457th Airlift Squadron

457th Airlift Squadron
Emblem of the 457th Airlift Squadron
Active	1 July 1942 - 27 December 1945 27 June 1949 - 16 June 1951 12 October 1966 - 30 April 1972 1 April 1975 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Mobility Command 18th Air Force 375th Air Mobility Wing 375th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Andrews Air Force Base
Motto(s)	The Wings of Command
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

The 457th Airlift Squadron (457 AS) is part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing and is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. It operates C-21 aircraft providing executive airlift.

Established in mid-1942 under II Bomber Command as a B-17 Flying Fortress Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Operated until March 1944 with the end of Heavy Bomber training.

Re-designated on 1 April 1944 as a B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron. When training was completed moved to North Field Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.

Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, but the first ten-day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.

The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria.