708th Airlift Squadron

History

World War II

The 308th Troop Carrier Squadron was activated at Baer Field, Indiana as an Operational Training Unit (OTU) in March 1943 and equipped with Douglas C-47 Skytrains and Douglas C-53 Skytroopers. It served in this role until July 1943. The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups". The OTU program was patterned after the unit training system of the Royal Air Force. It then assumed responsibility for their training and oversaw their expansion with graduates of Army Air Forces Training Command schools to become effective combat units. Phase I training concentrated on individual training in crewmember specialties. Phase II training emphasized the coordination for the crew to act as a team. The final phase concentrated on operation as a unit.

However, most units had been activated. Training “fillers” for existing units became more important than unit training. The 308th then served as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for glider crews until April 1944. RTUs were oversized units to train individual pilots or aircrews.

However, the United States Army Air Forces found that standard military units lke the 308th, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit. Accordingly, the 308th was disbanded and its mission, personnel, and equipment were absorbed by the 805th AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Troop Carrier).

Reserve associate operations

The 708th Military Airlift Squadron was activated at Travis Air Force Base, California in 1972 as an Air Force Reserve associate squadron. The squadron did not have aircraft assigned, but flew Lockheed C-141 Starlifter aircraft assigned to the regular United States Air Force 60th Military Airlift Wing (later 60th Airlift Wing). The squadron was inactivated in 1996 as part of phaseout of C-141s.

Lineage

308th Troop Carrier Squadron

• Constituted as the 308th Troop Carrier Squadron on 15 March 1943 : Activated on 15 March 1943 : Disbanded on 14 April 1944
• Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with the 708th Military Airlift Squadron as the 708th Military Airlift Squadron

708th Airlift Squadron

• Constituted as the 708th Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 18 October 1971 : Activated on 1 October 1972
• Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with 308th Troop Carrier Squadron : Redesignated 708th Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 February 1992 : Redesignated 708th Airlift Squadron on 1 October 1994 : Inactivated on 30 September 1996

Assignments

• 10th Troop Carrier Group, 15 March 1943 – 14 April 1944
• 938th Military Airlift Group (Associate), 1 October 1972
• 349th Military Airlift Wing (Associate), 1 July 1973
• 349th Operations Group, 1 August 1992 – 30 September 1996

Stations

• Baer Field, Indiana, 15 March 1943
• Grenada Army Air Field, Mississippi, 6 May 1943
• Lawson Field, Georgia, 5 June 1943
• Grenada Army Air Field, Mississippi, 28 January 1944
• Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska, 12 March 1944 – 14 April 1944.
• Travis Air Force Base, California, 1 July 1973 – 1 August 1992

Aircraft

• Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1943–1944
• Douglas C-53 Skytrooper, 1943–1944
• Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, 1972–1996

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes

; Citations

Bibliography

:* *

References

1. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 373–374
2. Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, Introduction, p. xxxvi
3. Goss, p. 74
4. Greer, p. 601
5. Greer, p. 606
6. Goss, pp. 74-75
7. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 Sep 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons