130th Troop Carrier Squadron

130th Airlift Squadron
C-130H Hercules (s/n 88-1307) from the 130th Airlift Squadron, 130th Airlift Group, West Virginia Air National Guard flies over the United Arab Emirates during a troop-carrying mission in support of operation Desert Storm, 1991.
Active	1 October 1955-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	West Virginia
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Airlift
Part of	West Virginia Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Charleston Air National Guard Base, Charleston, West Virginia
Patron	"Mountaineers In Green"
Tail Code	Blue tail stripe, "Charlie West" in yellow letters with state map
Insignia
130th Airlift Squadron

The 130th Airlift Squadron (130 AS) is a unit of the West Virginia Air National Guard 130th Airlift Wing located at Charleston Air National Guard Base, Charleston, West Virginia. 130th is equipped with the C-130H Hercules.

The West Virginia Air National Guard was authorized to expand to two squadrons in 1955 by the National Guard Bureau. On 1 October, the 130th Troop Carrier Squadron was organized at Kanawha Airport, Charleston and was extended federal recognition. The squadron was assigned to Tactical Air Command, which placed it under its Eighteenth Air Force. It was equipped with Grumman HU-16 Albatross amphibians and C-46 Commando troop transports. The mission of the 130th TCS was primarily Air Commando special operations missions.

On 1 July 1960 the 130th was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 130th Air Commando Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 130th was re-designated as an Air Commando squadron and became the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the group headquarters, 130th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 130th Combat Support Squadron, and the 130th USAF Dispensary. Aircraft assigned to the new group were upgraded to C-119 Flying Boxcars and U-10D Super Courier combat observation aircraft.

Continuing its mission and training with the active duty 1st Air Commando Group in northern Florida, in 1968 HQ USAF directed all Air Commando organizations be re-designated as "Special Operations" units to be more descriptive of their mission. Through the 1960s and into the 1970s the 130th participated in many international missions and received recognition for its performance. This included the 130th being awarded the Spaatz Trophy four times as the "Outstanding Flying Unit in the Country " and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award five times.