167th Airlift Squadron The 167th Airlift Squadron ( 167 AS ) is a unit of the West Virginia Air National Guard 167th Airlift Wing located at Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base , Martinsburg , West Virginia . It is equipped with the C - 5 Galaxy intercontinental heavy airlifter . History . World War II . Organized and trained in New England during 1943 . Moved to England in January 1944 , being assigned to VIII Fighter Command . Entered combat in mid - December 1943 , supported the invasion of Normandy during June 1944 by patrolling the English Channel , escorting bombardment formations to the French coast , and dive - bombing and strafing bridges , locomotives , and rail lines near the battle area . After D - Day , engaged chiefly in escorting bombers to oil refineries , marshalling yards , and other targets in such cities as Ludwigshafen , Stuttgart , Frankfurt , Berlin , Merseburg , and Brux . Continued combat operations until the German capitulation in May 1945 . Returned to the United States and was inactivated in November , 1945 . West Virginia Air National Guard . The Air National Guard designated the State of West Virginia as the resident state for the fighter squadron . On 24 May 1946 , Charleston ' s Kanawha Airport became the home base for the renamed 167th Fighter Squadron . The unit reactivated on 5 January 1947 and federally recognized effective 7 March 1947 . The assigned strength : 19 officers and 35 airmen . Within six months , the unit attained full manning strength . Early aircraft included the T - 6 Trainer , the F - 47 Thunderbolt and the F - 51 Mustang . The name , mission , size and even the site changed over the next 60 years , but the numbers " 167 " have remained constant with the West Virginia Air National Guard . On 10 October 1950 , the unit and all personnel were sworn in for 21 months of active duty during the Korean War . Most personnel and all aircraft became part of the 123d Fighter - Bomber Wing , located at Godman AFB , Kentucky . Some members transferred to RAF Manston near London , England , flying F - 84 Thunderjet aircraft . Other seasoned ( experienced ) pilots transferred to Far East Air Force for combat dury in the Korean War . Released from active duty on 9 July 1952 , the 167th Fighter Interceptor Squadron returned to Charleston , West Virginia and the F - 51 Mustang aircraft . The unit name changed to the 167th Fighter Bomber Squadron on 1 December 1952 . Because of limitations at Kanawha Airport at that time , that could not accommodate jet aircraft , a search for a new home in West Virginia began . Two sites considered were Beckley and Martinsburg . The cost of improvements at Beckley came to $ 5 , 978 , 000 and for Martinsburg $ 3 , 093 , 000 . Though Beckley campaigned hard , Martinsburg received approval as the new site on 21 September 1955 . Martinsburg had to raise funds to purchase the 200 acres needed to expand the runway . Two hundred citizens signed notes , totaling over $ 160 , 000 , to guarantee sufficient money for buying the land until a bond issue could be voted on by the citizens . The official move came on 3 December 1955 , when the 167th left Charleston and opened on 4 December 1955 at Martinsburg . Shortly thereafter , equipment moved to the new site and active recruiting commenced to achieve full authorized personnel strength . New construction and the increase of manpower continued in 1956 . The aircraft assigned included the F - 51 Mustang , T - 6 Trainer , and a C - 47 Skytrain . The immediate need became to recruit 70 airmen and 10 officers . By 1956 , manning grew to a strength of 399 airmen and 44 officers . The 167th Fighter Interceptor Squadron dedicated its new facilities on 4 October 1958 . On 10 November 1958 , the unit became the 167th Tactical Fighter Squadron and a member of the Tactical Air Command . In 1956 and 1957 , the unit flew F - 51 Mustangs and T - 28 ' s . The 167th was the last Air National Guard squadron flying the F - 51 Mustang . Following a two - year construction phase the unit received single engine jet fighter / interceptors , the F - 86 Sabre . In an announcement on 31 January 1961 , the 167th learned it would gain change aircraft . On 1 April , the unit received C - 119 Flying Boxcar s , manufactured by Fairchild . A new mission and name change also took effect : The 167th Aeromedical Transport Squadron , Light . The mission became evacuation and care of the sick and wounded . The changes resulted in an increase of manpower and the addition of nurses to the unit . The authorized strength had grown to 572 total airmen and officers . Aircraft changes in 1963 saw the arrival of the C - 121 Super Constellation with its worldwide operating capability . Staffing increased to 604 enlisted and 107 officers . Overseas missions flown to Puerto Rico , the Azores , France , England , West Germany , Spain and Bermuda were not uncommon . The unit began flying missions to the Pacific areas in 1965 and 1966 . During 1966 , the Super Constellations made 103 overseas flights , including 26 to South Vietnam and 77 to other outpost such as Thailand , Australia , Japan and the Philippines , carrying 1198 tons of military cargo and 1390 passengers . The unit anticipated that it would be inactivated 1 July 1967 , since no projected program had been specified beyond that date . A new campaign began to find new aircraft , a new mission or to justify continuance of the old mission . Senator Robert C . Byrd became active in securing a new mission . An announcement in December stated that the unit would be assigned an aeromedical aircraft mission , thus keeping the unit alive . Nurses became a particularly critical specialty during this period . New construction included an engine build - up shop , squadron operations building , maintenance dock , civil engineering and aerospace ground equipment buildings . In 1972 , the unit began the transition into the Lockheed C - 130 Hercules and , as a result , another new mission . In June of that year , the unit became the 167th Tactical Airlift Group and moved from the Military Airlift Command to the Tactical Airlift Command . Late in 1977 , the unit received " B " model C - 130s . The 1986 , the number of aircraft assigned increased , and in 1989 , the " B " model was replaced with the " E " model . 1 June 1992 , saw the unit ' s name change again . This time , the 167th Tactical Airlift Group became the 167th Airlift Group . Reorganization placed the unit in the Air Mobility Command . Other activities involving the unit were hosting of the Apple Harvest Festival in October , a Volant Oak rotation in October and November and the involvement of aircraft and crews with Operation Provide Promise . Provide Promise support took place from July 1992 to January 1993 . In 1995 , the unit began conversion training for the C - 130H - 3 in the first quarter and transferred most of the " E " models to the Illinois Air National Guard 182d Airlift Wing , Peoria , Illinois . The unit celebrated its 40th anniversary on 10 June 1995 with an open house and dance . The 167th Airlift Group was redesignated the 167th Airlift Wing on 1 October 1995 . The 167th Airlift Squadron was reassigned to the new 167th Operations Group under the objective wing structure of the new Wing . Since the Sept . 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington , D . C . , the unit has had members deployed to the four corners of the world in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM . Unit members have received six Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts in support of these operations . In March 2002 , West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd announced that the unit would transition to the C - 5 Galaxy aircraft . On December 4 , 2006 the first C - 5 aircraft assigned to the unit landed at Shepherd Field . Ten more aircraft were assigned to the squadron . There are currently eleven C - 5a aircraft assigned . On March 28 , 2007 the unit launched its first C - 5 mission from Shepherd Air Field . After a brief stop at Dover Air Force Base , the aircraft continued on to Camp Lemonier , Djibouti , Africa , delivering two CH - 53E Super Stallion helicopters ( used for humanitarian assistance , personnel and equipment movement , and noncombatant casualty evacuations ) and more than 60 marines supporting Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa . Recently , the 167th Airlift Wing was tasked to provide transportation for NASA ' s Ares I - X Crew Module , Launch Abort System Simulator , and related equipment . On January 27 , 2009 the unit launched a C - 5 aircraft to the Shuttle Landing Facility located at Langley Air Force Base , Virginia . The crew loaded a 70 - foot trailer carrying the Launch Abort System and a 50 - foot trailer carrying the Crew Module . The cargo was delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida the following day . Since 2003 , approximately $ 280 , 000 , 000 has been utilized in the C - 5 facility conversion program . These projects include site prep , an air control tower , a flight simulator facility , ramp and hydrant upgrades , a corrosion control hangar , a fuel cell hangar , runway upgrades and extensions , a fire station , a supply warehouse , apron and jet fuel storage , taxiway upgrades , and a new squadron operations facility is in progress .