945th Military Airlift Group
945th Military Airlift Group
 | |
|---|---|
|
Douglas C-124C Globemaster II of the 945th Military Airlift Group | |
| Active | 1963-1973 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Branch |
 United States Air Force |
| Role | Airlift |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve |
The 945th Military Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last active with the 452d Military Airlift Wing, based at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It was inactivated on 1 January 1973
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 945th 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 Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars for Tactical Air Command airlift operations.
The 945th TCG was one of four C-119 groups assigned to the 452d TCW in 1963, the others being the 942d, 943d, and the 944th Troop Carrier Group, at March AFB, California.
The group flew overseas missions, particularly to the Far East and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. In 1971, the group began phasing out the C-124 and was inactivated on 1 January 1973 along with the 733d MAS.
Lineage
- Established as the 945th Troop Carrier Group, Medium and activated on 28 December 1962 (not organized)
- Organized in the Reserve on 17 January 1963
- Redesignated: 945th Military Airlift Group on 1 July 1966
- Inactivated on 1 January 1973
Assignments
- Continental Air Command, 28 December 1962 (not organized)
- 452d Troop Carrier Wing (later Military Airlift Wing), 17 January 1963
- 301st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1972 - 1 January 1973
Components
- 733d Troop Carrier Squadron (later Military Airlift Squadron), 17 January 1963 - 1 January 1973
Stations
- Hill Air Force Base, Utah, 17 January 1963 - 1 January 1973
Aircraft
- Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1963–1965
- Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, 1965–1973
See also
References
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. Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.