901st Tactical Airlift Group

The 901st Tactical Airlift Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last active with the 433d Airlift Wing, based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. It was inactivated on 1 April 1985.

History
Following the mobilizations in 1961 and 1962 for the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Continental Air Command (ConAC) realized that it was unwieldy to mobilize an entire wing unless absolutely necessary. Their original Table of Organization for each Wing was a wing headquarters, a troop carrier group, an Air Base Group, a maintenance and supply group, and a medical group. In 1957, the troop carrier group and maintenance and supply groups were inactivated, with their squadrons reassigned directly to the wing headquarters - despite the fact that many wings had squadrons spread out over several bases due to the Detached Squadron Concept dispersing Reserve units over centers of population.

To resolve this, in late 1962 and early 1963, ConAC reorganized the structure of its reserve Troop Carrier Wings by establishing fully deployable Troop Carrier Groups and inserting them into the chain of command between the Wing and its squadrons at every base that held a ConAC troop carrier squadron. At each base, the group was composed of a material squadron, a troop carrier squadron, a tactical hospital or dispensary, and a combat support squadron. Each troop carrier wing consisted of 3 or 4 of these groups. By doing so, ConAC could facilitate the mobilization of either aircraft and aircrews alone, aircraft and minimum support personnel (one troop carrier group), or the entire troop carrier wing. This also gave ConAC the flexibility to expand each Wing by attaching additional squadrons, if necessary from other Reserve wings to the deployable groups for deployments.

As a result, the 901st Troop Carrier Group was established with a mission to organize, recruit and train Air Force Reserve personnel in the tactical airlift of airborne forces, their equipment and supplies and delivery of these forces and materials by airdrop, landing or cargo extraction systems. The group was equipped with C-119 Flying Boxcars for Tactical Air Command airlift operations.

The 901st TCG was one of two C-119 Flying Boxcar groups assigned to the 94th TCW in 1963, the other being the 902d Troop Carrier Group at Grenier AFB, Massachusetts. Re-equipped 1966 with long-range C-124 Globemaster heavy airlifter, performed intercontinental strategic airlift for Military Air Transport Service.

Re-aligned back to TAC, 1972, equipped with UC-123 Provider assault transports in support of USAF Southern Command. Also assumed an aerial spraying mission which frequently took wing crews to Central America, the Caribbean, the Azores, North Africa, islands of the Pacific, and to many U.S. points for insect-spraying missions. Inactivated 1974 as part of post-Vietnam War drawdown.

Re-activated October 1982, equipped with C-130B Hercules transports. Trained for tactical airlift missions, participating in joint training exercises. Inactivated April 1985, personnel and equipment to 302d Tactical Airlift Wing.

Lineage

 * Established as 901st Troop Carrier Group, Medium, and activated, on 15 January 1963
 * Organized in the Reserve on 11 February 1963
 * Re-designated: 901st Airlift Wing on 1 July 1972
 * Redesignated: 901st Military Airlift Group on 1 October 1966
 * Redesignated: 901st Tactical Airlift Group on 1 July 1972
 * Inactivated on: 1 April 1974


 * Re-activated in the Reserve on: 1 October 1982
 * Inactivated on 1 April 1985

Assignments

 * Continental Air Command, 15 Jan 1963
 * 94th Troop Carrier (later Military Airlift; Tactical Airlift) Wing, 11 February 1963-1 July 1972
 * 302d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Jul 1972-1 Apr 1974
 * 433d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 October 1982-1 April 1985

Components

 * 731st Tactical Airlift Squadron, 11 February 1963-1 Apr 1974; 1 October 1982-1 April 1985

Stations

 * Hanscom Field, Massachusetts, 11 February 1963
 * Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 17 September 1973-1 April 1974
 * Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, 1 October 1982-1 April 1985

Aircraft

 * C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1963-1966
 * C-124 Globemaster II, 1966–1972
 * C-123 Provider, 1972–1974
 * C-130 Hercules, 1982-1985