342nd Fighter Squadron

142d Airlift Squadron
142d Airlift Squadron C-130s at New Castle ANG Base
Active	30 September 1942-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Delaware
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Airlift
Part of	Delaware Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	New Castle Air National Guard Base, New Castle, Delaware
Insignia
142d Airlift Squadron emblem
Tail Code	"The First State" Blue Tail Stripe

The 142d Airlift Squadron (142d AS) is a unit of the 166th Airlift Wing located at New Castle Air National Guard Base, Delaware. It is equipped with the C-130 Hercules.

The mission of the 142d Airlift Squadron is to provide combat ready aircrew for state, national and worldwide deployment in support of any assigned mission. The squadron's mission capability includes all weather, day and night, airland, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation capability. The C-130 aircraft is capable to perform both inter-theatre and intra-theatre missions. The squadron is can also supply specially trained aircrews for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations when called upon. The squadron has pilots, navigators, flight engineers and loadmasters, life support, and administrative personnel assigned.

The squadron was activated on 30 September 1942 at Mitchel Field, New York as the 342d Fighter Squadron and equipped with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. It deployed to the Southwest Pacific Area, where the unit became part of Fifth Air Force in New Guinea. It engaged in combat operations until August 1945, then became part of the occupation forces in Japan. The unit returned to the United States during May 1946 and was inactivated.

The squadron was redesignated as the 142d Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was activated on 6 September 1946, and its formal federal recognition was recognized at a ceremony in the Wilmington Armory. The ceremony was conducted by Brigadier General Paul R. Rinard, the Adjutant General and Colonel John B. Grier, U.S. Property and Disbursing Officer for Delaware. Shortly afterwards the squadron received its first fighter planes, P-47N Thunderbolts.

Prior to being federalized during the Korean War on 1 February 1951, the unit received Republic F-84C Thunderjets. On 17 May 1951, the unit was redesignated the 142d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and in September 1951 the unit exchanged its F-84s for the Lockheed F-94 Starfire interceptor aircraft to fit the unit's new air defense mission.