357th Airlift Squadron

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357th Airlift Squadron
357th Airlift Squadron of Maxwell AFB, AL C130 takeoff "City of Montgomery"
Active	1942–1944; 1944–1946; 1952–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	Maxwell Air Force Base
Engagements	Air Offensive, Japan; Eastern Mandates; Western Pacific[1]
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1]
Insignia
357th Airlift Squadron emblem (approved 26 June 1986)[1]
357th Tactical Airlift Squadron emblem (1986)[2]
357th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 20 November 1945)[3]

The 357th Airlift Squadron is a Tactical Airlift unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command and part of the 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. It operates Lockheed C-130H Hercules aircraft providing global airlift. The 357th AS operates (8) C-130H2 aircraft that were built in the 1990s, which utilize Flight Engineers and Navigators, along with the crew complement of Pilots and Loadmasters.

The 908th Airlift Wing^[4] contributes the US' defense by providing airlift and related services through the dedicated efforts of more than 1,200 Reservists and eight C-130 Hercules aircraft. Unit Reservists fly approximately 1 million miles annually engaging in training operations and supporting real-world missions. The 908th Airlift Wing, home based at historic Maxwell-Gunter AFB in Montgomery, Ala., is the state's only Air Force Reserve unit. The day-to-day operations of the 908th are handled by a group of approximately 175 civil servants known as Air Reserve Technicians who also serve as Reservists, and a small number of civilian employees who do not have Reserve status.