Country United States Part of Air Force Reserve | Role Airlift Motto(s) The Only Way to Fly | |
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Active 1942–1945; 1947–1951; 1952–1955; 1957–1973 Branch United States Air Force | ||
The 733d Military Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 945th Military Airlift Group. It was inactivated at Hill Air Force Base, Utah on 1 January 1973.
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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 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 squadron in the reserves, however equipped with trainers until 1949 when equipped with B-26 Invader light bomber. 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 the reserves as a C-119 Flying Boxcar squadron in 1952; Activated during Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962; returned to reserve status after crisis was resolved. Equipped with C-124 Globemaster II strategic transports and performed strategic airlift until inactivated in 1973 with the final phaseout of the C-124.