Lineage. Constituted as 6 Transport Squadron on 1 Oct 1933. Activated on 14 Oct 1939. Redesignated as: 6 Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942; 6 Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 21 May 1948; 6 Military Airlift Squadron on 8 Jan 1966. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 8 Jun 1968. Activated on 8 Apr 1970. Redesignated as 6 Airlift Squadron on 1 Nov 1991.
Assignments. 10 Transport Group, 14 Oct 1939; 60 Transport Group, 1 Dec 1940; 61 Transport Group, 19 May 1941; 315 Transport Group, Mar 1942; 63 Transport (later, 63 Troop Carrier) Group, Jun 1942; 374 Troop Carrier Group, 12 Nov 1942; 403 Troop Carrier Group, 15 May 1946; 374 Troop Carrier Group, 15 Oct 1946; 1503 Air Transport Wing, 18 Nov 1958; 1502 Air Transport Wing, 22 Jun 1964; 61 Military Airlift Wing, 8 Jan 1966–8 Jun 1968. 438 Military Airlift Wing, 8 Apr 1970; 438 Military Airlift Group, 1 Oct 1978; 438 Military Airlift Wing, 1 Jun 1980; 438 Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991; 305 Operations Group, 1 Oct 1994–.
Stations. Olmstead Field, PA, 14 Oct 1939; Camp Williams, WI, 23 Mar 1942; Dodd Field, TX, 16–23 Sep 1942; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 13 Oct 1942; Garbutt Field, Australia, 2 Oct 1943; Nadzab, New Guinea, c. 26 Aug 1944; Biak, c. 20 Oct 1944; Tacloban, Leyte, 12 Mar 1945; Nielson Field, Luzon, 1 Jan 1946; Okinawa, 10 Jun 1946; Tachikawa AB, Japan, 13 Apr 1947; Harmon Field, Guam, 1 Dec 1947; Tachikawa AB, Japan, 5 Mar 1949; Hickam AFB, HI, 22 Jun 1964–8 Jun 1968. McGuire AFB, NJ, 8 Apr 1970–.
Service Streamers. Global War on Terrorism – Service (GWOT-S).
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Japan; Papua; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Panama, 1989–1990.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, [Oct] 1942–23 Jan 1943; Papua, 12 Nov–22 Dec 1942; Wau, New Guinea, 30 Jan–1 Feb 1943; Korea, 27 Jun–15 Sep 1950. Meritorious Unit Award: 1 Jul 2012-30 Jun 2014. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan–31 Dec 1961; 1 Jul 1964–30 Jun 1966; 23 Dec 1965–23 Jan 1966; 1 Jul 1966–30 Jun 1967; 1 Jul 1967–[8] Jun 1968; 1 Jul 1982–30 Jun 1984; 1 Jul 1994-30 Jun 1996; 1 Jul 2000-30 Jun 2001; 1 Jul 2001-30 Jun 2002; 1 Jul 2002-30 Jun 2003; 1 Jul 2003-30 Jun 2004; 1 Jul 2004-30 Jun 2006; 1 Jul 2006-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2007-30 Jun 2008; 1 Jul 2009-30 Jun 2011; 1 Jul 2018-30 Jun 2020. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 1 Jul 1951–27 Jul 1953.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, Commanders, Aircraft, and Honors through 28 Nov 2022.
Supersedes statement prepared on 27 Aug 2012.
Emblem. Approved on 1 Dec 1952; latest rendering, 22 May 2007.
Prepared by Melissa Lahue.
Reviewed by Margaret Ream.