55th Airlift Flight
The 55th Airlift Flight (55 ALF) is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was last stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea, and was inactivated in 2007. The unit began in 1942 as the 55th Troop Carrier Squadron and saw extensive World War II service in the Pacific.
World War II era and early years
- The squadron deployed to New Guinea in 1943 and took part in the airborne assault on Nadzab on September 5, 1943.
- In 1944 it also operated B-17 Flying Fortress bombers as supply aircraft.
- In 1945 the unit moved to the Philippines, then to Okinawa, and in September 1945 it moved to Tachikawa Airfield in Japan, where it remained until it was inactivated in 1946.
Reserve and Korean War period
- The squadron was activated in the reserves in May 1947, based at Reading, Pennsylvania, and later at Northeast Philadelphia.
- It was mobilized for the Korean War in October 1950, performing airlift support missions in Korea until July 1952.
- After Korea, it returned to the reserves and was inactivated on November 16, 1957.
Reactivation in the Pacific
- On July 1, 1992, the unit was reactivated as the 55th Airlift Flight at Osan Air Base, South Korea, equipped with Beechcraft C-12 Hurons.
- Its mission since reactivation has been to ferry VIPs and senior personnel throughout the Pacific region.
- The unit carried the motto “Double Nickle Airlift” from 1993 to 2007 and earned awards including the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.
End of activity
- The 55th Airlift Flight was inactivated at Osan Air Base on July 1, 2007.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:56 (CET).