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 commiss ...

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. Scott Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the U ...

, 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 enem ...

and a French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its

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

missions in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

in 1943. It was one of the units trained for

space capsule A space capsule is an often-crewed spacecraft that uses a blunt-body reentry capsule to reenter the Earth's atmosphere without wings. Capsules are distinguished from other satellites primarily by the ability to survive reentry and return a payl ...

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 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 (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...

transport squadron under

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) 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 is the air defense of the Co ...

, 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 Com ...

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 De ...

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 by dropping

paratroop A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...

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 (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

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, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

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

Bastogne Bastogne (; nl, Bastenaken, ; german: Bastnach/Bastenach; lb, Baaschtnech) 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, ...

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

Rhine River ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sourc ...

in March 1945, each aircraft towed two gliders with troops of the 17th Airborne Division and released them near

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

. 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 The 375th Air Mobility Wing (375 AMW) is a unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois and assigned to Eighteenth Air Force under Air Mobility Command (AMC). The wing has four primary missions. It supports ae ...

in operating the aeromedical airlift system from, 1969–2005. Since 2005 the 73d has conducted executive airlift with the 54th Airlift Squadron, 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 Awards and decorations of the United States Department of the Air Force, unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the A ...

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: 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, 9 Feb 1943 – 31 Jul 1946; 1 August 1947 *

436th Troop Carrier Group 436th may refer to: *436th Airlift Wing, an active United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force based at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware *436th Operations Group, an active United States Air Force unit, the f ...

, 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 Tra ...

, 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 explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

, Nebraska, 9 February 1943 *

Baer Field Baer (or Bär, from german: bear, links=no) 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) ...

, Indiana, 4–28 Sep 1943 *

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

(AAF-488), England, Oct 1943 *

RAF Welford Royal Air Force Welford or more simply RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England. The station is located approximately northwest of Newbury; about west-southwest of London Opened in 1943, it was used during the Se ...

(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 station located east of Newbury, Berkshire and southwest of Reading, Berkshire, England. Originally built as an RAF Bomber Command airfield during 1941-1 ...

(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 f ...

(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 Fie ...

, 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, three miles (5 km) east of Downtown Cincinnati. It is owned by the city of Cincinnati and serves private aircr ...

, Ohio, 1 August 1947 * Atterbury AFB, Indiana, 1 July 1949 * Lawson AFB, Georgia, 23 Jan 1952 – 1 Feb 1953 * Atterbury AFB, Indiana, 1 Feb 1953 – 24 Mar 1954 * Dress Memorial Airport, 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. Scott Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the U ...

, Illinois, 16 Nov 1957– present

Aircraft

(1943–1946, 1949) * CG-4 Waco (1943–1945) *

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

(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 used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air force ...

(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 November ...

(1953–1954) *

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

(1957–1967) *

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 (USAF ...

(1967–1969) * McDonnell Douglas C-9A (1969–2005) * McDonnell Douglas VC-9C (2005–2011) * C-40C Clipper (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