Courtesy of Jim Wade, who
served with 7th and 8th Aerial Port Squadrons
History
The
US Army and US Air Force troop carrier mission and the tactical airlift
mission that followed it began in April 1942 when units formerly
designated as "transport" were redesignated as "troop carrier." Troop
carrier groups were integral elements of all of the overseas numbered
air forces of the US Army Air Forces, and served notably, particularly
in the Southwest Pacific, European and China-Burma-India sub-theaters
of World War II, flying mostly military variations of the Douglas DC-3,
generically known as the C-47. In 1948-49, troop carrier groups flying
C-47s and C-54s operated into airports in Berlin bringing in coal,
flour and other commodities after communist forces blockaded all land
routes into the city. Troop carriers performed valiantly during the
Korean Conflict, bringing in cargo and personnel to Korea from Japan
and airdropping personnel and cargo in support of United Nations
operations. In 1954, Far East Air Forces C-119s supported French forces
in Indo-China. Immediately after the Korean War, troop carrier forces
were reorganized and the Eighteenth Air Force was established as part
of Tactical Air Command as the troop carrier element. A further
reorganization in the late 1950s saw TAC's four-engine C-124s transfer
to the Military Air Transport Service and TAC troop carrier wings
became part of Ninth and Twelfth Air Force in the United States while
315th Air Division in the Pacific and 322nd Air Division in Europe were
responsible for troop carrier operations overseas. Troop carrier units
were also part of the Alaska and Southern Commands. TAC troop carrier
units were integral elements of the Composite Air Strike Forces
developed in the late 1950s. In
1965 the Military Airlift Command was activated but the troop carrier
mission remained with TAC and the overseas commands. Troop carrier
units were involved in the Vietnam War from the very beginning, and
Pacific Air Forces C-130 crews were some of the last airmen to
participate in combat operations. On July 1, 1967 the troop carrier
designation was replaced by "tactical airlift. A reorganization in 1975
saw the transfer of all tactical airlift units to the Military Airlift
Command, now the Air Mobility Command, although for a few years in the
1990s they returned to TAC's successor, the Air Combat Command.
Troop Carrier Aircraft
World War II Troop Carrier Groups
Tactical Air Command
315th Air Division
World
War II Troop Carrier
Air Transport Command
Updated 2/25/2020