731st Airlift Squadron

731st Airlift Squadron
200px 731st Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	15 June 1942 - 29 November 1945 29 May 1947 - 20 March 1951 14 June 1952 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command 22nd Air Force 302d Airlift Wing 302d Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Peterson Air Force Base
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

File:331st Bombardment Squadron - Emblem.png

Emblem of the World War II 331st Bombardment Squadron

The 731st Airlift Squadron (731 AS) is part of the 302d Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. It operates C-130 Hercules aircraft providing global airlift.

Mission

• Tactical Airlift
• Aerial fire-fighting for the U.S. Forest Service.

History

Activated as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron; trained under Second Air Force. Completed training in early 1943; deploying to European Theater of Operations (ETO) assigned to VIII Bomber Command of the Eighth Air Force in England. Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, March 1944-May 1945 attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive against Nazi Germany. Most personnel demobilized in Europe after the German capitulation in May 1945; squadron inactivated as a paper unit in November.

Reactivated in 1947 as a B-29 Superfortress bomb squadron in the Army Air Forces Reserve, however equipped with trainers until 1949 when equipped with the B-26 Invader light bomber. Redesignated as an Air Force Reserve unit in late 1947, concurrent with establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an independent service. Squadron activated in 1951 as a result of the Korean War; personnel and equipment assigned as replacements to units of Far East Air Forces, then inactivated as a paper unit.

Reactivated in 1952 with RB-26 Invader photo-reconnaissance aircraft; C-46 Commando transports; F-51 Mustangs, and other second-line aircraft. In 1957, reassigned to from Scott AFB, Illinois to Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts and re-equipped with C-119 Flying Boxcars for tactical airlift. Activated during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962; returned to Reserve status after crisis was resolved. In 1966, re-equipped with C-124 Globemasters for performing strategic airlift on a worldwide scale. Reassigned to various Air Force Reserve wings; flying C-123 Providers until inactivation in 1982. Reactivated in Colorado in the Air Force Reserve same date and equipped with C-130 Hercules.

Lineage

• Constituted as 331st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942

Activated on 15 Jun 1942

Redesignated 331st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 Aug 1943

Inactivated on 29 Nov 1945

Redesignated 331st Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947

Activated in the Army Air Forces Reserve on 29 May 1947

Redesignated 331st Bombardment Squadron, Light on 26 Jun 1949

Ordered to active service on 10 Mar 1951

Inactivated on 20 Mar 1951

• Redesignated 331st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 26 May 1952

Activated in the Air Force Reserve on 14 Jun 1952

Redesignated 331st Bombardment Squadron, Tactical on 18 May 1955

Redesignated 731st Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 July 1957

Ordered to active service on 28 Oct 1962

Relieved from active duty on 28 Nov 1962

Redesignated: 731st Military Airlift Squadron on 1 Jan 1967

Redesignated: 731st Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Oct 1972

Inactivated on 1 Oct 1982

• Activated in the Air Force Reserve on 1 Oct 1982

Redesignated 731st Airlift Squadron on 1 Feb 1992.

Assignments

• 94th Bombardment Group, 15 Jun 1942-29 Nov 1945; 29 May 1947-20 Mar 1951
• 94th Tactical Reconnaissance (later, 94 Bombardment; 94 Troop Carrier) Group, 14 Jun 1952
• 94th Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959
• 901st (later, 901 Military Airlift; 901 Tactical Airlift) Group, 11 Feb 1963
• 439th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Apr 1974-1 Oct 1982
• 901st Tactical Airlift Group, 1 Oct 1982
• 302d Tactical Airlift (later, 302d Airlift) Wing, 1 Apr 1985
• 302d Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992–present

Stations

• MacDill Field, Florida, 15 Jun 1942
• Pendleton Field, Oregon, 29 Jun 1942
• Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 29 Aug 1942
• Biggs Field, Texas, 1 Nov 1942
• Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado, 3 Jan-17 Apr 1943
• RAF Earls Colne (AAF-358), England, 11 May 1943
• RAF Bury St. Edmunds (AAF-468), England, c. 13 Jun 1943-22 Nov 1945

• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, c. 27-29 Nov 1945
• Marietta Army Airfield (later Dobbins AFB), Georgia, 29 May 1947-20 Mar 1951; 14 Jun 1952
• Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, 18 May 1955
• Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 16 Nov 1957
• Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, 17 Sep 1973-1 Oct 1982
• Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, 1 Oct 1982–Present

Aircraft Operated

• B-17 Flying Fortress (1942–1945)
• T-6 Texan (1947–1950, 1952–1954)
• T-7 Navigator (1947–1951)
• T-11 Kansan (1947–1951)
• B-26 Marauder (1949–1951, 1953–1957)
• C-46 Commando (1952–1955)

• P-51 Mustang (1953–1955)
• T-28 Trojan (1953–1954)
• C-45 Expeditor (1953–1955)
• T-33 Shooting Star (1954–1955)
• F-80 Shooting Star (1954–1955)
• RB-26 Invader (1954–1955)

• F-84 Thunderjet (1954–1955)
• C-47 Skytrain (1955)
• C-119 Flying Boxcar (1957–1966)
• C-124 Globemaster II (1966–1972)
• C-123 Provider (1972–1982)
• C-130 Hercules (1982 – Present)

Operations

• World War II

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, AL: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• USAF 731st Airlift Squadron History