44th Military Airlift Squadron

The 44th Military Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 60th Military Airlift Wing, Military Airlift Command, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California.

It was inactivated on 1 March 1972.

History
The squadron was organized in 1955 at McGuire AFB, New Jersey when assets of the inactivated 1600th Air Transport Group were moved to McGuire from Westover AFB, Massachusetts. However, it was never fully manned or equipped. It was inactivated a few days after activation.

Reactivated in 1961 at Travis AFB, California as a C-135B Stratolifter strategic airlift squadron, it operated these aircraft over the Pacific and around the world transport routes under Military Air Transport Service. It became the first organization to use jets while airlifting Bob Hope Christmas tours to the Far East in 1963. On 23 April 1965, the squadron received the first operational Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, which it operated over MATS and later Military Airlift Command routes on a worldwide basis, 1965-1972. The squadron frequently flew cargo and personnel to United States bases in South Vietnam and Thailand during the Vietnam War. It was inactivated in 1972 due to budget restrictions as part of the post-Vietnam drawdown of the USAF.

Lineage

 * Established as the 44th Air Transport Squadron on 1 Nov 1955
 * Activated on 9 Nov 1955
 * Inactivated on 14 Nov 1955
 * Reactivated as the 44th Air Transport Squadron, Heavy, on 1 Nov 1961
 * Redesignated the 44th Military Airlift Squadron, Heavy on 8 Jan 1966
 * Inactivated on 1 March 1972

Assignments

 * 1611th Air Transport Wing, 9-14 Nov 1955
 * 1501st Air Transport Wing, 1 Nov 1961-8 Jan 1966
 * 60th Military Airlift Wing, 8 Jan 1966-1 Mar 1972

Stations

 * McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 9-14 Nov 1965
 * Travis AFB, California, 1 Nov 1961-1 Mar 1972

Aircraft

 * C-135B Stratolifter, 1961-1965
 * C-141 Starlifter, 1965-1972