73rd Airlift squadron [73rd AS]
The 73rd Airlift Squadron traces its origins to the 73rd Troop Carrier Squadron. The 73rd TCS was constituted on 30 January 1943. Ten days later it was activated and assigned to the 434th Troop Carrier Group, stationed at Alliance Army Air Field, NE, until September 1943, when it was moved to Baer Field, IN. Following WWII, the 73rd TCS was inactivated on 31 July 1946, but reactivated a year later and assigned to Lunken Airport, OH.
On 1 July 1949, the 73rd TCS was redesignated the 73rd TCS (Medium) and transferred to Atterbury AFB, IN.
During the Korean War, the unit was ordered to active duty on 1 May 1951 and sent to Lawson AFB, GA., while training on the C-46 Marauder. The 73rd returned to reserve status on 1 February 1953 and inactivated 24 March 1954. The 73rd TCS (Medium) was reactivated on 8 June 1957 and stationed at Dress Memorial Airport, Ind. Five months later, on 16 November 1957, the unit was transferred to Scott AFB, IL, as a detachment of the 434th TCG. Attached to the 2469th Pilot Training Center at Scott, the 73rd began training in the C-119 "Flying Boxcar". When the 2469th was inactivated in 1959, the 73rd Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium) stood up at Scott and took control of its own affairs. During the Cuban Missile Crisis the 73rd was among 38 Reserve units ordered to active duty status by President Kennedy on 28 October 1962. However, the unit remained at Scott and supported operations to the Dominican Republic. It was relieved of active duty status 30 days later.
On 11 February 1963 the 932nd Troop Carrier Group (Medium) was constituted and activated at Scott AFB and assigned to the 434th TCG at Bakalar AFB, IN. Under the same special order, the 73rd TCS was assigned to the 932nd TCG.
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