USAF NY Air Guard 139th Airlift Squadron LC-130H Patch
139th Airlift Squadron, New York Air National Guard
The 139th Airlift Squadron traces its origins to 23 July 1942, when it was activated at Morris Field, North Carolina, as part of the 337th Fighter Group. After World War II service, the unit was reorganized into the New York Air National Guard on 18 November 1948 at Schenectady County Airport, initially serving in an air defense role with F-94B Starfires and later F-86H Sabres. The squadron transitioned to strategic airlift on 2 January 1960 when the 109th was redesignated an Air Transport Group, equipped with C-97 Stratofreighter intercontinental transports, and was federalized during the 1961 Berlin Crisis from 1 October 1961 through 31 August 1962.
Transitioning to C-130 Hercules transports in 1971, the squadron provided critical disaster relief during Tropical Storm Agnes in June 1972. In 1975, the unit assumed responsibility for the Volant DEW Line resupply mission to Greenland's radar stations, and in October 1984 received its first ski-equipped LC-130H aircraft. The 109th Airlift Wing, with the 139th as its flying squadron, became the world's only operator of ski-equipped LC-130s, supporting the National Science Foundation's Antarctic and Arctic research programs. During the 2011-2012 season alone, six LC-130H Ski-Herks carried out 359 missions between McMurdo Station and eighteen inland Antarctic destinations, transporting over seven million pounds of cargo and more than 1,600 passengers.
The 139th deployed to Afghanistan in June 2007, marking the first time since Vietnam that unit aircraft flew in a combat theater. Today, the squadron continues its unique polar airlift mission from Stratton Air National Guard Base under the motto "Always Ready, Ever Willing."
Perfect For: 139th Airlift Squadron members, 109th Airlift Wing personnel, Air National Guard veterans, LC-130H Hercules enthusiasts, Antarctic operations supporters, and polar aviation collectors.
Celebrating the world's only ski-equipped Hercules squadron, whose unique mission bridges the frozen frontiers of both poles.
