357th Airlift Squadron

357th Airlift Squadron
357th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	28 January 1942 – 15 April 1946 14 June 1952 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command 22d Air Force 908th Airlift Wing 908th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Maxwell Air Force Base
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

The 357th Airlift Squadron (357 AS) is part of the 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. It operates C-130 Hercules aircraft providing global airlfit.

Activated in early 1942 as a B-24 Liberator Operational Training Unit (OTU), later becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for deployed combat units, assigned to II Bomber Command. Inactivated in April 1944 when heavy bomber training ended.

Redgesignated as a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment Squadron under Second Air Force on 1 April 1944 at Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas. Initially equipped with B-17 Flying Fortresses for training, due to shortage of B-29 Superfortresses. Moved to Harvard Army Airfield, Nebraska, in August 1944 and equipped with B-29B limited production aircraft.

After completion of training deployed to Central Pacific Area (CPA), assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Northwest Field (Guam) for operational missions. B-29Bs were standard production aircraft stripped of most defensive guns to increase speed and bomb load, The tail gun was aimed and fired automatically by the new AN/APG-15B radar fire control system that detected the approaching enemy plane and made all the necessary calculations.

Mission of the squadron was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands. Dntered combat on 16 June 1945 with a bombing raid against an airfield on Moen. Flew first mission against the Japanese home islands on 26 June 1945 and afterwards operated principally against the enemy's petroleum industry. Flew primarily low-level, fast attacks at night using a mixture of high-explosive and incendary bombs to attack targets.