87th Troop Carrier Group
The 87th Troop Carrier Group was an inactive United States Air Force unit with fighter-training, Air Force Reserve, and troop-carrier assignments.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The 87th Troop Carrier Group was a United States Air Force unit whose lineage included several distinct organizational designations and missions from the Second World War through the early Cold War. It was ultimately assigned to the 87th Troop Carrier Wing at Atterbury Air Force Base, Indiana, and was inactivated there on 1 February 1953. The group is therefore not a commercial brand or an operating business; its identity is that of a historical military organization. The unit’s lineage began with the 87th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), constituted in January 1942 during the rapid expansion of the Army Air Corps after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan, on 10 February 1942, but the Army Air Corps had already exceeded the number of authorized pursuit groups. The group and its three assigned pursuit squadrons were consequently disbanded only five days later, before developing an operational role. A separate wartime organization, the 87th Fighter Group, was activated at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, on 1 October 1943. Equipped with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, it served as a replacement training unit under First Air Force. These large training formations prepared pilots and aircrews for later assignment to combat units. In January 1944, the group divided its operations between Camp Springs Army Air Field in Maryland and Millville Army Air Field in New Jersey. A subsequent Army Air Forces reorganization replaced conventional training groups with more specialized numbered base units. The 87th Fighter Group was disbanded on 10 April 1944, and its personnel, equipment, and training responsibilities were transferred to replacement base units. The group returned in the postwar period as an Air Force Reserve organization. It was activated at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, in June 1949 as a corollary unit to the active-duty 27th Fighter Group. Although it had no aircraft permanently assigned, its reservists trained with aircraft operated by the affiliated active-duty organization, including North American F-82 Twin Mustangs and Republic F-84 Thunderjets. In March 1950, it became the 87th Fighter-Escort Group. When the 27th group deployed personnel to the Korean War, the reserve group’s affiliation shifted to the 12th Fighter-Escort Group. The 87th was ordered to active service on 1 May 1951. Rather than continuing as an independent operational formation, its personnel were used to man other active-duty units, and the group was inactivated on 25 June 1951. It was redesignated the 87th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, in May 1952 and activated in the Air Force Reserve at Atterbury Air Force Base the following month. Its new mission was to support reserve troop-carrier training under the 87th Troop Carrier Wing. The group operated a mix of aircraft used to train reservists, although the available reference material does not identify a complete aircraft inventory for this final period. The group’s last active period ended when the 434th Troop Carrier Group was released from active duty and activated in the reserves at Atterbury on 1 February 1953. The 434th assumed the 87th’s mission, personnel, and equipment. In 1979, the earlier 87th Pursuit Group lineage was consolidated with the inactive 87th Troop Carrier Group. The consolidated lineage was later redesignated the 87th Tactical Airlift Group on 31 July 1985, but it was not active. The organization has no known commercial products, consumer positioning, public-company status, or current operating headquarters.
History
The 87th Troop Carrier Group’s history is a composite lineage rather than a continuous record of one continuously active organization. Its first predecessor was the 87th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), constituted on 13 January 1942 during the Army Air Corps’ wartime expansion. It was activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan, on 10 February 1942 under III Interceptor Command. Because the Army Air Corps had exceeded the authorized number of pursuit groups, the organization was disbanded on 15 February 1942. The 304th, 305th, and 306th Pursuit Squadrons associated with it were disbanded at the same time. The lineage reappeared in a different form when the 87th Fighter Group (Single Engine) was constituted on 24 September 1943 and activated at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, on 1 October. Assigned to I Fighter Command, and temporarily associated with the Philadelphia Air Defense Wing, it functioned as a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt replacement training unit. Replacement training units were deliberately larger than ordinary operational groups and were intended to prepare aircrews for deployment to combat formations. The group included the 450th, 535th, 536th, and 537th Fighter Squadrons. Beginning in January 1944, the group conducted a split operation. Headquarters and the 450th and 535th squadrons moved to Camp Springs Army Air Field, Maryland, while the 536th and 537th operated from Millville Army Air Field, New Jersey. The training structure was short-lived. The Army Air Forces concluded that standard groups and squadrons were not sufficiently flexible for large-scale training administration and introduced a system based on separate numbered base units. The 87th Fighter Group was disbanded on 10 April 1944. Its Camp Springs mission was assumed by the 112th AAF Base Unit (Fighter), while other elements and facilities were assigned to the 125th and 135th AAF Base Units (Fighter). The group was reconstituted and allotted to the Air Force Reserve on 16 May 1949, then activated at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, on 27 June. It served as a corollary unit to the Strategic Air Command’s 27th Fighter Group and included the 87th Communications Squadron and 87th Finance Disbursing Unit among its support elements. One operational squadron was associated with the group, but the reserve organization did not receive a separate permanent aircraft allocation. Its reservists trained using aircraft of the affiliated active-duty formation, including F-82 Twin Mustangs and F-84 Thunderjets. On 16 March 1950, the group was redesignated the 87th Fighter-Escort Group. The 27th Fighter Group’s deployment of most of its personnel to Korea altered the affiliation, and the 87th became associated with the 12th Fighter-Escort Group. It was ordered to active service on 1 May 1951. The group’s personnel were distributed to man other active-duty units, and the organization was inactivated on 25 June 1951. The organization was redesignated the 87th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, on 26 May 1952 and allotted to the Air Force Reserve. It was activated at Atterbury Air Force Base, Indiana, on 15 June 1952, as part of the newly established 87th Troop Carrier Wing. The wing replaced the 923d Reserve Training Wing when reserve flying operations resumed at Atterbury. The group trained reservists in troop-carrier operations using a mixture of aircraft, with the 535th, 536th, and 537th squadrons serving in troop-carrier roles. On 1 February 1953, the 434th Troop Carrier Group was released from active duty and activated in the reserve at Atterbury. It assumed the 87th group’s mission, personnel, and equipment, and the 87th was inactivated. In 1979, the earlier 87th Pursuit Group was consolidated with the inactive 87th Troop Carrier Group, preserving the historical lineage. The consolidated organization was redesignated the 87th Tactical Airlift Group on 31 July 1985, but it was not active. The available sources do not identify commanders, insignia, public-facing campaigns, or a current successor operating as the 87th Troop Carrier Group.
- 1985
Redesignated as a tactical airlift group
[1]The consolidated lineage was redesignated the 87th Tactical Airlift Group on 31 July, without being activated.
- 1979
Lineage consolidation
[1]The inactive 87th Troop Carrier Group was consolidated with the earlier 87th Pursuit Group lineage.
- 1953
Final inactivation
[1]The group was inactivated at Atterbury on 1 February when the 434th Troop Carrier Group assumed its mission, personnel, and equipment.
- 1952
Troop-carrier designation adopted
[1]The organization was redesignated the 87th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, and activated at Atterbury Air Force Base on 15 June under the 87th Troop Carrier Wing.
- 1951
Called to active service and inactivated
[1]The group entered active service on 1 May during the Korean War period and was inactivated on 25 June after its personnel were used to staff other units.
- 1950
Redesignated as a fighter-escort group
[1]On 16 March, the unit became the 87th Fighter-Escort Group and later affiliated with the 12th Fighter-Escort Group.
- 1949
Air Force Reserve reactivation
[1]The group was reactivated at Bergstrom Air Force Base on 27 June as a reserve corollary to the 27th Fighter Group.
- 1944
Wartime fighter-training group disbanded
[1]The Army Air Forces’ training reorganization led to the disbandment of the 87th Fighter Group on 10 April and transfer of its functions to numbered AAF base units.
- 1943
87th Fighter Group activated
[1]A new 87th Fighter Group was activated at Richmond Army Air Base on 1 October as a P-47 Thunderbolt replacement training unit.
- 1942
87th Pursuit Group constituted and briefly activated
[1]The 87th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) was constituted on 13 January, activated at Selfridge Field on 10 February, and disbanded on 15 February because the Army Air Corps had exceeded its authorized number of pursuit groups.
Products and positioning
Historical United States military aviation organization focused at different times on fighter replacement training, Air Force Reserve affiliation, fighter escort, and troop-carrier training.
Brand decisions
1952
Conversion to a reserve troop-carrier groupStrategyBackground
Reserve flying operations resumed at Atterbury Air Force Base after the postwar reorganization of reserve training formations.
Action taken
The unit was redesignated the 87th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, and assigned to the newly constituted 87th Troop Carrier Wing.
Aftermath
The group conducted reserve troop-carrier training until the 434th Troop Carrier Group assumed its mission and equipment in February 1953.
1944
Replacement-training structure reorganizedStrategyBackground
The Army Air Forces determined that standard groups and squadrons were poorly suited to the administrative and operational demands of large replacement-training programs.
Action taken
The 87th Fighter Group was disbanded and its training mission, personnel, and equipment were transferred to separate numbered AAF base units.
Aftermath
The change placed training administration at the base level and ended the group’s wartime operational existence.
Sources2 sources
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