75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

World War II Initially formed by Air Transport Command (ATC) in early 1943 at Homestead Army Air Base, Florida. Crewed primarily by contract civilian pilots, the mission of the squadron was ferrying aircraft along the South Atlantic Air Transport Route through the Caribbean to Brazil; then to Africa and then to combat airfields in Europe, Middle East, India or Australia. Redesignated as a training squadron in June 1943. Provided transition training in a wide variety of aircraft to experienced military and civilian pilots prior to them being assigned to ferrying duty. The squadron was disbanded at the end of March 1944 and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 563d Army Air Forces Base Unit. Cold War The squadron was reactivated by Military Air Transport Service (MATS), June 1952 at Great Falls Air Force Base, Montana as the 75th Air Transport Squadron. It became the primary medical evacuation squadron in USAFE, transporting medical emergencies to Ramstein Air Base and subsequently to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. In 2003, squadron was inactivated. Expeditionary operations The squadron was converted to provisional status and redesignated the 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (75 EAS). In May 2014 it was activated when crews and planes of the 317th Airlift Group deployed to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. The squadron supported Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa. The unit mission included medical evacuations, disaster relief, humanitarian and airdrop operations. Operations included movement of the East Africa Response Force to forward positions. ==Lineage==

• Constituted as the 75th Ferrying Squadron (Special) on 30 January 1943 : Activated on 8 February 1943 : Redesignated 75th Transport Transition Squadron on 4 June 1943 : Disbanded on 31 March 1944 • Reconstituted and redesignated 75th Air Transport Squadron, Medium on 20 June 1952 : Activated on 20 July 1952 : Redesignated 75th Air Transport Squadron, Heavy on 8 October 1953 : Redesignated 75th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966 : Redesignated 75th Airlift Squadron on 1 November 1991 : Inactivated on 30 September 2003 • Converted to provisional status and redesignated 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron on 4 December 2013 : Activated on 28 May 2014 Assignments • 2d Operational Training Unit, Air Transport Command, 8 February 1943 – 31 March 1944 • 1701st Air Transport Group, 20 July 1952 • 1501st Air Transport Group, 16 May 1953 • 1501st Air Transport Wing, 18 January 1963 • 60th Military Airlift Wing, 8 January 1966 • 60th Military Airlift Group, 6 March 1978 • 60th Military Airlift Wing, 15 February 1979 • 60th Operations Group, 1 November 1991 • 86th Operations Group, 1 October 1993 – 1 October 2003 • 449th Air Expeditionary Group, 28 May 2014 – present Stations • Homestead Army Air Base, Florida, 8 February 1943 – 31 March 1944 • Great Falls Air Force Base, Montana, 20 July 1952 • Travis Air Force Base, California, – 1 October 1993 • Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 1 October 1993 – 1 October 2003 • Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, 28 May 2014 – present Aircraft • Curtiss C-46 Commando (1943–1944) • Douglas C-54 Skymaster (1943–1944, 1952–1953) • North American AT-6 Texan (1943) • Cessna AT-17 Bobcat (1943) • Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1943–1944) • Lockheed C-36 Electra (1943) • Douglas C-49 (1943) • Lockheed C-57 Lodestar (1943) • Lockheed C-60 Lodestar II (1943–1944) • Cessna UC-78 Bobcat (1943) • Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express (1943–1944) • Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter (1953–1960) • Douglas C-124 Globemaster II (1960–1965) • Lockheed C-141 Starlifter (1965–1971) • Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (1970–1993) • Douglas C-9A Nightingale (1993–2003) • Lockheed C-130 Hercules (2014–present) ==References==