356th Airlift Squadron

 356th Airlift Squadron History and Lineage  

Constituted 356 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Jun 1942. Inactivated on 10 Apr 1944. Redesignated 356 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 27 Jun 1944. Activated on 7 Jul 1944. Inactivated on 15 Apr 1946. Redesignated 356 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 16 May 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949. Inactivated on 28 Jan 1950. Activated in the Reserve on 14 Jun 1952. Ordered to Active Service on 28 Oct 1962. Relieved from Active Duty on 28 Nov 1962. Redesignated: 356 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jul 1967; 356 Special Operations Squadron on 25 Jun 1970; 356 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 26 Jul 1971; 356 Airlift Squadron on 1 Feb 1992. Inactivated on 30 Jun 2006. Activated in the Reserve on 9 Jan 2007.

Assignments: 302 Bombardment Group, 1 Jun 1942-10 Apr 1944. 331 Bombardment Group, 7 Jul 1944-15 Apr 1946. 302 Troop Carrier Group, 27 Jun 1949-28 Jan 1950. 302 Troop Carrier Group, 14 Jun 1952; 302 Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959; 907 Troop Carrier (later, 907 Tactical Airlift; 907 Special Operations; 907 Tactical Airlift) Group, 11 Feb 1963; 302 Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Sep 1975; 907 Tactical Airlift (later, 907 Airlift) Group, 1 Apr 1981; 907 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992; 445 Operations Group, 1 Oct 1994-30 Jun 2006. 433 Operations Group, 9 Jan 2007-.

Stations: Geiger Field, WA, 1 Jun 1942; Davis-Monthan Field, AZ, 23 Jun 1942; Wendover Field, UT, 30 Jul 1942; Pueblo AAB, CO, 30 Sep 1942; Davis-Monthan Field, AZ, 1 Dec 1942; Clovis, NM, 29 Jan 1943; Langley Field, VA, 17 Dec 1943; Chatham AAFld, GA, 27 Jan-10 Apr 1944. Dalhart AAFld, TX, 7 Jul 1944; McCook AAFld, NE, 22 Nov 1944-8 Apr 1945; Northwest Field, Guam, 12 May 1945-15 Apr 1946. McChord AFB, WA, 27 Jun 1949-28 Jan 1950. Clinton County AFB, OH, 14 Jun 1952; Lockbourne (later, Rickenbacker) AFB (later ANGB), OH, 26 Jul 1971; Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, 1 Apr 1993-30 Jun 2006. Kelly Field Annex, Lackland AFB, TX, 9 Jan 2007-.

Commanders: 1st Lt Ronald V. Kramer, 21 Jun 1942; Capt Earl D. Carlson, 4 Jul 1942; Capt Walter Cross, 23 Jul 1942; Capt Benjamin M. Sheldon, 23 Sep 1942; Capt Horace S. Carswell, 23 Jan 1943; Capt Frank L. Smith, 20 May 1943; Capt Zane L. Abbott, 23 Aug 1943; unkn, 5 Mar-10 Apr 1944. Maj Thomas E. Whitson, by Aug 1944; Maj Joesph S. Grimm, by Oct 1944; Capt Louis C. Carr, by Jun 1945; Maj Andrew F. Gordon, 18 Jul 1945-unkn. Unkn, 27 Jun 1949-28 Jan 1950. Unkn, 14 Jun 1952-1955; Maj Darl C. Brickner, by Dec 1955; Maj Carl B. Yerian, by Dec 1959; Lt Col Richard M. Griswold, Nov 1961; Lt Col Carl B. Yerian, by Jun 1964; Lt Col Justin L. Townsley, by Dec 1965; Lt Col James K. Riddle, by Jun 1970; Lt Col David R. Laird, 21 Jun 1972; Lt Col Richard D. Evans, Jul 1975; Col John A. Hellwege, 17 Feb 1976; Lt Col Morris J. Turkelson, 22 Oct 1979; Lt Col Virgil P. Fryburger Jr., by Jun 1981; Lt Col James Maurer, by Feb 1982-unkn; Lt Col Earnest M. Conant Jr., by Oct 1984; Lt Col Jerry E. Trott, 23 Jul 1986; Lt Col Paul M. Lavin, 1 Dec 1991; Lt Col Kirk A. Baker, 18 Aug 1992; Lt Col Robert G. Shondel, 1 Oct 1994; Lt Col Keith D. Kries, 1 Dec 1999;    (Help me to complete--send names).

Aircraft: B-24, 1942-1944. B-17, 1944; B-29, 1945-1946. C-54, 1949-1950. C-46, 1952-1957; C-119, 1956-1973; C-123, 1972-1981; C-130, 1981-1992; C-141, 1992-2006.

Operations: Activated in early 1942 as a B-24 Liberator Operational Training Unit (OTU), later becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for deployed combat units, assigned to II Bomber Command. Inactivated in April 1944 when heavy bomber training ended. Redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment Squadron under Second Air Force. Deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), assigned to Northwest Field, Guam under XXI Bomber Command. Flew very long range strategic bombardment missions over the Japanese Home Islands, attacking military, industrial and transportation targets. Switched to night incendiary raids attacking major Japanese cities in the spring of 1945, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Continued strategic bombing raids and incendiary attacks until Japanese Capitulation in August 1945. Squadron remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft scrapped on Tinian; others flown to storage depots in the United States. Inactivated in April 1946.  It trained for C-54 airlift operations from 1949–1950 and for troop carrier missions from 1952–1967. The squadron airlifted troops and their equipment during the Cuban Missile Crisis, October–November 1962. From 1970–1971 the squadron trained for special operations. Between 1971 and 2006 it trained for and flew airlift missions, participating in exercises, supporting unit deployments, taking part in special assignment airlift missions, and rotating periodically to Panama. The 356th supported liberation of Kuwait in 1991. It converted from tactical to strategic aircraft in 1992.

Since 2007 the 356th has conducted aircrew training for the C-5 Galaxy

Honors:

Service Streamers: World War II American Theater.

Campaign Streamers: World War II: Air Offensive, Japan; Eastern Mandates; Western Pacific. Southwest Asia: Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers: None.

Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citation: Japan, 22-29 Jul 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Jan 1977-31 Dec 1978; 1 Oct 1999-30 Sep 2001. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, 14 Feb-11 Mar 1968.