7th Airlift Squadron

7th Military Airlift Squadron

7th Troop Carrier Squadron

7th Airlift Squadron History and Lineage 

The 7th Airlift Squadron was constituted 1 October 1933, as the 7th Troop Carrier Squadron. Before World War II, the squadron provided airlift throughout the U.S., Panama, Canada, and Alaska. In 1942, it was among the first units to deploy into the war zone.

During the Korean conflict, the 7th flew long, over-water missions to Japan while temporarily assigned to McChord Air Force Base. It later received two Outstanding Unit Awards for support to the French in Vietnam and efforts during the Cuban Blockade.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the 7th provided humanitarian support after Hurricane Hugo, Andrew, and Iniki; flood relief to Bangladesh and evacuation support after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines. In addition, the 7th provided critical airlift support during Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, as well as delivering thousands of tons of relief supplies to the former Soviet Union.

In 1993, the 7th AS at Travis was renamed the 19th AS. The 7th AS returned to McChord AFB and the 62d Airlift Wing from Travis Air Force Base, California without personnel or equipment and continued to fly the C-141 till 2000. 

The 7th AS was McChord AFB's first C-17 squadron in 1999 and throughout its history, continually accomplished many firsts, including landing the first C-17 on the ice sheet near McMurdo Station in Antarctica in 1999, and landing the first C-17 in North Korea a few weeks later. 

Recently, the 7th Airlift Squadron created another Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (EAS) alongside the 17th Airlift Squadron out of Charleston Air Force Base. For the first time in history, two C-17 Squadrons became deployed in forward theater locations, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. On 1 June 2006, the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron was created from half of the 817 EAS flying from "an undisclosed location in South West Asia". While the 817 EAS Flies from Incirlik Airbase, Turkey and Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. The 7th helped initiate the new 2 EAS concept in C-17 operations. 

Lineage: Constituted 7th Transport Squadron on 1 Oct 1933. Activated on 14 Oct 1939. Redesignated 7th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 27 Nov 1945. Activated on 7 Sep 1946. Redesignated: 7th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 23 Jun 1948; 7th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 12 Oct 1949; 7th Air Transport Squadron, Heavy, on 1 Jan 1965; 7th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 Jan 1966. Inactivated on 22 Dec 1969. Activated on 13 Mar 1971. Redesignated 7th Airlift Squadron on 1 Nov 1991.

Assignments: 10 Transport Group, 14 Oct 1939; 62 Transport (later, 62 Troop Carrier) Group, 11 Dec 1940-14 Nov 1945; Unkn, 15-27 Nov 1945. 62 Troop Carrier Group, 7 Sep 1946 (attached to Yukon Sector, Alaskan Air Command, 15 Sep 1947-5 Mar 1948; 62 Troop Carrier Wing, 8-14 Jan 1960); 62 Troop Carrier (later, 62 Air Transport; 62 Military Airlift) Wing, 15 Jan 1960-22 Dec 1969. 60 Military Airlift Wing, 13 Mar 1971; 60 Military Airlift Group, 6 Mar 1978; 60 Military Airlift Wing, 15 Feb 1979; 60 Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991; 62 Operations Group, 1 Oct 1993-. 

Stations: Sacramento Air Depot (later, McClellan Field), CA, 14 Oct 1939; Kellogg Field, MI, 29 May 1942; Florence AAB, SC, 2 Jul-14 Aug 1942; Greenham Common, England, 7 Sep 1942; Keevil, England, 25 Sep-16 Nov 1942; Tafaroui, Algeria, 27 Dec 1942 (operated from bases in Egypt and Palestine, 13 Mar-19 May 1943); Matemore, Algeria, 21 May 1943; El Djem, Tunisia, 22 Jun 1943; Goubrine, Tunisia, 26 Jul 1943; Ponte Olivo, Sicily, 6 Sep 1943; Brindisi, Italy, 12 Feb 1944; Ponte Olivo, Sicily, 29 Mar 1944; Guado Airfield, Italy, 8 May 1944; Galera Airfield, Italy, 28 Jun 1944; Brindisi, Italy, 22 Oct 1944; Tarquinia, Italy, 4 Dec 1944; Rosignano, Italy, 24 May 1945; Naples, Italy, 25 Sep-27 Nov 1945. Bergstrom Field, TX, 7 Sep 1946; McChord Field (later, AFB), WA, 5 Aug 1947 (operated from Elmendorf Field, AK, 15 Sep 1947-5 Mar 1948); Kelly AFB, TX, 9 May 1950 (operated from McChord AFB, WA, 27 Jul 1950-18 Feb 1951); McChord AFB, WA, 19 Feb 1951; Larson AFB, WA, 9 May 1952; McChord, AFB, WA, 13 Jun 1960-22 Dec 1969. Travis AFB, CA, 13 Mar 1971; McChord AFB, WA, 1 Oct 1993-.

Commanders: None, 14-18 Oct 1939; 1 Lt Richard T. Black, 19 Oct 1939; 2 Lt Richard A. Davis, 20 Nov 1939; 2 Lt Thomas S. Algert, 23 Dec 1939; 2 Lt William W. Miller, 22 Jan 1940; 1 Lt Donald J. French, 1 Jan 1941; Capt Ralph J. Moore, 12 Feb 1942; Lt Col William T. Duden, 19 Jun 1942; Maj Paul A. Jones, 25 Sep 1943; Maj Jerald B. Davis, 1 Aug 1944; Maj Joseph L. Keith, 15 Dec 1944; Capt Edward J. Wall, 8 Jun-5 Nov 1945; unkn, 5-27 Nov 1945. Lt Col Lester L. Ferguson, 7 Sep 1946; Lt Col Stanley W. Tobiason, 11 Nov 1946; Maj Charles W. Williams, c. Aug 1948; Maj George P. Basel, c. Nov 1948; Lt Col Harold A. Bullock, 26 Oct 1949; Lt Col Courtney L. Faught, 7 Jun 1952; Lt Col Roland K. McCroskrie, Oct 1952; Maj Henry J. Wurster, c. Jul 1953; Maj Harrison T. Blakey, c. Aug 1954; Lt Col Walter P. Carmichael Jr., Jul 1960; Lt Col Michael F. Robinson, 1961; Lt Col James H. Short, 1964; Lt Col Charles E. Clague Jr., 1965; Lt Col Jonathan K. Shafer, c. Jun 1967; Lt Col Bennie J. Ruffata, 1 Aug 1968; Lt Col Charles Kerr, 10 Mar-22 Dec 1969. Lt Col Raymond H. Kehl, 13 Mar 1971; Lt Col John A. Doglione, 1 Jun 1971; Lt Col Dean G. Smith, 19 Nov 1973; Lt Col Joe T. Griffith, 31 Dec 1973; Lt Col Gary H. Mears, 8 Aug 1975; Lt Col Robert W. Sample Jr., 1 Jun 1977; Lt Col Larry D. Parsons, 18 Jul 1978; Lt Col Howard M. Epstein, 20 Jun 1980; Lt Col Bart C. Hogan, 5 Mar 1982; Lt Col Clair D. Heidler III, 9 May 1983; Lt Col Michael R. Gallagher, 17 Jun 1985; Lt Col John A. Kent, Jr., c. Jul 1987; Lt Col James E. Alford, 19 Sep 1988; Lt Col David J. Skalko, 11 Jun 1990; Lt Col Robert D. Bishop Jr., 15 Jun 1992; Lt Col Mark Still, June 1993; Lt Col William J. McKinney, 1 Oct 1993; Lt Col James A. Fellows, 31 Mar 1994; Lt Col Michael David, 28 Jan 1995; Lt Col Ray R. Phillips, 23 Jul 1996; Lt Col Jeffery L. Frazer, 19 Mar 1998; Lt Col Timothy M. Zadalis, 3 Mar 2000; Lt Col Mark S. Hershman, 16 Jul 2002; Lt Col Chad Manske, 8 Jun 2004; Lt Col Todd A. Dierlam, 11 Jul 2005; Lt Col Brian Newberry, Jan 2007; Lt Col James Twiford, Lt Col Eric Carney -- (Help with dates ---Please)   

Aircraft: C-33, 1939-1941; C-39, 1939-1942; B-10, 1939-1940; C-53, 1942; C-47, 1942-1945. C-46, 1946-1947; C-82, 1947-1949; C-54, 1949-1951; C-124, 1951-1969. C-141, 1971-1993; C-17, 2000-. 

Operations: Included airborne assaults on Sicily and Southern France, support of partisans in Northern Italy and the Balkans, and transportation of personnel and supplies in MTO, during World War II. Airlift from US to Japan during Korean War. Worldwide airlift beginning May 1952. Flew frequent missions to Southeast Asia, Jan 1966-Dec 1969 and Apr 1971-Apr 1975. Supported operations in Grenada, 25 Oct-7 Nov 1983; Panama, 20 Dec 1989; and Southwest Asia, Aug 1990-. 

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.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Panama, 1989-1990. 

Decorations: 

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; 15 Nov 1967-15 Nov 1969; 1 Jul 1974-30 Jun 1975; 1 Jul 1975-30 Jun 1977; 16 Dec 1989-31 Jan 1990; 1 Jul 1992-30 Jun 1993; 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 Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm 1 Apr 1966-[28 Jan 1973]. 

Emblem:

Description - On a disc as a globe Celeste gridlined Azure, charged in base with a fist Or detailed of the second, palm affronté grasping a double-edged sword of the last, hilt to base Verte, pommel and hand guard Argent, above and between two convexly arched olive branches in saltire of the fourth, banded of three of the third and detailed Sable, overall a lightning bolt in fess, ends truncated White; all within a narrow border Blue. Attached below the disc, a White scroll edged with a narrow Blue border and inscribed "7TH AIRLIFT SQ” in Blue 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 design is that of the unit’s original squadron, the 7th Transportation Squadron, that was redesignated the 7th Troop Carrier Squadron, pursuant to War Department letter, AG 320.2 dated 4 July 1943. The lightning bolt symbolizes the speed and lightning stroke of airborne operations. The sword denotes the unit’s strength and readiness to defend, while the olive branch alludes to peacetime.