738th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

738th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

Emblem of the 738th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
Active 1943-1953; 2000s
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Airlift

The 738th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is under the control of Air Mobility Command and operates C-130 Hercules aircraft in theater airlift missions as part of the Global War on Terrorism. Its current status and duty location is undetermined.

In regular USAF service as the 738th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium), it was last assigned to the 454th Troop Carrier Group, being stationed at Portland International Airport, Oregon. It was inactivated on 1 January 1953.

History

Established in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group; trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), being assigned to Southern Italy at San Giovanni Airfield under Fifteenth Air Force.

Engaged in very long range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transportation targets. Operations included attacks against such objectives as marshalling yards, aircraft factories, railroad bridges, and airdromes in Italy, Austria, and Romania. Helped to prepare the way for and supported the invasion of Southern France during Jul and August 1944. At the same time, expanded previous operations to include attacks on oil refineries and storage facilities, locomotive works, and viaducts in France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Balkans.

Returned to the United States after the German Capitulation in May 1945; re-manned and re-equipped as a B-29 Superfortress heavy bombardment squadron. Began training under Second Air Force in August 1945, however was inactivated in October after the Japanese Capitulation.

Activated in the reserves in 1947 as a B-29 Superfortress squadron, but neither manned or equipped. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget constraints. Reactivated in 1952 as a troop carrier squadron, it was inactivated on 1 Jan 1953 with personnel being reassigned to the 403d Troop Carrier Wing.

Reactivated as a C-130 Hercules airlift squadron as part of the Global War on Terrorism.

Lineage

Activated on 1 Jun 1943
Redesignated 738th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 5 Aug 1945
Inactivated on 17 Oct 1945
Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949
Activated in the reserve on 13 Jun 1952
Inactivated on 1 Jan 1953

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

References

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

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