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815th Airlift Squadron

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Lineage

Constituted 815 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 Sep 1943. Activated on 20 Sep 1943. Redesignated 815 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. Sep 1944. Inactivated on 25 Sep 1945. Redesignated 815 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 15 Nov 1952. Activated on 1 Jan 1953. Redesignated: 815 Troop Carrier Squadron on 8 Dec 1965; 815 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Aug 1967. Inactivated on 15 Dec 1969. Activated in the Reserve on 25 Apr 1973. Redesignated 815 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Jan 1976; 815 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 31 Dec 1987; 815 Airlift Squadron on 1 Feb 1992.

Assignments

483 Bombardment Group, 20 Sep 1943-25 Sep 1945. 483 Troop Carrier Group, 1 Jan 1953; 483 Troop Carrier Wing, 8 Dec 1958; 315 Air Division, 25 Jun 1960; 374 Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Nov 1968-15 Dec 1969. 920 Tactical Airlift (later, 920 Weather Reconnaissance) Group, 25 Apr 1973; 403 Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance (later, 403 Tactical Airlift; 403 Airlift) Wing, 1 Nov 1983; 403 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992-.

Stations

Ephrata AAB, WA, 20 Sep 1943; MacDill Field, FL, 7 Nov 1943-2 Mar 1944; Sterparone Airfield, Italy, 9 Apr 1944; Pisa, Italy, 15 May-25 Sep 1945. Ahiya AB, Japan, 1 Jan 1953; Tachikawa AB, Japan, 25 Jun 1960-15 Dec 1969. Keesler AFB, MS, 25 Apr 1973-.

Commanders

Maj Fred J. Ascani, 20 Sep 1943; Lt Col James V. Reardon, 19 Feb 1944; Maj Sherman D. Stanfield, Oct 1944; Maj William K. Ashby, c. 1945-25 Sep 1945. Lt Col Kenneth C. Jacobs, c. 1954; Lt Col William B. Crum, c. 1956; Maj Floyd A. Blackburn, 1959; Lt Col John P. Remaklus, Jr, 1959; Lt Col William H. Lewis, 1962; Lt Col Guy E. Ridgway, 17 Jun 1964; Lt Col Pierce M. Myers Jr., 4 Oct 1965; Lt Col Versus A. Yon, 24 Jun 1967; Lt Col Richard G. Nelson, 27 May-Dec 1969. Maj Jerry F. Bonin, 25 Apr 1973; Lt Col Wallace E. Hoffman, by Jun 1976; Lt Col Charles H. Robards, by Sep 1977; Col James B. Cobb, by Sep 1979; Lt Col W. Freeman, by Dec 1983; Col Charles C. Chatham, by Mar 1984; Lt Col Jackie L. Hansen, 1 Oct 1984; Lt Col Thomas L. Hoff, 1 Jan 1985; Lt Col Wesley M. Bennett, 1 Apr 1987; Lt Col Carl R. Cucullu, 21 Jun 1989; Lt Col Douglas F. Kennedy II, 5 Oct 1991; Lt Col Michael W. Clouatre, 1 Sep 1994; Lt Col Errol Perez, 18 Nov 1996-.

Aircraft

B-17, 1943-1945. C-119, 1953-1959; C-130, 1958-1969. C-130, 1973-1975, 1988-; WC-130, 1976-1990; WC-130, 1991-1993.

Operations

Combat in the MTO and ETO, 12 Apr 1944-26 Apr 1945; transported redeployed personnel from Italy to French Morocco, May-Sep 1945. Transported troops, supplies, and equipment to, and evacuated casualties from, Korea, 1953. Airlifted personnel and cargo in Western Pacific, 1953-1969, including combat support missions in Southeast Asia, 1964-1969. Performed weather reconnaissance, 1983-1987, including flying into hurricanes to collect atmospheric data; retaining weather reconnaissance capability until 1992. Tactical airlift responsibilities, 1973-1975 and since 1987. Took part in Operation Just Cause in Panama, Dec 1989-Jan 1990.

Service Streamers

None.

Campaign Streamers

World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Korean War: Third Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1953.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers

Panama, 1989-1990.

Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 18 Jul 1944; Germany, 24 Mar 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V' Device: 1 Jan 1968-10 Nov 1969. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 6 May 1953-10 Sep 1954; 1 Jan-30 Jun 1961; 1 Jul 1964-30 Jun 1966; 1 Jul 1977-31 Dec 1978; 1 Jul 1984-30 Jun 1986; 1 May 1992-30 Apr 1994; 1 May 1994-30 Apr 1996; 1 May 1996-31 Aug 1997. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: [Jan]-28 Jul 1953. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Jan 1968-10 Nov 1969.

Emblem

Originally approved on 28 Apr 1960; reinstated in 1988.

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 17 Jan 2001.

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Sep 1998.

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