Douglas C-118A Liftmaster 53-3268 1705 ATG MATS

The 1705th Air Transport Group is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

unit. Its last was assigned to the

Western Transport Air Force Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

Military Air Transport Service The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force ...

, stationed at

McChord Air Force Base McChord Field is a United States Air Force base in the northwest United States, in Pierce County, Washington. South of Tacoma, McChord Field is the home of the 62d Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command, the field's primary mission being worl ...

, Washington. It was inactivated on 18 June 1960. Upon inactivation, most personnel and equipment reassigned to

62d Air Transport Wing 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

History

Established in August 1950 by

as part of its Continental Division. Initially equipped with C-54 Skymasters providing transport of equipment and supplies to

Ladd AFB Ladd Army Airfield is the military airfield located at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was originally called Fairbanks Air Base, but was renamed Ladd Field on 1 December 1939, in honor of Major Arthur K. Ladd, a pilot in the U.S. Arm ...

and

Elmendorf AFB Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) facility in Anchorage, Alaska. Originally known as Elmendorf Field, it became Elmendorf Air Force Base after World War II. It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Air Command (AL ...

Alaska Territory The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from August 24, 1912, until Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959. The territory was previously Russian America, 1784–1867; th ...

. Was discontinued in October 1951 when McChord AFB was reassigned from Continental Air Command to

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly ina ...

under the "one base, one wing" policy. MATS operations continued under provisional organization until 1705th Air Transport Group could be organized and activated in January 1952. Received new C-124C Globemaster II aircraft upon activation of a group, began the transition to new aircraft, becoming operational in July. Assigned to MATS Pacific Division conducting heavy global strategic airlift throughout the Pacific and South Asia, including Hawaii and Alaska. 1705th Air Traffic (later Terminal) Squadron activated on 1 February 1953 for the operation of McChord personnel aerial port and passenger terminal. Reorganized in July 1955, 34th ATS inactivated due to budget restraints after transitioning to C-118 aircraft; 32d ATS operated C-124Cs, 33d ATS began MATS passenger service to aerial ports in Hawaii and Japan in 1955 using C-118 Liftmasters reassigned from inactivated 34th ATS. Inactivated in 1960 when senior

Twenty-Second Air Force Twenty-Second Air Force (22 AF) is a Numbered Air Force component of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It was activated on 1 July 1993 and is headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. In the event of mobilization, some of the Twenty ...

62d Troop Carrier Wing was assigned to McChord from

Larson AFB Larson Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located five miles (8 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of Moses Lake, in Grant County, Washington. After its closure in 1966, the airport facility became ...

, Washington due to

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile c ...

assumed control of Larson. Assets reassigned to 62d TCW.

Lineage

* Established as: 1705th Air Transport Wing on 1 August 1950 : Activated on 24 August 1950 : Discontinued on 1 October 1951, personnel and equipment assigned to: North Pacific Air Transport Wing, (Provisional) * Established as 1705th Air Transport Group, 1 January 1952 : Redesignated: 1705th Air Transport Group (Heavy), 24 January 1952 : Organized on: 24 January 1952, assuming personnel and equipment of North Pacific Air Transport Wing, (Provisional) : Inactivated on 18 June 1960, personnel and equipment assigned to:

Assignments

* Continental Division,

, 24 August 1950 – 1 October 1951 * Pacific Division, Military Air Transport Service, 1 January 1952 *

, 1 July 1958 – 18 June 1960

Components

* 61st Troop Carrier Group : Attached: 24 August – 10 December 1950 : Assigned: 1 January – 1 October 1951 (Deployed entire period to

315th Air Division The 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force formation. Originally designated the 315th Bombardment Wing, it was activated in July 1944 at Peterson Field, Colorado as a command and control organization for four very heavy B-29 Su ...

, FEAF) * 1740th Air Transport Squadron, 5 September 1951 : Redesignated: 32d Air Transport Squadron, 20 July 1952 – 8 June 1960 : Inactivated, assets to 4th Air Transport Squadron, 13 June 1960 * 1280th Air Transport Squadron, 7 March 1952 – 20 July 1952 : Redesignated: 33d Air Transport Squadron, 20 July 1952 – 8 June 1960 : Inactivated, assets to 7th Air Transport Squadron, 13 June 1960 * 1284th Air Transport Squadron, 1 June 1952 : Redesignated: 34th Air Transport Squadron, 20 July 1952 – 1 July 1955 : Inactivated, assets to

8th Air Transport Squadron 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

, 13 June 1960 *

1286th Air Transport Squadron The 58th Air Transport Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active at McGuire Air Force Base in July 1960, where it was assigned to the 1611th Air Transport Group. The squadron was first active during World War II a ...

, 24 January 1952 – 7 March 1952 * 1289th Air Transport Squadron, 24 January 1952 – 7 March 1952 * 1291st Air Transport Squadron, 7 March 1952 – 20 July 1952 * 77th Air Transport Squadron, 24 September 1952 – 19 November 1953

Stations

, Washington, 1 August 1950 – 18 June 1960

Aircraft

C-54 Skymaster The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian ...

, 1950–1953 *

C-124 Globemaster II The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is an American heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. The C-124 was the primary heavy-lift transport for United States Air Force (USA ...

, 1952–1960 (32d ATS only after 1 July 1955) *

C-118 Liftmaster The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with t ...

, 1955–1960 (33d ATS)

References

* 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 {{Air Force Historical Research Agency Air transport groups of the United States Air Force Four digit groups of the United States Air Force Military units and formations in Washington (state) 1950 establishments in the United States