702d Airlift Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 702d Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last was assigned to the 305th Operations Group
, stationed at McGuire Air Force Base
, New Jersey
. It was inactivated on 1 March 2000.
heavy bomber squadron in early 1943; trained under Second Air Force
. Deployed to England
in late 1943 and assigned to the XIII Bomber Command
2d Bombardment Wing
. Performed strategic bombing missions over Nazi Germany
and Occupied Europe, receiving a DUC for a mission of Gotha, Germany on 24 February 1944. Personnel demobilized in England in May 1945; unit returned to the United States and prepared to be reformed as a B-29 Superfortress
squadron, however was inactivated in September without personnel or equipment.
Reactivated in 1952 as a reserve theater troop carrier squadron in the reserves. Activated in 1962 due to the Cuban Missie Crisis; performing routine airlift missions until inactivated in 1965. Reactivated in 1973 and equipped with long-range C-141 Starlifter
as an associate Military Airlift Squadron. Provided worldwide airlift until retirement of C-141 aircraft in 2000.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last was assigned to the 305th Operations Group
305th Operations Group
The 305th Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing. It is stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey....
, stationed at McGuire Air Force Base
McGuire Air Force Base
JB MDL McGuire is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It was inactivated on 1 March 2000.
History
Established as a B-24 LiberatorB-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bomber squadron in early 1943; trained under Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
. Deployed to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in late 1943 and assigned to the XIII Bomber Command
XIII Bomber Command
The XIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, based at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 March 1946....
2d Bombardment Wing
2d Bombardment Wing (World War II)
The 2d Bombardment Wing is an inactive organization of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with the Continental Air Forces, based at McChord Field, Washington. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945....
. Performed strategic bombing missions over Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Occupied Europe, receiving a DUC for a mission of Gotha, Germany on 24 February 1944. Personnel demobilized in England in May 1945; unit returned to the United States and prepared to be reformed as a B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
squadron, however was inactivated in September without personnel or equipment.
Reactivated in 1952 as a reserve theater troop carrier squadron in the reserves. Activated in 1962 due to the Cuban Missie Crisis; performing routine airlift missions until inactivated in 1965. Reactivated in 1973 and equipped with long-range C-141 Starlifter
C-141 Starlifter
The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter was a military strategic airlifter in service with the Air Mobility Command of the United States Air Force...
as an associate Military Airlift Squadron. Provided worldwide airlift until retirement of C-141 aircraft in 2000.
Lineage
- Constituted 702d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 March 1943
- Activated on 1 April 1943
- Inactivated on 12 September 1945
- Redesignated 702d Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 13 May 1947
- Activated in the reserve on 1 January 1948
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949.
- Redesignated 702d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 24 June 1952
- Activated in the reserve on 8 July 1952
- Inactivated on 1 July 1957
- Redesignated 702d Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium) on 24 October 1957
- Activated in the reserve on 16 November 1957
- Redesignated 702d Troop Carrier Squadron (Assault) on 25 September 1958
- Ordered to active service on 28 October 1962
- Relieved from active duty on 28 November 1962
- Inactivated on 15 December 1965
- Redesignated 702d Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) and activated, 1 July 1973
- Redesignated 702d Airlift Squadron, 1 August 1992
- Inactivated on 1 March 2000
Assignments
- 445th Bombardment Group, 1 April 1943-12 September 1945
- ETO Fuselage Code: WW
- 445th Bombardment Group, 1 January 1948
- 452d Bombardment Group, 28 May 1948-27 June 1949.
- 445th Fighter-Bomber Group, 8 July 1952-1 July 1957
- 445th Troop Carrier Group, 16 November 1957
- 445th Troop Carrier Wing, 25 September 1958
- 920th Troop Carrier Group, 11 February 1963-15 December 1965
- 514th Military Airlift Wing, 1 July 1973
- 514th Operations Group, 1 August 1992-1 March 2000
Stations
- Gowen Field, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 1 April 1943 - Wendover Field, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 8 June 1943 - Sioux City Army Air Base, IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, 8 July-20 October 1943 - RAF TibenhamRAF TibenhamRAF Tibenham is a former World War II Royal Air Force Station and airfield in England. It is located about south-southwest of Norwich, N of Diss in Norfolk...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 2 November 1943-30 May 1945 - Fort Dix Army Air Base, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, c. 9 June-12 September 1945 - Hill Army Airfield, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 1 August 1947-27 June 1949
- Buffalo AirportBuffalo Niagara International AirportBuffalo Niagara International Airport is an airport located in Cheektowaga CDP, Town of Cheektowaga, in Erie County, New York, USA. It is named after the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The airport serves Buffalo, New York as well as Southern Ontario, Canada...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 8 July 1952 - Niagara Falls Airport, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 15 June 1955-1 July 1957 - Memphis Mun AirportMemphis International AirportMemphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States....
, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, 16 November 1957-15 December 1965 - Keesler AFB, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, 1 July 1973 - McGuire AFB, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 1 August 1992-1 March 2000
Aircraft
- B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
, 1943–1945 - C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, 1955–1957 - C-123 ProviderC-123 ProviderThe C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
, 1957–1975 - C-141 StarlifterC-141 StarlifterThe Lockheed C-141 Starlifter was a military strategic airlifter in service with the Air Mobility Command of the United States Air Force...
, 1973–2000