96th Airlift Squadron The 96th Airlift Squadron ( 96 AS ) is part of the 934th Airlift Wing at Minneapolis - St Paul Joint Air Reserve Station , Minnesota . It operates C - 130 Hercules aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide . Mission . Fly C - 130H cargo aircraft , both airdrop ping and airlanding cargo and people . History . Activated in July 1943 as an I Troop Carrier Command C - 47 Skytrain Squadron . After training in the United States , at various bases , sent to Baer Field , Indiana for final equipping with aircraft , personnel and other equipment . Deployed to Ninth Air Force in England , assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command in February 1944 during the build - up prior to the Invasion of France . During the D - Day Invasion , the squadron dropped paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division in Normandy , subsequently flying numerous missions to bring in reinforcements and needed supplies . During the airborne attack on The Netherlands ( Operation Market Garden , September 1944 ) , the squadron dropped paratroops , towed gliders , and flew resupply missions . Later participated in the invasion of southern France in August 1944 . The squadron supported the 101st Airborne Division in the Battle of the Bulge by towing gliders full of supplies near Bastogne on 27 December 1944 . In addition , its units participated in the air assault across the Rhine River in early 1945 ( Operation Varsity ) and later flew numerous freight missions to carry gasoline , food , medicine , and other supplies to allied ground forces during the Western Allied invasion of Germany in April 1945 near Wesel . The squadron also hauled food , clothing , medicine , gasoline , ordnance equipment , and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals . It transported displaced persons from Germany to France and Belgium after V - E Day . Remained in Europe during the summer of 1945 , inactivating as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe , October 1945 . Reactivated in the reserve as a C - 46 Commando troop carrier squadron in Minneapolis , Minnesota during 1947 . Was federalized as a result of the Korean War in 1951 , squadron personnel and aircraft being sent to active - duty units as fillers , inactivated as an administrative unit a few days later . Reactivated after the Korean War as a reserve fighter - bomber squadron for Tactical Air Command in 1952 initially equipped with F - 51 Mustang s , later upgraded to F - 80 Shooting Star jet aircraft . Re - designated back to a troop carrier squadron in 1957 under TAC ' s Eighteenth Air Force . Carried out theater transport operations and supported Air Force and Army units with troop carrier missions . Was activated during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis , carried Army units to South Florida in preparation of a possible invasion of Cuba . Returned Army personnel to home stations after situation was normalized and returned to reserve service . The squadron flew airlift missions worldwide , including to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War and to Southwest Asia during the Gulf War . It has also participated in training exercises , some involving the dropping or landing of airborne troops , and flew numerous humanitarian airlift missions .