937th Military Airlift Group
| 937th Tactical Airlift Group | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1963-1972 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force Reserve |
| Role | Airlift |
The 937th Tactical Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last active with the 442d Tactical Airlift Wing, based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 20 May 1972 and replaced in the reserves at Tinker by the 507th Tactical Fighter Group.
History
Following the mobilizations in 1961 and 1962 for the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Continental Air Command (ConAC) realized that it was unwieldy to mobilize an entire wing unless absolutely necessary. Their original Table of Organization for each Wing was a wing headquarters, a troop carrier group, an Air Base Group, a maintenance and supply group, and a medical group. In 1957, the troop carrier group and maintenance and supply groups were inactivated, with their squadrons reassigned directly to the wing headquarters - despite the fact that many wings had squadrons spread out over several bases due to the Detached Squadron Concept dispersing Reserve units over centers of population.
To resolve this, in late 1962 and early 1963, ConAC reorganized the structure of its reserve Troop Carrier Wings by establishing fully deployable Troop Carrier Groups and inserting them into the chain of command between the Wing and its squadrons at every base that held a ConAC troop carrier squadron. At each base, the group was composed of a material squadron, a troop carrier squadron, a tactical hospital or dispensary, and a combat support squadron. Each troop carrier wing consisted of 3 or 4 of these groups. By doing so, ConAC could facilitate the mobilization of either aircraft and aircrews alone, aircraft and minimum support personnel (one troop carrier group), or the entire troop carrier wing. This also gave ConAC the flexibility to expand each Wing by attaching additional squadrons, if necessary from other Reserve wings to the deployable groups for deployments.
As a result, the 937th Troop Carrier Group was established with a mission to organize, recruit and train Air Force Reserve personnel in the tactical airlift of airborne forces, their equipment and supplies and delivery of these forces and materials by airdrop, landing or cargo extraction systems. The group was equipped with Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIs for Tactical Air Command airlift operations.
The group was one of three C-124 groups assigned to the 442d Troop Carrier Wing in 1963, the others being the 935th, and 936th Troop Carrier Groups at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri.
The group flew overseas missions, particularly to the Far East and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. In 1972 the group was inactivated as part of the retirement of the Globemaster II, being one of the last USAF units to fly the C-124. Its place at Tinker was taken by the 507th Tactical Fighter Group. flying Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs, and many members of the 937th transitioned to the new group.[1]
Lineage
- Established as the 937th Troop Carrier Group, Medium and activated on 28 December 1962 (not organized)
- Organized in the Reserve on 17 January 1963
- Redesignated 937th Air Transport Group, Heavy on 1 December 1965
- Redesignated 937th Military Airlift Group on 1 January 1966
- Inactivated on 20 May 1972
Assignments
- Continental Air Command, 28 December 1962 (not organized)
- 442d Troop Carrier Wing, 17 January 1963[2]
- 512th Troop Carrier Wing (later 512th Air Transport Wing, 512th Military Airlift Wing), 5 February 1965 – 21 April 1971 (detached after 1 April 1971)[3]
- 442d Military Airlift Wing (later 442d Tactical Airlift Wing), 21 April 1971 – 20 May 1972[2]
Components
- 305th Troop Carrier Squadron (later 305th Air Transport Squadron, 305th Military Airlift Squadron, 305th Tactical Airlift Squadron), 17 January 1963 – 20 May 1972[4]
Stations
- Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 17 January 1963 – 20 May 1972
Aircraft
- Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, 1963-1972
References
Notes
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946-1994 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.