118th Airlift Squadron

118th Airlift Squadron
118th Airlift Squadron - Gates Learjet C-21A 84-0124
Active	31 August 1917-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Connecticut
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Airlift
Part of	Connecticut Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Bradley Air National Guard Base, Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Nickname(s)	Flying Yankees
Tail Code	"CT"
Engagements	World War I World War II
Insignia
118th Airlift Squadron emblem

The 118th Airlift Squadron (118 AS) is a unit of the Connecticut Air National Guard 103d Airlift Wing stationed at Bradley Air National Guard Base, Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The 118th is equipped with the C-21A Learjet.

The squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 118th Aero Squadron, established on 31 August 1917. It was reformed on 1 November 1923, as the 118th Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.

The 118th Airlift Squadron traces its origins to 1 September 1917 with the organization of the 118th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. The original members of the squadron had enlisted at Fort Slocum, New York. The men were placed into basic indoctrination training, with drill, fatigue duty, classroom training, and other things that are done in military training camps. During its time at Kelly Field, men were transferred in and out of the squadron, depending on their qualifications and the needs of other units in training. Once basic indoctrination training was completed, the 118th was ordered for overseas duty, being ordered to report to the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, Long Island on 3 January. It was there that final arrangements were made for the trip overseas, complete equipment was drawn and a final few transfers were made. The stay at Garden City lasted ten days, when movement orders were received to report to the New York Port of Embarkation, Hoboken, New Jersey. There, the squadron boarded the SS Kaiser Wilhelm II, on the 13th, a former German liner impressed into troop carrier duty by the United States.