326th Airlift Squadron

326th Airlift Squadron
326th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	11 April 1944 - 26 December 1945 15 July 1947 - 1 April 1951 14 June 1952 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command 22nd Air Force 512th Airlift Wing 512th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Dover Air Force Base
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

The 326th Airlift Squadron (326 AS) is part of the 512th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.

Mission

Fly peacetime missions as an adjunct to, or a corollary of, training. Be prepared to be the initial and primary source of augmentation of the active forces in an emergency, requiring rapid and substantial expansion of the active forces.

History

The 326th trained for overseas troop carrier operations from, April-August 1944. It moved to Asia, and transported troops and supplies to forward areas in China and India from, September 1944-September 1945.

The 326th trained in the Reserve for troop carrier operations from, 1947-1951. The squadron resumed training in the Reserve for airlift missions in 1952. It has since taken part in various contingency and humanitarian airlift operations worldwide.

Lineage

• Constituted 1 Combat Cargo Squadron on 11 Apr 1944

Activated on 15 Apr 1944

Redesignated 326 Troop Carrier Squadron on 29 Sep 1945

Inactivated on 26 Dec 1945

• Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jul 1947

Redesignated 326 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 2 Sep 1949

Ordered to active service on 15 Mar 1951

Inactivated on 1 Apr 1951

• Activated in the Reserve on 14 Jun 1952

Ordered to active service on 28 Oct 1962

Relieved from active duty on 28 Nov 1962

Redesignated: 326 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jul 1967

Redesignated: 326 Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 25 Sep 1968

Redesignated: 326 Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 Feb 1992

Redesignated: 326 Airlift Squadron on 1 Oct 1994.

Assignments

• 1st Combat Cargo Group, 15 Apr 1944
• Fourteenth Air Force, 16 Jun-26 Dec 1945

Attached to 69th Composite Wing, 16 Aug-10 Nov 1945

• 435th Troop Carrier Group, 15 Jul 1947
• 512th Troop Carrier Group, 2 Sep 1949-1 Apr 1951; 14 Jun 1952
• 512th Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959
• 912th Troop Carrier (later, 912 Tactical Airlift; 912 Military Airlift) Group, 11 Feb 1963
• 512th Military Airlift (later, 512 Airlift) Wing, 1 Jul 1973
• 512th Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992-Present

Stations

• Bowman Field, Kentucky, 15 Apr-1 Aug 1944
• Sylhet Airfield, India, 21 Aug 1944

Detachment operated from Yunannyi Airfield, China, 15 Sep-2 Oct 1944

Detachment operated from Hathazari Airfield, India, 19 Oct-c. Dec 1944

• Tulihal Airfield, India, 29 Nov 1944
• Tsuyung Airfield, China, 12 Dec 1944
• Hsingching Airfield, China, 29 Jan 1945

Detachment operated from Liangshan Airfield, China, 11 Mar-9 Jul 1945

• Chengkung Airfield, China, 16 Aug 1945
• Piardoba Airfield, India, 15 Nov-26 Dec 1945
• Morrison Field, Florida, 15 Jul 1947
• Reading Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania, 2 Sep 1949
• New Castle County Airport, Delaware, 1 May 1950-1 Apr 1951; 14 Jun 1952
• Willow Grove NAS (later, US NAS Willow Grove), Pennsylvania, 20 Jul 1958
• Dover AFB, Delaware, 25 Sep 1968-Present

Aircraft operated

• C-47 Skytrain (1944 – 1945)
• C-46 Commando (1949 – 1951, 1952 – 1957)
• AT-7 Navigator (1949 – 1951)
• AT-11 Kansan (1949 – 1951)

• C-119 Flying Boxcar (1957 – 1968)
• C-141 Starlifter (1968 – 1973)
• C-5 Galaxy (1973 – 2007)
• C-17 Globemaster III (2007 – Present)

References

• USAF 326th Airlift Squadron History
• 512th Airlift Wing Fact Sheet