58th AS supports South American humanitarian missions

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- A C-17 Globemaster III from Altus Air Force Base, Okla., on the flight line of Managua Airport, Nicaragua. The crew from the 58th Airlift Squadron delivered food to Managua in support of humanitarian operations Feb. 20. The delivery was possible because of the Denton Program, which allows donors to use space available on U.S. military cargo aircraft to transport humanitarian goods and equipment to countries in need. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kenneth W. Norman)

MAFEX

ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – Three C-17 Globemaster III’s from the 58th Airlift Squadron, taxi on the runway before departing for the Mobility Air Force Exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev., May 23, 2012. More than 60 tanker and airlift aircraft from across the country along with more than 25 fighter aircraft participated in the MAFEX, which is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis, AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Franklin R. Ramos / 97th Air Mobility Wing / Released)

Sooner Drop Zone

HOLLIS, Okla. – Members of the 58th Airlift Squadron use the container delivery system to release training cargo out of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III during an airdrop training mission at the Sooner Drop Zone April 11, 2014. The 97th Aerial Operations Flight prepared airdrop cargo pallets and loaded them onto the C-17. Their mission provides C-17 aircrews with realistic training scenarios, which consist of on and off loading general cargo and vehicles as well as aerial delivery materials for airdrop training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jesse Lopez/Released)

58th Airmen uphold squadron legacy

Published May 22, 2014
By Lt. Col. Mike Peeler
58th Airlift Squadron commander

ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 58th Airlift Squadron carries on a proud heritage that dates back to the early days of World War II.

The squadron came into existence as the 58th Troop Carrier Squadron at Bowman Field, Ky., which is now Louisville Regional Airport, in November 1942. In July 1943, the squadron deployed to New Guinea and joined its sister squadrons - the 55th, 56th, and 57th Troop Carrier Squadrons - to make up the 375th Troop Carrier Group. Fighting the war in the Pacific, the 58th flew C-47 Skytrains and C 46 Commandos, delivering supplies to the front-line forces and earning the moniker "Biscuit Bombers." In September of that year, they participated in the Pacific Theater's largest combat airdrop, the airborne assault on Nadzab, which led to the opening of New Guinea's primary Allied air base. The 58th Troop Carrier Squadron remained in the Pacific and provided critical air mobility until March 1946.

After the war, like after any war, the US military drew down and reorganized its forces. The following years proved challenging for the 58th, with multiple moves, re-designations, and deactivation. The squadron reactivated as the 58th Military Airlift Squadron in 1965, and answered the nation's call to a conflict in Vietnam, flying worldwide missions in the C-124 Globemaster II and the C-141 Starlifter. In 1977, the squadron was reassigned to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it spent the next 16 years representing the United States as the Europe Theater VIP transport unit.

In January 1996, the 58th Airlift Squadron came to Altus Air Force Base where it remains today, operating out of the General Robert E. "Dutch" Huyser Airlift Training Center. The only C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft schoolhouse, the 58th Airlift Squadron trains crewmembers to execute their global mobility mission in the world's most advanced airlifter. For the past 18 years, every conflict, humanitarian relief effort, show of force, or act of diplomacy that our nation has engaged in has been enabled by the C-17's rapid global mobility and training received at Altus.

The men and women of the 58th Airlift Squadron are proud of a strong heritage. They aim to continue the great tradition of honor and legacy of valor laid before them. They stand today on the shoulders of giants, able to execute their critical training mission, because of the heroes that came before them.