143d Airlift Squadron The 143d Airlift Squadron ( 143d AS ) is a unit of the Rhode Island Air National Guard 143d Airlift Wing located at Quonset Point Air National Guard Station , Rhode Island . The 143d is equipped with the C - 130J Hercules . The squadron is a descendant organization of the 152d Observation Squadron , established on 21 August 1939 . It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II . History . The origins of the 143d Airlift Squadron begin in 1915 when concerned Rhode Island residents banded together in the true spirit of the citizen - soldier to purchase two Curtis Model " F " Flying Boats , one of which was assigned to the Rhode Island National Guard . The border conflict in Mexico and America ' s entry into the First World War prevented much use , and in 1919 the National Guard aircraft , now obsolete , was sold as surplus . World War II . In 1939 President Roosevelt increased measures to prepare the Armed Forces for the inevitable American involvement in World War II . The State of Rhode Island was allocated one of only two new observation squadrons authorized by Congress that year . On 21 August 1939 the 152d Observation Squadron was organized . Less than one year later , on 25 November 1940 it was federalized for extended active duty . The training paid off . After American entry into World War II , the 152d Observation Squadron immediately took up its primary mission of anti - submarine patrols along the Northeastern shipping lanes . In September 1944 the unit , now designated the 37th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron , transferred overseas . Assigned to the Fifteenth Air Force , squadron pilots flew Photo Reconnaissance missions in northern Italy , southern Germany and the Balkans until the end of the war in Europe in June 1945 . Rhode Island Air National Guard . The wartime 37th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron was reactivated and re - designated as the 152d Fighter Squadron , and was allotted to the Rhode Island Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at T . F . Green Municipal Airport , Warwick , Rhode Island and was extended federal recognition on 152d Fighter - Bomber Squadron as the 152d Fighter - Bomber Squadron by the National Guard Bureau . The 152d Fighter - Bomber Squadron was entitled to the history , honors , and colors of the 37th . The squadron was equipped with F - 47 Thunderbolt s and was assigned to the Continental Air Command First Air Force . Air defense . In 1952 the 152d was transferred to Air Defense Command , given a mission of air defense for Rhode Island , eastern Long Island and over the Atlantic approaches of New York City . In order to accomplish this , the unit was equipped with long - range F - 51D Mustang s . In 1956 the United States Air Force , in an effort to upgrade to an all jet fighter force , required Air National Guard Aerospace Defense Command units to upgrade to jet - powered aircraft . The Rhode Island Airport Commission and National Guard authorities found themselves in a conflict over the use of T . F . Green Municipal Airport for tactical jet operations . Unable to resolve these differences the Air Force inactivated the squadron and the National Guard Bureau transferred the 152d Fighter Interceptor Squadron to the Arizona Air National Guard . However , the National Guard Bureau ' s desire to have an Air National Guard flying unit located in every state brought a new mission and the numeric designation to the Rhode Island Air National Guard , the 143d Air Resupply Squadron using propeller - driven aircraft . The 143d Air Resupply Squadron was bestowed the lineage and history of the inactivated Rhode Island ANG 152d Fighter Interceptor Squadron . The 152d FIS , now part of the Arizona Air National Guard was granted federal recognition as a new organization , with no history or lineage to the Rhode Island Air National Guard . Special operations . The 143d Air Resupply Squadron was assigned to the Military Air Transport Service . It was designated at the time as a " Psychological Warfare " unit which supported USAF unconventional warfare ( guerrilla warfare ) , direct action ( commando - type raids ) , strategic reconnaissance ( intelligence gathering ) , and PSYWAR operations . The unit was assigned the Grumman SA - 16A Albatross seaplane and for a short time retained the Douglas C - 47 Skytrain . There were several minor mission designation changes , and the C - 47 was eventually replaced by the Curtis C - 46 Commando . In 1963 the first major mission change for the 143d occurred . Situations around the world produced a need for specialized units which could insert a small group of trained combat troops on land or sea anywhere at a moments notice . The 143d was tasked as one of the representatives of the National Guard in the Air Force ' s Air Commando Group structure . The C - 46 was replaced with Helio U - 10A and U - 10D Courier s . During a three - year period starting in 1965 , the U - 10s belonging to the 143d and other Air National Guard units were transferred back to the Air Force for use in South Vietnam , during which the " Helio " was replaced by DeHavilland U - 6 " Beavers " . In 1968 the U - 10s returned from their tour of duty in South Vietnam , and on 1 July , the Rhode Island Air National Guard 143d Special Operations Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level . The 143d Special Operations Group was established by the National Guard Bureau , with the 143d SOS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 143d Headquarters , 143d Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 143d Combat Support Squadron , and the 143d USAF Dispensary . The Grumman SA - 16 " Albatross " flown by 143d pilots since 1955 was replaced in 1968 with an updated version of the " Albatross " , the HU - 16 . With twice the cargo capability and range , the HU - 16 opened up new avenues of opportunity as was demonstrated in 1970 . Flight and Ground crews of the 143d assisted scientists and engineers of the Naval Underwater Systems Center , conducting studies of undersea acoustics , at Lake Tanganyika in Africa during April and again in August at Hudson Bay , Canada . The unit would work in the Special Operations field for seven more years , during which the HU - 16 aircraft were eventually retired in 1972 and replaced with Fairchild C - 119G / L " Flying Boxcars " . Tactical airlift . In 1975 as part of a general program to upgrade Air National Guard units the 143d was redesignated as a Tactical Airlift Group and assigned Lockheed C - 130A Hercules aircraft . In 1980 the 143d Tactical Airlift Group moved from T . F . Green airport to its new home at Quonset Air National Guard Base . As global airlifters , Rhode Island " Herks " were found in all parts of the United States , Europe , Africa , South America and the Caribbean . The 143d played a vital role in deployments such as Volant Oak , Volant Pine , Red Flag , Dragon Hammer , Volant Rodeo competitions and humanitarian efforts such as " Operation Toy Lift " which provided toys to the children of Granada on 1986 . In 1989 , the 143d was selected for conversion to the C - 130E Model . In 1990 unit volunteers provided support during Operation Desert Shield . In September , unit members flew out of Rhein - Main Air Base , Germany to support operational missions from Turkey and Saudi Arabia . The second group of volunteers arrived at RAF Mildenhall , England in January 1991 and was in the theater of operations when Operation Desert Shield turned into Operation Desert Storm . With the defeat of the Iraqi forces and the end of the Gulf War , members returned home in June 1991 and were released from active duty . As part of Air Mobility Command the unit continued to be called upon to support State , Federal , and UN activities throughout the world . Volunteers from the 143d participated in many United Nations relief missions ; Somalia in 1992 , Operation Provide Promise in 1993 flying daylight air - land missions into Sarajevo along with night airdrops over remote areas of Bosnia - Herzegovina . On 1 October 1995 the group was elevated to Wing status . In 1998 the Air Force formed the Expeditionary Air Force ( EAF ) ; smaller sized war fighting " packages " able to rapidly respond to regional conflicts . The Wing has participated in five AEF cycles , supporting Operation Joint Forge in the Balkans , Operation Southern Watch in Southwest Asia and Coronet Oak in South America . Current operations . On 11 September 2001 , the 143d responded to the call again , deploying unit members to Ground Zero , to US bases for homeland security and implemented 24 - hour operations at Quonset . The 143d AW has supported the Global War on Terror by not only becoming a bridge to and from the theater but by also providing airlift in support of the war effort . The 143d AW provided the 1st ever C - 130J Aircraft in a combat role by the U . S . Air Force in December 2004 and continued to support the war effort with both the C - 130E and C - 130J until retiring the C - 130E in 2005 . The 143d AW also provided and continues to provide the much needed troop support within Southwest Asia and many other areas of the world . In December 2001 , the 143d received its first C - 130J - 30 . The Wing became the first in the Air Force to receive the " stretch " version of the " J " model . As the most modern tactical airlifter in the world , the C - 130J - 30 can carry more cargo or personnel farther , faster , and more economically than the C - 130E proving its increased airlift capability . The fleet for the 143d was completed with the arrival of the eighth J - model at Quonset on 15 June 2007 . The location of Quonset being the eastern most C - 130 base has provided the 143d AW with a unique opportunity to become a " bridge " between Europe and the Continental United States in support of Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom .