40th Airlift Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 40th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force
unit based at Dyess Air Force Base
, Abilene
, Texas
. The unit currently flies the Lockheed
C-130 Hercules, but is transitioning to new Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, with the first 2 of 14 delivered.. Nicknamed the Screaming Eagles, it is one of the most decorated airlift units in the U.S. Air Force.
under the control of the 317th Troop Carrier Group. Beginning with only a second lieutenant
squadron commander and eight enlisted men, the squadron slowly took shape, and in about four months was full-sized. At this time it transferred to Bowman Field, Kentucky
where it began flying the Douglas C-47 Skytrain
. The pace of developments in World War II
drove a rapid training and deployment schedule, and on 6 December 1942, the 40th moved to Laurinburg-Maxton Army Airfield, North Carolina
to begin staging for its move to the Pacific. A few days later, the Squadron left North Carolina for the Mobile Air Depot, Alabama where it received thirteen new C-47s. After they checked out the airplanes, the squadron flew to California.
. After a short time in Brisbane, the Squadron moved to Barbutt Field, Townsville, Australia, the Squadron’s first permanent oversees home.
campaign, the 40th ferried food, ammunition, equipment, and reinforcements to Allied troops, then evacuated the wounded to hospitals on its return flights. As the battle of Buna neared its end, the fight for Wau was just beginning.
who were harassing the Japanese. Squadron pilots soon became accustomed to landing on the 3,000 foot dirt strip at Wau with its 12 per cent grade heading directly at Kainde Mountain. The crews flew in reinforcements, ammunition, artillery pieces, food and other supplies. Wau saw the 40th's first combat casualties when a crew crashed while attempting to land on 18 January. On 29 January, the Japanese began a full scale assault on the airstrip. They managed to reach one end of the runway, which they placed under constant mortar fire. At times, planes circled as the Australians fought the Japanese far enough back into the jungle to allow the aircraft to land. Many of the reinforcements flown into the strip jumped from the planes straight into the battle with their guns firing. By the end of 30 January, most of the Japanese attacks had been repulsed, and the airstrip remained in Allied hands for the remainder of the war. The 40th Troop Carrier Squadron received its first Distinguished Unit Citation for its efforts at Wau.
, and the Solomon Islands
. The pace of operations did not slacken and the squadron engaged in a wide variety of tactical airlift actions. Primarily, these included airlifting troops, reinforcements, supplies, and equipment into combat, and evacuating the wounded. It frequently dropped paratroopers during airborne assault operations, and delivered equipment and supplies by airdrop. Other secondary missions included carrying captured Japanese troops to rear areas, providing quick transportation for commanders to and from combat areas, and conducting training with airborne troops.
. The Squadron joined the rest of the 317th Troop Carrier Group in an air assault on the Nadzab plain. General Kenney, Fifth Air Force commander, later said, “I truly don’t believe that another air force in the world today could have put this over as perfectly as the Fifth Air Force did. Three hundred and two airplanes in all, taking off from eight different fields in the Moresby and Dobodura areas made a rendezvous right on the nose over Marilinan, flying through clouds, passes in the mountains, and over the top. Not a single squadron did any circling or stalling around but all slid into place like clockwork and proceeded on the final flight down the Watut Valley, turned to the right down the Markham River and went directly to the target.”
. This move, accomplished on 6 October 1943, placed the Squadron closer to combat, and eliminated many of the long flights back to Australia. The 317th Group soon became known as the "Jungle Skippers". Heavily loaded and unarmed, the C-47s were often flown unconventionally by their hard pressed crews. Counting on stealth and surprise to help even the odds, the pilots slipped their transports down river valleys and through mountain gaps literally skipping and skimming across the jungle and rainforests. Throughout the rest of 1943, and into 1944, the 40th continued its support of the Allied advance. On 21 April 1944, the Squadron moved to Finschhafen
, New Guinea, and again in May to Cyclops Field, Hollandia
.
. Three days later, the United States dropped another on Nagasaki. On 14 August, the Japanese agreed to surrender. On 29 August, four 40th C-47s flew from Naha to Tokyo carrying an advance party for the surrender ceremony. These were the first American aircraft to land on the Japanese homeland at the end of hostilities. However, the occasion was marred when the lead aircraft misinterpreted the direction of the wind while coming in to land. This caused the entire formation to land downwind much to the consternation of the Japanese commander who had assembled his staff at the ‘correct’ end of the runway to greet the arriving victors.
. The Squadron became the 40th Troop Carrier Squadron (Heavy) in May 1948, and was assigned to the Far East Air Force
.
attempted to force its wartime Allies, now cold war enemies, France, Great Britain, and the United States from the city of Berlin
. The Allied powers immediately began an airlift into the city, but it soon became apparent that they needed more aircraft. In September, the 39th and 41st Squadrons from the 317th Troop Carrier Group were transferred to Germany. In November, the 40th followed. Soon after arriving in Germany, the 40th began flying into Berlin from Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany, before transferring to RAF Celle
, Germany in December. From the time the 40th began operating at Wiesbaden until shortly after the Berlin blockade was lifted the following summer, the Squadron flew approximately 10,550 round trips to Berlin transporting a grand total of 100,000 tons of supplies into the besieged city. When the Berlin Airlift ended, the entire 317th Group, including the 39th
, 40th, and 41st
Squadrons, was deactivated at RAF Celle on 14 September 1949.
, Germany. After its reactivation, the 40th joined its reactivated sister squadrons, the 39th and 41st, under control of the 317th Troop Carrier Wing supporting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization while flying the C-119 Boxcar. In May 1953, the 40th transferred from Rhein-Main Air Base to Neubiberg Air Base
, Germany. In October, the Squadron began operations as part of the Air Logistics Service, a regularly scheduled series of airlift flights throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East which later became known as channel missions. In addition to its regular airlift schedule, the 40th airdropped 45,000 sandbags near the town of Regensburg, Germany, for emergency flood relief, transported supplies into India and Pakistan following floods, and stood alert during the 1956 Arab-Israeli War. During this crisis, the 40th staged to advanced fields with a United Nations Emergency Force.
, France. The 40th completed its transition into the C-130 in June 1958, just in time for the new plane to gain its first taste of action.
quickly moved to stop the carnage and restore order to the area. On 8 July, the 40th, as part of the 322nd Air Division, went on alert for action in Operation New Tape, the Congo airlift. From July, and well into the next year, the Squadron flew across most of Africa carrying troops and hundreds of tons of cargo into the Congo. From the very beginning, all 40th aircrews were involved in the airlift. The first UN aircraft to land in the Congo was a 40th C-130 carrying Lt Col Francis E. Merritt, commander of the 40th. He was tasked as the combat Airlift Support Unit commander. Most of the airport facilities had been destroyed and the one forklift which Lt Col Merritt’s crew brought with them soon broke. Despite the many problems and continuing unrest, including heavy gun battles around the airport, Lt Col Merritt organized teams to meet each arriving C-130, unload its cargo of food and medicine, then launch it back to Europe. As the airlift developed, missions spread to include landings at dirt strips and runways throughout the region. Crews from the 40th found themselves eating C rations cooked at tiny airstrips surrounded by jungle. They carried thousands of refugees and troops from nations as far away as Algeria, South Africa, Morocco, and Somalia. The massive operation in support of the United Nations continued until the summer of 1961.
. On 21 November 1962, twelve C-130s departed France on a mass deployment to New Delhi
, India. The deployed to support the Indian government in its defense against an invasion by Communist China. All of the aircraft arrived in New Delhi on 23 November, twenty-four hours ahead of schedule. When China invaded India, the Indian Air Force’s Russian-built transports proved incapable of carrying troops and equipment into the high altitude Himalayan airfields. The 40th’s A-model C-130s easily handled the altitude, and quickly carried all of the Indian reinforcements and equipment into the area. During the first eleven days, the twelve crews carried over five hundred tons of supplies and over 5000 troops for a total of 203 sorties without an aborted launch. The mission was originally to last only a few months, but as usual, stretched out for over a year. The Indian government later stated that the efforts of the American C-130s prevented the Chinese from gaining any advantage after their initial invasion.
, killing and injuring thousands of people. Three crews from the 40th flew in the initial group of C-130s carrying relief supplies into the area.
. In June 1964, the 40th returned to the United States for the first time since January 1943. The 41st, however, did not move with the 317th, but continued west to spend several years in Southwest Asia. The 18th Troop Carrier Squadron joined the 39th and 40th as the third squadron in the 317th at Lockbourne AFB. During its many years away from the United States, the Squadron had flown combat operations stretching from the Far East to the Middle East, and humanitarian missions throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It was now time for the Squadron to relax. Or so it thought.
elected a socialist president. The United States encouraged the Dominican military to stage a coup which degenerated into a civil war between the army and supporters of the democratic system. President Johnson used this situation as an excuse for American intervention. The initial plan called for a massive airdrop invasion of the island by over one hundred C-130s. Orders went out, and the 40th deployed all of its planes to Pope Air Force Base
, North Carolina, where it joined the invasion force. After the formation became airborne, the President changed the invasion from an airdrop to an air land assault. The 40th diverted into Ramey Air Force Base
, Puerto Rico to allow the crews to rerig the loads, then flew into the Dominican Republic to combat offload the cargo. For the remainder of the operation, the 40th flew from both Pope AFB as well as Ramey AFB. When the fighting ended in June, the 40th returned to Lockbourne.
, England, and Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany. At the same time that the Squadron began its regular rotation to Europe, it also began a regular rotation of crews and planes to Panama. The rotation to Panama continued into the 1980s when the Air National Guard assumed responsibility for it.
In October 1965, a C-130 Replacement Training Unit was established at Lockbourne. The 40th devoted a portion of its training to the unit.
took the 40th from Detroit to Washington, D.C., to New Haven, Connecticut. As the nation began to heal in the seventies these operations slowly dwindled, then faded away. The social changes that swept through American culture in the sixties impacted the Squadron in the seventies. In July 1970, Lockbourne Air Force Base received its first women. The base integrated the women into existing squadrons because it lacked a female-only squadron, which many other bases had. At first the commander were unsure of the roles of these new recruits, but soon found positions for them in squadron administration. In 1973, the All-Volunteer Force came into effect, and with higher pay, better living conditions, and improved facilities as the Air Force faced the fact that, if it did not improve the life style of its troops, they would leave.
The seventies also saw an attempt to form “hard crews,” a dismal failure; the flight system, a management nightmare; and the removal of maintenance from the Squadron, then its return, then its removal again. The seventies also brought the move of all C-130s into Military Airlift Command
(MAC), a reversal of the consolidation into Tactical Air Command
which occurred in the sixties.
, the worst hurricane in the history of the United States, hit the east coast in August 1969. In the first of a series of hurricane relief efforts, the 40th launched aircraft full of supplies for the stricken area. Hurricanes continued to decimate the east coast of the United States, and the 40th continued to respond. Hurricanes David and Frederick in 1979, Hurricane Hugo
in 1989, and Hurricane Andrew
in 1992 all brought out the 40th on missions of mercy. From 1969 on, the 40th flew humanitarian mission for a litany of disasters. Mud slides in Bogota, Colombia in September 1970, an earthquake on the border between Peru and Ecuador a month later, floods in Bolivia, and a volcanic eruption in Nicaragua in 1971, floods in Virginia and Pennsylvania in July 1972, and an earthquake in Nicaragua
six months later, in 1973-Operation AUTHENTIC ASSISTANCE-a massive drought and famine relief operation in Mali, an earthquake in Turkey in 1976, blizzards in New York in 1977, and again in Massachusetts in 1979 all proved the Squadron’s worth as an instrument of humanitarian relief as well as war. This is only a small handful of the many humanitarian relief operations throughout the history of the 40th. To name them all would take far too much space, but this short list illustrates the immeasurable service the Squadron has given representing the United States to the world.
. At Pope, the Squadron met rejoined the 41st which had just returned from six years in Southeast Asia. As part of the move from Lockbourne, the Squadron shed all of its personnel and aircraft, and moved only its flag and lineage to its new home, where it acquired the personnel and aircraft of the recently deactivated 435th Troop Carrier Squadron. The move to Pope AFB brought some mission changes as well. The Squadron lost its obligation as a Replacement Training Unit, but gained the Adverse Weather Aerial Delivery System (AWADS) mission. Previously, C-130 squadrons at several bases had AWADS, but it was gradually consolidated into the three squadrons at Pope. The 40th also gained a rotational commitment to Southeast Asia in addition to its regular rotations to Europe and Panama. It soon became common for crews to spend ninety days in Germany, come home for a few weeks, deploy to Panama for six weeks, come home again for a short rest, then depart for the Pacific.
, Taiwan, and came under the control of the 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron. In 1974, they moved to Utapao Air Base
, Thailand. From both bases, they flew high altitude AWADS drops in South Vietnam, as well as standard airlift missions. As many as eight 40th crews could be in the region at one time taking part in combat actions including the sieges of An Loc
and Phnom Pen, and Operations EASTER BUNNY and CONSTANT GUARD. The squadron received no official recognition for its involvement in the Vietnam War because many of its action in the war came after the United States officially ended its participation. At the end of 1974, the 40th pulled its crews out of Southeast Asia, and turned over its responsibility for the adverse weather airdrop mission to the Thai Air Force and Bird Air-a regional civilian contract service flying C-130s.
responded with Operation Urgent Fury, an invasion of the island. The 40th provided two of the five crews for the initial airborne assault on Point Salines Airport. After the initial assault, the numerous Squadron crews flew follow on missions into the island carrying troops, supplies, food, and ammunition. On the return trips the crews carried out Cuban soldiers who had been working on several large military construction projects, and the American medical students who has been caught on the island by the unrest. Despite outrage on the part of Liberals Americans, the people of Grenada profusely thanked the United States from rescuing them from a government they did not want.
refused to relinquish power after losing an election, and President George H. W. Bush
launched a massive invasion-Operation JUST CAUSE
-to remove Noriega. On 19 December 1989, the 40th joined the other two Pope squadrons, and the 50 TAS from Little Rock Air Force Base
, for a fifteen aircraft airborne assault on Rio Hato Airport
, Panama. The aircraft launched for a late night assault of Army Rangers
. After flying down the western Caribbean, across Panama, and out over the Pacific, the formation turned and began its run for Rio Hato. The first few aircraft flew unscathed across the drop zone, but Panamanian soldiers quickly found their range and poured a withering ground fire into the formation. Despite the intense fire, none of the crews deviated from their course, and every Ranger on target. After the drop, the formation flew to Howard Air Force Base
, Panama where the aircraft received hasty repairs and fuel before launching back to the United States. Many of the planes managed to make it to the coast before landing at commercial airports because of severe battle damage. The Squadron continued to support JUST CAUSE into 1990. As the last of the fighting wound down in Panama, the 40th deployed to England for its 60 day rotation to RAF Mildenhall. The Squadron returned to Pope in June, and looked forward to some rest after a busy seven months.
. Seventeen hours later the Squadron launched its first mission in support of the American build up. For the first few weeks the Squadron flew up to twenty hour days carrying cargo throughout the Arabian Peninsula, living out of tents on the barren island of Masirah, known to the squadron as Moon Island. While the living conditions were miserable, and the missions long and tiring, the Squadron never gave up. Everyone pulled together and achieved one great milestone after another making the C-130 the backbone of the war effort. Without it, the war could never have happened. While cargo poured into the theater by way of strategic air and sealift, it took the C-130 to distribute it to the troops. In January, the 40th took part in one of the great deceptions in military history. While the fighters and bombers distracted the Iraqis, the Squadron’s C-130s carried the 82nd Airborne Division from northeast Saudi Arabia across the Iraqi front line to land the soldiers in the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia. All of these mission were flown under strict radio silence, with no navigational aids. Aircraft flew along corridors, often with little or no visibility at the same altitude as other aircraft flying the return route. In the face of an apparently insurmountable task, the 40th succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. When the ground war began in February, the Iraqis were stunned to find a division on their western flank they thought was in front of them. If not for the 40th, and the other C-130 squadrons, it could not have been done.
, Texas.
Air Mobility Command Outstanding Airlift Squadron of the Year: 2004, 2006
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit based at Dyess Air Force Base
Dyess Air Force Base
Dyess Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southwest of Abilene, Texas.The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force...
, Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The unit currently flies the Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
C-130 Hercules, but is transitioning to new Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, with the first 2 of 14 delivered.. Nicknamed the Screaming Eagles, it is one of the most decorated airlift units in the U.S. Air Force.
Origins
On 18 February 1942, the squadron was activated as the 40th Transport Squadron at Duncan Field, San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
under the control of the 317th Troop Carrier Group. Beginning with only a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
squadron commander and eight enlisted men, the squadron slowly took shape, and in about four months was full-sized. At this time it transferred to Bowman Field, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
where it began flying the Douglas C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
. The pace of developments in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
drove a rapid training and deployment schedule, and on 6 December 1942, the 40th moved to Laurinburg-Maxton Army Airfield, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
to begin staging for its move to the Pacific. A few days later, the Squadron left North Carolina for the Mobile Air Depot, Alabama where it received thirteen new C-47s. After they checked out the airplanes, the squadron flew to California.
World War II Operations
On 5 January 1943, the Squadron left California for the Southwest Pacific Theater of operations. Two days later it landed at Brisbane, Australia where it came under the command of the Fifth Air ForceFifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
. After a short time in Brisbane, the Squadron moved to Barbutt Field, Townsville, Australia, the Squadron’s first permanent oversees home.
Buna
In the BunaBattle of Buna-Gona
The Battle of Buna–Gona was a battle in the New Guinea campaign, a major part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. On 16 November 1942, Australian and United States forces attacked the main Japanese beachheads in New Guinea, at Buna, Sanananda and Gona. Both forces were riddled by disease and...
campaign, the 40th ferried food, ammunition, equipment, and reinforcements to Allied troops, then evacuated the wounded to hospitals on its return flights. As the battle of Buna neared its end, the fight for Wau was just beginning.
Wau
At Wau, the Squadron supported Australian commandos known as the Kanga ForceKanga Force
Kanga Force was the name given to a composite ad hoc formation of the Australian Army that served in New Guinea during World War II. Commanded by Major Norman Fleahy, it was formed on 23 April 1942...
who were harassing the Japanese. Squadron pilots soon became accustomed to landing on the 3,000 foot dirt strip at Wau with its 12 per cent grade heading directly at Kainde Mountain. The crews flew in reinforcements, ammunition, artillery pieces, food and other supplies. Wau saw the 40th's first combat casualties when a crew crashed while attempting to land on 18 January. On 29 January, the Japanese began a full scale assault on the airstrip. They managed to reach one end of the runway, which they placed under constant mortar fire. At times, planes circled as the Australians fought the Japanese far enough back into the jungle to allow the aircraft to land. Many of the reinforcements flown into the strip jumped from the planes straight into the battle with their guns firing. By the end of 30 January, most of the Japanese attacks had been repulsed, and the airstrip remained in Allied hands for the remainder of the war. The 40th Troop Carrier Squadron received its first Distinguished Unit Citation for its efforts at Wau.
Consolidation
After these two battles, the 40th established and operated air routs across Australia, New GuineaNew Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. The pace of operations did not slacken and the squadron engaged in a wide variety of tactical airlift actions. Primarily, these included airlifting troops, reinforcements, supplies, and equipment into combat, and evacuating the wounded. It frequently dropped paratroopers during airborne assault operations, and delivered equipment and supplies by airdrop. Other secondary missions included carrying captured Japanese troops to rear areas, providing quick transportation for commanders to and from combat areas, and conducting training with airborne troops.
Assault on Lae
The 40th’s next major battle occurred on 5 September, when Allied Forces assaulted the island of LaeLae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
. The Squadron joined the rest of the 317th Troop Carrier Group in an air assault on the Nadzab plain. General Kenney, Fifth Air Force commander, later said, “I truly don’t believe that another air force in the world today could have put this over as perfectly as the Fifth Air Force did. Three hundred and two airplanes in all, taking off from eight different fields in the Moresby and Dobodura areas made a rendezvous right on the nose over Marilinan, flying through clouds, passes in the mountains, and over the top. Not a single squadron did any circling or stalling around but all slid into place like clockwork and proceeded on the final flight down the Watut Valley, turned to the right down the Markham River and went directly to the target.”
Move across New Guinea
As Allied troops pressed westward across New Guinea, the Squadron moved to Ward Airdrome at Port MoresbyPort Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. This move, accomplished on 6 October 1943, placed the Squadron closer to combat, and eliminated many of the long flights back to Australia. The 317th Group soon became known as the "Jungle Skippers". Heavily loaded and unarmed, the C-47s were often flown unconventionally by their hard pressed crews. Counting on stealth and surprise to help even the odds, the pilots slipped their transports down river valleys and through mountain gaps literally skipping and skimming across the jungle and rainforests. Throughout the rest of 1943, and into 1944, the 40th continued its support of the Allied advance. On 21 April 1944, the Squadron moved to Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
, New Guinea, and again in May to Cyclops Field, Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
.
Invasion of the Philippines
During Operation Table Tennis, the 40th airdropped troops on the island of Noemfoor during July 1944. In November, the Squadron airdropped supplies to American troops on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. In January 1945, the Squadron transferred to Leyte. From there it made covert airdrops to Filipino guerrillas and commandos operating throughout the island chain. The Squadron’s last major action of World War II came on 16 February with the invasion of Luzon. The 317th Group was tasked with dropping the 503rd Paratroopers onto Corregidor. The only suitable drop zones were an old American parade ground and a golf course. At precisely 0830, fifty-one C-47s began wheeling over the two small drop zones in counter-rotating orbits dropping eight men per pass. With Colonel Jack Lackey, the 317th Group Commander in the lead aircraft, the 39th and 40th Squadrons dropped on the former golf course while the 41st and 46th Squadrons racetracked to drop on the parade ground. While most of the aircraft were hit by intense ground fire, none were lost. For its efforts in this assault, the Squadron won its second Distinguished Unit Citation. The Squadron also participated in the airdrop of the 11th Airborne Division on Mindaro Island, and the airdrop of the 511th Paratroop Infantry on Los Banos, on the Batanga Peninsula of Luzon. February 1945, the Squadron carried the “most valuable cargo ever moved in the Southwest Pacific Theater.” It brought 120 doctors and nurses to Mabalacat to care for American prisoners liberated from Japanese prisoner of war camps after three years of imprisonment. In March, the Squadron moved to Clark Field, Philippines. While at Clark, the Squadron dealt with raids by fanatical Japanese who penetrated the security around Clark to make hit and run attacks against the barracks and flight line. On 15 April, the Squadron launched a short but distinguished career as a strategic bombing squadron. Japanese troops holed up on Carabao island were threatening Allied shipping. Conventional bombing failed to make an impact, so the 40th’s C-47s were loaded with 55 gallon drums filled with napalm. These were rolled out of the cargo doors and were credited with killing 2700 Japanese.Move to Okinawa
In August, the Squadron moved once again, this time to Naha Airfield, Okinawa. On 6 August, the first nuclear weapon was dropped on HiroshimaHiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
. Three days later, the United States dropped another on Nagasaki. On 14 August, the Japanese agreed to surrender. On 29 August, four 40th C-47s flew from Naha to Tokyo carrying an advance party for the surrender ceremony. These were the first American aircraft to land on the Japanese homeland at the end of hostilities. However, the occasion was marred when the lead aircraft misinterpreted the direction of the wind while coming in to land. This caused the entire formation to land downwind much to the consternation of the Japanese commander who had assembled his staff at the ‘correct’ end of the runway to greet the arriving victors.
Occupation of Japan
After the surrender of the Japanese, the 40th took part in the occupation of Japan. In 1947, the Squadron received new Douglas C-54sC-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
. The Squadron became the 40th Troop Carrier Squadron (Heavy) in May 1948, and was assigned to the Far East Air Force
United States Far East Air Force
The Far East Air Force was the military aviation arm of the United States Army in the Philippines just prior to and at the beginning of World War II. Formed on 16 November 1941, FEAF was the predecessor of the Fifth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air...
.
Berlin Airlift
In June 1948, the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
attempted to force its wartime Allies, now cold war enemies, France, Great Britain, and the United States from the city of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. The Allied powers immediately began an airlift into the city, but it soon became apparent that they needed more aircraft. In September, the 39th and 41st Squadrons from the 317th Troop Carrier Group were transferred to Germany. In November, the 40th followed. Soon after arriving in Germany, the 40th began flying into Berlin from Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany, before transferring to RAF Celle
RAF Celle
The former Royal Air Force Station Celle , more commonly known as RAF Celle , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, in Germany, situated in the south-western suburbs of Celle, Lower Saxony...
, Germany in December. From the time the 40th began operating at Wiesbaden until shortly after the Berlin blockade was lifted the following summer, the Squadron flew approximately 10,550 round trips to Berlin transporting a grand total of 100,000 tons of supplies into the besieged city. When the Berlin Airlift ended, the entire 317th Group, including the 39th
39th Airlift Squadron
The 39th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas. The unit flies the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.-Mission:...
, 40th, and 41st
41st Airlift Squadron
The 41st Airlift Squadron is part of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operates C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.-History:...
Squadrons, was deactivated at RAF Celle on 14 September 1949.
Supporting NATO
The Squadron was reactivated on 14 July 1952 as the 40th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium) at Rhein-Main Air BaseRhein-Main Air Base
Rhein-Main Air Base was a U.S. Air Force / NATO military airbase near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It occupied the south side of Frankfurt International Airport. Its airport codes are discontinued....
, Germany. After its reactivation, the 40th joined its reactivated sister squadrons, the 39th and 41st, under control of the 317th Troop Carrier Wing supporting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization while flying the C-119 Boxcar. In May 1953, the 40th transferred from Rhein-Main Air Base to Neubiberg Air Base
Neubiberg Air Base
Neubiberg Air Base is a former German and United States Air Force airfield which was closed in 1991. It is located 9 km south of the city of Munich, Germany....
, Germany. In October, the Squadron began operations as part of the Air Logistics Service, a regularly scheduled series of airlift flights throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East which later became known as channel missions. In addition to its regular airlift schedule, the 40th airdropped 45,000 sandbags near the town of Regensburg, Germany, for emergency flood relief, transported supplies into India and Pakistan following floods, and stood alert during the 1956 Arab-Israeli War. During this crisis, the 40th staged to advanced fields with a United Nations Emergency Force.
C-130 and move to France
In October 1957, the squadron received its first Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Two months later, the Squadron transferred from Neubiberg Air Base to Evreux-Fauville Air BaseEvreux-Fauville Air Base
Évreux-Fauville Air Base is a French Air Force base located about 2 miles east of the town of Évreux in the Eure département, on the north side of the Route nationale 13 Highway....
, France. The 40th completed its transition into the C-130 in June 1958, just in time for the new plane to gain its first taste of action.
Lebanese Civil War
When Lebanon exploded into civil war in July 1958, the 40th both airlifted personnel, equipment, and supplies of the 24th Infantry Division into Beirut, and deployed aircraft to Incirlik Combined Defense Installation, Turkey. The Squadron continued to fly into Lebanon until October 1959 when the civil war ended and the troops moved out.Congo Crisis
On 1 July 1960, Belgium granted the Congo its independence. Within a week, the country had descended into anarchy. The locals began slaughtering Europeans, and looting and burning all European built buildings, businesses and facilities. When Belgium sent in its Dragon Rouge Paratroopers, they responded with similar ferocity against the local population. The United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
quickly moved to stop the carnage and restore order to the area. On 8 July, the 40th, as part of the 322nd Air Division, went on alert for action in Operation New Tape, the Congo airlift. From July, and well into the next year, the Squadron flew across most of Africa carrying troops and hundreds of tons of cargo into the Congo. From the very beginning, all 40th aircrews were involved in the airlift. The first UN aircraft to land in the Congo was a 40th C-130 carrying Lt Col Francis E. Merritt, commander of the 40th. He was tasked as the combat Airlift Support Unit commander. Most of the airport facilities had been destroyed and the one forklift which Lt Col Merritt’s crew brought with them soon broke. Despite the many problems and continuing unrest, including heavy gun battles around the airport, Lt Col Merritt organized teams to meet each arriving C-130, unload its cargo of food and medicine, then launch it back to Europe. As the airlift developed, missions spread to include landings at dirt strips and runways throughout the region. Crews from the 40th found themselves eating C rations cooked at tiny airstrips surrounded by jungle. They carried thousands of refugees and troops from nations as far away as Algeria, South Africa, Morocco, and Somalia. The massive operation in support of the United Nations continued until the summer of 1961.
Iranian earthquake
The 40th continued its humanitarian efforts in 1962, when an earthquake hit Iran. Within hours of the disaster, 40th aircraft were in the air loaded with supplies for the people of Iran. The 40th flew nearly a third of all missions flown into Iran, carrying rations, tents, blankets, a 100-bed hospital, and several helicopters.Sino-Indian War
In 1962, the 40th took part in another little publicized, but highly critical mission, airlift operations in the Sino-Indian WarSino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
. On 21 November 1962, twelve C-130s departed France on a mass deployment to New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India. The deployed to support the Indian government in its defense against an invasion by Communist China. All of the aircraft arrived in New Delhi on 23 November, twenty-four hours ahead of schedule. When China invaded India, the Indian Air Force’s Russian-built transports proved incapable of carrying troops and equipment into the high altitude Himalayan airfields. The 40th’s A-model C-130s easily handled the altitude, and quickly carried all of the Indian reinforcements and equipment into the area. During the first eleven days, the twelve crews carried over five hundred tons of supplies and over 5000 troops for a total of 203 sorties without an aborted launch. The mission was originally to last only a few months, but as usual, stretched out for over a year. The Indian government later stated that the efforts of the American C-130s prevented the Chinese from gaining any advantage after their initial invasion.
Skopje earthquake
As the Indian Airlift wound down in 1963, the Squadron was again called upon for humanitarian assistance, this time to Belgrade, Yugoslavia. An earthquake had devastated the town of SkopjeSkopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, killing and injuring thousands of people. Three crews from the 40th flew in the initial group of C-130s carrying relief supplies into the area.
Move to Ohio
In November 1963, the 317th Troop Carrier Groups began planning its move from Evreux-Fauville Air Base, France to its new home, Lockbourne Air Force Base, Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. In June 1964, the 40th returned to the United States for the first time since January 1943. The 41st, however, did not move with the 317th, but continued west to spend several years in Southwest Asia. The 18th Troop Carrier Squadron joined the 39th and 40th as the third squadron in the 317th at Lockbourne AFB. During its many years away from the United States, the Squadron had flown combat operations stretching from the Far East to the Middle East, and humanitarian missions throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It was now time for the Squadron to relax. Or so it thought.
Invasion of the Dominican Republic
In April 1965, the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
elected a socialist president. The United States encouraged the Dominican military to stage a coup which degenerated into a civil war between the army and supporters of the democratic system. President Johnson used this situation as an excuse for American intervention. The initial plan called for a massive airdrop invasion of the island by over one hundred C-130s. Orders went out, and the 40th deployed all of its planes to Pope Air Force Base
Pope Air Force Base
Pope Field is a United States Army facility located 12 miles northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.-Units:...
, North Carolina, where it joined the invasion force. After the formation became airborne, the President changed the invasion from an airdrop to an air land assault. The 40th diverted into Ramey Air Force Base
Ramey Air Force Base
Ramey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to a small on-site Air Force detachment, and occasional operations by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, a portion of the former Air Force Base is operated by the United States Coast Guard as Coast...
, Puerto Rico to allow the crews to rerig the loads, then flew into the Dominican Republic to combat offload the cargo. For the remainder of the operation, the 40th flew from both Pope AFB as well as Ramey AFB. When the fighting ended in June, the 40th returned to Lockbourne.
Beginning deployments
In 1964, the 40th began Operation CROSS SWITCH Rotations to Europe. During these rotations, the entire Squadron deployed for two to four months each year from Ohio to Europe to augment the theater airlift forces. At first, the rotational base was located at Evreux-Fauville, France, but after the French left NATO in 1966, the rotation was split between RAF MildenhallRAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
, England, and Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany. At the same time that the Squadron began its regular rotation to Europe, it also began a regular rotation of crews and planes to Panama. The rotation to Panama continued into the 1980s when the Air National Guard assumed responsibility for it.
In October 1965, a C-130 Replacement Training Unit was established at Lockbourne. The 40th devoted a portion of its training to the unit.
The Sixties and Seventies
The late 1960s and early 1970s were a time of intense social unrest in the United States. On several occasions, the 40th carried troops into cities ravaged by riots or massive anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. The airlift of riot control troops, known as Operation Garden PlotOperation Garden Plot
Operation Garden Plot is a general U.S. Army and National Guard plan to respond to major domestic civil disturbances within the United States. The plan was developed in response to the civil disorders of the 1960s and is now under the control of the U.S. Northern Command...
took the 40th from Detroit to Washington, D.C., to New Haven, Connecticut. As the nation began to heal in the seventies these operations slowly dwindled, then faded away. The social changes that swept through American culture in the sixties impacted the Squadron in the seventies. In July 1970, Lockbourne Air Force Base received its first women. The base integrated the women into existing squadrons because it lacked a female-only squadron, which many other bases had. At first the commander were unsure of the roles of these new recruits, but soon found positions for them in squadron administration. In 1973, the All-Volunteer Force came into effect, and with higher pay, better living conditions, and improved facilities as the Air Force faced the fact that, if it did not improve the life style of its troops, they would leave.
The seventies also saw an attempt to form “hard crews,” a dismal failure; the flight system, a management nightmare; and the removal of maintenance from the Squadron, then its return, then its removal again. The seventies also brought the move of all C-130s into Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
(MAC), a reversal of the consolidation into Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
which occurred in the sixties.
Humanitarian operations
Through all of the changes, the mission of the 40th remained the same. Hurricane CamilleHurricane Camille
Hurricane Camille was the third and strongest tropical cyclone and second hurricane during the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season. The second of three catastrophic Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the United States during the 20th century , which it did near the mouth of the Mississippi River...
, the worst hurricane in the history of the United States, hit the east coast in August 1969. In the first of a series of hurricane relief efforts, the 40th launched aircraft full of supplies for the stricken area. Hurricanes continued to decimate the east coast of the United States, and the 40th continued to respond. Hurricanes David and Frederick in 1979, Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo was a classical, destructive and rare Cape Verde-type hurricane which struck the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the USA mainland in South Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane during September of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season...
in 1989, and Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
in 1992 all brought out the 40th on missions of mercy. From 1969 on, the 40th flew humanitarian mission for a litany of disasters. Mud slides in Bogota, Colombia in September 1970, an earthquake on the border between Peru and Ecuador a month later, floods in Bolivia, and a volcanic eruption in Nicaragua in 1971, floods in Virginia and Pennsylvania in July 1972, and an earthquake in Nicaragua
1972 Nicaragua earthquake
The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake was an earthquake that occurred at 12:29 a.m. local time on Saturday, December 23, 1972 near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It had a magnitude of 6.2 and occurred at a depth of about 5 kilometers beneath the centre of the city. Within an hour after the main...
six months later, in 1973-Operation AUTHENTIC ASSISTANCE-a massive drought and famine relief operation in Mali, an earthquake in Turkey in 1976, blizzards in New York in 1977, and again in Massachusetts in 1979 all proved the Squadron’s worth as an instrument of humanitarian relief as well as war. This is only a small handful of the many humanitarian relief operations throughout the history of the 40th. To name them all would take far too much space, but this short list illustrates the immeasurable service the Squadron has given representing the United States to the world.
Pope Air Force Base
In June 1971, the 40th began preparations for the 317th Troop Carrier Wing’s move-this time to Pope Air Force BasePope Air Force Base
Pope Field is a United States Army facility located 12 miles northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.-Units:...
. At Pope, the Squadron met rejoined the 41st which had just returned from six years in Southeast Asia. As part of the move from Lockbourne, the Squadron shed all of its personnel and aircraft, and moved only its flag and lineage to its new home, where it acquired the personnel and aircraft of the recently deactivated 435th Troop Carrier Squadron. The move to Pope AFB brought some mission changes as well. The Squadron lost its obligation as a Replacement Training Unit, but gained the Adverse Weather Aerial Delivery System (AWADS) mission. Previously, C-130 squadrons at several bases had AWADS, but it was gradually consolidated into the three squadrons at Pope. The 40th also gained a rotational commitment to Southeast Asia in addition to its regular rotations to Europe and Panama. It soon became common for crews to spend ninety days in Germany, come home for a few weeks, deploy to Panama for six weeks, come home again for a short rest, then depart for the Pacific.
Vietnam deployments
The 40th crews were first based at Ching Chuan Kang Air BaseChing Chuan Kang Air Base
Ching Chuan Kang Air Base is a Republic Of China Air Force base located on Taiwan. It is the home to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, with three squadrons of Ching-kou air-defense /attack fighters...
, Taiwan, and came under the control of the 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron. In 1974, they moved to Utapao Air Base
U-Tapao International Airport
-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...
, Thailand. From both bases, they flew high altitude AWADS drops in South Vietnam, as well as standard airlift missions. As many as eight 40th crews could be in the region at one time taking part in combat actions including the sieges of An Loc
An Loc
An Loc is a small town in Bình Phước Province in southern Vietnam, located approximately 90 km north of Saigon with a population of 15,000...
and Phnom Pen, and Operations EASTER BUNNY and CONSTANT GUARD. The squadron received no official recognition for its involvement in the Vietnam War because many of its action in the war came after the United States officially ended its participation. At the end of 1974, the 40th pulled its crews out of Southeast Asia, and turned over its responsibility for the adverse weather airdrop mission to the Thai Air Force and Bird Air-a regional civilian contract service flying C-130s.
Iranian Revolution
In 1979, while the Squadron was on rotation in Europe, radical Muslims overthrew the Shah of Iran. The 40th flew into Iran rescuing American citizens working in the country. The Squadron flew from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey and Tehran, Iran into small dirt strips carrying in supplies and evacuating both civilian and military personnel.Invasion of Grenada
The Squadron gained its first combat experience in nearly a decade in 1983. Fighting among various factions among the island of Grenada’s communist government led to fear that American medical students on the island could be taken hostage. President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
responded with Operation Urgent Fury, an invasion of the island. The 40th provided two of the five crews for the initial airborne assault on Point Salines Airport. After the initial assault, the numerous Squadron crews flew follow on missions into the island carrying troops, supplies, food, and ammunition. On the return trips the crews carried out Cuban soldiers who had been working on several large military construction projects, and the American medical students who has been caught on the island by the unrest. Despite outrage on the part of Liberals Americans, the people of Grenada profusely thanked the United States from rescuing them from a government they did not want.
Invasion of Panama
Relations between the United States and Panama, a former staunch ally of the U.S., deteriorated in the late 1980s. By 1989, the two countries were in nearing a state of undeclared war as American military personnel in the Canal Zone were constantly harassed by Panamanian Defense Forces. That winter, patience with Panama came to an end after Panamanian President Manuel NoriegaManuel Noriega
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno is a Panamanian politician and soldier. He was military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989.The 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States removed him from power; he was captured, detained as a prisoner of war, and flown to the United States. Noriega was tried on...
refused to relinquish power after losing an election, and President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
launched a massive invasion-Operation JUST CAUSE
United States invasion of Panama
The United States Invasion of Panama, code-named Operation Just Cause, was the invasion of Panama by the United States in December 1989. It occurred during the administration of U.S. President George H. W...
-to remove Noriega. On 19 December 1989, the 40th joined the other two Pope squadrons, and the 50 TAS from Little Rock Air Force Base
Little Rock Air Force Base
Little Rock Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.-Overview:...
, for a fifteen aircraft airborne assault on Rio Hato Airport
Rio Hato Airport
Río Hato Airport is an airport and former Panamanian Defense Base in Panama, Río Hato.-International Airport:In 2011 the Government of Panama gave the order to proceed for the project to rebuild the airport...
, Panama. The aircraft launched for a late night assault of Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
. After flying down the western Caribbean, across Panama, and out over the Pacific, the formation turned and began its run for Rio Hato. The first few aircraft flew unscathed across the drop zone, but Panamanian soldiers quickly found their range and poured a withering ground fire into the formation. Despite the intense fire, none of the crews deviated from their course, and every Ranger on target. After the drop, the formation flew to Howard Air Force Base
Howard Air Force Base
Howard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It was closed on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the...
, Panama where the aircraft received hasty repairs and fuel before launching back to the United States. Many of the planes managed to make it to the coast before landing at commercial airports because of severe battle damage. The Squadron continued to support JUST CAUSE into 1990. As the last of the fighting wound down in Panama, the 40th deployed to England for its 60 day rotation to RAF Mildenhall. The Squadron returned to Pope in June, and looked forward to some rest after a busy seven months.
Desert Shield/Desert Storm
On 2 August 1990, the 40th placed its crews on alert. Iraq had just invaded Kuwait, one of the United States’ strongest allies in the Middle East. Six days later, the Squadron launched all sixteen airplanes, and every member of the Squadron to the Middle East. On 9 August, the Squadron landed at Masirah Air Base, OmanOman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. Seventeen hours later the Squadron launched its first mission in support of the American build up. For the first few weeks the Squadron flew up to twenty hour days carrying cargo throughout the Arabian Peninsula, living out of tents on the barren island of Masirah, known to the squadron as Moon Island. While the living conditions were miserable, and the missions long and tiring, the Squadron never gave up. Everyone pulled together and achieved one great milestone after another making the C-130 the backbone of the war effort. Without it, the war could never have happened. While cargo poured into the theater by way of strategic air and sealift, it took the C-130 to distribute it to the troops. In January, the 40th took part in one of the great deceptions in military history. While the fighters and bombers distracted the Iraqis, the Squadron’s C-130s carried the 82nd Airborne Division from northeast Saudi Arabia across the Iraqi front line to land the soldiers in the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia. All of these mission were flown under strict radio silence, with no navigational aids. Aircraft flew along corridors, often with little or no visibility at the same altitude as other aircraft flying the return route. In the face of an apparently insurmountable task, the 40th succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. When the ground war began in February, the Iraqis were stunned to find a division on their western flank they thought was in front of them. If not for the 40th, and the other C-130 squadrons, it could not have been done.
Humanitarian operations
When the Squadron arrived home in March 1991, it was to a well-deserved rest. But, as has been true for the life of the Squadron, that rest lasted only a few months before it was again back into action. This time to Turkey, where Operation PROVIDE COMFORT-a massive humanitarian relief effort to the Kurds in northern Iraq was taking place. Hard on the heels of that operation came Operation AUTHENTIC ASSISTANCE-aid to the Baltic Republics of Latvia and Lithuania, Operation PROVIDE TRANSITION-Angolan disarmament and election, the finally, Operation PROVIDE PROMISE-the United Nation’s relief operation to the former nation of Yugoslavia. The Squadron flew into the former Yugoslavia from the summer of 1992 until its deactivation in July 1993. At first, the effort consisted of airland missions into Zagreb and the ravaged city of Sarajevo. After Serbian forces blocked relief convoys from entering U.N. safe areas, the Squadron resorted to airdrops. The intense fighting forced the crews to reintroduce high-altitude AWADS airdrops, a procedure not used since Vietnam, and one which the Air Force had allowed to lapse because it was considered an irrelevant capability. Irrelevant or not, the Squadron quickly relearned the techniques associated with the demanding mission and became a reliable deliverer of humanitarian aid.Dyess AFB
On 16 July 1993, the 40th was deactivated at Pope AFB. With the United States' victory in the Cold War, the military began to demobilize. As part of this process, the squadron and its parent organization, the 317th Airlift Wing, were deactivated. At first it appeared that the 40th would be inactive for an indeterminate time, but the Air Force's senior leadership decided to move the squadron's designation to Dyess Air Force BaseDyess Air Force Base
Dyess Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southwest of Abilene, Texas.The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force...
, Texas.
Unit awards and decorations
Military Airlift Command Outstanding Tactical Airlift Squadron of the Year: 1980, 1984, 1988, 1990Air Mobility Command Outstanding Airlift Squadron of the Year: 2004, 2006
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award