The 52d Airlift Squadron is a Regular Component United States Air Force unit. Its currently assigned to the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, but is based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. There, the squadron flies and maintains aircraft with the Air Force Reserve's 302d Airlift Wing.
Constituted as 52d Transport Squadron on 30 May 1942
Activated on 15 June 1942
Redesignated as
52d Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942
Disbanded on 14 April 1944
Reconstituted, and redesignated 52d Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 10 May 1949
Activated in the Reserve on 27 June 1949
Ordered to active service on 1 May 1951
Inactivated on 9 May 1951
Redesignated 52d Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 19 March 1953
Activated on 20 June 1953
Redesignated as:
52d Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966
Inactivated on 8 February 1969
Activated on 1 June 1988
Redesignated as
52d Airlift Squadron on 1 January 1992
Inactivated on 30 September 1992
Activated on 1 May 1994
Inactivated on 27 September 1997
Activated on 3 October 2009 as an active associate squadron with the Air Force Reserve's 302d Airlift Wing
63d Transport (later, 63d Troop Carrier) Group, 15 June 1942 – 14 April 1944
63d Troop Carrier Group, 27 June 1949 – 9 May 1951
63d Troop Carrier Group, 20 June 1953
Attached for operational control to 322d Air Division, c. 29 January-c. 1 August 1960 and c. January 1962
63d Troop Carrier (later, 63d Military Airlift) Wing, 18 January 1963
Remained under operational control of 322d Air Division
436th Military Airlift Wing, 8 January 1967 – 8 February 1969
Remained under operational control of 322d Air Division, to 8 February 1969
63d Military Airlift Wing, 1 June 1988
63d Operations Group, 1 January-30 September 1992
347th Operations Group, 1 May 1994 – 1 April 1997
19th Operations Group, 3 October 2009–present
Douglas DC-3, 1942
C-39, 1942
C-53, 1942–1943
C-47, 1942–1944; 1949–1951
T-6, 1949–1950
T-7, 1949–1951
T-11, 1949–1951
C-124, 1953–1969
C-141, 1988–1992
C-130E, 1994–1997
C-130H3, 2009–present
Replacement training, 1943–1944. Worldwide Airlift, 1953–1969. Supported Project Deep Freeze in the Antarctic, 1956–1958. Worldwide airlift, 1988–1992, including airdrop of troops and equipment in Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama on 20 December 1989. Tactical Airlift, 1994–1997. Organization re-activated to duty on 3 October 2009 as an active associate airlift squadron dually-assigned to the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson AFB, Colo. Participated in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan 23 Aug 2010 – present.
