537th Airlift Squadron

537th Airlift Squadron
C-130 Hercules aircraft of the 537th Airlift Squadron on an airdrop training mission near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Active	1943–1944; 1952–1953; 1966–1971; 2011–2013
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Part of	Pacific Air Forces
Motto(s)	Gesta non Verba Latin: Deeds, not Words
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
537th Airlift Squadron emblem (approved 26 March 1968)

The 537th Airlift Squadron is an inactive squadron of the United States Air Force. The unit was last active at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Alaska, where it was inactivated on 13 September 2013.

The squadron was first established during World War II as the 537th Fighter Squadron. It served as a Replacement Training Unit for Republic P-47 Thunderbolt pilots until it was disbanded in a major reorganization of the Army Air Forces in 1944 designed to streamline training organizations.

In 1952, the squadron was redesignated as the 537th Troop Carrier Squadron, and activated at Atterbury Air Force Base to replace elements of the 923d Reserve Training Wing. The following year the squadron was inactivated and replaced at Atterbury by the 73d Troop Carrier Squadron.

The unit was activated again in Viet Nam as a C-7 Caribou squadron assigned to the 483d Tactical Airlift Wing the squadron was awarded three Presidential Unit Citations for its actions during the Viet Nam War.

In 2011, the unit was re-activated and designated the 537th Airlift Squadron.

The squadron was first established as the 537th Fighter Squadron and was activated in November 1943 at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, as one of the four original squadrons of the 87th Fighter Group. The squadron began operations with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters and assignment to an operational group. In January 1944, the squadron and the 546th Fighter Squadron moved to Millville Army Air Field, New Jersey, and the 87th group's headquarters and other squadrons transferred to Camp Springs Army Air Field, Maryland.