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 worldwide.

Mission

Fly, Fight, and Win by Providing Combat-Ready C-17 Aircrews for the Defense of the United States of America and its Global Interests.

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. The Killer Bunnies are known for their war cry and legendary ingress into the battlefield, which have been known to win wars the instant they show up!

Lineage

• Constituted 1st Combat Cargo Squadron on 11 April 1944

Activated on 15 April 1944

Redesignated 326st Troop Carrier Squadron on 29 September 1945

Inactivated on 26 December 1945

• Activated in the Reserve on 15 July 1947

Redesignated 326st Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 2 September 1949

Ordered to active service on 15 March 1951

Inactivated on 1 April 1951

• Activated in the Reserve on 14 June 1952

Ordered to active service on 28 October 1962

Relieved from active duty on 28 November 1962

Redesignated: 326st Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 July 1967

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

Redesignated: 326st Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 February 1992

Redesignated: 326st Airlift Squadron on 1 October 1994.

Assignments

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

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

• 435th Troop Carrier Group, 15 July 1947
• 512th Troop Carrier Group, 2 September 1949 – 1 April 1951; 14 June 1952
• 512th Troop Carrier Wing, 14 April 1959
• 912th Troop Carrier (later, 912 Tactical Airlift; 912 Military Airlift) Group, 11 February 1963
• 512th Military Airlift (later, 512 Airlift) Wing, 1 July 1973
• 512th Operations Group, 1 August 1992–Present

Stations

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

Detachment operated from Yunnani Airfield, China, 15 Sep-2 October 1944

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

• Tulihal Airfield, India, 29 November 1944
• Tsuyung Airfield, China, 12 December 1944
• Hsinching Airfield, China, 29 January 1945

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

• Chengkung Airfield, China, 16 August 1945
• Piardoba Airfield, India, 15 Nov-26 December 1945
• Morrison Field, Florida, 15 July 1947
• Reading Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania, 2 September 1949
• New Castle County Airport, Delaware, 1 May 1950 – 1 April 1951; 14 June 1952
• Willow Grove NAS (later, US NAS Willow Grove), Pennsylvania, 20 July 1958
• Dover AFB, Delaware, 25 September 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

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

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