6th Airlift Squadron

6th Airlift Squadron
6th Airlift Squadron C-17A Globemaster III 03-3126 landing at an airfield in Iraq
Active	1 October 1933-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Strategic Airlift
Part of	305th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
Nickname(s)	Bully Beef Express
Engagements	World War II (Asia-Pacific Theater) Korean War Southwest Asia Service Defense of Saudi Arabia Liberation and Defense of Kuwait Armed Forces Expeditionary Operation Just Cause
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation (4x) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (14x) Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
6th Airlift Squadron Emblem

The 6th Airlift Squadron (6 AS) is part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. It operates the C-17 Globemaster III supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide. The main base, along with the flying squadron, is located near the borough of Wrightstown, New Jersey.

Mission

Train and equip C-17 aircrews for global airland operations.

History

The 6th Airlift Squadron is the oldest airlift squadron in the Air Force, having served with distinction since 1 October 1933. The squadron was initially assigned to the 2d Transport Group, and allotted to the IV Corps Area. It was organized by July 1934 with Army Reserve personnel at Shreveport, Louisiana. Withdrawn from the IV Corps Area on 5 June 1936 and allotted to the VCorps Area; organized by August 1937 with Reserve personnel at Columbus, Ohio.^[1]

The squadron was activated on 14 October 1939, less Reserve personnel into the Army Air Forces at Olmsted Field, Pennsylvania and assigned to the 10th Transport Group. Relieved from the 10th Transport Group on 1 December 1940 and assigned to the 60th Transport Group. Relieved from the 60th Transport Group on 19 May 1941 and assigned to the 61st Transport Group.^[1]

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.

The 6th performed aerial transportation in the Pacific Theater and Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II and in the Far East during the Korean War and after until 1968.

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 re-supplied Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. 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.

Lineage

• Constituted as 6th Transport Squadron on 1 Oct 1933

Activated on 14 Oct 1939

Re-designated as: 6th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942

Re-designated as: 6th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 21 May 1948

Re-designated as: 6th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 Jan 1966

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 8 Jun 1968

• Activated on 8 Apr 1970

Re-designated as: 6th Airlift Squadron on 1 Nov 1991.^[2]

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–Present[2]

Stations

Olmsted Field, Pennsylvania, 14 Oct 1939 Camp Williams, Wisconsin, 23 Mar 1942 Dodd Field, Texas, 16-23 Sep 1942 Port Moresby Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 13 Oct 1942 Garbutt Field, Australia, 2 Oct 1943 Nadzab Airfield Complex, New Guinea, c. 26 Aug 1944 Mokmer Airfield, Biak, Pampa New Guinea, c. 20 Oct 1944 Tacloban Airfield , Leyte, s, 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, Hawaii, 22 Jun 1964 – 8 Jun 1968 McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 8 Apr 1970–Present[2]

Aircraft

Douglas C-33, 1940–1942 Douglas C-39, 1940–1942 C-53 Skytrooper, 1941–1942 C-47 Skytrain, 1942–1945 C-46 Commando, 1945–1947

C-54 Skymaster, 1946–1952 C-124 Globemaster II, 1952–1968 C-141 Starlifter, 1970–2004 C-17 Globemaster III, 2004–Present[2]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

1. Clay, Steven E. (2011). US Army Order of Battle 1919–1941. 3 The Services: Air Service, Engineers, and Special Troops 1919–1941. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-9841901-4-0. LCCN 2010022326. OCLC 637712205
2. 6th Airlift Squadron lineage and history

External links

• Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (Official Web site)
• Air Mobility Command (Official Web site)