815th Airlift Squadron The 815th Airlift Squadron ( 815 AS ) is a flying unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command and part of the 403d Wing at Keesler Air Force Base , Mississippi . It operates C - 130J Hercules aircraft providing global airlfit . During World War II as the 815th Bombardment Squadron , it was one of the last B - 17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber squadrons deployed to Southern Italy as part of the Fifteenth Air Force 483d Bombardment Group in March 1944 . Mission . Support the theater commander with the capability to resupply the forces , provide for their airlift requirements and employment operations within the combat zone or forward areas , and when requested , to provide aeromedical / refugee evacuation and augment strategic airlift forces . The unit can perform precision air drop of supplies and paratroopers in all weather conditions either day or night , as well as perform day and night assault zone loadings . History . Established in late 1943 as a B - 17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron , trained under Third Air Force in Florida . Was deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations ( MTO ) , being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in Southern Italy . Engaged in long - range strategic bombardment of enemy military , industrial and transport targets , including oil refineries and production oilfields in Italy ; France ; Southern Germany ; Austria and the Balkans . Continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945 . After V - E Day , was assigned to Air Transport Command Green Project which was the movement of troops from Pisa Airfield staging area in Morocco . B - 17s were dearmed with flooring and seats for 25 passengers installed . Crew consisted of Pilot , Co - Pilot , Navigator and Flight Engineer . Carried passengers from Pisa to Port Lyautey Airfield , French Morocco where ATC transports moved them across the Atlantic or to Dakar for movement via South Atlantic Transport Route . Inactivated in Italy in September 1945 . Reactivated by Far East Air Force in 1952 in Japan as a C - 119 Troop Carrier squadron . Engaged in combat operations in South Korea transporting personnel and supplies to front - line units , under hazardous conditions . Also evacuated wounded personnel to hospital facilities in South Korea and Japan . Remained in Japan after the 1953 Armistice , providing intra - theater transport within Japan , South Korea and Okinawa , in 1958 was re - equipped with C - 130 Hercules aircraft . Continued intra - theater transport operations , also flying to locations in the Philippines , Thailand and Indochina , supporting United States civilian and military personnel assigned to the region . As the United States increased its combat presence in Indochina in the early 1960s , made frequent flights to airfields in South Vietnam and to locations within the country . As in South Korea , the flights within South Vietnam were extremely hazardous as the squadron operated within combat areas and frequently were under fire from communist forces during takeoff , landing and ground operations . Inactivated in December 1969 as part of the drawdown of US forces in Southeast Asia , and reactivated in April 1973 at Keesler Air Force Base , Mississippi , as a unit of the Air Force Reserve . It performed weather reconnaissance from , 1983 – 1987 , including flying into hurricanes to collect atmospheric data and retained weather reconnaissance capability until 1992 . It had tactical airlift responsibilities from 1973 – 1975 and since 1987 . It also took part in Operation Just Cause in Panama , December 1989 - January 1990 . The 815th AS was selected in May 1999 as the first unit in the U . S . Air Force to take delivery of the C - 130J variant and participated heavily in writing the book for " J " model operations . Along with a sister Air Mobility Command unit , the 41st Airlift Squadron , the 815th AS deployed the C - 130J into combat , and bested all previous C - 130 squadrons that were previously employed by setting numerous records in the theater for best aircraft availability , missions flown , as well as passengers and cargo carried . On 6 August 2010 the Air Force activated the 345th Airlift Squadron , an associate squadron composed of active duty personnel , at Keesler and integrated its members in operations of the 815th AS . On 21 March 2013 , the 403rd Wing announced that its C - 130J aircraft would be redeploying to Pope Air Force Base , North Carolina , beginning in October 2013 in preparation for inactivation of the 815th AS .