61st Air Base Group

61st Air Base Group
	Emblem of the 61st Air Base Group
Active	1940–1945; 1946–1959; 1984–1992; 1994–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Part of	Air Force Space Command

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The 61st Air Base Group is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 61st Air Base Wing of Air Force Space Command. The unit is stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California.

The 61st Air Base Group operates Los Angeles Air Force Base and supports the Space and Missile Systems Center.

The unit's World War II predecessor unit, the 61st Troop Carrier Group was a C-47 Skytrain transport unit assigned to both Twelfth and Ninth Air Forces in North Africa, Italy and Western Europe. The 61 TCG was highly decorated for its combat parachute infantry drops during the Invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky); Invasion of Italy (Operation Avalanche); Invasion of France (Operation Overlord); the airborne invasion of the Netherlands (Operation Market-Garden); and the airborne crossing of the Rhine River, (Operation Varsity).

History

For additional history and lineage, see 61st Air Base Wing

World War II

Established in 1941 as a C-47 Skytrain transport squadron, trained under I Troop Carrier Command in the southeast United States Trained in paratroop missions and glider towing. Was deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and flew combat missions in the North African and Tunisian Campaigns under Twelfth Air Force.

It flew airborne assault and resupply airdrop missions during the invasions of Sicily and Italy in 1943 and transported cargo and personnel throughout the North African and Mediterranean theaters.

Reassigned to Ninth Air Force and was moved to England in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). Flew airborne assault missions during the Normandy invasion and later supported Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands. In 1945 it participated in the airborne assault across the Rhine. Also provided transport services in the European theater, hauling gasoline, ammunition, food, medicine, and other supplies, and evacuating wounded personnel.

Moved to Trinidad in May 1945. Assigned to Air Transport Command. Used C-47's to transport troops returning to the US. Inactivated in Trinidad on 31 July 1945

Cold War

It was reactivated in Germany on 30 September 1946. Assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe. Redesignated 61st Troop Carrier Group (Medium) in July 1948, and 61st Troop Carrier Group (Heavy) in August 1948. In Germany, the group participated in the Berlin Airlift, from June 1948 to May 1949, the group's C-54 aircraft ferried coal, flour, and other cargo into Berlin.

In 1950, the group moved to the United States shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War for duty with Military Air Transport Service. Attached to Far East Air Forces, it flew airlift missions on the Northern Pacific Route from the United States to Japan in support of UN forces in Korea before moving to Japan and conducting airlift missions from Japan to Korea from 1950–1952.

Returned to the US in November 1952 to join Tactical Air Command, to which the group had been assigned in October 1951. Converted from C-54 to C-124 aircraft and carried out worldwide strategic airlift operations from 1952–1959. Inactivated on 8 October 1959.

The 61st Military Airlift Group was reactivated at Howard Air Force Base, Panama on 1 December 1984. At Howard, the group was the parent unit for the 310th Military Airlift Squadron (310th MAS) with a diverse array of aircraft (C-21A, CT-43A, C-130E/H, C-27A). The C-21 and CT-43 provided VIP airlift support for the Commander-In-Chief, U.S. Southern Command (CINCSOUTH). The C-130s and C-27s flew tactical airlift operations in Central and South America from 1984–1992. The unit was inactivated and its assets absorbed by the 24th Wing when the 310th's mission was transferred to Air Combat Command on 1 June 1992.

Base support

The 61st Air Base Group has operated Los Angeles Air Force Base and supported the Space and Missile Systems Center since 1994.

Lineage

Established as 61st Transport Group on 20 November 1940

Activated on 1 December 1940

Redesignated 61st Troop Carrier Group on 4 July 1942

Inactivated on 31 July 1945

Activated on 30 September 1946

Redesignated: 61st Troop Carrier Group, Medium, on 1 July 1948

Redesignated: 61st Troop Carrier Group, Heavy, on 15 August 1948

Inactivated on 8 October 1959

Redesignated 61st Military Airlift Group, and activated, on 1 December 1984

Inactivated on 1 June 1992

Redesignated 61st Air Base Group on 16 September 1994

Activated on 1 October 1994

Redesignated 61st Mission Support Group on 1 August 2006
Redesignated 61st Air Base Group on 30 July 2010

Assignments

Unknown, 1 December 1940 – 31 March 1942
50th Transport Wing, 31 March 1942
51st Transport Wing (later 51st Troop Carrier Wing), 1 June 1942
52d Troop Carrier Wing, 6 August 1942
50th Troop Carrier Wing, 12 October 1942
53d Troop Carrier Wing, 3 November 1942
52d Troop Carrier Wing, 15 February 1943
Air Transport Command, 7 May 1945
Attached to Caribbean Division, Air Transport Command, 29 May – 31 July 1945
51st Troop Carrier Wing (known as European Air Transport Service, Provisional), 30 September 1946
United States Air Forces in Europe, 20 December 1947
61st Troop Carrier Wing, 1 July 1948

Attached to: 1st Airlift Task Force, 5–26 November 1948

Attached to: Airlift Wing [Provisional], 26 November 1948 – 20 January 1949

Attached to: 7497th Airlift Wing, 20 January – 10 July 1949

Attached to: Military Air Transport Service, 21–26 July 1950

Attached to: North Pacific Air Transport Wing, Provisional, 26 July – 24 August 1950

Attached to: 1705th Air Transport Wing, 24 August – 10 December 1950

Attached to: Far East Air Force Combat Cargo Command, Provisional, 10 December 1950 – 1 January 1951

1705th Air Transport Wing, 1 January 1951

Attached to: Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command, Provisional, 1–25 January 1951

Attached to: 315th Air Division, 25 January – 1 October 1951

Eighteenth Air Force, 1 October 1951

Attached to: 315th Air Division, 1 October – 5 November 1951

Attached to: 6122 Air Base Wing, 5 November 1951 – 26 March 1952

Attached to: 374th Troop Carrier Wing, 26 March – 21 November 1952

Attached to: 62d Troop Carrier Wing, 21 November 1952 – 25 August 1954

Attached to: 63d Troop Carrier Wing, 25 August 1954 – 1 July 1957

63d Troop Carrier Wing, 1 July 1957 – 8 October 1959
Twenty-First Air Force, 1 December 1984 – 1 June 1992
Space and Missile Systems Center, 1 October 1994
61st Air Base Wing, 1 August 2006
Space and Missile Systems Center, 30 July 2010 – present

Components

4th Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 10 December 1950 – 24 July 1951
12th Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 30 September – 15 October 1946
13th Transport (later, 13th Troop Carrier) Squadron: 1 December 1940-c. 10 October 1942
14th Transport (later, 14th Troop Carrier) Squadron: 4 December 1940 – 31 July 1945; 30 September 1946 – 8 October 1959 (detached c. 5 December 1950 – 26 March 1952; 21 November – 1 December 1952; August 1956 – March 1957; August-8 October 1959)
15th Transport (later, 15th Troop Carrier) Squadron: 4 December 1940 – 31 July 1945; 30 September 1946 – 8 October 1959 (detached February–August 1957)
53d Transport (later, 53d Troop Carrier) Squadron: 1 June 1942 – 31 July 1945; 30 September 1946 – 8 October 1959 (detached 26 March – 14 September 1952; September 1958-c. March 1959)
59th Troop Carrier Squadron: 23 October 1942 – 31 July 1945
310th Military Airlift Squadron: 1 December 1984 – 1 June 1992.

Stations

Olmsted Field, Pennsylvania, 1 December 1940
Daniel Field, Georgia, 9 July 1941
Pope Field, North Carolina, 26 May 1942
Lubbock Army Air Field, Texas, 23 September 1942
Pope Field, North Carolina, 26 February 1943 – 4 May 1943
Lourmel Airfield, Morocco, 15 May 1943
Kairouan Airfield, Tunisia, 21 June 1943
Licata Airfield, Sicily, Italy, 1 September 1943
Sciacca Airfield, Sicily, Italy, 6 October 1943
RAF Barkston Heath (AAF-483), England, 18 February 1944
Abbeville/Drucat Airfield (B-92), France, 13 March – 19 May 1945

Waller Field, Trinidad, 29 May – 31 July 1945
Eschborn Airfield, Germany, 30 September 1946
Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, 11 February 1947 – 21 July 1950
McChord Air Force Base, Washington, 26 July – 5 December 1950
Ashiya Air Base, Japan, 10 December 1950
Tachikawa Air Base, Japan, 26 March – 15 November 1952
Larson Air Force Base, Washington, 21 November 1952
Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina, 25 August 1954 – 8 October 1959
Howard Air Force Base, Panama, 1 December 1984 – 1 June 1992
Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, 1 October 1994 – present

Aircraft

C-47 Skytrain, 1942–1945; 1946–1948
CG-4 Waco (Glider), 1942–1945
C-54 Skymaster, 1948–1952
C-124 Globemaster, 1952–1959
C-130 Hercules, 1984–1992.

References

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4
Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.