730th Airlift Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 730th Airlift Squadron (730 AS) is part of the 452d Air Mobility Wing
at March Air Reserve Base
, California
. It operates C-17 Globemaster III
aircraft providing global airlift.
airlift any time, any place. The 730th Airlift Squadron at March ARB, CA was de-activated on 01 April 2005. The assigned C-141 aircraft were retired. It re-opened at Altus AFB, OK as a Det 1 assigned under the original Operations Group at March ARB, CA on 01 Oct 2011. It is now a new reserve unit building up at Altus with C-17 and KC-135R aircraft and it will train aircrew along side of the active duty units already at Altus.
for training, primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
(ETO) in January 1944, being assigned to Eighth Air Force
in England
. Engaged in strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany
, becoming one of the most highly decorated squadron of the Air Offensive. Engaged in strategic bombardment operations until the German Capitulation in May 1945. Returned to the United States and prepared for B-29 transition training, however Japanese Capitulation in August led to unit's inactivation in November.
Reactivated in the reserves in 1947 as a B-29 Superfortress
bomber squadron, assigned to Long Beach AAF, California. Never equipped with Superfortresses, redesignated as a light bomb squadron and received B-26 Invaders in 1949. Moved to George AFB in 1950 when Long Beach was closed. Was deployed to Japan
in August 1950 for combat duty during the Korean War
, engaged in night bombardment missions over both North and South Korea. Inactivated in May 1952 with assets being reassigned to active-duty units.
It has airlifted personnel and cargo worldwide since 1960. Missions the 729th has flown included humanitarian relief
, aeromedical flights, and airdrop
s of supplies and paratrooper
s. The squadron supported deployment and redeployment of troops to Panama
, December 1989-January 1990.
452d Air Mobility Wing
The 452d Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force air mobility unit located at March ARB, California. It is assigned to Air Force Reserve Command , and is operationally gained by Air Mobility Command .-Mission:...
at March Air Reserve Base
March Air Reserve Base
March Joint Air Reserve Base is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's 4th Air Force Headquarters and the 452d Air Mobility Wing , the largest air mobility wing of the 4th Air Force...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It operates C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
aircraft providing global airlift.
Mission
Organize, train and equip aircrews to provide strategicMilitary strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
airlift any time, any place. The 730th Airlift Squadron at March ARB, CA was de-activated on 01 April 2005. The assigned C-141 aircraft were retired. It re-opened at Altus AFB, OK as a Det 1 assigned under the original Operations Group at March ARB, CA on 01 Oct 2011. It is now a new reserve unit building up at Altus with C-17 and KC-135R aircraft and it will train aircrew along side of the active duty units already at Altus.
History
Established in mid-1943 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron; assigned to II Bomber CommandII Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
for training, primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO) in January 1944, being assigned to Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
in 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...
. Engaged in strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe and 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...
, becoming one of the most highly decorated squadron of the Air Offensive. Engaged in strategic bombardment operations until the German Capitulation in May 1945. Returned to the United States and prepared for B-29 transition training, however Japanese Capitulation in August led to unit's inactivation in November.
Reactivated in the reserves in 1947 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...
bomber squadron, assigned to Long Beach AAF, California. Never equipped with Superfortresses, redesignated as a light bomb squadron and received B-26 Invaders in 1949. Moved to George AFB in 1950 when Long Beach was closed. Was deployed to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in August 1950 for combat duty during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, engaged in night bombardment missions over both North and South Korea. Inactivated in May 1952 with assets being reassigned to active-duty units.
It has airlifted personnel and cargo worldwide since 1960. Missions the 729th has flown included humanitarian relief
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
, aeromedical flights, and airdrop
Airdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from...
s of supplies and paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
s. The squadron supported deployment and redeployment of troops to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, December 1989-January 1990.
Lineage
- Constituted 730th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943
- Activated on 1 Jun 1943
- Redesignated 730th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 Aug 1943
- Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945
- Redesignated 730th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 3 Jul 1947
- Activated in the Reserve on 1 Aug 1947
- Redesignated 730th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 27 Jun 1949
- Ordered to Active Service on 10 Aug 1950
- Redesignated 730th Bombardment Squadron, Light, Night Intruder on 25 Jun 1951
- Relieved from Active Duty, and inactivated, on 10 May 1952
- Redesignated 730th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photo on 6 Jun 1952
- Activated in the Reserve on 13 Jun 1952
- Redesignated: 730th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical on 22 May 1955
- Redesignated: 730th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 Jul 1957
- Redesignated: 730th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jul 1967
- Redesignated: 730th Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 25 Mar 1968
- Redesignated: 730th Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 Feb 1992
- Redesignated: 730th Airlift Squadron on 1 Apr 1993.
Assignments
- 452d Bombardment Group, 1 Jun 1943-28 Aug 1945; 1 Aug 1947-10 May 1952
- 452d Tactical Reconnaissance (later, 452 Bombardment; 452 Troop Carrier) Group452d Operations GroupThe 452d Operations Group is the flying component of the 452d Air Mobility Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Reserve. The group is stationed at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 13 Jun 1952 - 452d Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959
- 944th Troop Carrier (later, 944 Tactical Airlift; 944 Military Airlift) Group, 17 Jan 1963
- 445th Military Airlift Wing, 1 Jul 1973
- 445th Operations Group445th Operations GroupThe 445th Operations Group is the flying component of the 445th Airlift Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Reserve Fourth Air Force. The group is stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio....
, 1 Aug 1992 - 452d Operations Group452d Operations GroupThe 452d Operations Group is the flying component of the 452d Air Mobility Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Reserve. The group is stationed at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 1 May 1994-Present
Stations
- Geiger Field, Washington, 1 June 1943
- Rapid City Army Air Base, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, c. 13 June 1943 - Pendleton Field, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, 10 October 1943 - Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, c. 4 November-December 1943
- RAF Deopham GreenRAF Deopham GreenRAF Deopham Green is a former Second World War airfield in England. The field is located near Deopham Green 2 miles north of Attleborough in Norfolk.- USAAF use:...
(AAF-142), England, c. 8 January 1944-6 August 1945 - Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, c. 12–28 August 1945 - Long Beach AAFld (later, Long Beach Muni Aprt), CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 19 April 1947
- George AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 10 August-Oct 1950 - Itazuke AB, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, 26 Oct 1950 - Miho AB, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, c. 10 Dec 1950 - Pusan-East AB (K-9), South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, 17 May 1951-10 May 1952 - Long Beach Municipal AirportLong Beach Municipal AirportLong Beach Airport , also known as Daugherty Field, is a city-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of the City of Long Beach, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It serves Los Angeles and Orange Counties...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 13 Jun 1952 - March AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 14 Oct 1960 - Norton AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 25 Mar 1968 - March AFB (later, ARB), CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 14 Aug 1993-Present
Aircraft
- B-17 Flying Fortress (1943–1945)
- T-6 TexanT-6 TexanThe North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
(1948–1950, 1952–1954) - T-7 NavigatorBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
(1948–1950) - T-11 KansanBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
(1948–1950) - Douglas B-26 Invader (1949–1952, 1953–1957)
- P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
(1953–1954) - C-46 CommandoC-46 CommandoThe Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
(1957–1958) - C-119 Flying BoxcarC-119 Flying BoxcarThe Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
(1958–1969) - 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...
(1969–2005) - C-17 Globemaster IIIC-17 Globemaster IIIThe Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
(2006 – Present)