20th Airlift Squadron
 | |
|---|---|
 437th Military Airlift Wing C-141 escorted by F-106s in 1980 | |
| Active | 1942–1943; 1954–1997 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Strategic airlift |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Nickname(s) | Double X Squadron[1] |
| Motto(s) | Firmitas per Mobilitatem Latin Strength Through Mobility[2] |
| Engagements | American Defense (World War II) Southwest Asia Service Operation Just Cause |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm |
| Insignia | |
| 20th Airlift Squadron emblem Modified to place on disc as required for squadron emblems)[2] |  |
| Patch with 20th Air Transport Squadron emblem (Approved 5 December 1956) |  |
The 20th Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 60th Operations Group of Air Mobility Command at Travis Air Force Base, California, where it was inactivated on 31 December 1997.
The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the 20th Air Corps Ferrying Squadron and ferried various aircraft on the North Atlantic ferrying route until 1943, when it was replaced by Station 3, North Atlantic Wing, Air Transport Command in a reorganization of Air Transport Command units.
The squadron was activated again in 1952 as the 20th Air Transport Squadron when Military Air Transport Service (MATS) replaced its Major Command controlled (four digit) airlift squadrons with Air Force controlled squadrons. When MATS turned Westover Air Force Base over to Strategic Air Command, the squadron moved to Dover Air Force Base. It upgraded to jet-propelled Lockheed C-141 Starlifters in 1965, and flew them until it was inactivated in 1997.
- ^ "History of the "Double X" Squadron". XX Alumini Association. 2007. Archived from the original on 16 January 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ^ a b Endicott (unpaginated)