737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

The 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command (ACC) to activate or inactivate as needed. It operates Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft in theater airlift missions as part of the Global War on Terrorism. Its current status and duty location is undetermined.

737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
Squadron airmen loading a C-130 Hercules in Southwest Asia
Active1943-1945; 1947-1949; 1952-1953; 2000s
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleAirlift
EngagementsMediterranean Theater of Operations
iraq War
Global War on Terror
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award
Commanders
Current
commander		Lt. Col. Gary Dodge
Insignia
737 Expeditionary Airlift Squadron emblem
Squadron morale patch[note 1]

The squadron was first activated as the 737th Bombardment Squadron in June 1943. After training in the United States with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, it deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, participating in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. It earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for its combat operations. Following V-E Day, it returned to the United States for conversion as a very heavy bomber unit, but was inactivated instead.

The squadron was activated in the reserves in 1947, but was not fully manned or equipped before inactivating in 1949. In 1952 it was redesignated the 737th Troop Carrier Squadron and again activated in the reserve, but was inactivated the following year and its personnel and equipment transferred to another unit. It was converted to provisional status in 2002 and assigned to Air Mobility Command. It was reassigned to ACC in 2003.

History

World War II

The squadron was first activated at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico in mid-1943 as the 737th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment squadrons assigned to the 454th Bombardment Group.[1] The unit trained under Second Air Force. After training in the United States, the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in late 1943 and was stationed at San Giovanni Airfield under Fifteenth Air Force.[2]

The unit engaged in very long range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transportation targets. It initially flew some interdiction and ground support missions, participating in the drive to Rome. Most operations included attacks against such objectives as marshalling yards, aircraft factories, railroad bridges, and airdromes in Italy, Austria, and Romania. The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for an attack on an airfield at Bad Voslau, Austria on 12 April 1944. It helped to prepare the way for and supported Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, during July 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 in the Balkans. It earned a second Distinguished Unit Citation on 25 July when the 454th Group led the 304th Bombardment Wing through severe opposition in an attack on steel factories at Linz, Austria.[1]

The squadron returned to the United States after VE Day in May 1945. It began to reorganize as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadron. It began training under Second Air Force in August 1945, but was inactivated in October after VJ Day.[2]

Air Force reserve

The squadron was activated as a reserve unit under Air Defense Command (ADC) at McChord Field, Washington in July 1947, where its training was supervised by the 406th AAF Base Unit (later the 2345th Air Force Reserve Training Center).[3] It was nominally a heavy bomber unit, but it is not clear whether it was fully manned or had any combat aircraft assigned.[4] In 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.[5] The 737th was inactivated when ConAC reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system in June 1949.[2] The squadron's personnel and equipment were transferred to elements of the 302d Troop Carrier Wing, which was simultaneously activated at McChord.[6] This reorganization was also impacted by President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget, which required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force.[7]

The reserve mobilization for the Korean War had left the reserve without aircraft, and the reserves did not receive aircraft again until July of 1952.[8] In preparing for the receipt of aircraft, in June 1952, ConAC activated the 454th Troop Carrier Wing at Portland International Airport, Oregon to replace the 922d Reserve Training Wing, the non-flying headquarters for reserve units there. The 737th was redesignated the 737th Troop Carrier Squadron and activated with the 454th Wing. It began training with Curtiss C-46 Commando transports.[9] It was inactivated on 1 January 1953 with its personnel and equipment being reassigned to the 64th Troop Carrier Squadron[10] when the 403d Troop Carrier Wing was released from active duty and replaced the 454th Wing as Portland's air reserve unit.[11]

Expeditionary airlift

The squadron was converted to provisional status and redesignated 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.[12] It was activated as a Lockheed C-130 Hercules airlift squadron as part of the Global War on Terrorism and it made up of multiple detachments from airlift squadrons which constantly rotate.

Lineage
  • Constituted as the 737th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943
Activated on 1 June 1943
Redesignated 737th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 1944
Redesignated 737th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945
Inactivated on 17 October 1945
  • Activated in the reserve on 12 July 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
  • Redesignated 737th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 26 May 1952
Activated in the reserve on 13 June 1952
Inactivated on 1 January 1953[13]
  • Redesignated: 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and converted to provisional status on 12 June 2002[12]

Assignments
386th Expeditionary Operations Group

Stations

Aircraft
  • Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943-1945[2]
  • Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1952-1953[15]
  • Lockheed C-130 Hercules,

Awards and campaigns
Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Distinguished Unit Citation12 April 1944Bad Voslau, 737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Distinguished Unit Citation25 July 1944Linz, 737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award1 July 2007-30 June 2008737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[16]
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award1 June 2010-31 May 2011737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[16]
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award1 June 2011-31 May 2012737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[16]
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award1 June 2015-31 May 2016737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[16]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe16 January 1944–5 June 1944737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Air Combat, EAME Theater16 January 1944–11 May 1945737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Naples-Foggia16 January 1944–21 January 1944737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Rome-Arno22 January 1944–9 September 1944737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Central Europe22 March 1944–21 May 1945737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Normandy6 June 1944–24 July 1944737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Northern France25 July 1944–14 September 1944737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Southern France15 August 1944–14 September 1944737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
North Apennines10 September 1944–4 April 1945737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Rhineland15 September 1944–21 March 1945737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Po Valley3 April 1945–8 May 1945737th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Transition of Iraq2 May 2003 -28 June 2004737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[17]
National Resolution16 December 2005-9 January 2007737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[17]
Iraqi Surge10 January 2007-31 December 2008737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[17]
Iraqi Sovereignty1 January 2009-31 August 2010737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[17]
New Dawn1 September 2010-31 December 2011737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[17]
Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron[18]

See also

References

Notes
Explanatory notes
  1. This patch is based on the World War II emblem of the 454th Bombardment Group. Watkins, pp. 98-99
Citations
  1. Maurer, Combat Units, p. 329
  2. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 728-729
  3. "Abstract, History 2545 AF Reserve Training Center, Jul-Dec 1948". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  4. See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 728-729 (no aircraft listed for this period)
  5. "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index. 27 December 1961. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  6. Ravenstein, pp. 147-149
  7. Knaack, p. 25
  8. Cantwell, p. 139
  9. See Ravenstein, Combat Wings, pp. 249-250 (flown by 454th Troop Carrier Wing).
  10. See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 245 (activation of squadron at Portland on 1 January 1953)
  11. Ravenstein, 215-217
  12. DAF/XPM Letter 303s, 12 June 2002, Subject: Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Units
  13. Lineage, including assignments and stations, through 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 728-729
  14. DAF/XPM Letter 303s-3, 19 March 2003, Subject: Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Units
  15. See Ravenstein, Combat Wings, pp. 249-250 (flown by 454th Troop Carrier Wing).
  16. "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 13 April 2019. (search)
  17. "Special Order G-33995" (PDF). United States Air Forces Central Command. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  18. "Special Order G-33994" (PDF). United States Air Forces Central Command. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2016.

Bibliography

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

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