140th Air Transport Squadron (Medium)

  May 1956 to September 1967

  United States of America

TYPE: USAF unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Spaatz Field, PA (1956-1961), Olmsted AFB, PA (1961-1967)

OTHER NAMES: 140^th Air Transport Squadron (Medium) (1956-1957), 140^th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (Light) (1957-1966), 140^th Military Airlift Squadron (1966-1967)

The 140^th Air Transport Squadron (Medium) was announced in 1955. The new unit was to take over the facilities and most of the personnel of the 148^th Fighter Bomber Squadron, which was to be transferred to York County Airport in Admire. All of the 148^th members became members of the 140^th, and the herculean task of converting everything from a fighter unit to a transport unit began. One of the biggest adjustments was that of converting aircraft from F-51 Mustangs to Commandos.

The first summer encampment for the newly organized 140^th Air Transport Squadron was held 28 July through 11 August 1956 along with the 112^th Fighter-Interceptor Wing from Pittsburgh, PA. The combined strength of the two units was 1,500 men, most of whom traveled to the encampment at Hancock Field in Syracuse, NY by bus. By this time, the fighter squadrons making up the 112^th Wing had been converted to F-84 while the 140^th had five C-46D's. The 140^th was attached to the 112^th Wing for the training period. The unit's transition from the single-engine fighter aircraft flown since 1947 reached a finale on 27 January 1957 when the last F-51 was flown out.

February 1957 brought two milestones: on 1 February the 140^th Air Transport Squadron was redesignated the 140^th Aeromedical Transport Squadron (Light), and on 27 February the personnel of the 140^th marked ten years of service as a unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. Because aircraft could evacuate medical cases more quickly and effectively than any other type of transport, air evacuation had become the accepted practice for moving military patients.

The mission of the 140^th Aeromedical Transport Squadron (Light) had a dual objective. During peacetime, the mission was to provide immediate and medically acceptable air transport service for evacuations within the Commonwealth. In wartime, the 140^th was to provide that same evacuation service for all military personnel while serving with the 12^th Aeromedical Transport Squadron Continental Division of the Military Air Transport Service.

Rather than fighter pilots flying gunnery practices at Indiantown Gap, over the Atlantic Ocean or Lake Ontario, the "new" transport pilots began running simulated evacuation flights in Commandos between Spaatz Field, PA and various hospital bases throughout the United States. There were 20 crews flying for the 140^th in 1957; each crew consisting of a pilot, copilot, flight mechanic, one nurse, and two medical technicians. In April, the Aeromedical Section was formed, and with the assignment of the first flight nurse Irene Svadeba, the training of qualified airmen to become aeromedical technicians had begun. Nurses' duties involved patient care including administering medications while in flight. The medical technicians assisted the nurses.

In April 1958, the 140^th Aeromedical Transport Squadron was again converting aircraft from the Commando to the Fairchild C-119J Flying Boxcar. The last Commando was retired that same year. The Squadron was inactivated on 17 September 1967.

1956 to August 1958*

• Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando: 44-77545, 44-77700, 44-77715