The 537th Airlift Squadron, which traces its lineage to the last days of World War II, was reactivated in ceremonies at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, on 6 May 2011. The 537th AS, an active duty Air Force unit, will be made up of approximately 100 personnel and will team up with the 144th AS, the Alaska Air National Guard C-130H squadron that recently relocated to Elmendorf. Airmen of the 537th AS will be using the Guard's aircraft and the crews will fly integrated flights with each other. The squadron was reactivated during the Vietnam War. Based at Phu Cat AB, South Vietnam, the unit, then known as the 537th Tactical Airlift Squadron, flew C-7 Caribou transports.
