16-я транспортная эскадрилья ВВС США: История и современность.

The 16th Airlift Squadron is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command. It is based at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The squadron operates Boeing C 17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission worldwide.

The 16th Airlift Squadron provide combat ready Boeing C 17A Globemaster III aircrews for worldwide airlift missions supporting Department of Defense and National Command Authority directives. They conduct airdrop and air land operations supporting global contingencies for combatant commanders by projecting and sustaining combat forces directly into theater drop zones and austere airfields. The unit perform emergency nuclear airlift, aeromedical evacuation & humanitarian relief missions in the technologically advanced, C 17A airlift aircraft in all phases of ground and flight activity.

20 Nov 1940, the unit was constituted as 16 Transport Squadron and activated two weeks later on 11 Dec 1940. On February 16, 1972, Lockheed C 130E Hercules #62 1813, c/n 3775, of the 16th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron, mid air collision with Cessna T 37 Tweet, 6 kilometers northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas. Following post Cold War reorganization, the squadron was redesignated as the 16th Airlift Squadron on 1 December 1991 under the 314th Operations Group.

On 1 October 1993 the squadron was reassigned without aircraft or personnel to the 437th Operations Group, Charleston AFB, South Carolina, to replace the 76th Airlift Squadron flying the Lockheed C 141 Starlifter. Over the next six years the 16th AS provided the nation's only long range, rapid response, special operations low level (SOLL) capability. The squadron provided the backbone of the nation's elite special operations forces and used the "Bad to the Bone" motto on their unit patches. Ever vigilant in sitting continuous alert 24 hours, 7 days a week, the 16th routinely responded to short notice National Command Authority taskings. The squadron used uniquely qualified aircrews, trained in the use of enhanced night vision equipment and specially modified aircraft for unconventional warfare ops. In this capacity, the 16th AS was tasked with delivering the sting of US special forces by maintaining continuous JCS directed alert force for global contingencies and thus provide the nation's rapid deployment airlift/airdrop capability. These crews rapidly deployed and inserted special operations ground forces into blacked out, austere airfields/drop zones and extracted those ground forces upon mission completion. This unique mission was formally transferred to McGuire AFB, New Jersey in April 1999. The last C 141 to leave Charleston AFB occurred on or about 7 September 2000 and the squadron was officially inactivated on 29 September 2000. The squadron was reactivated 1 Jul 2002 as the fourth active duty flying squadron operating the C 17 Globemaster III.

Campaigns. World War II: Algeria French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples Foggia; Rome Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley; India Burma; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: CBI Theater, 7 Apr 15 Jun 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 30 September 1975 – 30 June 1976; 1 June 1985 – 31 May 1986; 1 July 1991 – 30 June 1993; 1 July 1993 – 30 June 1995; 1 July 1995 – 30 June 1997; 1 July 1997 – 30 June 1998; 1 July 1998 – 29 September 2000.