731st Airlift Squadron

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 January 1942

Activated on 15 June 1942

Redesignated 331st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943

Inactivated on 29 November 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 June 1949

Ordered to active service on 10 March 1951

Inactivated on 20 March 1951

• Redesignated 331st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 26 May 1952

Activated in the Air Force Reserve on 14 June 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 October 1962

Relieved from active duty on 28 November 1962

Redesignated: 731st Military Airlift Squadron on 1 January 1967

Redesignated: 731st Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 October 1972

Inactivated on 1 October 1982

• Activated in the Air Force Reserve on 1 October 1982

Redesignated 731st Airlift Squadron on 1 February 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 June 1952
• 94th Troop Carrier Wing, 14 April 1959
• 901st (later, 901 Military Airlift; 901 Tactical Airlift) Group, 11 February 1963
• 439th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Apr 1974 – 1 Oct 1982
• 901st Tactical Airlift Group, 1 October 1982
• 302d Tactical Airlift (later, 302d Airlift) Wing, 1 April 1985
• 302d Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992–present

Stations

Aircraft Operated

Operations

• World War II

References

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

• 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. 
• USAF 731st Airlift Squadron History

External links

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