Lineage. Established as 61 Transport Group on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 1 Dec 1940. Redesignated as 61 Troop Carrier Group on 4 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 31 Jul 1945. Activated on 30 Sep 1946. Redesignated as: 61 Troop Carrier Group, Medium, on 1 Jul 1948; 61 Troop Carrier Group, Heavy, on 15 Aug 1948. Inactivated on 8 Oct 1959. Redesignated as 61 Military Airlift Group, and activated, on 1 Dec 1984. Inactivated on 1 Jun 1992. Redesignated as 61 Air Base Group on 16 Sep 1994. Activated on 1 Oct 1994. Redesignated as: 61 Mission Support Group on 1 Aug 2006; 61 Air Base Group on 30 Jul 2010.
Assignments. Unkn, 1 Dec 1940-31 Mar 1942; 50 Transport Wing, 31 Mar 1942; 51 Transport (later, Troop Carrier) Wing, 1 Jun 1942, 52 Troop Carrier Wing, 6 Aug 1942; 50 Troop Carrier Wing, 12 Oct 1942; 53 Troop Carrier Wing, 3 Nov 1942; 52 Troop Carrier Wing, 15 Feb 1943; Air Transport Command, 7 May 1945, Caribbean Division, Air Transport Command, 29 May-31 Jul 1945. 51 Troop Carrier Wing (known as European Air Transport Service, Provisional), 30 Sep 1946; United States Air Forces in Europe, 20 Dec 1947; 61 Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Jul 1948 (attached to: 1 Airlift Task Force, 5-26 Nov 1948; Airlift Wing [Provisional], 26 Nov 1948-20 Jan 1949; 7497 Airlift Wing, 20 Jan-10 Jul 1949; Military Air Transport Service, 21-26 Jul 1950; North Pacific Air Transport Wing, Provisional, 26 Jul-24 Aug 1950; 1705 Air Transport Wing, 24 Aug-10 Dec 1950; Far East Air Force Combat Cargo Command, Provisional, 10 Dec 1950-1 Jan 1951); 1705 Air Transport Wing, 1 Jan 1951 (attached to: Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command, Provisional, 1-25 Jan 1951; 315 Air Division, 25 Jan-1 Oct 1951); Eighteenth Air Force, 1 Oct 1951 (attached to: 315 Air Division, 1 Oct-5 Nov 1951; 6122 Air Base Wing, 5 Nov 1951-26 Mar 1952; 374 Troop Carrier Wing, 26 Mar-21 Nov 1952; 62 Troop Carrier Wing, 21 Nov 1952-25 Aug 1954; 63 Troop Carrier Wing, 25 Aug 1954-1 Jul 1957); 63 Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Jul 1957-8 Oct 1959. Twenty-First Air Force, 1 Dec 1984-1 Jun 1992. Space and Missile Systems Center, 1 Oct 1994; 61 Air Base Wing, 1 Aug 2006; Space and Missile Systems Center, 30 Jul 2010-.
Operational Components. Squadrons. 4 Troop Carrier: attached 10 Dec 1950-24 Jul 1951. 12 Troop Carrier: attached 30 Sep-15 Oct 1946. 13 Transport (later, 13 Troop Carrier): 1 Dec 1940-c. 10 Oct 1942. 14 Transport (later, 14 Troop Carrier): 4 Dec 1940-31 Jul 1945; 30 Sep 1946-8 Oct 1959 (detached c. 5 Dec 1950-26 Mar 1952; 21 Nov-1 Dec 1952; Aug 1956-Mar 1957; Aug-8 Oct 1959). 15 Transport (later, 15 Troop Carrier): 4 Dec 1940-31 Jul 1945; 30 Sep 1946-8 Oct 1959 (detached Feb-Aug 1957). 53 Transport (later, 53 Troop Carrier): 1 Jun 1942-31 Jul 1945; 30 Sep 1946-8 Oct 1959 (detached 26 Mar-14 Sep 1952; Sep 1958-c. Mar 1959). 59 Troop Carrier: 23 Oct 1942-31 Jul 1945. 310 Military Airlift: 1 Dec 1984-1 Jun 1992.
Stations. Olmstead Field, PA, 1 Dec 1940; Daniel Field, GA, 9 Jul 1941, Pope Field, NC, 26 May 1942; Lubbock, TX, 23 Sep 1942; Pope Field, NC, 26 Feb 1943-4 May 1943, Lourmel AB, Morocco, 15 May 1943; Kairouan, Tunisia, 21 Jun 1943, Licata, Sicily, 1 Sep 1943; Sciacca, Sicily, 6 Oct 1943; Barkston Heath, England, 18 Feb 1944; Abbeville, France, 13 Mar-19 May 1945; Waller Field, Trinidad, 29 May-31 Jul 1945. Eschborn AAB, Germany, 30 Sep 1946; Rhein Main AB, Germany, 11 Feb 1947-21 Jul 1950; McChord AFB, WA, 26 Jul-5 Dec 1950, Ashiya AB, Japan, 10 Dec 1950; Tachikawa AB, Japan, 26 Mar-15 Nov 1952; Larson AFB, WA, 21 Nov 1952; Donaldson AFB, SC, 25 Aug 1954-8 Oct 1959. Howard AFB, Panama, 1 Dec 1984-1 Jun 1992. Los Angeles AFB, CA, 1 Oct 1994-.
Commanders. None (not manned), 1 Dec 1940-31 Jan 1941; Capt John Waugh, 1 Feb 1941; 1 Lt Thompson F. Dow, 1 Jul 1941; Maj Lorin B. Hillsinger, 11 Jul 1941; Capt John C. Bennett, 26 May 1942; Maj Ralph J. Moore, by Sep 1942; Maj Donald French, 6 Mar 1943; Lt Col Willis W. Mitchell, 11 Mar 1943; Lt Col Stanley C. Hoyt, c. 6 Oct 1943; Col Willis W. Mitchell, c. 3 Nov 1943; Lt Col Stanley C. Hoyt, 25 Nov 1943; Col Willis W. Mitchell, 11 Jan 1944; Col Edgar W. Hampton, 12 Apr 1945; unkn, Jun-Jul 1945. Col James L. Daniel Jr., 30 Sep 1946; Col Walter J. Lee, by 1 Jul 1947; Lt Col Daniel F. Riva, 1 Jul 1948; Lt Col John C. Evers, 19 Aug 1948; Col Richard W. DaVania, 28 Aug 1948; Col Auby C. Strickland, by 5 Aug 1949; Lt Col Jay D. Bogue, c. 25 Aug 1949; Col Frank Norwood, 1 Oct 1949; Lt Col Hal E. Ercanbrack Jr., 14 Feb 1952; Col Lionel F. Johnson, 29 Jul 1953; Lt Col Jerome M. Triolo, 7 Feb 1954; Col Leland W. Johnson, by 1 Nov 1954; Col William G. Forwood, 13 Dec 1954; Lt Col Conway S. Hall, by Dec 1958; Col Marshall H. Strickler, by Jul-8 Oct 1959. Col Wesley E. Jackey, 1 Dec 1984; Col Bernard F. Malcuit, 28 Jul 1985; Col Michael T. Clay, 3 Jun 1988; Col Frank C. Andreus II, by Nov 1990; unkn, Feb-1 Jun 1992. Col Andrew B. Jasinski, 1 Oct 1994; Col Gilbert A. Engel Jr., 8 Sep 1995; Col Dieter V. Barnes, 12 Sep 1997; Col David E. Price, 18 Jun 1999; Col Phil W. Parker, 26 Sep 2000; Col Brian E. Kistner, 27 Sep 2002; Col Carl E. Brazelton, 11 May 2004; Col Joseph M. Codispoti, 21 Jul 2004; Col Nannette Benitez, 29 Jun 2006; Col Theresa Katein, Jul 2008; Col Frank W. Simcox, Aug 2010-.
Aircraft. C-47, 1942-1945; CG-4, 1942-1945. C-47, 1946-1948; C-54, 1948-¬1952; C-124, 1952-1959. C-130, 1984-1992. None, 1994-.
Operations. The 61 Transport Group conducted C-47 paratroop missions and trained in glider towing in United States, 1940-1942. 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. The group also flew airborne assault missions during the Normandy invasion and later supported Operation MARKET GARDEN in Holland. In 1945 it participated in the airborne assault across the Rhine. During the Berlin Airlift from Jun 1948 to May 1949, the group's C-54 aircraft ferried coal, flour, and other cargo into Berlin. It flew airlift missions on the Northern Pacific Route from the United States to Japan in support of United Nations forces in Korea during 1950 before moving to Japan and conducting airlift missions from Japan to Korea, 1950-1952. Flying C-124 aircraft, the group carried out worldwide strategic airlift operations, 1952-1959. It flew tactical airlift operations in Central and South America, 1984-1992. The 61 Air Base Group operated Los Angeles AFB and supported the Space and Missile Systems Center from 1994-2006. Provided personnel, family support, services, communications, contracting, civil engineering, and security forces services to base organizations and personnel, 2006-.
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe. Berlin: Berlin Airlift. Korean War: CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer-Fall 1952.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Panama 1989-1990.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Sicily, 1-11 Jul 1943; France, 5-7 Jun 1944; Korea, 13 Dec 1950-21 Apr 1951. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 2 Mar-31 May 1955; 1 Dec 1984-30 Jun 1986; 1 Jul 1986-30 Jun 1988; 1 Jul 1988-30 Jun 1989; 30 Sep 1995-31 Dec 1996; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1999; 1 Oct 2002-30 Sep 2004. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 1 Jul 1951-15 Nov 1952.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through Sep 2010.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Sep 2010.
Supersedes statement prepared on 8 Sep 2009.
Emblem. Approved on 20 Aug 1951. A new rendition is needed to place the new designation in the scroll.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.