Lt. Col. Rodney Lewis tells his airmen, "Remember who you are."

He wants to remind them that they are part of a rich heritage.

"This is a way for me to remind them of the sacrifices made before they arrived in the squadron and to understand that we will leave our legacy," Lewis said. "The 4th airlift squadron is steeped in rich history that began in 1935. As you look through the artifacts in the squadron it is evident you are looking at American history. In addition, you can visually see how our Air Force history evolved from the Army Air Corp as a Troop Carrier Squadron ... the legacy we are building will stand the test of time. I'm so proud of our squadron history and our future."

Lewis, the 4th Airlift Squadron commander, and his airmen will celebrate the squadron's 75th anniversary on July 9 with activities at Heritage Hill, the area located behind their headquarters building.

With Lewis presiding over the event, the celebration will include words from former squadron commander Brig. Gen. William J. Bender, who serves as the director of Warfighter Systems Integration, will be the keynote speaker in a formal remembrance ceremony, which will be followed by an alumni barbecue.

The event is intended to highlight the history of the 4th Airlift Squadron, which began when it was constituted as the 4th Provisional Transport Squadron in March 1935.  Since then, the 4th AS, which now has 134 airmen, has endured several name changes and relocations.

The squadron transitioned to McChord Field in 1947; and reactivated as the 4th Troop Carrier Squadron in 1949. That same year saw the 4th Troop Carrier Squadron transition to the C-54 Skymaster, and the following year, moving to Japan for stationing at Ashiya Air Base, and later at Tachikawa Air Base. The unit provided aerial transportation from the United States to Japan and subsequently between Japan and Korea. Transitioning to the C-124 Globemaster II in 1951 and returning to McChord, the squadron relocated to Larson Air Force Base, Washington, in 1952. Finally, in 1960, the 4th Troop Carrier Squadron relocated to McChord and was redesignated as the 4th Air Transport Squadron on July 8, 1962, and on January 8, 1966 as the 4th Military Airlift Squadron.

Throughout the past 75 years, the squadron, which now flies C-17 Globemaster IIIs, has distinguished itself, and holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously active airlift squadron in the United States Air Force, as well as being the only Prime Nuclear Airlift Force Airlift Squadron in the Air Force.

However, the men and women who have served in the squadron are most important, Lewis said.

"Everyone associated with the squadron has a tremendous amount of pride and respect for our heritage," he said.

Senior Master Sgt. Keith Schnug, the 4th Airlift Squadron superintendent, grew up in the unit.

"I am pretty proud I am in the 4th," Schnug said. "I have spent 20 years of my career with the 4th.  The 4th is home for me."

However, spending so much time with the unit, Schnug has also seen a lot of change.

"I have watched advancements in airplanes, and the loss of crew positions," he said. "We no longer have navigators or flight engineers in the C-17s. The age levels of crew members have decreased. We have a lot more people who are cross-trained.  Many of the higher ranks came from fields other than loadmasters."

Although they lost some of the camaraderie that they had with larger crews, it is still a close knit group, he said.

"The camaraderie in this squadron is passed down from generation to generation," Schnug said. "It is one of the defining elements of the squadron."

Master Sgt. Dewey Green, chief loadmaster for the 4th Airlift Squadron, concurred. 

The unit is special, he said.

"We are told by people that there is just something about this unit," he said.  "You can't put your finger on one particular thing ... it just is."

For example, at the annual Chili Cook-off held in April of each year, more retirees than active duty airmen attend the event.  When people leave the 4th, they stay connected, said Cathi Rose, who has worked as the squadron's secretary for about 10 years.

"People come here and they leave, and come back," Rose said.  "They are still a part of it, even when they leave."