938th Military Airlift Group

The 938th Military Airlift Group was a United States Air Force Reserve unit organized to provide headquarters and support functions for a detached reserve transport squadron. It was created during a broader reorganization of the Air Force Reserve’s troop-carrier structure in the early 1960s, when reserve flying squadrons were distributed across numerous military, naval, and civilian airfields rather than being colocated with their parent wings. This arrangement improved recruiting and community access, but it made the mobilization of an individual squadron and its support elements difficult. The experience of the 1961 Berlin Crisis highlighted that weakness and contributed to the decision to establish support groups around individual flying squadrons. The unit was initially established as the 938th Troop Carrier Group, Medium. Although its lineage began with an establishment date of 15 January 1963, it was not organized until 11 February 1963, when it became a Reserve organization at Hamilton Air Force Base in California. Its principal flying component was the 312th Troop Carrier Squadron, which had already been based at Hamilton since 1952. The new group also included combat-support, materiel, and medical elements intended to make the squadron more independently deployable and easier to mobilize. At activation, the group operated Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars for tactical airlift missions. It formed part of the 349th Troop Carrier Wing, alongside the 939th, 940th, and 941st Troop Carrier Groups. In 1966, the unit transitioned to the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II and was redesignated the 938th Military Airlift Group, reflecting the Air Force’s move toward a military-airlift organizational structure. The group was ordered to active service on 26 January 1968 during the Vietnam War. Its aircraft and personnel conducted overseas airlift missions, particularly to locations in the Far East and Southeast Asia. The group was relieved from active service on 1 June 1969, although its broader operational lineage continued through subsequent reserve airlift activities. In July 1969, it moved from Hamilton Air Force Base to Travis Air Force Base and transitioned to the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter. The C-141 enabled longer-range strategic transport missions across the Pacific, including scheduled channel flights, contingency movements, humanitarian relief, and joint training with active-duty airlift units. The group remained assigned to the 349th Military Airlift Wing until it was inactivated on 1 July 1973. Its final inactivation formed part of an organizational restructuring in which the group’s personnel, equipment, and responsibilities were transferred directly to the wing. The 938th Military Airlift Group therefore represents a historical Air Force Reserve unit rather than a commercial brand or currently operating organization.

The 938th Military Airlift Group emerged from the Air Force Reserve’s response to a structural problem created by the Detached Squadron Concept. By 1959, reserve troop-carrier forces included numerous squadrons spread across a large number of Air Force, Navy, and civilian airports. Dispersal supported local recruiting and allowed smaller communities to host reserve aviation units, but the arrangement placed administrative, maintenance, medical, and other support organizations at the parent wing’s main location. Mobilizing one squadron without mobilizing its entire wing was consequently difficult. The partial Reserve mobilization associated with the Berlin Crisis in 1961 exposed these limitations. Continental Air Command addressed the problem in early 1962 by reorganizing reserve troop-carrier wings and establishing groups that contained support elements for individual flying squadrons. The 938th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, was established on 15 January 1963 and organized in the Reserve on 11 February 1963 at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It served as the headquarters and support structure for the 312th Troop Carrier Squadron, a unit that had operated from Hamilton since June 1952. The group included a combat support squadron, a materiel squadron, and a tactical infirmary, giving the flying squadron a more complete operational support framework. The group was assigned to the 349th Troop Carrier Wing. Three related groups were also assigned to that wing: the 939th at Portland International Airport, the 940th at McClellan Air Force Base, and the 941st at Paine Air Force Base. During its first period of operation, the 938th flew Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars in tactical airlift roles. In 1966 it received the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, a larger transport designed for intercontinental operations, and on 1 July of that year it was redesignated the 938th Military Airlift Group. The group entered a wartime phase when it was ordered to active service on 26 January 1968 during the Vietnam War. Its missions included overseas transport to the Far East and Southeast Asia. The group was relieved from active duty on 1 June 1969. Its assignment records reflect periods when the group was not operational or was detached while the wider wing structure adjusted to changing airlift requirements. On 25 July 1969, the group moved to Travis Air Force Base, a major West Coast airlift installation, and transitioned to the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter. The new aircraft supported strategic airlift across the Pacific, including regular channel flights, contingency operations, humanitarian relief missions, and training with active-duty squadrons. The group’s components included the 312th Military Airlift Squadron and, from July 1969, the 301st Military Airlift Squadron. The 938th Military Airlift Group was inactivated on 1 July 1973. The decision was part of a reorganization that transferred its assets, personnel, and equipment directly to the 349th Military Airlift Wing. The inactivation ended the group as a separately designated Reserve organization, while its airlift capabilities and personnel continued within the wing’s successor structure.

• 1973

  Inactivated

  [1]938th Military Airlift Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group was inactivated on 1 July as its resources and responsibilities were transferred to the 349th Military Airlift Wing.

• 1969

  Moved to Travis and adopted the C-141

  [1]938th Military Airlift Groupen.wikipedia.org

  After release from active service, the group moved to Travis Air Force Base on 25 July and transitioned to the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter.

• 1968

  Ordered to active service

  [1]938th Military Airlift Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group was ordered to active duty on 26 January for Vietnam War-related airlift operations.

• 1966

  Redesignated as a military airlift group

  [1]938th Military Airlift Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The unit was redesignated the 938th Military Airlift Group on 1 July after transitioning from the C-119 to the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II.

• 1963

  Group established

  [1]938th Military Airlift Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 938th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, was established on 15 January 1963 and organized in the Air Force Reserve at Hamilton Air Force Base on 11 February.

• 1963

  Assigned to the 349th Troop Carrier Wing

  [1]938th Military Airlift Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group became one of four C-119-equipped groups assigned to the 349th Troop Carrier Wing.

A United States Air Force Reserve airlift organization established to make detached troop-carrier squadrons more readily supportable and mobilizable.

• Tactical transport aircraft · 1963

  Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

  The C-119 was the group’s initial aircraft type from 1963 to 1966. It supported reserve tactical airlift operations during the unit’s early years at Hamilton Air Force Base.

• Intercontinental transport aircraft · 1966

  Douglas C-124 Globemaster II

  The C-124 replaced the C-119 in 1966 and gave the group greater capacity for long-range military transport. The aircraft remained associated with the group through its Vietnam-era active-service period.

• Strategic jet transport aircraft · 1969

  Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

  The C-141 became the group’s final aircraft type after its 1969 move to Travis Air Force Base. It supported Pacific strategic airlift, channel flights, contingency missions, humanitarian relief, and joint exercises.

• 1969

  Transition to C-141 strategic airliftGeneration change

  Background

  Following its Vietnam-era active service, the group was repositioned at Travis Air Force Base within the Pacific airlift network.

  Action taken

  The group moved to Travis and converted to the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter.

  Aftermath

  It conducted strategic Pacific airlift, contingency movements, humanitarian relief, channel flights, and joint training until its 1973 inactivation.

  Source

• 1966

  Transition from C-119 to C-124Generation change

  Background

  The group’s tactical transport role expanded toward longer-range military airlift requirements.

  Action taken

  The group replaced the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar with the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II and adopted the Military Airlift Group designation.

  Aftermath

  The new aircraft supported intercontinental transport and the group’s subsequent overseas missions.

  Source

• 1963

  Creation of a dedicated support groupStrategy

  Background

  The Detached Squadron Concept dispersed reserve flying squadrons but left their support elements concentrated at wing headquarters, complicating partial mobilization.

  Action taken

  The Air Force Reserve organized the 938th Troop Carrier Group around the 312th Troop Carrier Squadron, adding combat-support, materiel, and medical elements.

  Aftermath

  The group provided a more self-contained structure for reserve airlift operations and mobilization.

  Source

1. 1938th Military Airlift Groupen.wikipedia.org