The 73rd Airlift Squadron, sometimes written as 73d Airlift Squadron, is a

United States Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...

squadron, assigned to the 932nd Operations Group, stationed at

Scott Air Force Base Scott Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville and O'Fallon, east-southeast of downtown St. Louis. Originally Scott Field, it was one of 32 Air Service training camps established af ...

, Illinois. Originally constituted as the ''73rd Troop Carrier Squadron'', the unit received a

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...

and a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

Croix de Guerre with Palm The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

for its

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

missions in

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

in 1944. It was one of the units trained for

space capsule A space capsule is a spacecraft designed to transport cargo, scientific experiments, and/or astronauts to and from space. Capsules are distinguished from other spacecraft by the ability to survive reentry and return a payload to the Earth's surfa ...

recovery in the 1960s. The squadron was redesignated the ''73rd Military Airlift Squadron'' in 1967, the ''73rd Aeromedical Airlift Squadron'' in 1969, and finally the 73rd Airlift Squadron in 1994. It currently operates

C-40C Clipper C4, C04, C.IV, C-4, or C-04 often refers to the explosive. It may refer to: Places * Caldwell 4 or NGC 7023 or Iris Nebula, a reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus * Circumferential Road 4 or C-4, an arterial road of Manila, Philippine ...

aircraft providing executive airlift for distinguished visitors and their staffs.

History

Established in early 1943 as a

C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troo ...

transport squadron under

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern & Air Forces Space; 1 AF-AFNORTH & AFSPACE) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission i ...

, later trained under

I Troop Carrier Command The I Troop Carrier Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Forces, at Stout Field, Indiana, where it was disbanded in November 1945, and its resources transferred to IX Troop Carrier C ...

in the eastern United States. Deployed to England in late 1943, being assigned to

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...

in England,

IX Troop Carrier Command The IX Troop Carrier Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946 as a component command of the Ninth ...

to participate in the buildup of forces prior to the Allied landings in France during D-Day in June 1944. Engaged in combat

operations Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

by dropping

paratroop A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infa ...

s into

(6 June 1944) and releasing gliders with reinforcements on the following day. The unit received a

and a French citation for these missions. After the Normandy invasion the squadron ferried supplies in the United Kingdom. The squadron also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals. It dropped paratroops near

Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...

and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on the Netherlands. In December, it participated in the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

by releasing gliders with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division near

Bastogne Bastogne (; ; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogne, Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardi ...

. Moved to France in early 1945, and participated in the Western Allied invasion of Germany, participating in the air assault across the

Rhine River The Rhine ( ) is one of the major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Swiss-Austrian border. From Lake Cons ...

in March 1945, each aircraft towed two gliders with troops of the

17th Airborne Division The 17th Airborne Division, "The Golden Talons", was an airborne infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, commanded by Major General William M. Miley. Activated in April 1943, the division took part in the Knollwood ...

and released them near

Wesel Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel (district), Wesel district. Geography Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine. Division of the city Suburbs of Wesel i ...

. Returned to the United States in August 1945, becoming a domestic troop carrier squadron for Continental Air Forces, inactivated July 1946. It transported personnel, equipment, and supplies and airdropped airborne troops and equipment from, 1957–1967. The squadron conducted long range movement of troops, cargo, and equipment from 1965 to 1969 and trained for

recovery from, 1961–1969. It augmented the active duty 375th Airlift Wing in operating the aeromedical airlift system from, 1969–2005. Since 2005 the 73d has conducted executive airlift with the

54th Airlift Squadron The 54th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The squadron is an active duty associate unit aiding the 932d Airlift Wing in performance of its airlift mission. The first predecessor ...

, an Active-Associate Squadron under TFA (Total Force Association).

Operations and decorations

* Combat Operations. Airborne assaults on Normandy, the Netherlands, and Germany; relief of Bastogne; transportation of passengers and cargo in ETO during World War II. Transported personnel, equipment and supplies and airdropped airborne troops and equipment, 1957–1967; long range movement of troops, cargo, and equipment, 1965–1969; and trained for space capsule recovery, 1961–1969. * Campaigns. World War II: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe * Decorations.

: France, 6-7 Jun 1944.

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...

s: 20 Aug 1969 – 30 Jun 1971; 1 Jan 1972 – 31 Mar 1973; 24 Jul 1975 – 23 Jul 1977; 29 Sep 1980 – 30 Jun 1982; 1 Jun 1986 – 31 Jul 1988; 1 Jan 1993 – 1 Aug 1994. French Croix de Guerre with Palm: 6–7 Jun 1944; 20–28 Aug 1944. French Fourragere.

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry () is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal was created on August 15, 1 ...

: 1 Apr 1967 – 24 Jul 1969.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 73d Troop Carrier Squadron on 30 January 1943 : Activated on 9 February 1943 : Inactivated on 31 July 1946 * Activated in the Reserve on 1 August 1947 : Re-designated 73d Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 July 1949 : Ordered to Active Service on 1 May 1951 : Inactivated on 1 February 1953 * Activated in the Reserve on 1 February 1953 : Inactivated on 24 March 1954 * Activated in the Reserve on 8 June 1957 : Ordered to Active Service on 28 October 1962 : Relieved from Active Duty on 28 November 1962 * Redesignated 73d Military Airlift Squadron on 1 April 1967 : Redesignated 73d Aeromedical Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 25 July 1969 : Redesignated 73d Airlift Squadron on 1 October 1994

Assignments

434th Troop Carrier Group 434th may refer to: *434th Air Refueling Wing, one of the key refueling units in the US Air Force Reserve * 434th Bombardment Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit * 434th Fighter Training Squadron (434 FTS), part of the 47th Flying Tr ...

, 9 Feb 1943 – 31 Jul 1946; 1 August 1947 * 436th Troop Carrier Group, 1 July 1948 * 434th Troop Carrier Group, 1 July 1949 – 1 February 1953 * 434th Troop Carrier Group, 1 February 1953 – 24 March 1954 * 434th Troop Carrier Group, 8 June 1957 *

434th Troop Carrier Wing 434th may refer to: *434th Air Refueling Wing, one of the key refueling units in the US Air Force Reserve *434th Bombardment Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit *434th Fighter Training Squadron (434 FTS), part of the 47th Flying Trai ...

, 14 April 1959 * 932d Troop Carrier (later, 932 Military Airlift; 932 Aeromedical Airlift) Group, 11 February 1963 * 932d Operations Group, 1 August 1992 – present

Stations

Alliance Army Air Field An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

, Nebraska, 9 February 1943 *

Baer Field Baer (or Bär, from ) or Van Baer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Baer * Alan Baer, American tuba player * Arthur "Bugs" Baer (1886–1969), American journalist and humorist * Buddy Baer (1915–1986), American boxer * ...

, Indiana, 4–28 Sep 1943 *

RAF Fulbeck Royal Air Force Fulbeck or more simply RAF Fulbeck is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located east of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire and west of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England. The airfield is l ...

(AAF-488), England, Oct 1943 *

RAF Welford Royal Air Force Welford or more simply RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in Berkshire, England. The station is located approximately northwest of Newbury, Berkshire, Newbury, and about west of ...

(AAF-474), England, Nov 1943 *

(AAF-488), England, 10 January 1944 *

RAF Aldermaston Royal Air Force Aldermaston, or more simply RAF Aldermaston, is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located east of Newbury, Berkshire, Newbury, Berkshire and southwest of Reading, Berkshire, Reading, Ber ...

(AAF-467), England, 3 March 1944 *

Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in France. It lies approximately 1 mile (2 km) east-southeast of Mourmelon-le-Grand and 93 miles (150 km) northeast of Paris. The airfield was a semi-permanent ...

(A-80), France, Feb–Jun 1945 *

, Indiana, 5 August 1945 *

, Nebraska, 15 September 1945 *

George Army Airfield George Field is a former World War II military airfield, located 5 miles east-northeast of Lawrenceville, Illinois. It operated as an advanced pilot training school for the United States Army Air Forces from 1942 until 1945. History George Fi ...

, Illinois, 11 October 1945 * Greenville Air Force Base, South Carolina, 2 Feb-31 Jul 1946 *

Lunken Airport Cincinnati Municipal Airport – Lunken Field (Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport) is a public airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, east of Downtown Cincinnati. It is owned by the city of Cincinnati and serves private aircraft, including the fleets ...

, Ohio, 1 August 1947 *

Atterbury AFB Bakalar Air Force Base is a former U.S. Air Force base located northeast of Columbus, Indiana. During World War II, the base was known as Atterbury Air Field and Atterbury Army Air Base (named in memory of Brigadier General William Wallace ...

, Indiana, 1 July 1949 *

Lawson AFB Lawson Army Airfield is a military airport located at Fort Benning in Chattahoochee County, Georgia, south of the city of Columbus, Georgia. It is Fort Benning's primary force projection platform. Facilities Lawson Army Airfield has one r ...

, Georgia, 23 Jan 1952 – 1 Feb 1953 *

, Indiana, 1 Feb 1953 – 24 Mar 1954 *

Dress Memorial Airport Evansville Regional Airport is three miles north of Evansville, Indiana, Evansville, in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. It is owned and operated by the Evansville-Vanderburgh Airport Authority District. Federal Aviation Administrat ...

, Indiana, 8 June 1957 *

Scott AFB Scott Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville and O'Fallon, east-southeast of downtown St. Louis. Originally Scott Field, it was one of 32 Air Service training camps established aft ...

, Illinois, 16 Nov 1957– present

Aircraft

(1943–1946, 1949) *

CG-4 Waco The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used American troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4A by the United States Army Air Forces, and given the service name Hadrian (after the Roman emperor) by the British. The ...

(1943–1945) *

C-46 Commando The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a low-wing, twin-engine aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurized high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company ...

(1945–1946, 1949–1953, 1957) * T-11 Kansan (1947–1952, 1953) *

T-7 Navigator The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November ...

(1947–1952) *

T-6 Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft, which was used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, R ...

(1953) *

C-45 Expeditor The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to Novembe ...

(1953–1954) *

C-119 Flying Boxcar The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) is an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechani ...

(1957–1967) *

C-124 Globemaster II The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is a retired 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 Forc ...

(1967–1969) *

McDonnell Douglas C-9A The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded on July 6, 1939, by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II ...

(1969–2005) * McDonnell Douglas VC-9C (2005–2011) *

(2007 – present)

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * *

External links

932nd Airlift Wing Fact Sheet932nd Airlift Wing History
{{USAF Air Force Reserve Command Military units and formations in Illinois 073