63rd Avionics Maint. Sq.

• Origins: The 63rd Avionics Maintenance Squadron (63rd AMS) was an integral part of the United States Air Force, specializing in the maintenance and support of aircraft avionics systems. • Strategic Air Command Connection: The 63rd AMS was assigned to the 63rd Military Airlift Wing, which was under the Military Airlift Command (MAC), and previously under the Strategic Air Command (SAC) at one point in its lineage. • Stationed at Norton AFB: The squadron was primarily based at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California, a critical hub for USAF airlift operations. • C-141 Starlifter Support: The 63rd AMS provided avionics maintenance for the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, a workhorse of USAF strategic airlift during the Cold War and Vietnam eras. • Vietnam War Operations: Personnel from the 63rd AMS supported missions to Vietnam, ensuring aircraft avionics were mission-ready for rapid troop and cargo deployments. • Humanitarian Missions: The squadron’s efforts also enabled airlift missions delivering humanitarian aid, including disaster relief and medical evacuations worldwide. • Technological Advancements: The unit played a key role in integrating emerging avionics technology into the Air Force’s transport fleet throughout the 1960s to the 1980s. • Distinguished Unit Citations: The 63rd AMS, through its parent wing, contributed to multiple Meritorious Unit Commendations for outstanding service and performance. • Deactivation: The 63rd AMS was inactivated in the early 1990s following the closure of Norton AFB and the drawdown of C-141 operations after the Cold War. • Legacy: Veterans of the 63rd Avionics Maintenance Squadron continue to gather at reunions, keeping the unit's history and camaraderie alive, and its contributions are remembered in Air Force heritage.