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1st Airlift Squadron [1st AS]

The 1st Airlift Squadron was constituted as the 1st Air Transport Squadron (Mobile) on 13 March 1944. Activated on 23 March 1944 at Homestead AAFld, FL, it was assigned to the Caribbean Wing, Air Transport Command.

Reassigned to the India-China Wing (later, India-China Division), Air Transport Command, c. 2 May 1944 (though attached to XX Bomber Command, 17 May-20 November 1944), the unit relocated to Kalaikunda, India, 3 May 1944 (though an air echelon operated from Kharagpur, India, from 7 May-4 August 1945). The squadron was reassigned to XX Bomber Command, on 21 November 1944 (though attached to 22d Air Depot Group, from November-December 1944).

Relocating to Naha AB, Okinawa, on 20 June 1945, the 1st was reassigned, around that time, to United States Army Forces, Pacific Ocean Areas (later, US Army Strategic Air Forces); to Eighth Air Force (31 July 1945); to the Okinawa Air Depot (10 September 1945); to Far East Air Service Command (9 January 1946); and to IV Air Service Area Command (15 January 1946). The squadron inactivated on 25 March 1946 and was disbanded on 8 October 1948. During the war, the squadron had been tasked with providing aerial transportation in CBI (May 1944-May 1945) and in the Western Pacific(c. September-December 1945) using the C-46 (1944-1946); C-87 (1944); and the C-47 (1945).

Reconstituted, the unit was redesignated 1st Air Transport Squadron, Medium, in September 1953 and activated on 18 November 1953 at Dover ADB, DE, as part of the 1607th Air Base Group and flying the C-54 aircraft which it flew until 1955. Reassigned to the 1607th Air Transport Group, on 1 January 1954, the squadron was redesignated 1st Air Transport Squadron, Heavy, on 8 September 1954. That same year, the unit added the C-124 to its aircraft inventory.

Transitioning to the C-133 in 1960, the squadron was again reassigned, this time to the 1607th Air Transport Wing, on 18 January 1963; and again on 8 January 1966, to the 436th Military Airlift Wing, at which point it was redesignated as the 1st Military Airlift Squadron. Prior to its inactivation on 30 June 1971, the 1st had been tasked with conducting worldwide airlift beginning November 1953, including transport of personnel and equipment to and from Southeast Asia, from 1966-1971.

The squadron reactivated on 12 September 1977 at Andrews AFB, MD, as part of the 89th Military Airlift Wing, Special Mission (later, 89th Military Airlift Group; 89th Military Airlift Wing). Aircrafts assigned to the 1st were the VC-6 (1977-1985); VC/C-9 (1977-1988); C-12 (1977-?); VC-135 (1977-1991); VC-140 (1977-1987); C-20 (1983-1988); VC-137 (1987-). The 1st was tasked with worldwide airlift support for the President and other high-ranking dignitaries of US and foreign governments. It was also tasked with C-12 training for personnel from all branches of the military (1977-?). The squadron provided transport of personnel to Southwest Asia, from August 1990 to April 1991.

Redesignated 1st Airlift Squadron on 12 July 1991, it was reassigned to the 89th Operations Group.