731st Airlift Squadron

Mission

Tactical Airlift

Aerial fire-fighting for the U.S. Forest Service.

History

Activated as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron; trained under Second Air Force. Completed training in early 1943; deploying to European Theater of Operations (ETO) assigned to VIII Bomber Command of the Eighth Air Force in England. Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, March 1944-May 1945 attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive against Nazi Germany. Most personnel demobilized in Europe after the German capitulation in May 1945; squadron inactivated as a paper unit in November.

Reactivated in 1947 as a B-29 Superfortress bomb squadron in the Army Air Forces Reserve, however equipped with trainers until 1949 when equipped with the B-26 Invader light bomber. Redesignated as an Air Force Reserve unit in late 1947, concurrent with establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an independent service. Squadron activated in 1951 as a result of the Korean War; personnel and equipment assigned as replacements to units of Far East Air Forces, then inactivated as a paper unit.

Reactivated in 1952 with RB-26 Invader photo-reconnaissance aircraft; C-46 Commando transports; F-51 Mustangs, and other second-line aircraft. In 1957, reassigned to from Scott AFB, Illinois to Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts and re-equipped with C-119 Flying Boxcars for tactical airlift. Activated during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962; returned to Reserve status after crisis was resolved. In 1966, re-equipped with C-124 Globemasters for performing strategic airlift on a worldwide scale. Reassigned to various Air Force Reserve wings; flying C-123 Providers until inactivation in 1982. Reactivated in Colorado in the Air Force Reserve same date and equipped with C-130 Hercules.

Lineage

Constituted as 331st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942

Activated on 15 Jun 1942 Redesignated 331st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 Aug 1943 Inactivated on 29 Nov 1945 Redesignated 331st Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947 Activated in the Army Air Forces Reserve on 29 May 1947 Redesignated 331st Bombardment Squadron, Light on 26 Jun 1949 Ordered to active service on 10 Mar 1951 Inactivated on 20 Mar 1951

Redesignated 331st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 26 May 1952

Activated in the Air Force Reserve on 14 Jun 1952 Redesignated 331st Bombardment Squadron, Tactical on 18 May 1955 Redesignated 731st Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 July 1957 Ordered to active service on 28 Oct 1962 Relieved from active duty on 28 Nov 1962 Redesignated: 731st Military Airlift Squadron on 1 Jan 1967 Redesignated: 731st Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Oct 1972 Inactivated on 1 Oct 1982

Activated in the Air Force Reserve on 1 Oct 1982

Redesignated 731st Airlift Squadron on 1 Feb 1992.

Assignments

94th Bombardment Group, 15 Jun 1942-29 Nov 1945; 29 May 1947-20 Mar 1951

94th Tactical Reconnaissance (later, 94 Bombardment; 94 Troop Carrier) Group, 14 Jun 1952

94th Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959

901st (later, 901 Military Airlift; 901 Tactical Airlift) Group, 11 Feb 1963

439th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Apr 1974-1 Oct 1982

901st Tactical Airlift Group, 1 Oct 1982

302d Tactical Airlift (later, 302d Airlift) Wing, 1 Apr 1985

302d Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992–present

Operations

World War II