730th Airlift Squadron

730th Airlift Squadron
C-141B Starlifter of the 452d Air Mobility Wing over the Grand Canyon
Active	1943-1945; 1947-1952; 1952-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	March Air Reserve Base
Engagements	European Theater of Operations
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
730th Airlift Squadron emblem (Approved 11 June 1979)^[1]
730 Bombardment Squadron emblem (Korean War) (Approved 14 December 1951)^[2]
Unofficial 730 Bombardment Squadron emblem (World War II)

The 730th Airlift Squadron is part of the 452d Air Mobility Wing at March Air Reserve Base, California. It operates McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III and Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft providing global airlift.

Mission

Organize, train and equip aircrews to provide strategic airlift any time, any place. The 730th Airlift Squadron at March ARB, CA was inactivated on 1 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 alongside 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 Command 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 airdrops of supplies and paratroopers. The squadron supported deployment and redeployment of troops to Panama, December 1989-January 1990.

Lineage

Constituted as the 730th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943

Activated on 1 June 1943

Redesignated 730th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943

Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945

Redesignated 730th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 3 July 1947

Activated in the Reserve on 1 August 1947

Redesignated 730th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 27 June 1949

Ordered to active service on 10 August 1950

Redesignated 730th Bombardment Squadron, Light, Night Intruder on 25 June 1951

Relieved from active service and inactivated on 10 May 1952

Redesignated 730th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photo on 6 June 1952

Activated in the Reserve on 13 June 1952

Redesignated: 730th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical on 22 May 1955

Redesignated: 730th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 July 1957

Redesignated: 730th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jul 1967

Redesignated: 730th Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 25 March 1968

Redesignated: 730th Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 February 1992

Redesignated: 730th Airlift Squadron on 1 April 1993^[1]

Assignments

452d Bombardment Group, 1 June 1943 - 28 August 1945
452d Bombardment Group, 1 August 1947 - 10 May 1952
452d Tactical Reconnaissance Group (later 452d Bombardment Group, 452d Troop Carrier Group), 13 June 1952
452d Troop Carrier Wing, 14 April 1959
944th Troop Carrier Group (later 944th Tactical Airlift Group, 944th Military Airlift Group), 17 January 1963
445th Military Airlift Wing, 1 July 1973
445th Operations Group, 1 August 1992
452d Operations Group, 1 May 1994 – present^[1]

Stations

Geiger Field, Washington, 1 June 1943
Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, c. 13 June 1943
Pendleton Field, Oregon, 10 October 1943
Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, c. 4 November–December 1943
RAF Deopham Green (AAF-142), England, c. 8 January 1944-6 August 1945
Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, c. 12–28 August 1945
Long Beach Army Air Field (later Long Beach Municipal Airport), California, 1 August 1947

George Air Force Base, California, 10 August - October 1950
Itazuke Air Base, Japan, 26 October 1950
Miho Air Base, Japan, c. 10 December 1950
Pusan East (K-9) Air Base, South Korea, 17 May 1951 - 10 May 1952
Long Beach Municipal Airport, California, 13 June 1952
March Air Force Base, California, 14 October 1960
Norton Air Force Base, California, 25 March 1968
March Air Force Base (later March Air Reserve Base), California, 14 August 1993 – present^[1]

Aircraft

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (1943–1945)
North American T-6 Texan (1948–1950, 1952–1954)
Beechcraft T-7 Navigator (1948–1950)
Beechcraft T-11 Kansan (1948–1950)
Douglas B-26 Invader (1949–1952, 1953–1957)

North American P-51 Mustang (1953–1954)
Curtiss C-46 Commando (1957–1958)
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (1958–1969)
Lockheed C-141 Starlifter (1969–2005)
McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III (2006–present)^[1]

Operations

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 Endicott, Judy G. (January 9, 2008). "Factsheet 730 Airlift Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 725-726

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

External links

452d Air Mobility Wing Fact Sheet

United States Air Force

Leadership

Structure

Commands	Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations

Direct Reporting Units	District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy

Major Commands	Air Combat Air Education and Training Air Mobility Global Strike Materiel Reserve Space Special Operations Europe & Africa Pacific

Numbered Air Forces	First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Fourteenth Seventeenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty-Second Twenty-Third Twenty-Fourth Twenty-Fifth

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Personnel and
training

Uniforms and
equipment

History and
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