used as a training base in early 1942 for Doo ...
,
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
, 15 May 1942 – 1 May 1944
*
Smyrna AFB,
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, 26 June 1949 – 28 January 1950
* Ardmore AFB,
Oklahoma, 8 July 1955 – 21 May 1956
*
Dreux-Louvilliers Air Base,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, 2 June 1956 – 25 September 1958
Aircraft
*
B-25 Mitchell, 1942–1944
*
C-123 Provider
The Fairchild C-123 Provider is an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and then built by Fairchild Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. In addition to its USAF service, which included later service with the Air Force Re ...
, 1955–1958
References
*
* {{cite book, editor=Maurer, Maurer, title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, origyear=1969, url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf, edition= reprint, year=1982, publisher=Office of Air Force History, location=Washington, DC, isbn=0-405-12194-6, oclc=72556, lccn=70605402
772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (ACC) Factsheet
Troop carrier squadrons of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations established in 1949