Recent from talks
144th Airlift Squadron
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
144th Airlift Squadron
The 144th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Wing located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska. The 144th is an associate unit of the active 517th Airlift Squadron, equipped with the C-17 Globemaster III.
The 144th's mission is to provide trained aircrews and support personnel for airlift and airdrop during all contingencies in the Pacific Theater. The state mission is to provide emergency and humanitarian support when called on by the governor.
In July 1952, at a meeting for city officials and businessmen at the Anchorage YMCA, National Guard air division Commander Maj. Gen. Earl T. Ricks announced that the territorial government of Alaska was willing to invest $1.5 million to establish an Air National Guard unit in Anchorage, either at the city's international airport or on Elmendorf Air Force Base. The only condition: that enough people could be recruited to man the unit.
The Alaska Air National Guard was organized 15 September 1952 as the 8144th Air Base Squadron. At its creation, the 8144th included 11 enlisted men and five officers. It had no planes. Its headquarters were located in a small office above what was then the bus depot on Fourth Avenue in Anchorage. Because the office was so small, the men convened for their first training assembly in a nearby Quonset hut. The unit's first aircraft, a 1941 AT-6D Texan trainer, arrived in February 1953. Soon five more trainers arrived, operating out of Elmendorf Hangar No. 3. In keeping with the Air Guard's mission to provide national air defense, the pilots began training in earnest for their planned transition to jet fighters.
As that training progressed, the 8144th was replaced by the 144th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in July 1953. The unit training assemblies were conducted at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Ultimately, five T-6G Texan trainers were assigned and everyone was busy getting ready to transition into jet aircraft.
The first jet, a T-33 Shooting Star trainer, arrived in October 1953 and in the spring of 1954, the unit received its first operational aircraft, the F-80C Shooting Star jet fighter. By the first annual training period, unit strength has increased to 15 officers and 49 enlisted men, and was fully equipped with 14 F-80s, two T-33s, three T-6G trainers, two T-6 observation planes and a single C-47A transport.
In 1955, the unit moved from Elmendorf to its own base by the Anchorage Airport. Kulis Air National Guard Base was named after First Lieutenant Albert Kulis, an ANG pilot who lost his life while flying his F-80C during a return flight from a night training mission.
In July 1955 the 144th's F-80s were exchanged for brand-new, top-of-the-line F-86E Sabre fighter jets. Along with the new aircraft came the unit's third designation in as many years, this time the 144th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. This was at the time other Air National Guard units around the country were receiving surplus aircraft. The 144th took over much of the mission of the 720th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, which was inactivated at Eielson Air Force Base.
Hub AI
144th Airlift Squadron AI simulator
(@144th Airlift Squadron_simulator)
144th Airlift Squadron
The 144th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Wing located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska. The 144th is an associate unit of the active 517th Airlift Squadron, equipped with the C-17 Globemaster III.
The 144th's mission is to provide trained aircrews and support personnel for airlift and airdrop during all contingencies in the Pacific Theater. The state mission is to provide emergency and humanitarian support when called on by the governor.
In July 1952, at a meeting for city officials and businessmen at the Anchorage YMCA, National Guard air division Commander Maj. Gen. Earl T. Ricks announced that the territorial government of Alaska was willing to invest $1.5 million to establish an Air National Guard unit in Anchorage, either at the city's international airport or on Elmendorf Air Force Base. The only condition: that enough people could be recruited to man the unit.
The Alaska Air National Guard was organized 15 September 1952 as the 8144th Air Base Squadron. At its creation, the 8144th included 11 enlisted men and five officers. It had no planes. Its headquarters were located in a small office above what was then the bus depot on Fourth Avenue in Anchorage. Because the office was so small, the men convened for their first training assembly in a nearby Quonset hut. The unit's first aircraft, a 1941 AT-6D Texan trainer, arrived in February 1953. Soon five more trainers arrived, operating out of Elmendorf Hangar No. 3. In keeping with the Air Guard's mission to provide national air defense, the pilots began training in earnest for their planned transition to jet fighters.
As that training progressed, the 8144th was replaced by the 144th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in July 1953. The unit training assemblies were conducted at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Ultimately, five T-6G Texan trainers were assigned and everyone was busy getting ready to transition into jet aircraft.
The first jet, a T-33 Shooting Star trainer, arrived in October 1953 and in the spring of 1954, the unit received its first operational aircraft, the F-80C Shooting Star jet fighter. By the first annual training period, unit strength has increased to 15 officers and 49 enlisted men, and was fully equipped with 14 F-80s, two T-33s, three T-6G trainers, two T-6 observation planes and a single C-47A transport.
In 1955, the unit moved from Elmendorf to its own base by the Anchorage Airport. Kulis Air National Guard Base was named after First Lieutenant Albert Kulis, an ANG pilot who lost his life while flying his F-80C during a return flight from a night training mission.
In July 1955 the 144th's F-80s were exchanged for brand-new, top-of-the-line F-86E Sabre fighter jets. Along with the new aircraft came the unit's third designation in as many years, this time the 144th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. This was at the time other Air National Guard units around the country were receiving surplus aircraft. The 144th took over much of the mission of the 720th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, which was inactivated at Eielson Air Force Base.
Recent media