The 165th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the Kentucky Air National Guard 123d Airlift Wing located at Louisville Air National Guard Base, Kentucky. The 165th is equipped with the C-130J Super Hercules.
History World War II
Organized and trained in New England during 1943. Moved to England in January 1944, being assigned to VIII Fighter Command. Entered combat in mid-December 1943, supported the invasion of Normandy during June 1944 by patrolling the English Channel, escorting bombardment formations to the French coast, and dive-bombing and strafing bridges, locomotives, and rail lines near the battle area. After D-Day, engaged chiefly in escorting bombers to oil refineries, marshalling yards, and other targets in such cities as Ludwigshafen, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Berlin, Merseburg, and Bruex. Continued combat operations until the German capitulation in May 1945. Returned to the United States and was inactivated in November, 1945.
Kentucky Air National Guard
The wartime 368th Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 165th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Kentucky Air National Guard, on 16 February 1947 . It was organized at Standiford Field, Louisville, Kentucky, and was extended federal recognition on 9 June 1947 by the National Guard Bureau. The 165th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the history, honors, and colors of the 368th Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with 25 F-51D Mustangs and was assigned to the 123d Fighter Group, with an air defense mission for the state of Kentucky.
During the postwar years, the Air National Guard was almost like a flying country club and a pilot could often show up at the field, check out an aircraft and go flying. However, these units also had regular military exercises that kept up proficiency and in gunnery and bombing contests they would often score better than full-time USAF units. The unit's aircrews rapidly attained a high level of combat readiness, and just two years later, the unit earned its first Spaatz Trophy—an award given each year to the premier Air National Guard flying unit. In 1948, Captain Thomas Francis Mantell Jr., a pilot in the 165th Fighter Squadron, was killed while in pursuit of an Unidentified Flying Object in the Mantell UFO incident.
Korean War federalization
With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950 all three squadrons were equipped with F-51Ds.
After over a year of training at Godman Air Force Base, the squadron was redesignated as the 165th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and deployed to RAF Manston, Kent, England to replace the Strategic Air Command (SAC) 12th Fighter-Escort Wing which was returned to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. In England, the mission of the 123d was to provide fighter escort for SAC B-50 Superfortress and B-36 Peacemaker bombers while flying over Western European airspace on their deterrence alert missions. The 123d left their F-51Ds at Godman and the personnel boarded C-124 Globemaster II transports to England where they initially began conversion training on F-84E Thunderjets.
The training program began with the inexperienced F-51D pilots experiencing training difficulties with the jet aircraft, with several aircraft being lost in accidents. However, by March 1952 the 134th was judged to be 80% combat ready on the Thunderjets. However, the period of federalization for the 123d was expiring and in July 1952, the unit personnel were returned to the United States, the aircraft at RAF Manston being passed on to the active-duty 406th Fighter-Bomber Wing was activated in place.
Tactical fighter mission
After returning from England, the unit reformed at Louisville. Because most jet aircraft were still in USAF use, the squadron received F-51D Mustangs and initially returned to its pre-federalization air defense mission, being designated as a Fighter-Interceptor unit. However, with the F-51s, the Kentucky Air National Guard was limited to daylight training only.
On 1 January 1953, the Group was transferred to Tactical Air Command jurisdiction and re-equipped with refurbished F-86A Sabre air superiority fighter. With the switchover to TAC, the unit designation was changed to "Fighter-Bomber".
Tactical reconnaissance mission The 165th only flew the Sabre for two years, when it was re-equipped with Martin RB-57A Canberra reconnaissance aircraft. it became the 165th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, in which it would remain for the next thirty years. The 165th would perform day and night, high and low, and visual and photographic reconnaissance. Unlike the Sabre fighters, the RB-57A was totally unarmed. The crew was two—one pilot and one photo-navigator. One of their major activities of the 123d in the United States was to carry out photographic surveys of areas hit by natural disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes. In 1965, the 123d was awarded its second Spaatz Trophy for superior combat readiness and flight training.
In 1965, the unit transferred its RB-57s to active duty to be deployed to South Vietnam. In return the 123d was re-equipped, receiving the RF-101G Voodoo. The RF-101G was a derivative aircraft from twenty-nine ex-USAF F-101A Tactical Fighters that were withdrawn from fighter duty and were modified by Lockheed Aircraft Service Company of Ontario, California to serve as unarmed tactical reconnaissance aircraft for use by the Air National Guard. These aircraft were re-designated as RF-101G. As compared to the RF-101A dedicated photo-reconnaissance version of the F-101A, the RF-101G had a shorter and broader nose. These aircraft went to the Kentucky Air National Guard in July 1965, replacing the RB-57B.
On 26 January 1968, the Pueblo Crisis precipitated the 123d's recall to federal service. Now officially known as the 123d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, the unit flew just under 20,000 tactical flying hours with the RF-101G and delivered nearly 320,000 reconnaissance prints to requesting agencies. Assigned personnel served on active duty for 16 months.
The 123d TRW experienced a rocky tour of active duty. The wing had not been rated combat-ready when mobilized on 26 January 1968 primarily due to equipment shortages. It was not part of Secretary McNamara's Selected Reserve Force. The unit was given an unsatisfactory ORI rating in October 1968. Despite those problems, the 123d made a significant contribution to active force operations. It began functioning as the primary Air Force tactical reconnaissance unit in the continental U.S. Elements of its squadrons rotated temporary duty assignments in Japan and South Korea from July 1968 until April 1969 providing photo reconnaissance support to American forces in those areas, including service in South Vietnam flying combat reconnaissance missions.
The 123d was released from active duty and returned to Kentucky state control on 8 June 1969. The wing earned its first Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its exceptional performance during this period.
In 1971, there was a re-organization of Air National Guard tactical reconnaissance units, with all the RF-101Gs being sent to the Arkansas ANG 184th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. The Kentucky ANG transferred its RF-101Gs to the Arkansas ANG and transitioned to the RF-101H Voodoo, a follow-on to the RF-101G. Being derived from the F-101C tactical fighter, the RF-101H differed from the RF-101G in having a strengthened airframe designed to allow maneuvers at up to 7.33 G. and having different fuel pumps and fuel feed and control systems, increasing its maximum available afterburner time from six minutes to 15.
During 1976, a no-notice conversion announced by the National Guard Bureau brought the two-seat RF-4C Phantom II to the Kentucky Air National Guard, with the RF-101Hs aircraft being retired to AMARC. The unit attained combat-ready status within seven months—a record time. The Phantom years were marked with many overseas deployments, participation in international photo reconnaissance competitions and a remarkable flight safety record. In 1981, the unit placed first in the Air National Guard Photo Finish Competition and earned an unprecedented third Spaatz Trophy.
In May 1983 the unit reached another historic milestone when it earned the highest possible rating from Tactical Air Command during its Operational Readiness Inspection. This was the first time that a TAC unit had received an outstanding rating. On 1 January 1989 the unit was awarded its seventh Air Force Outstanding Unit Award—a record for any Air National Guard unit.
Tactical airlift The collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact led to accelerated retirement plans for active duty USAF RF-4Cs. In 1988, the Kentucky Air National Guard's Phantoms were sent to AMARC, and on 9 January 1989 the 123d was officially re-designated the 123d Tactical Airlift wing and began conversion to the C-130B Hercules transport aircraft. By the end of the year, the unit had been involved in many worldwide airlift missions, including exercise Volant Oak in Panama. The unit also participated in an airlift competition, Sentry Rodeo. The wing's first humanitarian airlift came in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo.
Although the 165th Tactical Airlift Squadron, the wing's flying component, was not federally mobilized for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, unit volunteers stepped forward to support the war effort. From August 1990 to March 1991, the 165th flew 1,240 airlift sorties worldwide in direct support of the Gulf War—the most for any Air National Guard unit. An additional 88 wing members were activated in support of Desert Shield/Storm.
Post Cold War era In May 1992 the 123d received the 2000th C-130 straight off the assembly line as it began conversion to the C-130H Hercules. Eight months later, the 123rd deployed to Mombassa, Kenya, to fly relief missions into Somalia for Operation Restore Hope and Operation Provide Relief. Citizen-soldiers from the 123d flew 150 sorties and transported 720 tons of relief supplies and 1,444 passengers into some of the hardest-hit areas in Somalia.
When the world's attention shifted to Eastern Europe in February 1993, the 123d responded again, deploying in support of Operation Provide Promise. The unit's all-volunteer force flew 1,082 airdrop and air-land sorties and delivered 2,215 tons of food and supplies into war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovina. To support the operation, the wing deployed 451 personnel into Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, over several rotations until May 1994.
In July 1994 the 123d answered another call for help and deployed within 72 hours of notification to fly relief missions into Rwanda and Zaire for Operation Support Hope. Operating out of Mombassa, Kenya, unit personnel flew 147 sorties, transporting 652.5 tons of relief supplies to the beleaguered Rwandan refugees. Personnel from the unit's 205th Combat Communications Squadron also deployed to Haiti that year as part of Operation Uphold Democracy, providing satellite communications links for the theater commander.
In September 1994 the wing's sustained record of achievement was recognized by award of the 1993 Curtis N. Rusty Metcalf Trophy, presented annually to the best Air National Guard airlift or air refueling unit. The wing also earned the Air National Guard Distinguished Flying Unit Plaque and Air Force Flight Safety Plaque. In November 1994 the unit was granted its eighth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.