109th Airlift Squadron The 109th Airlift Squadron ( 109 AS ) is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard 133d Airlift Wing located at Minneapolis – Saint Paul Joint Air Reserve Station , Minnesota . The squadron is equipped with the C - 130H Hercules . The 109th AS is the oldest unit in the Minnesota Air National Guard , having over 90 years of service to the state and nation . It is a descendant organization of the World War I 109th Aero Squadron , established on 27 August 1917 . It was reformed on 17 January 1921 , as the 109th Observation Squadron , being the first of 29 National Guard aviation squadrons to receive federal recognition following World War I . History . World War I . The 109th Airlift Squadron traces its origins to the 109th Aero Squadron , being organized on 28 August 1917 at Kelly Field , Texas . The men of the squadron were from almost every section of the United States , recruited largely though the Columbus Barracks , Ohio and the Recruit Depot at Fort Thomas , Kentucky . At Kelly Field , the squadron was put into indoctrination training , with drills , hikes , guard duty , fatigue work and other things that are done in military training camps . Once basic indoctrination training was completed , the 109th was ordered for overseas duty , being ordered to report to the Aviation Concentration Center , Garden City , Long Island on 24 October . It was there that final arrangements were made for the trip overseas , complete equipment was drawn and a final few transfers were made . The squadron left Garden City on 7 December 1917 in a train bound for St . John ' s , Newfoundland , arriving on 10 December . There , it boarded on the it boarded the SS Tuscania , and proceeded across the Atlantic and arrived at Liverpool , England on 26 December . It then moved by train to the English Channel port of Southampton , where it waited at a Rest Camp for several days before crossing to Le Harve , France on 28 December . It again waited for transportation at Le Harve before finally arriving at the Replacement Concentration Center , AEF , St . Maixent Replacement Barracks , France , arriving on 2 January 1918 . On 17 January 1918 , the squadron was again moved , this time to Romorantin Aerodrome , in central France . There , along with the 75th Aero Construction Squadron and the 116th Aero Squadron , it was part of the first regular detachments of Americans to be stationed at the airfield . It was quartered in French barracks at the Camp de Bluets , on the outskirts of the town of Romorantin . Members of the squadrons were at once put into construction work to develop the Air Service Production Center No . 2 . Work was performed in erecting buildings and also the construction of a railroad line into the camp next to the airfield . After several weeks of basic construction at the camp , much of the work was transferred to Chinese laborers who began to arrive and the Americans wee placed in charge of details of these workers . On 1 February , the designation of the squadron was changed from the 107th to the 802d Aero Squadron . The squadron was reassigned to the Transportation Division , Air Service on 20 February , its work becoming the construction of the first vehicle repair shop on the field , installing machinery . Large qualities of vehicles had begun to arrive , and the men were put to work in their assembly . Automobile trucks , trailers , tractors and over vehicles were continually arriving damaged from the front and this equipment was either salvaged or repaired . Some squadron members were assigned to duty with the Railway and Marine Sub - Divisions and assisted in the operation of the narrow - gauge line between Romorantin and Pruniers . Also , as part of the Transportation Division , many of the men were detailed for Convoy Duty . At one time or another , every man in the squadron did duty as a driver of some kind of motor vehicle . This work consisted in conveying truck trains loaded with various kinds of materiel , supplies and equipment from the various Base Ports along the coast and the supply depots in France to places along the front from Belgium to the American sector in Alsace - Lorraine . During the early spring of 1918 , a large detachment of men from the 802d was sent to Orly Field , near Paris . For several months , these men were attached to several French Army units as truck drivers , and in this capacity , made frequent trips to the Front and were often under enemy fire . Also , the detachment around Paris was constantly subject to German air raids directed at Paris , and many of the men were in Paris when the " Grand Bertha " long range artillery was using the Eiffel tower as an aiming point . Many of the men narrowly escaped death while being in and around Paris at the time , as well as the convoy duty to the front and back to Orly . When the great German drives threatened to smash the lines north of Paris in March and later in the summer of 1918 , members of the squadron did their bit in moving troops , hauling ammunition and supplies to the front , while others worked at the depots loading trucks and being prepared to help in the evacuation of Paris if necessary . When the American Army halted the German ' s big drive at Chateau Thierry , for many days members of the 803d assisted in moving troops and supplies to the front lines and in transporting the wounded to the rear . On this and numerous other occasions they also helped the civilian population in escaping from the battle lines . During the summer of 1918 , members of the squadron not assigned to convoy work were kept busy at Romorantin repairing and assembling vehicles . On many occasions the men worked day and night to fill rush orders from the front for equipment . During October 1918 , almost all members of the squadron , with the exception of 40 men retained for convoy duty , were reassigned to the airplane shops at Romorantin . In these shops , the men assisted in the assembly of Dayton - Wright DH - 4 " Liberty " planes , recently arrived by ship from the United States . After the signing of the Armistice with Germany on 11 November , the entire squadron was again assigned to transportation and convoy duty , this time performing collection of equipment from front - line units and also moving personnel back from the lines . The 803d returned to the United States in late May 1918 . Arrived at Mitchel Field , New York , where the squadron members were demobilized and returned to civilian life . Minnesota National Guard . In 1920 the Minnesota National Guard organized an aviation squadron , the 109th , on paper . On 26 September 1920 the Adjutant General , the Assistant Adjutant General , and Captain Ray S . Miller rented a Curtiss Oriole biplane to launch an 8 - day flight to Washington D . C . Their aim was to have the 109th Observation Squadron recognised as the first federally recognized National Guard flying squadron . Subsequently the 109th Observation Squadron , the predecessor to today ' s Minnesota Air National Guard , passed muster inspection , and was federally recognized by the Militia Department on 17 January 1921 . It was the first National Guard aviation squadron to receive federal recognition following the First World War . On recognition or beforehand the squadron was assigned as a divisional observation unit for the 34th Division of the National Guard . It began flight operations , flying the JN - 6H " Jennys " in 1923 . The 109th had nine aircraft in their inventory , and the Jenny was the first aircraft assigned the 109th Observation Squadron in 1922 . However , before they would receive the “ Jenny ’ s ” the Squadron had to move from Curtiss Field in St . Paul to Speedway Field in Minneapolis . The 109th flew out of Speedway Field , a former auto race track . Jenny ' s were flown by the 109th through the end of 1927 . World War II . It was called to federal duty in 1941 ( World War II ) . The 109th Observation Squadron was assigned to the 67th Observation Group at Esler Army Airfield , Louisiana in Aug 1941 . The Squadron flew antisubmarine patrols along the Gulf of Mexico coastline after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . The 109th was transferred to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) , Aug - Oct 1942 , becoming part of the VIII Fighter Command of Eighth Air Force and then in late 1943 it came under the command of the IX Fighter Command of Ninth Air Force . In May 1943 remained the 109th Reconnaissance Squadron and then the 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in Nov 1943 and then another name change in 1945 to the 109th Reconnaissance Squadron . In addition to flying photo reconnaissance missions in support of the strategic bombing missions in the ETO , the 109th flew photo reconnaissance missions in preparation for the D - Day landing at Normandy . The Squadron , also , flew photo reconnaissance missions over the V - 1 bomb sites in France . The Squadron returned to the USA in September 1945 and was disbanded in March 1946 . Minnesota Air National Guard . The wartime 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was re - activated and re - designated as the 109th Fighter Squadron , and was allotted to the Minnesota Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Wold - Chamberlain Field , Minneapolis , and was extended federal recognition on 28 August 1947 by the National Guard Bureau . The 109th Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history , honors , and colors of the 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron . The squadron was equipped with F - 51D Mustang s and was assigned to the 133d Fighter Group . The new unit ' s mission was the air defense of Minnesota . Air Defense . On 2 March 1951 the 109th was federalized and brought to active - duty due to the Korean War . It remained assigned to the 133d Fighter - Interceptor Group and initially was moved to Holman Field , St . Paul when activated . It was returned to Wold - Chamberlain Field , Minneapolis on 28 June for the remainder of its activation . It was reassigned to the Air Defense Command 31st Air Division on 6 February 1952 , and returned to the control of the State of Minnesota on 1 December 1952 After the Korean War , the squadron was re - formed by 1 January 1953 and resumed its air defense mission . Was upgraded by ADC in 1954 to the dedicated F - 94A Starfire all - weather interceptor . With this new aircraft , the mission of the 109th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron changed from day interceptor to day and night all - weather interceptor . In 1958 the 109th again upgraded to the improved F - 89H Scorpion . Strategic Airlift . In 1960 , the 133d FIG was reassigned to Military Air Transport Service ( MATS ) , trading in its air defense interceptors for 4 - engines C - 97 Stratofreighter transports . With air transportation recognized as a critical wartime need , the unit was re - designated the 133d Air Transport Group ( Heavy ) . During the 1961 Berlin Crisis , both the Group and squadron were federalized on 1 October 1961 . From Minneapolis , the 109th ATS augmented MATS airlift capability world - wide in support of the Air Force ' s needs . It returned again to Minnesota state control on 31 August 1962 . Throughout the 1960s , the unit flew long - distance transport missions in support of Air Force requirements , frequently sending aircraft to Hawaii , Japan , the Philippines , and during the Vietnam War , to both South Vietnam , Okinawa and Thailand . Tactical Airlift . The C - 97s were retired in 1971 and the 133d TAG was transferred to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) . It transitioned to the C - 130A Hercules theater transport , flying missions in support of TAC throughout the United States and Alaska . In 1974 the unit was returned to Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) when TAC transferred out its troop carrier mission . In the early 1970s , USAF ' s " Total Force " policy brought the wing into full partnership with its Air Force counterparts by mandating co - operation and teamwork between Air Guard and active duty Air Force units in all phases of military airlift operations . As a result , in succeeding years the unit ' s C - 130s traveled to all corners of the world , airlifting troops , passengers , and cargo during training missions , exercise deployments , and real - world military operations to support Federal and State military airlift requirements . The unit has been upgraded over the years with newer C - 130E aircraft in 1981 and currently flies the C - 130H , which it received in 1995 . 2011 marked the 90th anniversary of the 1921 decision to make Minnesota ' s 109th Aero Squadron the first federally - recognized National Guard flying unit in the country . To commemorate the heritage of the Minnesota Air National Guard , the 133d Airlift Wing hosted an Air Expo , welcoming upwards of 15 , 000 members of the community to the base to celebrate . During 2011 , the 109th Airlift Squadron deployed 528 Airmen to 17 countries , serving in support of U . S . operations worldwide , including humanitarian missions to Africa , Honduras and Indonesia . The squadron provides combat - ready air crews , support personnel , and aircraft for the airlift of passengers and cargo anywhere in the world . Upon direction of the Governor , the unit furnishes personnel and equipment , including aircraft , to assist in natural disaster relief or to safeguard life and property in Minnesota .