Air Force authorizes Berlin Airlift streamers

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Julie Weckerlein
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  Nearly 60 years after the operation, Air Force units involved in the Berlin Airlift are now authorized a new streamer to add to their unit guidons.

“A question was raised to Dick Anderegg (the Air Force historian) a couple months ago if the Berlin Airlift was a campaign, and if so, do we have a streamer for it?” said Lt. Col. Steven Dorfman, executive officer at the Air Force history office at the Pentagon. “The answer to (the streamer question) was ‘no’, which quickly raised the next question, ‘should we?’ And an even quicker reply was ‘absolutely.’”

After researching the subject, the U.S. Army Heraldry Institute approved all Berlin Airlift units for a battle streamer, using the colors representative of the Medal for Humane Action. Congress authorized the medal for participating units in 1952.

Air Force Chief of Staff General T. Michael Moseley presented the first streamer to Gen. Duncan T. McNabb, Air Mobility Command commander, during a ceremony Oct. 28. 

General McNabb then presented a symbolic streamer to retired Col. Gail Halvorsen during the Airlift/Tanker Association conference Oct. 29. Colonel Halversen is known as the "Candy Bomber" for dropping candy to children during the Berlin Airlift.

Though technically not a campaign, the Berlin Airlift is considered by historians as the first major undertaking by the U.S. Air Force.

“It was an expeditionary operation -- a humanitarian assistance" to people in need, said Colonel Dorfman. 

After Russia began a blockade June 24, 1948, that isolated the German city of Berlin, U.S. and British forces began a massive airlift operation, delivering food and supplies to isolated Berliners living in the British, French and U.S. sectors of the city.

Flights departed from Rhein-Main and Wiesbaden air bases as well as British bases at Celle, Wunstorf, Fassberg, Finkenwerder, Fuhlsbuettel, Luebeck and Schleswigland. They flew into three bases in Berlin.

Though some of the units involved in the Berlin Airlift are now inactive, the following still carry on the legacy of the Berlin Airlift. They are:

-- 60th Troop Carrier Wing (now 60th Air Mobility Wing)
-- 60th Troop Carrier Group (now 60th Operations Group)

-- 61st Troop Carrier Wing (now 61st Military Airlift Support Wing [inactive])
-- 61st Troop Carrier Group (now 61st Air Base Group [active in Air Force Space Command])
-- 313th Troop Carrier Wing (now 313th Air Expeditionary Wing [inactive])
-- 313th Troop Carrier Group (now 313th Expeditionary Operations Group [inactive])

-- 317th Troop Carrier Wing (now 317th Airlift Group)
-- 317th Troop Carrier Group (now 317th OG [inactive])

-- 19th Troop Carrier Squadron (now 19th Airlift Squadron [inactive])
-- 20th Troop Carrier Squadron (now 20th Expeditionary Airlift Flight)
-- 54th Troop Carrier Squadron (now 54th Air Refueling Squadron [active in Air Education and Training Command])