345 Airlift Squadron (AMC)

Lineage. Constituted as 345 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 10 May 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 26 Jun 1949. Ordered to active service on 16 Apr 1951. Inactivated on 16 Jan 1953. Redesignatd as 345 Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Rotary Wing, on 8 Dec 1954. Activated on 8 Mar 1955. Inactivated on 9 Jul 1956. Redesignated as 345 Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Fixed Wing, on 27 Jul 1956. Activated on 8 Oct 1956. Redesignated as: 345 Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, on 1 Jul 1958; 345 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 18 Dec 1961; 345 Troop Carrier Squadron on 8 Dec 1965; 345 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Aug 1967; 345 Airlift Squadron on 1 Apr 1992. Inactivated on 1 Jul 1993. Redesignated as 345 Expeditionary Airlift Flight, and converted to provisional status on 29 Sep 2004. Withdrawn from provisional status on 9 Sep 2009. Redesignated as 345 Airlift Squadron on 7 Jul 2010. Activated on 6 Aug 2010.

Assignments. 516 Troop Carrier Group, Medium, 26 Jun 1949-16 Jan 1953. 516 Troop Carrier Group, Assault, Rotary Wing, 8 Mar 1955-9 Jul 1956. Eighteenth Air Force, 8 Oct 1956 (attached to 513 Troop Carrier Group, Assault, Fixed Wing, 8 Oct 1956-1 Sep 1957); Ninth Air Force, 1 Sep 1957 (attached to 513 Troop Carrier Group, Assault, Fixed Wing, 1 Sep-8 Oct 1957; 839 Air Division, 8 Oct 1957; 513 Troop Carrier Wing, Assault, Fixed Wing [later, 513 Troop Carrier Wing, Assault], 8 Oct 1957-12 Nov 1958; 314 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, 12 Nov 1958-c. 15 May 1962); 315 Air Division (Combat Cargo), 1 Jun 1962; 516 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, 8 Jan 1963; 315 Air Division, 27 Nov 1956 (attached to 6315 Operations Group, c. 27 Nov 1965-25 Mar 1966); 314 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium (later, 314 Troop Carrier Wing, 314 Tactical Airlift Wing), 25 Mar 1966; 374 Tactical Airlift Wing, 31 May 1971; 316 Tactical Airlift Group, 1 Oct 1978; 374 Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Oct 1989; 374 Operations Group, 1 Apr 1992-1 Jul 1993. Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate at any time on or after 29 Sep 2009. Withdrawn from provisional status on 9 Sep 2009. 19 Operations Group on 6 Aug 2010-.
 
Stations. Memphis Mun Aprt, TN, 26 Jun 1949-16 Jan 1953. Sewart AFB, TN, 8 Mar 1955-9 Jul 1956. Sewart AFB, TN, 8 Oct 1956-15 May 1962; Naha AB, Okinawa, 2 Jun 1962; Dyess AFB, TX, 8 Jan 1963; Naha AB, Okinawa, 27 Nov 1965; Ching Chuan Kang AB, Taiwan, 20 Mar 1966; Kadena AB, Japan, 1 Dec 1973; Yokota AB, Japan, 1 Sep 1975-1 Jul 1993. Keesler AFB, MS, 6 Aug 2010-.
 
Commanders. Unkn, 26 Jun 1949-17 Apr 1951; Maj Fred H. Towne Jr., 17 Apr 1951; Lt Col Benjamin F. Kelly, 8 Sep 1952-1953. Maj James F. Fowler, 1955; Maj Gregg D. Hartley, 19 May-9 Jun 1956. Maj James F. Fowler, 1956; Lt Col Perry H. Penn, 19 Feb 1957; Lt Col Robert J. Marks, 21 Jan 1960; Lt Col Joseph H. Griffith Jr., 20 Oct 1961-unkn; Lt Col Richard D. Cote, unkn-8 Jan 1963; Lt Col Raymond E. Carleton, 8 Jan 1963; Lt Col William M. Cossaboom, 1 Apr 1964; Lt Col Angelo N. Castanza, 31 Jan 1965; Lt Col John H. Hazel, 30 Jun 1965; Lt Col Leland A. Younkin, 5 Nov 1965; Lt Col Robert J. Craig,16 Oct 1966; Lt Col John A. Zimmerman, 3 Jul 1967; Lt Col Edward T. Davis,1 May 1968; Lt Col Loren A. Stoddard, 1 Jul 1968-unkn; Lt Col Thomas J. Leonard, by 30 Sep 1970-unkn; Lt Col William F. Ellis, by 31 May 1971; Lt Col Philip J. Riede, 4 Feb 1972; Lt Col James S. Kinney, 31 Jan 1974; Lt Col Harold W. Reed, 6 Jun 1975; Col Charles A. Vickery, 21 Jan 1977; Lt Col Roland L. Tharp, 1 Mar 1978; Lt Col Sherman W. Bear, 28 Jun 1979; Lt Col Frederick N. Buckingham, 17 Nov 1980; Lt Col Daniel E. Sowada, 23 Jul 1982; Lt Col George G. Kirkland, 29 Jun 1984; Lt Col John W. Brooks, 27 Jun 1986; Lt Col Terry H. Messer, 6 Jul 1988; Lt Col Edward J. McClure Jr., 12 Jan 1990; Lt Col Edward J. Feeney Jr., 1 Apr 1992-unkn. Lt Col Craig L. Williams, 6 Aug 2010-.
 
Aircraft. C-46, 1949-1952; C-119, 1952-1953. H-19, 1955-1956; H-21, 1955-1956; C-123, 1956-1961; C-130, 1961-1963, 1963-1965, 1965-1993. C-130, 2010-.

Operations. Trained to become combat ready as part of the Korean War build-up, 1951-1953. Trained with helicopters; collected data and samples for radiological assessment during atomic tests in Nevada, 1955-Jul 1956. Transitioned to cargo aircraft; trained to airlift troops, equipment and supplies into combat zones, to resupply forces, and evacuate casualties, 1956-1993. Served in the western Pacific region, 1965-1993. Flew C-130s to augment task forces and other operational organizations during Vietnam War, 1966-1973. Provided tactical, aeromedical, and operational support to Department of Defense (DOD) agencies throughout the Pacific region, 1975-1993. Resumed air transport mission in the United States in 2010.
 
Service Streamers. None.
 
Campaign Streamers. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device: 1 Nov 1967-31 Dec 1969; 12 Feb-17 May 1975. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1964-9 Dec 1965; 1 Jan 1982-31 Dec 1983; 1 Jan 1984-30 Jun 1985; 1 Jul 1987-30 Jun 1989. Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation: 21 Jul-15 Aug 1972. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Nov 1967-31 Dec 1969.

Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through Sep 2010.

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Sep 2010.

Supersedes statement prepared on 8 Aug 1985.

Emblem. Approved on 24 May 1957, revised on 15 Sep 2010.

Prepared by Patsy Robertson.

Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.