732nd Airlift Squadron

732nd Airlift Squadron
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award^[1]
732nd Airlift Squadron Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
732nd Airlift Squadron emblem
332nd Bombardment Squadron emblem

The 732nd Airlift Squadron, officially 732d Airlift Squadron, is a unit of the

McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III

aircraft in providing global strategic airlift to US and allied forces.

The squadron was activated in June 1942 as the 332nd Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, the

Distinguished Unit Citations

for its actions. It returned to the United States in December 1945, and was inactivated at the Port of Embarkation.

The squadron was reactivated at

called to active duty for the Korean War

, with its personnel used as "fillers" to bring other units up to strength.

In 1952, the unit was redesignated the 332nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, and in 1957 the 732nd Troop Carrier Squadron.[note 3] In 1957, it was redesignated the 732nd Military Airlift Squadron (Associate), before it was finally redesignated as the 732nd Airlift Squadron in 1994.

History

World War II

Initial organization and training

The

Pendleton Field, Oregon, one of that command's bases, two weeks later to begin training with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.^[1]^[4]

The squadron

European Theater of Operations around the first of April 1943. The ground echelon left Pueblo on 18 April for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and the New York Port of Embarkation on 18 April. They sailed aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth on 5 May, arriving in Scotland on 13 May.^[6]

Combat in the European Theater

The squadron began assembling at

Eberhausen.^[4]

During an attack on the

Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). This was a "shuttle" mission, with the squadron recovering on bases in north Africa, rather than returning to England.^[4]^[8]

On 11 January 1944, it attacked a Messerschmitt aircraft parts manufacturing plant at

flak in the target area, the squadron bombed accurately and earned its second DUC for this action.^[4]^[9] The squadron participated in Big Week, the concentrated campaign against the German aircraft manufacturing industry from 20 to 25 February 1944. It bombed transportation, communication and petroleum industrial targets during Operation Lumberjack the final push across the Rhine and into Germany.^[4]

The squadron was occasionally diverted from its strategic mission to perform

marshalling yards, airfields and strong points near the battlefield during the Battle of the Bulge in late December 1944 through early January 1945.^[4]

The squadron flew its last mission on 21 April 1945.

displaced persons and German civilians on what were called "Nickling" flights The squadron was scheduled to be part of the occupation forces, but those plans were cancelled in September 1945. Starting in November, its planes were transferred to other units or flown back to the United States. Its remaining personnel sailed on the SS Lake Champlain on 12 December 1945. Upon reaching the Port of Embarkation, the squadron was inactivated.^[1]^[6]^[4]

Air Force reserve

The squadron was again activated under

Marietta Army Air Field, Georgia in May 1947 as a air reserve unit and again assigned to the 94th Bombardment Group. Although nominally a very heavy bomber unit, It is not clear whether or not the squadron was fully staffed or equipped.^[10] In 1948 Continental Air Command assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.^[11] As Greenville was scheduled to go into standby status and as the reserves reorganized under the Wing Base Organization, the squadron moved to join its parent wing at Marietta.^[1]

In June 1949, the squadron was redesignated as a

Douglas B-26 Invader. All reserve combat units were mobilized for the Korean War.^[13] The 331st was called to active duty on 10 March 1951. Its personnel and equipment were used to bring other units up to strength, and the squadron was inactivated ten days later.^[1]^[14]^[15]

The squadron trained in bombardment operations from, 1947–1951 and 1955–1957,

Operation Just Cause

in Panama by transporting U.S. troops.

Reactivated as a reserve transport squadron in 1952, being equipped with Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars. Activated during Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962; returned to reserve status after crisis was resolved; inactivated in 1966 with phaseout of C-119 from the inventory.

Activated in 1970 with long-range Lockheed C-141 Starlifters, performing intercontinental airlift of personnel and materiel. The unit upgraded to Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs in 2004 after retirement of its C-141s. Most recently, the unit participated in relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquakes.^[16]

Lineage

Constituted 332d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 15 June 1942

Redesignated 332d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943

Inactivated on 15 December 1945

Redesignated 332d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947

Activated in the reserve on 29 May 1947

Redesignated 332d Bombardment Squadron, Light on 26 June 1949

Ordered to active service on 10 March 1951

Inactivated on 20 March 1951

Redesignated 332d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 26 May 1952

Activated in the reserve on 14 June 1952

Redesignated: 332d Bombardment Squadron, Tactical on 18 May 1955

Redesignated: 732d Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 July 1957

Ordered to active service on 28 October 1962

Relieved from active duty on 28 November 1962

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 January 1966

Redesignated 732d Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 19 March 1970

Activated on 1 April 1970

Redesignated: 732d Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 February 1992

Redesignated: 732d Airlift Squadron on 1 October 1994^[1]

Assignments

94th Bombardment Group, 15 June 1942 – 29 November 1945
94th Bombardment Group, 29 May 1947 – 20 March 1951
94th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (later 94th Bombardment Group, 94th Troop Carrier Group), 14 June 1952
94th Troop Carrier Wing
, 14 April 1959
902d Troop Carrier Group, 11 February 1963 – 25 January 1966
903d Military Airlift Group, 1 April 1970
514th Military Airlift Wing
(later 514th Airlift Wing), 1 July 1973
514th Operations Group, 1 August 1992 – present^[1]

Stations

MacDill Field, Florida, 15 June 1942
Pendleton Field, Oregon, 29 June 1942
Davis-Monthan Field
, Arizona, 29 August 1942
Biggs Field
, Texas, 1 November 1942
Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado, 3 January-17 April 1943
RAF Earls Colne (AAF-358),^[17] England, 11 May 1943
RAF Bury St. Edmunds (AAF-468),^[18] England, c. 13 June 1943 – 22 November 1945

Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, c. 27–29 November 1945
Marietta Army Air Field
(later Marietta Air Force Base, Dobbins Air Force Base), Georgia, 29 May 1947 – 20 March 1951
Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia, 14 June 1952
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, 18 May 1955
Grenier Air Force Base
, New Hampshire, 16 November 1957 – 25 January 1966
McGuire Air Force Base (later part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst), New Jersey, 1 April 1970 – present^[19]

Aircraft

Boeing [B-17 Flying Fortress (1942–1945)
Douglas B-26 Invader (1949-1951)
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (1959–1965)
Lockheed C-141 Starlifter (1970–2004)
McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III (2004–present)^[1]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

^ Approved 20 April 1976.
^ Approved 23 December 1943. Description: On a light red disc, the head of a buffalo in silhouette black and white in sinister chief, blowing a white aerial bomb, outlined and banded black, from the nostrils toward dexter base, in a large white vapor cloud outlined of the first [mentioned color].
^ The number change was required because the Air Force already had a 332nd Troop Carrier Squadron.

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Haulman, Daniel L. (9 January 2008). "Factsheet 732 Airlift Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons. p. 409
^ White, pp. 11-13, 27
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 162-163
^ White, pp. 27-28
^ ^a ^b ^c Freeman, p. 245
^ Freeman, p. 50
^ Freeman, p. 68
^ Freeman, pp. 104-105
^ See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 407-408 (no aircraft listed as assigned to the squadron)
^ "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index. 27 December 1961. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
^ Cantwell, p. 74
^ Cantwell, p. 87
^ Cantwell, pp. 97, 137
^ Ravenstein, pp.132-133
^ Johnson, TSG Denise (15 January 2010). "Aircrews deliver relief supplies to Haiti". Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
^ Station number in Anderson, p. 25.
^ Station number in Anderson, p. 31.
^ Station information in Haulman, except as noted.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL yes: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946-1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program.
ISBN 0-16049-269-6
. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

ISBN 978-0-87938-638-2
.

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
LCCN 61060979
. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
OCLC 72556
.

Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
ISBN 0-912799-12-9
. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

White, Jerry (August 1949). "Combat Crew and Unit Training in the AAF 1939-1945, USAF Historical Study No. 61" (PDF). Air Historical Office, United States Air Force. Retrieved 30 January 2022.

External links

732d Airlift Squadron at globalsecurity.org

[2] Approved 20 April 1976.

[3] Approved 23 December 1943. Description: On a light red disc, the head of a buffalo in silhouette black and white in sinister chief, blowing a white aerial bomb, outlined and banded black, from the nostrils toward dexter base, in a large white vapor cloud outlined of the first [mentioned color].

[5] The number change was required because the Air Force already had a 332nd Troop Carrier Squadron.

[732ASfacts-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Haulman, Daniel L. (9 January 2008). "Factsheet 732 Airlift Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 January 2017.

[4] Maurer, Combat Squadrons. p. 409

[6] White, pp. 11-13, 27

[Maurer94BG-7] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 162-163

[8] White, pp. 27-28

[Freeman245-9] Freeman, p. 245

[10] Freeman, p. 50

[11] Freeman, p. 68

[12] Freeman, pp. 104-105

[13] See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 407-408 (no aircraft listed as assigned to the squadron)

[14] "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index. 27 December 1961. Retrieved 24 March 2014.

[15] Cantwell, p. 74

[16] Cantwell, p. 87

[17] Cantwell, pp. 97, 137

[18] Ravenstein, pp.132-133

[19] Johnson, TSG Denise (15 January 2010). "Aircrews deliver relief supplies to Haiti". Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2017.

[20] Station number in Anderson, p. 25.

[21] Station number in Anderson, p. 31.

[22] Station information in Haulman, except as noted.

[1]

[note 1]

[note 2]

[2]

[4]

[6]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]