6th Airlift Squadron

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  6th AirLift Squadron History and Lineage

The 6th Airlift Squadron is the oldest airlift squadron in the Air Force, having served with distinction since 1 October 1933. The squadron made airlift history during World War II when, in October 1942, it was transferred to Port Moresby, New Guinea. Then flying C-47s, the 6th became the first personnel transport squadron to fly in the Pacific. It was during this assignment that the squadron earned the nickname Bully Beef Express, as it carried tons of boiled beef to allied combat troops in Australia and New Guinea. The French called it "boujili boef', and the Americanization of the term has continued to this day to be the squadron's emblem.  

 It has performed worldwide airlift operations since April 1970. The 6th conducted resupply missions in support of scientific stations in the Antarctic during Operation Deep Freeze from, 1971–1974. It evacuated Vietnamese refugees during the fall of Saigon, April–June 1975. It has also supported U.S. forces in Grenada, October–December 1983, during the invasion of Panama, December 1989–January 1990, and during the liberation of Kuwait, August 1990–March 1991.

Constituted as 6th Transport Squadron on 1 Oct 1933. Activated on 14 Oct 1939. Redesignated as: 6th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942; 6th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 21 May 1948; 6th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 Jan 1966. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 8 Jun 1968. Activated on 8 Apr 1970. Redesignated as 6th Airlift Squadron on 1 Nov 1991.

Assignments: 10th Transport Group, 14 Oct 1939; 60th Transport Group, 1 Dec 1940; 61st Transport Group, 19 May 1941; 315th Transport Group, Mar 1942; 63d Transport (later, 63d Troop Carrier) Group, Jun 1942; 374th Troop Carrier Group, 12 Nov 1942; 403d Troop Carrier Group, 15 May 1946; 374th Troop Carrier Group, 15 Oct 1946; 1503d Air Transport Wing, 18 Nov 1958; 1502d Air Transport Wing, 22 Jun 1964; 61st Military Airlift Wing, 8 Jan 1966–8 Jun 1968. 438th Military Airlift Wing, 8 Apr 1970; 438th Military Airlift Group, 1 Oct 1978; 438th Military Airlift Wing, 1 Jun 1980; 438th Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991; 305th Operations Group, 1 Oct 1994–.

Stations: Olmstead Field, PA, 14 Oct 1939; Camp Williams, WI, 23 Mar 1942; Dodd Field, TX, 16–23 Sep 1942; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 13 Oct 1942; Garbutt Field, Australia, 2 Oct 1943; Nadzab, New Guinea, c. 26 Aug 1944; Biak, c. 20 Oct 1944; Tacloban, Leyte, 12 Mar 1945; Nielson Field, Luzon, 1 Jan 1946; Okinawa, 10 Jun 1946; Tachikawa AB, Japan, 13 Apr 1947; Harmon Field, Guam, 1 Dec 1947; Tachikawa AB, Japan, 5 Mar 1949; Hickam AFB, HI, 22 Jun 1964–8 Jun 1968. McGuire AFB, NJ, 8 Apr 1970–. 

Commanders:  Maj John R. Dunn, 14 Oct 1939; Maj George J. Cressey, 4 Nov 1939; Capt John J. Keough, 28 Mar 1940; 1Lt Hamish McClelland, 10 Jun 1940; Maj John H. Lackey Jr., 17 Feb 1942; Capt Frank W. Smith (acted as commanding officer of ground echelon while air and ground echelons were separated), 23 Sep-1 Dec 1942; Capt William D. Wells, 22 May 1943; Capt William A. Peterson, 3 Dec 1943; Maj Harry E. Rehrer, c. Feb 1944; Maj Isaac W. Smith, 15 Sep 1944; Capt Donald K. Hartley, 15 May 1945; Col John L. Sullivan, unkn; Lt Col James L. Cole, 19 Jun 1946; Capt Fred H. Towne, 7 Apr 1947; Lt Col Roland J. Barnick, 5 May 1947; Lt Col William R. Calhoun Jr., 25 Aug 1947; Maj Albert W. Brownfield, c. 30 Jun 1949; Maj Thomas R. Keeny, 26 Jun 1950; Lt Col Albert W. Brownfield, 14 Sep 1950; Lt Col Alexander D. MacNiven, c Apr 1951; Maj Richard E. Becker Jr., c. Apr 1952; Lt Col Courtney L. Faught, unkn; Lt Col Charles G. Ferran, c. 1954; Lt Col Philip C. Sprawls, c. 1955; Lt Col Charles M. Mills, c. Jul 1957; Maj Haskell D. Coffey; 26 Aug 1958; Lt Col John D. Nichols, 20 Aug 1959; Lt Col William K. Smith, 23 May 1960; Lt Col Erich E. Shleier Jr., 15 Aug 1961; Lt Col Robert W. Denomy, 14 May 1964; Lt Col Joseph E. Nutt, 9 May 1966; Lt Col Louis F. Gessner, c. Jul 1966; Col Alva E. Nixon, 8 Aug 1966-c. 8 Jun 1968. Lt Col Otto L. (Scotty) Marsh, 8 Apr 1970; Lt Col Richard G. Ohlheiser, 1 Jun 1971; Lt Col Kenneth E. Klein, 9 Dec 1972; Lt Col Bland B. Simmons, 1 Jun 1973; Lt Col Donald M. Taylor, 23 Oct 1974; Lt Col Richard W. Thompson, 15 Aug 1975; Lt Col Stanley A. Cooper, 9 Sep 1977; Lt Col William H. Sistrunk, 1 Dec 1978; Lt Col Paul E. Gallo, 29 Feb 1980; Lt Col David O. Williams, 18 Sep 1981; Lt Col Joseph A. Petrazio Jr., 20 Oct 1983; Lt Col William Welser III, 18 Dec 1985; Lt Col Barry F. Creighton, 22 Jun 1987; Lt Col Norman Schaule, 9 Jan 1990; Lt Col William T. Payne IV, 25 Jul 1991; Lt Col John Bedford, 1993;  Lt Col Robert L. Cambrell Jr., 18 Aug 1994; Lt Col Carl D. Evans, 1 Mar 1996; Lt Col Jack C. Gundrum, 9 Jun 1997; Lt Col John Brunhaver, 19 Apr 1999; Lt Col Robert D. Thomas, 2 Mar 2001; Lt Col Eric J. Wydra, 21 Jan 2003; Lt Col Mark D. Camerer, 20 Sep 2004; Lt Col Joseph L. Wolfer, 16 Jun 2006; Lt Col John F. Price, 30 Jun 2008; Lt Col William D. Hall, 9 Jun 2010; Lt Col Mark J. Thompson, 10 Aug 2012-

Aircraft:  C-33, 1940-1942; C-39, 1940-1942; C-53, 1941-1942; C-47, 1942-1945; C-46, 1945-1947; C-54, 1946-1952; C-124, 1952-1968. C-141, 1970-2004; C-17, 2004-. 

Operations:  Provided aerial transportation in the South, Southwest, and Western Pacific, during World War II and in the Far East during the Korean War. After the Korean War to the present, except inactive period, 1968-1970, provided worldwide air transportation of airborne forces and their equipment and supplies; other general personnel, equipment, and supplies; and air evacuation as directed. Resupplied scientific stations in the Antarctic during Operation Deep Freeze, 1971-1974. Evacuated Vietnamese refugees during the fall of Saigon, Apr-Jun 1975. Supported US forces in Grenada, Oct-Dec 1983; during the invasion of Panama, Dec 1989-Jan 1990; and during the Gulf War, Aug 1990-Mar 1991. Supported combat operations in Afghanistan (2001-) and Iraq (2003-). In 2005, aided humanitarian relief operations for the victims of a tsunami in the Indian Ocean and Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.  

Campaign Streamers: World War II: Air Offensive, Japan; Papua; New Guinea; Northern Solomon’s; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.  

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers: Panama, 1989–1990. 

Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, [Oct] 1942–23 Jan 1943; Papua, 12 Nov–22 Dec 1942; Wau, New Guinea, 30 Jan–1 Feb 1943; Korea, 27 Jun–15 Sep 1950. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan–31 Dec 1961; 1 Jul 1964–30 Jun 1966; 23 Dec 1965–23 Jan 1966; 1 Jul 1966–30 Jun 1967; 1 Jul 1967–[8] Jun 1968; 1 Jul 1982–30 Jun 1984. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 1 Jul 1951–27 Jul 1953.  

Emblem: On a disc Blue, narrow bordered Black, over a representation of a tin “Bully Beef” White, edged Red, caricatured bull’s head front face Brown, mouth and horns Yellow, beard Black eyeballs White, pupils Black, nose Red and with a fighting mad expression and snorting detail White from nose. Approved on 1 Dec 1952 (K&KE 6661); replaced emblem approved on 14 Apr 1942 (28651 A.C.).