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Military unit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 62nd Airlift Squadron is part of the 314th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. Originally constituted in 1942 as the 62nd Troop Carrier Squadron, it first deployed to Morocco in 1943, remaining in Europe until its inactivation in 1946. It reactivated three years later and deployed to Japan during the Korean War. In 1967, the unit was redesignated the 62nd Tactical Airlift Squadron, and in 1991 the 62nd Airlift Squadron. It operates Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and provides advanced training to pilots, copilots, and loadmasters for combat airlift and airdrop operations.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2012) |
62nd Airlift Squadron | |
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Active | 1942–1946; 1949–present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Airlift Training |
Part of | Air Education and Training Command |
Garrison/HQ | Little Rock Air Force Base |
Nickname(s) | Blue Barons |
Motto(s) | Primus in Toto Latin First in Everything (WW II, 1993–present) |
Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations European Theater of Operations Korean War Vietnam War[1] |
Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation[1] |
Insignia | |
62nd Airlift Squadron emblem (approved 9 December 1994)[1] | |
62nd Troop Carrier Squadron emblem (approved 26 October 1993)[1] | |
62nd Troop Carrier Squadron emblem (approved 24 April 1953)[2] | |
62nd Troop Carrier Squadron emblem (World War II)[3] |
Activated in late 1942 under I Troop Carrier Command and equipped with Douglas C-47 Skytrains. Trained in various parts of the eastern United States. Deployed to French Morocco in May 1943 and assigned to Twelfth Air Force to support combat operations in the North African Campaign. Remained with Twelfth Air Force, moving to Tunisia and Sicily providing transport and resupply operations as well as casualty evacuation of wounded personnel in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). Reassigned to IX Troop Carrier Command in England during early 1944 as part of the build-up of Allied forces prior to the D-Day invasion of France.
Began operations by dropping paratroops into Normandy on D-Day (6 June 1944) and releasing gliders with reinforcements on the following day. The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation and a French citation for these missions.
After the Normandy invasion the squadron ferried supplies in the United Kingdom. The squadron also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals. It dropped paratroops near Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on the Netherlands. In December, it participated in the Battle of the Bulge by releasing gliders with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division near Bastogne.
Moved to Belgium in early 1945, and participated in the Western Allied invasion of Germany, participating in the air assault across the Rhine River in March 1945, each aircraft towed two gliders with troops of the 17th Airborne Division and released them near Wesel.
After V-E Day, became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe, at Villacoublay Airfield and was part of the European Air Transport System, supporting the occupation forces in Germany as well as carrying supplies and personnel between various stations in Western Europe. Inactivated in early 1946 while stationed in France.
Reactivated as part of Tactical Air Command (TAC) in 1949 with Fairchild C-82 Packets and various gliders as an assault squadron.
Deployed to Japan for combat operations in 1950 for the Korean War. Furnished airlift between Japan and Korea and airdropped paratroops and supplies at Sukchon/Sunchon and Munsan-ni. was part of airborne assaults on Sukchon and Munsan-ni.
Returned to the United States in 1954, was equipped by TAC as one of the first Lockheed C-130 Hercules squadrons when the aircraft came into operational service. The squadron flew airlift from the Philippines into Vietnam, March–May 1965.
It has conducted C-130 Training since 1971.
To protect Air Force personnel from infection, in 2020 the squadron took on a new task: flying Air Education and Training Command students to training locations. Normally such students take commercial flights.[4]
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