144th Airlift Squadron
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The 144th Airlift Squadron (144 AS) is a unit of the
Alaska Air National Guard The Alaska Air National Guard (AK ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Alaska, United States of America. It is, along with the Alaska Army National Guard, an element of the Alaska National Guard. As state military units, the units in th ...
176th Wing located at
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...
, Anchorage, Alaska. The 144th is an associate unit of the active 517th Airlift Squadron, equipped with the
C-17 Globemaster 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 two ...
III.


Overview

The 144th's mission is to provide trained aircrews and support personnel for airlift and airdrop during all contingencies in the Pacific Theater. The state mission is to provide emergency and humanitarian support when called on by the governor.


History

In July 1952, at a meeting for city officials and businessmen at the Anchorage YMCA, National Guard Air Division Commander Maj. Gen. Earl T. Ricks announced that the territorial government of Alaska was willing to invest $1.5 million to establish an Air National Guard unit in Anchorage, either at the city's international airport or on Elmendorf Air Force Base. The only condition: that enough people could be recruited to man the unit. The
Alaska Air National Guard The Alaska Air National Guard (AK ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Alaska, United States of America. It is, along with the Alaska Army National Guard, an element of the Alaska National Guard. As state military units, the units in th ...
was organized 15 September 1952 as the 8144th Air Base Squadron. At its creation, the 8144th included 11 enlisted men and five officers. It had no planes. Its headquarters were located in a small office above what was then the bus depot on Fourth Avenue in Anchorage. Because the office was so small, the men convened for their first training assembly in a nearby Quonset hut. The unit's first aircraft, a 1941 AT-6D Texan trainer, arrived in February 1953. Soon five more trainers arrived, operating out of Elmendorf AFB Hangar No. 3. In keeping with the Air Guard's mission to provide national air defense, the pilots began training in earnest for their planned transition to jet fighters. As that training progressed, the unit was re-designated the 144th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in July 1953. The unit training assemblies were conducted at
Elmendorf Air Force Base Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) facility in Anchorage, Alaska. Originally known as Elmendorf Field, it became Elmendorf Air Force Base after World War II. It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Air Command (AL ...
. Ultimately, five
T-6G Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...
trainers were assigned and everyone was busy getting ready to transition into jet aircraft.


Air Defense mission

The first jet, a
T-33 Shooting Star The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...
trainer, arrived in October 1953 and in the spring of 1954, the unit received its first operational aircraft, the F-80C Shooting Star jet fighter. By the first annual training period, unit strength has increased to 15 officers and 49 enlisted men, and was fully equipped with 14 F-80s, two T-33s, three T-6G trainers, two T-6 observation planes and a single C-47A transport. In 1955, the unit moved from Elmendorf AFB to its own base by the Anchorage Airport.
Kulis Air National Guard Base Kulis Air National Guard Base was a National Guard of the United States facility in Anchorage, Alaska. The facility adjacent to and south of Ted Stevens International Airport was home to the 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard until th ...
was named after First Lieutenant Albert Kulis, an ANG pilot who lost his life while flying his F-80C during a return flight from a night training mission. In July 1955 the 144th's F-80s were exchanged for brand-new, top-of-the-line
F-86E Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
fighter jets. Along with the new aircraft came the unit's third designation in as many years, this time the 144th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. This was at the time other Air National Guard units around the country were receiving surplus aircraft, The 144th took over much of the mission of the 720th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, which was inactivated at
Eielson AFB Eielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately 26 miles (42 km) southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska. It was established in 1943 as Mile 26 Satellite Field and redes ...
.


Airlift mission

The mission of the 144th was changed to airlift in 1957. With the arrival of the
C-47A 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 ...
(nickname Gooney Bird), the unit was re-designated the 144th Air Transport Squadron (Light) on 1 July 1957. The 144th is the only Air National Guard unit ever to be assigned C-47's as the primary mission aircraft. The mission of the squadron became the logistical support of the
Alaskan Air Command Alaskan Air Command (AAC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command originally established in 1942 under the United States Army Air Forces. Its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise direct ...
Aircraft Control and Warning (Radar) Sites, all of which were in remote areas with rough gravel runways. The C-47 was ideal for this mission, as it could get into and also fly out of the rough small landing strips. Also the C-47 was quite durable, which meant it could handle the weather of Alaska unlike other aircraft. It could land on a snow-covered runway, a frozen lake, and sloping gravel strips in all types of weather. These abilities were not possessed by the larger
C-119 Flying Boxcar The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechani ...
or
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 ...
. The 144th ATS received six C-47As from other Air National Guard squadrons in the CONUS. One of the more notable missions flown by the 144th ATS was "Operation Santa Claus", which began in December 1957 when the squadron was called on to make an emergency airdrop of supplies to the community of St. Mary's Mission on the
Yukon River The Yukon River (Gwichʼin language, Gwich'in: ''Ųųg Han'' or ''Yuk Han'', Central Alaskan Yup'ik language, Yup'ik: ''Kuigpak'', Inupiaq language, Inupiaq: ''Kuukpak'', Deg Xinag language, Deg Xinag: ''Yeqin'', Hän language, Hän: ''Tth'echù' ...
in southwestern Alaska. The 144th later "adopted" the village. The program continued over the years and grew to the point that, by 1972, virtually the entire city of Anchorage supported it. The annual Christmas gifts continued until 1977 when other mission requirements forced the unit to end it. In 1960, the aging C-47s were replaced by the larger
C-123J 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 ...
; a tactical airlift transport—and the unit was again re-designated as the 144th Air Transport Squadron (Medium). The C-123Js were equipped with wingtip mounted J-44 jet engines and could handle heavy payloads and also helped offset the drag of the ski modification added to give the aircraft the capability to be operated off frozen runways and icy surfaces. The C-123Js were transferred from the SAC 4083d Strategic Wing,
Ernest Harmon Air Force Base Ernest Harmon Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. The base was built by the United States Army Air Forces in 1941 under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement with the United Ki ...
, Newfoundland. The 144th operated the only ski-equipped C-123Js in the Air Force system, and were far better equipment than the C-47As. The C-123Js could be operated anywhere in Alaska, with landings on open snow fields, glaciers and frozen lakes being routinely made. The 144th also supported
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
's glaciology experiments on the
Taku Glacier Taku Glacier (Tlingit language, Lingít: ''T'aaḵú Ḵwáan Sít'i'') is a tidewater glacier located in Taku Inlet in the U.S. state of Alaska, just southeast of the city of Juneau, Alaska, Juneau. Recognized as the deepest and thickest alpine t ...
near
Juneau The City and Borough of Juneau, more commonly known simply as Juneau ( ; tli, Dzánti K'ihéeni ), is the capital city of the state of Alaska. Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, it is a unified municipality and the se ...
. The aircraft were also used as part of the 1957–1958
International Geophysical Year The International Geophysical Year (IGY; french: Année géophysique internationale) was an international scientific project that lasted from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific ...
experiments, which were conducted in Alaska and the Canadian
Yukon Territory Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
. On 27 March 1964, the largest earthquake in the recorded history of North America struck South-Central Alaska.
Tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...
s devastated Valdez, Seward and Kodiak. Gaping fissures, crumbled buildings and burst pipes dotted Anchorage. In the immediate aftermath, Major James Rowe arrived at Kulis from the airport, reporting that its control tower had been demolished. Two Air Guard members sped over with a wrecking truck, which they used to free three men trapped in the rubble. Rowe, meanwhile, started the engines of a C-123 and went aloft, serving as an emergency control tower and relaying what he could see to the rest of the world. Within 20 minutes after the quake ended, the Anchorage Times reported, Guard members began streaming into Kulis without being called. Personnel from the Motor Vehicle Section supplied electricity using emergency power units. Maintenance Squadron members took emergency steps to bring heat to strategic buildings, and the dispensary was prepared by medical technicians. A warehouse on base was converted to a shelter for civilians rendered homeless by the quake, with a makeshift dining hall and over 100 beds. By midnight, 97 of those beds were occupied. Over the next few weeks the 144th would fly 131,000 pounds of cargo and 201 passengers in support of earthquake relief efforts The Alaska ANG won an
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the Awards and decorations of the United States Department of the Air Force, unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the A ...
in 1964 as a result of its efforts in assisting small communities bordering
Prince William Sound Prince William Sound (Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the Tr ...
following the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. As most of the personnel of the 144th were from the Anchorage area, which was badly damaged in the quake, they left their homes and families to assist others and were considered to be highly professional and helped others in a time of their own extreme stress. A second Air Force Outstanding Unit Award was earned by the 144th ATS in assisting residents of
Fairbanks Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...
during the 1967 flood. An ice-jam on the Nenana and
Tanana River The Tanana River (Lower Tanana: Tth'eetoo', Upper Tanana: ''Tth’iitu’ Niign'') is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to linguist and anthropologist William Bright, the name is from the Koyukon (Athabaskan) ...
s caused flooding in the city and only five hours after receiving a call for assistance, the squadron began a series of many C-123 flights to evacuate survivors and move supplies into the stricken area. Also some of the homeless were sheltered at Kulis AGB until the waters receded and they could return to their homes. In July 1969, the unit was reorganized and designated as a Group level and renamed the 176th Tactical Airlift Group. Concurrently, the squadron was re-designated as the 144th Tactical Airlift Squadron and became the Group's primary mission unit. There were more than 700 positions authorized in the Group.


Worldwide airlift

In 1975, the 144th gaining command was changed from the
Alaskan Air Command Alaskan Air Command (AAC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command originally established in 1942 under the United States Army Air Forces. Its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise direct ...
(AAC) to the
Military Airlift Command The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of the ...
(MAC) as part of the "Total Force" concept. After 16 years operating C-123's, the squadron converted to the C-130E Hercules aircraft. The first of eight four-engine Vietnam veteran turboprops was received in early 1976, and the 144th became equipped for a truly global mission. Their range, speed, and airlift capabilities were more than double those of the C-123's they replaced. With its new C-130s, the 176th Group began participating in the Total Force almost immediately, flying to Panama, West Germany, South Korea and elsewhere to support U.S. military and humanitarian missions. It also began taking on greater responsibilities in the annual Brim Frost joint force exercises, and took part in the " Red Flag" war games program at
Nellis AFB Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military Op ...
, Nevada. All this new activity would require a stronger support infrastructure, and in 1977 Alaska Air National Guard kicked off one of its largest construction projects ever. More than $3 million was invested in a new composite maintenance building, an aerospace ground equipment (AGE) support building and a new petroleum operations facility on Kulis AGB. In July 1983, the 144th again updated aircraft, this time converting to brand new
C-130H2 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
aircraft directly from the factory. The new aircraft has even longer range and more speed than the "E" model, essential to the unit's growing worldwide mission commitment. In mid-1992, the squadron was re-designated as the 144th Airlift Squadron and gained by the
Pacific Air Forces Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...
(PACAF). Shortly thereafter, the unit upgraded in the Enhanced Station Keeping System (E-SKE) to enable it to fly formation in the weather.


Modern era

The 144th Airlift Squadron performed humanitarian airlift missions for famine relief in Somalia and Rwanda, supported
Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of mon ...
in Saudi Arabia, achieved an Excellent rating in its first Operational Readiness Inspection from
PACAF Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (f ...
. On 1 October 1996, the squadron entered a one-year conversion to deployment tasking from its previous in-place generation tasking. Aircrews of the 144th, have flown to the far reaches of the globe, performing missions in Panama, Thailand, Japan, Australia and Germany. The unit also participated in Operation Full Accounting, an effort to bring back remains of Americans from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Recently, the squadron has deployed members in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
and
Operation Iraqi Freedom {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended that Kulis AGB be closed and the wing be relocated to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER). The move was considered a good fit, given the growing mission of the wing, and the state of Alaska supported the recommendation. The 144th Airlift Squadron closed Kulis AGB and moved to facilities at JBER in February 2011. In March 2017, the squadron lost the last of its C-130H aircraft, but remained active without aircraft. The decision was made to inactivate the junior 249th Airlift Squadron, which was flying the
Boeing 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 two ...
and transfer its personnel to the 144th, making the 144th an associate unit of the active 517th Airlift Squadron. The C-17 mission was transferred to the 144th Airlift Squadron August 4 2018. "Association" denotes a relationship in which active-component and Air National Guard Airmen work together as total force partners in accomplishing the mission. The host and associate each retain command authority of their own forces, separate organizational structures and chains of command but the active-duty Air Force owns the airframes.


Lineage

* Constituted as the 8144th Air Base Squadron. and allotted to Alaska ANG in 1952 : Received federal recognition on 15 September 1952 : Redesignated 144th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1 July 1953 : Redesignated 144th Fighter Interceptor Squadron on 1 July 1955 : Redesignated 144th Air Transport Squadron, Light on 1 July 1957 : Redesignated 144th Air Transport Squadron, Medium on 1 December 1960 : Redesignated 144th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 April 1969 : Redesignated 144th Airlift Squadron on 15 March 1992


Assignments

*
Alaska Air National Guard The Alaska Air National Guard (AK ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Alaska, United States of America. It is, along with the Alaska Army National Guard, an element of the Alaska National Guard. As state military units, the units in th ...
, 1 July 1953 : Gained by:
Alaskan Air Command Alaskan Air Command (AAC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command originally established in 1942 under the United States Army Air Forces. Its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise direct ...
* 176th Tactical Airlift Group, 1 April 1969 *
176th Composite Group The 176th Wing (176 WG) is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard, stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Anchorage, Alaska. If activated to federal service, components of the Wing are gained by several United States Air Force Maj ...
, 1 October 1986 *
176th Group The 176th Wing (176 WG) is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard, stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Anchorage, Alaska. If activated to federal service, components of the Wing are gained by several United States Air Force Maj ...
, 1 January 1993 * 176th Operations Group, 1 October 1995–present


Stations

*
Elmendorf Air Force Base Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) facility in Anchorage, Alaska. Originally known as Elmendorf Field, it became Elmendorf Air Force Base after World War II. It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Air Command (AL ...
, Alaska, 15 September 1952 *
Kulis Air National Guard Base Kulis Air National Guard Base was a National Guard of the United States facility in Anchorage, Alaska. The facility adjacent to and south of Ted Stevens International Airport was home to the 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard until th ...
, Alaska, 1 July 1955 *
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...
, Alaska, 18 Feb 2011– present.


Aircraft

* F-80C Shooting Star, 1953–1955 *
F-86E Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
, 1955–1957 *
C-47A 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 ...
, 1957–1960 *
C-123J 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 ...
, 1960–1976 * C-130E Hercules, 1976–1985 *
C-130H2 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
, 1985–2017 * Boeing C-17 Globemaster III


References


Bibliography

* Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978.
144th Airlift Squadron lineage and history

Saying goodbye to Alaska’s Kulis Air National Guard Base


External links

{{US Air Force navbox Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard
144 144 may refer to: * 144 (number), the natural number following 143 and preceding 145 * AD 144, a year of the Julian calendar, in the second century AD * 144 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 144 (film), ''144'' (film), a 2015 Indian com ...
Military units and formations in Alaska