536th Tactical Airlift Squadron

536th Airlift Squadron

Active 1943–1944; 1952–1953; 1966–1971
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Airlift
Part of Pacific Air Forces
Decorations Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
536th Tactical Airlift Squadron emblem[1]
Viet Nam Tail Code KL

The 536th Tactical Airlift Squadron is an inactive squadron of the United States Air Force. The unit was last active at Cam Ranh Air Base Viet Nam, where it was inactivated on 15 October 1971.

The squadron was first established during World War II as the 536th Fighter Squadron. It served as a Replacement Training Unit for Republic P-47 Thunderbolt pilots until it was disbanded in a major reorganization of the Army Air Forces in 1944 designed to streamline training organizations.

In 1952, the squadron was redesignated as the 536th Troop Carrier Squadron, and activated at Atterbury Air Force Base to replace elements of the 923d Reserve Training Wing. The following year the squadron was inactivated and replaced at Atterbury by the 72d Troop Carrier Squadron.

The unit was activated again in Viet Nam as a C-7 Caribou squadron assigned to the 483d Tactical Airlift Wing; the squadron was awarded three Presidential Unit Citations for its actions during the Viet Nam War.

History

World War II

P-47 Thunderbolt as used by the 536th Fighter Squadron for training

The squadron was first established as the 536th Fighter Squadron and was activated in November 1943 at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia,[2] as one of the four original squadrons of the 87th Fighter Group.[3] The squadron began operations with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters and assignment to an operational group.[4] In January 1944, the squadron and the 537th Fighter Squadron moved to Millville Army Air Field, New Jersey,[2] and the 87th group's headquarters and other squadrons transferred to Camp Springs Army Air Field, Maryland.[3][5]

However, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.[6] while the groups and squadrons acting as RTUs were disbanded or inactivated.[7] This resulted in the squadron being disbanded in the spring of 1944[2] and being replaced by the 135th AAF Base Unit (Fighter), which assumed its mission, personnel, and equipment.[8]

Air Force Reserves

Main article: 87th Air Base Wing

In 1952, the squadron was redesignated as the 536th Troop Carrier Squadron, became part of the newly constituted 87th Troop Carrier Wing under the wing base organization system, and was activated at Atterbury Air Force Base. The 87th wing replaced the 923d Reserve Training Wing at Atterbury when reserve flying operations resumed there.[note 1] The squadron operated Curtiss C-46 Commandos to train reservists. In February 1953, the 434th Troop Carrier Group was released from active duty and activated in the reserves, and its 72d Troop Carrier Squadron assumed the mission, personnel and equipment of the 537th.[9]

Vietnam War

The squadron was activated in 1967, and took over DeHavilland Canada C-7A Caribou aircraft that were formerly operated by the 61st Aviation Company (U.S. Army) in South Vietnam, assuming their tactical airlift mission. Operating from Vung Tau Airfield, the 536th earned a Navy Presidential Unit Citation, as well as an Air Force Presidential Unit Citation for airlift support of Khe Sanh and other forward bases from January to May 1968. It earned a second Air Force Presidential Unit Citation for action between April and June 1970 when it participated in the aerial resupply of Dak Seang Special Forces Camp, evacuation of over 2000 refugees from Cambodia, and transportation of the Presidential Southeast Asia Investigation Team to various remote locations in South Vietnam.

Lineage

Activated on 1 October 1943
Activated in the reserve on 15 June 1952
Inactivated on 1 February 1953[10]
Organized on 1 January 1967
Redesignated 536th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 August 1967
Inactivated on 15 October 1971

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

Awards and Campaigns

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Presidential Unit Citation21 January 1968 – 12 May 1968536th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Viet Nam[11]
Presidential Unit Citation1 April 1970 – 30 June 1970536th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Viet Nam[12]
Navy Presidential Unit Citation20 January 1968 – 1 April 1968536th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Viet Nam
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/Combat "V" Device1 January 1967 – 30 April 1967536th Troop Carrier Squadron[11]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/Combat "V" Device1 May 1967 – 30 April 1968[11]536th Troop Carrier Squadron (later Tactical Airlift Squadron)
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/Combat "V" Device1 July 1970 – 28 August 1971536th Tactical Airlift Squadron[12]
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm1 January 1967 – 31 August 1971536th Troop Carrier Squadron (later Tactical Airlift Squadron)[12]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Vietnam Air Offensive1 January 1967 – 8 March 1967536th Troop Carrier Squadron
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II9 March 1967 – 31 March 1968536th Troop Carrier Squadron (later Tactical Airlift Squadron)
Vietnam Air/Ground22 January 1968 – 7 July 1968536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[11]
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III1 April 1968 – 31 October 1968536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[11]
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV1 November 1968 – 22 February 1969536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[11]
Tet 1969/Counteroffensive23 February 1969 – 8 June 1969536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[11]
Vietnam Summer-Fall 19699 June 1969 – 31 October 1969536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[12]
Vietnam Winter-Spring 19703 November 1969 – 30 April 1970536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[12]
Sanctuary Counteroffensive1 May 1970 – 30 June 1970536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[12]
Southwest Monsoon1 July 1970 – 30 November 1970536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[12]
Commando Hunt V1 December 1970 – 14 May 1971536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[12]
Commando Hunt VI15 May 1971 – 31 July 1971536th Tactical Airlift Carrier Squadron[12]

References

Notes
  1. ↑ The 923d had been activated in 1951 when the reserve 434th Troop Carrier Wing was called to active duty for the Korean War.
Notes
  1. ↑ Robertson, Patsy, AFHRA Factsheet 537 Airlift Squadron 8/22/2011 Retrieved December 20, 2013
  2. 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 644
  3. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 153–154
  4. ↑ Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi
  5. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 643–644
  6. ↑ Craven & Cate, The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2: The AAF, p. 75
  7. ↑ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 7
  8. ↑ See Abstract, History of Millville AAF 1940–1944 Retrieved December 16, 2013
  9. ↑ Ravenstein, p. 122
  10. 1 2 3 4 Lineage, including assignments, stations, commanders, aircraft through 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 643
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 AF Pamphlet 900-2, 15 Jun 1971, p. 420
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 AF Pamphlet 900-2, Vol. II, p. 79

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

External links

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