708th Airlift Squadron

708th Airlift Squadron

Emblem of the 708th Airlift Squadron
Active 1943-1951 -1996
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Bombardment

The 708th Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 349th Operations Group, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1996.

Contents

History

Activated in mid 1943 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to England in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during November 1943, assigned to VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron. Participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until German capitulation in May 1945. Personnel demobilized in England and returned to the United States; squadron reassigned to Third Air Force for possible re-equipping with B-29 Superfortresses and deployment to Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation led to inactivation in November 1945.

Activated in the postwar reserve as a B-29 squadron. Trained for proficiency as part of Strategic Air Command reserve forces. Activated as a result of Korean War in 1951, squadron's aircraft and personnel reassigned to Far East Air Force Bomber Command, inactivated as a paper unit.

Reactivated as Military Airlift Command reserve strategic airlift squadron in 1973. Assigned to Travis AFB and became associate squadron of 60th Military Airlift Wing. equipped with C-141 Starlifter in 1973 and continued worldwide transport mission. Inactivated in 1996 as part of phaseout of C-141s.

Lineage

Activated on 1 May 1943
Inactivated on 7 November 1945
Activated in the reserve on 10 November 1947
Redesignated 708th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 27 June 1949
Ordered to active service on 1 May 1951
Inactivated on 16 June 1951
Redesignated 708th Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 October 1994
Redesignated 708th Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 February 1992 on 1 October 1994
Redesignated 708th Airlift Squadron on 1 October 1994
Inactivated on 30 September 1996

Assignments

ETO Fuselage Code: CQ

Stations

Aircraft

References

United States Air Force portal
Military of the United States portal
World War II portal

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