30th Airlift Squadron

30th Military Airlift Squadron

30th Air Transport Squadron

30th Military Airlift Squadron

30th Airlift Squadron

30th Airlift Squadron History and Lineage

The 30th Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 19th Airlift Wing. It was the first active-duty associate unit attached to an Air National Guard wing, working with the 187th Airlift Squadron at Cheyenne Regional Airport (National Guard Base), Wyoming.

The 30th was originally constituted as the 30th Ferrying Squadron on 9 July 1942. It was activated on 25 July 1942 at Presque Isle AAFld, ME, and assigned to the 8th Ferrying (later, 8th Transport) Group. Stationed at Bluie West 1, Narsarsuaq, Greenland, starting from 6 August 1942, the squadron ferried bombers and P–38 aircraft over the North Atlantic route to England. It was redesignated 30th Transport Squadron on 24 March 1943 before being disbanded on 1 September 1943.

Reconstituted, it was redesignated as the 30th Air Transport Squadron, Heavy, on 20 June 1952 before being reactivated on 20 July 1952 at Westover AFB, MA, as a unit of the 1600th Air Transport Group, flying the C-118 aircraft and tasked with providing air transport for the Atlantic Division of MATS.

Redesignated as the 30th Air Transport Squadron, Medium, on 18 July 1954, it was reassigned to the 1611th Air Transport Group, 16 May 1955, and relocated to McGuire AFB, NJ. It was reassigned on 16 May 1955 to the 1611th Air Transport Wing. The squadron was discontinued on 25 June 1965.

Redesignated as the 30th Military Airlift Squadron, the 30th reactivated, on 13 January 1967, and was assigned to Military Airlift Command, operating the C-141 aircraft.

Organized on 8 April 1967 at McGuire AFB, it was assigned to the 438th Military Airlift Wing and was tasked with providing worldwide airlift starting in August 1967. It was reassigned to the 438th Military Airlift Group, on 1 October 1978; the 438th Military Airlift Wing, on 1 June 1980; and the 438th Operations Group, 1 November 1991 - 1 Oct 1993. The 30th provided support for operations in Southwest Asia, from August 1990 to June 1991. Personnel and equipment was absorbed by the 13th Airlift Squadron on 1 Oct 1993 when unit was reassigned to the 374th Operations group at Yokota, AFB. On 8 July 2006 the 30th became the first active-duty associate unit partnering with the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153d Airlift Wing. Members of the squadron deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan after its reactivation, including supporting *Operation New Dawn. On 1 September 2015, due to budget cuts, the active duty airmen and their aircraft were withdrawn from Wyoming and the aircraft were transferred to the 152d Airlift Wing of the Nevada Air National Guard.

Assignments: 8th Ferrying (later, 8th Transport) Group, 25 Jul 1942-1 Sep 1943. 1600th Air Transport Group, 20 Jul 1952; 1611th Air Transport Group, 16 May 1955; 1611th Air Transport Wing, 18 Jan 1963-25 Jun 1965. Military Airlift Command, 13 Jan 1967; 438th Military Airlift Wing, 8 Apr 1967; 438th Military Airlift Group, 1 Oct 1978; 438th Military Airlift Wing, 1 Jun 1980; 438th Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991; 374th Operations Group, 1 Oct 1993; 463d Airlift Group, 1 Jul 2006; 19th Operations Group, 1 October 2008 – c. 1 September 2015.

Commanders: Unkn, 25 Jul 1942-1 Sep 1943. Unkn, 20 Jul 1952-c. 4 May 1955; Lt Col Coleman O. Williams Sr., c. 5 May 1955; Maj Ronald B. Forward, 19 Jul 1956; Lt Col Kenneth P. Christiansen, 1961; Lt Col Virgil M. Stormo, 1962-25 Jun 1965. None (not manned), 13 Jan-7 Apr 1967; Lt Col Raymond F. Bye, 8 Apr 1967; Lt Col Bill McDonald, 20 Jul 1967; Lt Col Buford E. Stovall, 2 Jan 1969; Lt Col Ervin F. Bork, 15 Oct 1969; Lt Col William G. Watts Jr., 12 Jan 1970; Lt Col Homer R. Shinn, 12 Jan 1971; Lt Col Clifford E. Kunkel, 15 Jun 1971; Col Donald D. Brown, 15 Jun 1972; Lt Col William R. Rawlinson Jr., 9 Jul 1973; Lt Col Edward V. McGee, 12 Mar 1975; Lt Col Daniel I. Hejde, 1 Feb 1976; Lt Col Earl J. Dunn Jr., 5 Jun 1976; Lt Col Donald E. Gilbert, 14 Sep 1976; Lt Col Allan C. Sawyer, 27 Jun 1979; Lt Col James F. Hinkel, 19 Jan 1981; Lt Col Joseph W. Chan, 7 Jun 1982; Lt Col Edward M. Leete, 2 Jul 1982 (temporary); Lt Col Joseph W. Chan, 3 Sep 1982; Lt Col Ernest H. Jones Jr., 7 Jun 1984; Lt Col Michael J. Mestamaker, 10 Oct 1984; Lt Col James N. Grant, 21 Mar 1988; Lt Col Quentin Peterson, 28 Apr 1989; Lt Col Glenn E. Moses, 16 Jan 1991; Lt Col James D. Rummer, 20 Jan 1993; Lt Col Robert Wicke, Jul 94; Lt Col Joseph Sousaris, 7 Jul 1994; Lt Col John W. Hughes, 12 Aug 1996; Lt Col David A. Easton, 10 Jul 1998; Lt Col Kenneth F. Keslar, 9 May 2000; Lt Col Jeffrey G. Mintzlaff, 12 Jun 2002-unkn. Lt Col Steven P. Hopkins, 1 Jul 2006; Lt Col Jeffrey Devore, 1 Oct 2008; Lt Col Eric S. Mayheu, 10 Jul 2009; Lt Col Rodney L. Simpson, 13 May 2011; Lt Col Blair I. Kaiser, 1 Jun 2013-.

Stations: Presque Isle AAFld, ME, 25 Jul 1942; Bluie West 1, Narsarssuak, Greenland, 6 Aug 1942-1 Sep 1943. Westover AFB, MA, 20 Jul 1952; McGuire AFB, NJ, 16 May 1955-25 Jun 1965. McGuire AFB, NJ, 8 Apr 1967-1 Oct 1993; Yokota AB, Japan, 1 Oct 1993-2003; Cheyenne Air National Guard Base, Wyoming, 1 July 2006 – c. 1 September 2015.

Aircraft: C-118, 1952-1965. C-141, 1967-1993. C-9, 1993 -2004. C-130 2006 -2015.

Operations: Ferried bombers and P-38 aircraft over the North Atlantic route to England, Aug 1942-Aug 1943. Air transport for the Atlantic Division of MATS, Jul 1952-Jun 1965. Worldwide airlift, Aug 1967-, including support for operations in Southwest Asia, Aug 1990-Jun 1991.

Honors:

Service Streamer: World War II European-African-Middle Eastern Theater.

Campaign Streamers: Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer: Panama, 1989-1990.

Decorations:

Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 8 Apr 1967-30 Apr 1968; 1 Jul 1982-30 Jun 1984. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 8 Apr 1967-28 Jan 1973.

Emblem: On a globe per pale White and Air Force Blue, grid lines counterchanged, a stylized bird in flight silhouetted Air Force Blue, outlines and details White; all within an inner border White and an outer border Blue. Approved on 27 May 1960 (K 11852), modified in 1994. MOTTO: UBIVIS QUANDO VIS--Anytime, Anywhere. Approved on 27 May 1960.

Symbolism - The "stylized bird" on the squadron emblem represented the squadron mascot, the Artic Falcons.