4th Airlift Squadron

4th Airlift Squadron History and Lineage 

Constituted 4th Provisional Transport Squadron on 1 Mar 1935. Redesignated 4th Transport Squadron on 25 Jun 1935. Activated on 8 Jul 1935. Redesignated 4th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 13 Dec 1945. Activated on 7 Sep 1946. Redesignated: 4th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 23 Jun 1948; 4th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 12 Oct 1949; 4th Air Transport Squadron, Heavy, on 8 Jul 1962; 4th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 Jan 1966; 4th Airlift Squadron on 1 Dec 1991. 

Assignments:  Rockwell Air Depot, 8 Jul 1935; 10 Transport Group, 20 May 1937; 62 Transport (later, 62 Troop Carrier) Group, 10 May 1941-14 Nov 1945 (attached to 64 Troop Carrier Group, 3 Apr-19 Jun 1944); unkn, 14 Nov-13 Dec 1945. 62 Troop Carrier Group, 7 Sep 1946 (attached to 374 Troop Carrier Wing, 1-24 Dec 1950; 6122 Air Base Group, 25 Dec 1950-25 Jan 1951; 315 Air Division, 25 Jan 1951-1 Oct 1951; Far East Air Forces, 1 Oct-7 Nov 1951); 62 Troop Carrier (later, 62 Air Transport; 62 Military Airlift) Wing, 15 Jan 1960; 62 Operations Group, 1 Dec 1991-.

Stations: Rockwell Field, CA, 8 Jul 1935; Sacramento, CA, 1 Dec 1938; Kellogg Field, MI, 29 May 1942; Florence, SC, 1 Jul-14 Aug 1942; Keevil, England, 25 Sep 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria, 15 Nov 1942; Casablanca, French Morocco, 16 Dec 1942; Nouvion, Algeria, 29 Mar 1943; Matemore, Algeria, 18 May 1943; Goubrine, Tunisia, 25 Jun 1943; Gela, Sicily, 7 Sep 1943; Catania, Sicily, 18 Oct 1943; Ponte Olivo, Sicily, 27 Feb 1944 (operated from bases in India, 12 Apr-11 Jun 1944); Gaudo Airfield, Italy, 8 May 1944; Galera Airfield, Italy, 29 Jun 1944; Malignano Airfield, Italy, 3 Oct 1944; Tarquinia, Italy, 9 Jan 1945; Rosignano Airfield, Italy, 26 May 1945; Marcianise, Italy, 28 Sep 1945; Naples, Italy, c. Oct-13 Dec 1945. Bergstrom Field, TX, 7 Sep 1946; McChord Field (later AFB), WA, 20 Jul 1947-28 Nov 1950; Ashiya AB, Japan, 1 Dec 1950; Tachikawa AB, Japan, 25 Jul 1951-16 Nov 1951; McChord AFB, WA, 16 Nov 1951; Larson AFB, WA, 11 May 1952; McChord AFB, WA, 13 Jun 1960-.

Commanders: Unkn, 8 Jul 1935-Jan 1942; Maj Aubrey J. Hurron, by Jan 1942; Maj Alphonse L. Coenan, 27 Mar 1943; Maj William J. Burke, 11 Jul 1944; Maj Oliver K. Halderson, 14 Aug 1944; Maj Lester A. Brinkerhoff, 19 Nov 1944; Maj Oliver K. Halderson, by 8 Mar 1945; Maj Thomas E. Hallifax, 4 Jun 1945-c. 15 Dec 1945. Col Paul W. Stephens, c. 7 Sep 1946; Lt Col Richard Jones, by Mar 1949; Lt Col Richard W. Etter, 16 Nov 1951; Lt Col Jerome M. Triolo, Dec 1952; Maj Milton W. Byrn, by 30 Jun 1954; Lt Col Harry M. Odren, by 31 Dec 1955; Maj Jack W. Weaver, by 30 Jun 1956; Lt Col Burgess Gradwell, by 30 Jun 1957; Maj Thomas J. Upton, by 30 Jun 1960; Lt Col Clarence I. Shuman, 20 Jan 1961; Lt Col Maurice A. Erickson Jr., by 30 Jun 1962; Lt Col George B. Demmon, by Dec 1965; Lt Col Donald W. Feuerstein, by Dec 1966; Lt Col James H. Newton, 14 Aug 1967; Lt Col Dale E. Borgen, 15 Jul 1968; Lt Col Clifford J. Horkans, 1 May 1970; Lt Col Robert B. Downs, 6 May 1971; Lt Col Forrest G. Johnson, 8 Jun 1972; Lt Col John H. Billings, 26 Aug 1974; Lt Col Robert E. Baltzell, 9 Sep 1974; Lt Col David R. Vance, 17 Apr 1978; Lt Col Charles Z. Ridgway Jr., 29 Mar 1979; Lt Col John S. Baughman, 16 Jan 1981; Lt Col John S. Rogers, 7 Jun 1982; Lt Col Thomas A. Mikolajcik, 17 Aug 1983; Lt Col Joseph L. Castonguay, 8 Oct 1985; Lt Col Peter J. Bein, 21 Nov 1986; Lt Col Charles A. Royce, 23 Jun 1988; Lt Col Thomas F. Watson, 11 Jun 1990; Lt Col John L. Strube, 1 May 1992; Lt Col Jeff Cain, 20 May 1993; Lt Col Brian L. Sutter, 17 Apr 1995; Lt Col Henry W. Mauer, 7 May 1996; Lt Col James L. Schneller, 1 Aug 1997; Lt Col William J. Bender, 8 Sep 1998; LT Col Jerry P Martinez, 1 March 1999; Lt Col Balan Ayyar, 10 Jul 2001; Lt Col Dave Blomberg, July 2002 - 15 Jun 2004: Lt Col James Regenor, 15 Jun 04 - 5 Jun 06; Lt Col Wyn Elder, 5 Jun 06 - 10 Apr 08: Lt Col Jim Ray, 10 Apr 08 - 21 Dec 09; Lt Col Rod Lewis, 21 Dec 09 - 17 Jun 11: Lt Col Thomas O'Connell, 17 Jun 11 - 17 Jun 13; Lt Col Matt Anderson, 17 Jun 13 - 4 Jun 15; Lt Col Elizabeth Scott, 4 Jun 15 -

Aircraft: C-27, 1935-1937; C-33, 1936-1941; C-39, 1938-1942; C-47, 1942-1945. C-46, 1946-1947; C-82, 1947-1949; C-54, 1949-1951; C-124, 1951-1969; C-141, 1966-2000. C-17, 2000-

Operations: World War II: Included airborne assaults on Sicily, on Myitkyina, Burma, and on Southern France; support of partisans in Northern Italy and the Balkans; aerial transportation in Mediterranean Theater of Operations and, briefly, in China-Burma-India Theater. Korea: Aerial transportation from US to Japan, and subsequently between Japan and Korea in the period 1 Dec 1950-16 Nov 1951. Airdrop of heavy equipment and personnel during the invasion of Panama on 20 Dec 1989. Assisted in the evacuation of US personnel from Philippine Islands following the Jun 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo. Conducted aerial delivery of rations to Afghani towns and villages during Global War on Terrorism operations in 2001.

Honors:

Service Streamers:  None.

Campaign Streamers:  World War II: Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater; India-Burma with Arrowhead. Korea: Chinese Communist Forces Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive.Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers:  Panama, 1989-1990.

Decorations:  Distinguished Unit Citation: China-Burma-India Theater, 7 Apr-15 Jun 1944. Meritorious Unit Award: 11 Sep 2001-10 Sep 2003. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 19 Apr-5 May 1954; 1 Jan 1961-1 Nov 1962; 1 Jul 1965-15 Jul 1966; 1 Jul 1969-30 Jun 1970; 1 Jul 1973-30 Jun 1974; 1 Jul 1981-30 Jun 1983; 1 Jul 1983-30 Jun 1985; 14 Jun-3 Jul 1991; 1 Jul 1994-30 Jun 1996; 1 Jul 1996-30 Jun 1997; 1 Jul 1997-30 Jun 1999; 1 Jul 2000-30 Jun 2001; 11 Sep 2005-10 Sep 2006. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 1 Jul 1951-[15 Nov 1951]. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966-28 Jan 1973.

Emblem:

Description - On a disc Gules, a hurt surmounted within by a cloud formation Argent detailed Azure and a mule, wings extended throughout, Silver Gray detailed Sable, eye and tongue of the first, teeth and pupil of the second, packing a cargo box Or strapped with a belt of the fifth; all within a narrow border Black. Attached below the disc, a White scroll edged with a narrow Black border and inscribed "4TH AIRLIFT SQ” in Black letters.

Symbolism - Ultramarine blue and Air Force yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The clouds represent the unit’s global airlift mission capability. The red circle signifies the courage, pride, and distinction of spirit of the men and women of the unit to deliver cargo anywhere, anytime. The winged mule symbolizes the Army Air Corps service heritage. The cargo box on the back of the mule is significant to the cargo, passenger, and aero-medical transportation capability and flexibility.