89th Airlift Squadron

89th Airlift Squadron
A squadron C-141 Starlifter supporting Operation Deep Freeze
Active	1943–1945; 1949–1951; 1952–1957; 1982–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Nickname(s)	Rhinos
Engagements	Operation Overlord Operation Dragoon Operation Market Garden Battle of Bastogne
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Col Eric Florschuetz
Insignia
89th Airlift Squadron emblem (Approved 15 August 1985)[1]
World War II Fuselage Code	4U

The 89th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 445th Operations Group, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The squadron was first activated in June 1943 as the 89th Troop Carrier Squadron. After training in the United States, it served in the European Theater of Operations, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for its action on D-Day during Operation Overlord. After VE Day. the unit returned to the United States, where it was inactivated.

The squadron was activated in the Air Force Reserve in June 1949. It trained in troop carrier operations at Offutt Air Force Base until March 1951, when it was called to active duty and its personnel used as fillers for other units. It was activated again in the reserves as a fighter-bomber unit the following year and served until 1957, when reserve fighter units were replaced by troop carrier units. It was again activated in the reserve in 1972 as the 89th Tactical Fighter Squadron'. It returned to the airlift mission in 1994.