945th Military Airlift Group
The 945th Military Airlift Group was an inactive United States Air Force Reserve airlift group based at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, until its inactivation in 1973.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The 945th Military Airlift Group was a United States Air Force Reserve organization responsible for operating and supporting a troop-carrier and military-airlift squadron. It was created during a broader early-1960s reorganization of the Air Force Reserve, when Continental Air Command sought to make reserve units easier to mobilize in combinations smaller than a complete wing. Before the reorganization, reserve troop-carrier forces were organized around 15 wings and 45 flying squadrons. Many squadrons were dispersed among a large number of Air Force, Navy, and civilian airfields under the Detached Squadron Concept. This arrangement helped recruiting and allowed communities to host relatively small units, but it placed most support personnel and equipment at wing headquarters. The experience of the partial reserve mobilization during the Berlin Crisis of 1961 exposed difficulties in deploying an individual squadron together with the support resources it required. Continental Air Command responded by creating group headquarters and associated support elements for dispersed squadrons. The organization that became the 945th Military Airlift Group was established in lineage terms as the 945th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, on 28 December 1962, although it was not organized on that date. It was organized in the Air Force Reserve at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on 17 January 1963. Its principal flying component was the 733d Troop Carrier Squadron, which had been based at Hill since November 1957. The group also included support organizations such as a combat support squadron, a materiel squadron, and a tactical infirmary. Initially, the group operated Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars in support of Tactical Air Command airlift missions. It formed part of the 452d Troop Carrier Wing, alongside other C-119-equipped groups. Its routine activities included tactical airlift missions in the western United States. In 1965, the group transitioned to the larger Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. With that change, its mission expanded to include overseas airlift operations, particularly missions to the Far East and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War era. On 1 July 1966, the organization was redesignated the 945th Military Airlift Group, reflecting the Air Force's shift from the troop-carrier designation to the broader military-airlift structure. The 733d Troop Carrier Squadron was similarly redesignated as the 733d Military Airlift Squadron. In 1971, the group began phasing out its C-124 aircraft. The group was reassigned from the 452d Military Airlift Wing to the 301st Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1972, but this association lasted only until the group's inactivation on 1 January 1973. The 733d Military Airlift Squadron was inactivated at the same time. The unit therefore no longer operates as an active Air Force Reserve organization.
History
The 945th Military Airlift Group emerged from an Air Force Reserve effort to correct weaknesses in the organization of dispersed troop-carrier units. By the late 1950s, reserve flying forces included 45 troop-carrier squadrons assigned to 15 wings, but the squadrons were distributed across numerous military and civilian airfields. The Detached Squadron Concept improved local recruiting and community acceptance, yet left support organizations concentrated at wing headquarters. This made it difficult to mobilize a single squadron with the maintenance, supply, medical, and administrative resources necessary for independent deployment. The problem became apparent during the partial reserve mobilization associated with the Berlin Crisis of 1961. In response, Continental Air Command reorganized reserve troop-carrier wings beginning in 1962. Group headquarters were created so that each dispersed flying squadron could have a closer and more complete supporting structure. The 945th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, was established in lineage terms on 28 December 1962 and organized in the reserve at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on 17 January 1963. The group headquarters supported the 733d Troop Carrier Squadron, which had operated from Hill since November 1957. Additional group components included a combat support squadron, a materiel squadron, and a tactical infirmary. The group was initially assigned to the 452d Troop Carrier Wing and operated Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars. Its early mission centered on tactical airlift activities in the western United States under Tactical Air Command. The group was one of several C-119-equipped groups associated with the wing, providing a reserve structure that could be mobilized in smaller and more flexible combinations than a full wing. Beginning in 1965, the group transitioned to Douglas C-124 Globemaster II aircraft. The C-124 was a larger transport aircraft suited to long-range logistics work, and the transition expanded the group's operational role beyond domestic tactical airlift. The unit subsequently flew overseas missions, especially to the Far East and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War period. These operations placed the group's reserve personnel and aircraft within the wider military logistics system supporting United States forces abroad. The Air Force redesignated the organization as the 945th Military Airlift Group on 1 July 1966. The change reflected the service-wide evolution from the troop-carrier designation toward the military-airlift terminology. Its principal squadron was redesignated the 733d Military Airlift Squadron at the same time. The group remained at Hill Air Force Base throughout its existence. In 1971, the unit began phasing out the C-124. On 1 July 1972, it was transferred from the 452d Military Airlift Wing to the 301st Tactical Fighter Wing. The new assignment was short-lived: the 945th Military Airlift Group and the 733d Military Airlift Squadron were inactivated on 1 January 1973. The organization consequently survives as a historical Air Force Reserve unit rather than an active military formation.
- 1973
Inactivated
[1]The group and the 733d Military Airlift Squadron were inactivated on 1 January 1973.
- 1972
Transferred to the 301st Tactical Fighter Wing
[1]On 1 July 1972, the group was reassigned from the 452d Military Airlift Wing to the 301st Tactical Fighter Wing.
- 1971
C-124 phase-out began
[1]The group began phasing out its Douglas C-124 Globemaster II aircraft.
- 1966
Redesignated as a military-airlift group
[1]The organization was redesignated the 945th Military Airlift Group on 1 July 1966, while its principal squadron became the 733d Military Airlift Squadron.
- 1965
Transition to Douglas C-124 aircraft
[1]The group began operating Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIs after initially flying Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars.
- 1963
Group organized at Hill Air Force Base
[1]The group was organized in the Air Force Reserve on 17 January 1963 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to support the 733d Troop Carrier Squadron.
- 1962
Lineage established
[1]The 945th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, was established in lineage terms on 28 December 1962, although it was not organized at that time.
Products and positioning
A reserve military-airlift organization designed to provide a mobilizable headquarters, flying squadron, and support structure for tactical and overseas airlift operations.
Tactical airlift aircraft · 1963
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was the group's initial transport aircraft. It supported tactical airlift operations, including routine missions in the western United States, during the group's early period under the troop-carrier designation.
Heavy military transport aircraft · 1965
Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II became the group's principal aircraft from 1965. Its greater transport capability supported overseas logistics missions, including flights to the Far East and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War era.
Brand decisions
1973
Inactivation of the groupOtherBackground
After the C-124 phase-out began and following a brief reassignment to the 301st Tactical Fighter Wing, the reserve organization was discontinued.
Action taken
The Air Force inactivated the 945th Military Airlift Group and its 733d Military Airlift Squadron on 1 January 1973.
Aftermath
The unit ceased to operate as an Air Force Reserve formation.
1966
Redesignated as the 945th Military Airlift GroupStrategyBackground
The Air Force was reorganizing terminology and structures around the broader military-airlift mission.
Action taken
The 945th Troop Carrier Group was redesignated the 945th Military Airlift Group, and its principal squadron received a corresponding redesignation.
Aftermath
The group continued operating from Hill Air Force Base under the military-airlift designation until its inactivation.
1965
Adopted the Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIGeneration changeBackground
The group needed an aircraft suited to a broader military-airlift role than its initial C-119 tactical transport operations.
Action taken
It transitioned from Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars to Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIs.
Aftermath
The change enabled overseas airlift missions, particularly to the Far East and Southeast Asia.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/945th-military-airlift-group · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled