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6th Airlift Squadron [6th AS]

The 6th Airlift Squadron was originally constituted as the 6th Transport Squadron on 1 October 1933. It activated on 14 October 1939 at Olmstead Field, PA, and was assigned to the 10th Transport Group. In 1940, the squadron began using the C-33 and C-39 aircraft. That same year, the squadron was reassigned to the 60th Transport Group on 1 December. It was reassigned to the 61st Transport Group on 19 May 1941; the 315th Transport Group on March 1942; and the 63rd Transport (later, 63rd Troop Carrier) Group, in June 1942.

Redesignated as the 6th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942, it relocated to Port Moresby, New Guinea, on 13 October 1942 and was reassigned to the 374th Troop Carrier Group, on 12 November 1942. Thereafter, the squadron relocated to Garbutt Field, Australia (2 October 1943); Nadzab, New Guinea (c. 26 August 1944); Biak (c. 20 October 1944); Tacloban, Leyte (12 March 1945); Nielson Field, Luzon (1 January 1946). During WWII, the squadron provided aerial transportation in the South, Southwest, and Western Pacific.

The squadron was reassigned to the 403rd Troop Carrier Group, on 15 May 1946 before moving to Okinawa, on 10 June 1946. The squadron was then assigned to the 374th Troop Carrier Group, on 15 October 1946. The squadron subsequently relocated to Tachikawa AB, Japan (13 April 1947) and Harmon Field, Guam (1 December 1947).

The squadron was redesignated as the 6th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 21 May 1948 and moved the following year, on 5 March, to Tachikawa AB, Japan. The 6th provided aerial transportation in the Far East during the Korean War and after.

The 6th was reassigned to the 1503rd Air Transport Wing, on 18 November 1958 and the 1502nd Air Transport Wing, on 22 June 1964, relocating in the process to Hickam AFB, HI. It was redesignated as the 6th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966, at which point it was reassigned to the 61st Military Airlift Wing. The squadron was discontinued, and inactivated, on 8 June 1968.

The 6th was reactivated on 8 April 1970 at McGuire AFB, NJ, and assigned to the 438th Military Airlift Wing, operating the C-141 Starlifter, and tasked with conducting worldwide airlift operations. The squadron resupplied scientific stations in the Antarctic during Operation Deep Freeze, from 1971 to 1974 and, as well, evacuated Vietnamese refugees during the fall of Saigon, from April-June 1975. It was reassigned to the 438th Military Airlift Group, on 1 October 1978 and the 438th Military Airlift Wing, on 1 June 1980.

The 6th supported US forces in Grenada (October-December 1983); during the invasion of Panama(December 1989-January 1990); and during the Gulf War (August 1990-March 1991).

Redesignated as the 6th Airlift Squadron on 1 November 1991, the 6th was reassigned to the 438th Operations Group.

The 6th was reassigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing's Operations Group, on 1 October 1994.