97th Airlift Squadron

  97th Airlift Squadron History and Lineage  

Constituted 97 Troop Carrier Squadron on 25 May 1943. Activated on 1 Jul 1943. Inactivated on 18 Oct 1945. Activated in the Reserve on 15 Sep 1947. Redesignated 97 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to active duty on 1 May 1951. Inactivated on 4 May 1951. Redesignated 97 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 26 May 1952. Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jun 1952. Inactivated on 1 Jul 1957. Redesignated 97 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 24 Oct 1957. Activated in the Reserve on 16 Nov 1957. Ordered to active duty on 28 Oct 1962. Relieved from active duty on 28 Nov 1962.  Redesignated: 97 Air Transport Squadron, Heavy on 1 Dec 1965; 97 Military Airlift Squadron on 1 Jan 1966. Ordered to active duty on 26 Jan 1968. Relieved from active duty on 2 Jun 1969. Redesignated: 97 Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 25 Jul 1969; 97 Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 Feb 1992; 97 Airlift Squadron on 1 Oct 1994. 

Assignments: 440 Troop Carrier Group, 1 Jul 1943-18 Oct 1945. 440 Troop Carrier Group, 15 Sep 1947-4 May 1951. 440 Fighter-Bomber Group, 15 Jun 1952-1 Jul 1957. 440 Troop Carrier Group, 16 Nov 1957; 349 Troop Carrier Group, 25 Mar 1958; 349 Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959; 941 Troop Carrier (later, 941 Air Transport; 941 Military Airlift) Group, 11 Feb 1963; 939 Military Airlift Group, 25 Jul 1969; 446 Military Airlift (later, 446 Airlift) Wing, 1 Jul 1973; 446 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992-. 

Stations: Baer Field, IN, 1 Jul 1943; Sedalia AAFld, MO, 10 Jul 1943; Alliance AAFld, NE, 7 Sep 1943; Pope Field, NC, 4 Jan 1944; Baer Field, IN, 14-22 Feb 1944; Bottesford, England, Mar 1944; Exeter, England, 26 Apr 1944 (operated from Ombrone Airfield, Italy, 18 Jul-24 Aug 1944); Reims, France, 13 Sep 1944; Le Mans, France, 28 Sep 1944; Orleans, France, 4 Nov 1944-18 Oct 1945. Scott Field, IL, 15 Sep 1947; Wold-Chamberlain Muni Aprt, MN, 27 Jun 1949-4 May 1951. Ft Snelling, MN, 15 Jun 1952; Minneapolis-St Paul Intl Aprt, MN, 8 Jan 1953-1 Jul 1957. O'Hare Intl Aprt, IL, 16 Nov 1957; Paine AFB, WA, 25 Mar 1958; McChord AFB, WA, 9 Nov 1965-. 

Commanders: Lt Col Jack S. Southard, 11 Jul 1943-1945. Unkn, 15 Sep 1947-1949; Maj James M. Collison, 1949-1951. Unkn, 15 Jun 1952-1 Jul 1957. Unkn, 16 Nov 1957-Mar 1958; Col Thomas G. Bowie, 25 Mar 1958; Lt Col George J. Holland, 11 Feb 1963; Lt Col William G. Hathaway, 4 Dec 1963; Lt Col Martin F. O'Toole, 14 Dec 1967; Lt Col John E. Schneider, 4 Sep 1968; Lt Col Charles S. Chesterman, 7 Oct 1968; Col Richard O. Barnes, 2 Jun 1969; Maj Paul A. Wriggle, 1 Aug 1969; Lt Col Edmund G. Hepner, 7 Aug 1969; Col Paul A. Wriggle, 18 Oct 1970; Lt Col Howard E. Bunch, by Jun 1975; Lt Col Gideon M. Gilbert, by Mar 1979; Lt Col Ronald G. Dye, 22 Jun 1981; Lt Col Charles B. Casson, 15 Aug 1982; Lt Col James O. Fausey, 28 Feb 1985; Lt Col Thomas M. O'Dell, 15 Aug 1988; Lt Col Kenneth E. Lanier, 4 Nov 1989; Lt Col Richard H. Lauer, 30 May 1992; Lt Col Steven J. Cummins, 6 Nov 1993; Lt Col Raymond B. Garrison, 1 Oct 1994; Lt Col Robert S. Graves, 31 Mar 1996- (Help me to complete--send names).

Aircraft:  Principally C-47, 1943-1945. Unkn, 1947-1948; T-6, 1948-1950; T-11, 1948-1951; C-47, 1948; C-46, 1949-1951; T-7, 1950-1951. T-6, 1952-1955; C-46, 1952-1957; F-51, 1953-1954; T-33, 1954-1957; F-80, 1954-1957; C-119, 1957-1965; C-124, 1965-1969; C-141, 1969-2003; C-17, 2003-. 

Operations:  Airborne assaults on Normandy, southern France, the Netherlands, and Germany; relief of Bastogne; transportation of cargo and personnel in the European and Mediterranean Theaters of Operation (ETO and MTO) during World War II. Trained in the Reserve for troop carrier missions between 15 Sep 1947 and May 1951, and for fighter-bomber operations from 15 Jun 1952 through 1 Jul 1957. Since Nov 1957, the squadron has trained for and flown a variety of airlift missions worldwide. Took part in Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama, 1989-1990, and Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM in southwestern Asia, 1990-1991. 

Honors:

Service Streamers: None. 

Campaign Streamers:  World War II: Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait. 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers:  Panama, 1989-1990. 

Decorations:  Distinguished Unit Citation: France, 6-7 Jun 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 23 Dec 1964-22 Jan 1965; 26 Jan 1968-1 Jun 1969; 1 Jul 1969-30 Jun 1970; 1 Jul 1973-30 Jun 1974; 1 Sep 1982-31 Aug 1984; 1 Aug 1990-31 Jul 1992. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, 1 Apr 1966-28 Jan 1973