941st Military Airlift Group

The 941st Military Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last active with the 349th Military Airlift Wing, based at McChord AFB, Washington. It was inactivated on 25 July 1969.

History

Following the mobilizations in 1961 and 1962 for the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Continental Air Command (ConAC) realized that it was unwieldy to mobilize an entire wing unless absolutely necessary. Their original Table of Organization for each Wing was a wing headquarters, a troop carrier group, an Air Base Group, a maintenance and supply group, and a medical group. In 1957, the troop carrier group and maintenance and supply groups were inactivated, with their squadrons reassigned directly to the wing headquarters - despite the fact that many wings had squadrons spread out over several bases due to the Detached Squadron Concept dispersing Reserve units over centers of population.

To resolve this, in late 1962 and early 1963, ConAC reorganized the structure of its reserve Troop Carrier Wings by establishing fully deployable Troop Carrier Groups and inserting them into the chain of command between the Wing and its squadrons at every base that held a ConAC troop carrier squadron. At each base, the group was composed of a material squadron, a troop carrier squadron, a tactical hospital or dispensary, and a combat support squadron. Each troop carrier wing consisted of 3 or 4 of these groups. By doing so, ConAC could facilitate the mobilization of either aircraft and aircrews alone, aircraft and minimum support personnel (one troop carrier group), or the entire troop carrier wing. This also gave ConAC the flexibility to expand each Wing by attaching additional squadrons, if necessary from other Reserve wings to the deployable groups for deployments.

As a result, the 941st Troop Carrier Group was established with a mission to organize, recruit and train Air Force Reserve personnel in the tactical airlift of airborne forces, their equipment and supplies and delivery of these forces and materials by airdrop, landing or cargo extraction systems. The group was equipped with C-119 Flying Boxcars for Tactical Air Command airlift operations.

The group was one of four C-119 groups assigned to the 312th TCW in 1963, the other being the 938th Troop Carrier Group at Hamilton AFB, California; 939th Troop Carrier Group, at Portland International Airport, Oregon, and the 940th Troop Carrier Group at McClellan AFB, California.

The 941st performed routine reserve airlift operations, being moved to McChord AFB in 1965 due to the closure of Paine AFB. Was upgraded to the C-124 Globemaster II intercontinental airlifter in 1966. On 26 January 1968 the group was activated for combat duty in the Vietnam War. The group flew overseas missions, particularly to the Far East and Southeast Asia during that period, being relieved from active service in June 1969.

Inactivated shortly afterwards with the phaseout of the C-124 from the inventory. Personnel and equipment were reassigned to the 939th Military Airlift Group at McChord, being transitioned to the C-141 Starlifter.

Lineage

• Established as the 941st Troop Carrier Group, Medium and activated on 15 January 1963 (not organized)

Organized in the Reserve on 11 February 1963

Redesignated 941st Air Transport Group, Heavy on 1 December 1965

Redesignated 941st Military Airlift Group on 1 January 1966

Ordered to active service on 26 January 1968

Relieved from active duty on 1 June 1969

Inactivated on 25 July 1969

Assignments

• Continental Air Command, 15 January 1963
• 349th Troop Carrier (later Military Airlift) Wing, 11 February 1963-25 July 1969

Components

• 312th Troop Carrier (later Military Airlift) Squadron, 11 February 1963-25 July 1969

Stations

• Paine AFB, Washington, 11 February 1963-9 November 1965
• McChord AFB, Washington, 9 November 1965-25 July 1969

Aircraft

• C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1963-1965
• C-124 Globemaster II, 1965-1969

References

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

• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• Mueller, Robert, Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989
• Cantwell, Gerald (1987), Citizen Airmen, A History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946-1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program: GPO, 1997 ISBN 0-16049-269-6
• AFHRA Search 941st Military Airlift Group