Lineage. Constituted as 729 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943. Activated on 1 Jun 1943. Redesignated as 729 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945. Redesignated as 729 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 12 Jul 1947. Redesignated as 729 Bombardment Squadron, Light on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to Active Service on 10 Aug 1950. Redesignated as 729 Bombardment Squadron, Light, Night Intruder on 25 Jun 1951. Relieved from Active Duty, and inactivated, on 10 May 1952. Redesignated as 729 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 6 Jun 1952. Activated in the Reserve on 13 Jun 1952. Redesignated as: 729 Bombardment Squadron, Tactical on 22 May 1955; 729 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 Jul 1957; 729 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jul 1967; 729 Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 25 Apr 1969; 729 Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 Feb 1992; 729 Airlift Squadron on 1 Apr 1993.
Assignments. 452 Bombardment Group, 1 Jun 1943-28 Aug 1945. 452 Bombardment Group, 12 Jul 1947-10 May 1952. 452 Tactical Reconnaissance (later, 452 Bombardment; 452 Troop Carrier) Group, 13 Jun 1952; 452 Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959; 943 Troop Carrier (later, 943 Tactical Airlift) Group, 17 Jan 1963; 944 Military Airlift Group, 25 Apr 1969; 445 Military Airlift Wing, 1 Jul 1973; 445 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992; 452 Operations Group, 1 May 1994-.
Stations. Geiger Field, WA, 1 Jun 1943; Rapid City AAB, SD, c. 13 Jul 1943; Pendleton Field, OR, 10 Oct 1943; Walla Walla AAFld, WA, 3 Nov-Dec 1943; Deopham Green, England, Jan 1944-6 Aug 1945; Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, 14-28 Aug 1945. Long Beach AAFld (later, Long Beach Muni Aprt), CA, 12 Jul 1947; George AFB, CA, 10 Aug-Oct 1950; Itazuke AB, Japan, 26 Oct 1950; Miho AB, Japan, c. 10 Dec 1950; Pusan-East AB, South Korea, 17 May 1951-10 May 1952. Long Beach Muni Aprt, CA, 13 Jun 1952; March AFB, CA, 14 Oct 1960; Norton AFB, CA, 25 Apr 1969; March AFB (later, March ARB), 14 Aug 1993-.
Commanders. None (not manned), 1 Jun-8 Jul 1943; Maj John J. Jewett, 9 Jul 1943; Maj Archie S. Adair, by Sep 1943; Maj Carl M. Thomajan, Oct 1944; Maj Edward A. Steedman, 11 Nov 1944; Capt John A. Sanda, 18 Dec 1944; Maj Henry C. Althaus, c. 10 Jan-c. 24 Jun 1945; unkn, Jul-28 Aug 1945. Unkn, 12 Jul 1947-Jun 1948; Lt Col Roger B. Piles, by Jul 1948; Lt Col Arthur R. Reaume, by Aug 1950; Lt Col Donald J. MacLellan, 22 Dec 1950; Capt William W. McDannel (temporary), 7 May 1951; Maj Floyd C. Lawrence Jr., 16 May 1951; Maj Stanley J. Nixon, c. 9 Jun 1951; Maj Robert M. Hackney, Oct 1951; Maj Warner M. Brundrett, 16 Nov 1951; Lt Col Albert C. Hegenberger, 9 Jan-10 May 1952. Unkn, 13 Jun 1952-Jun 1954; Lt Col T. F. Rafael, by Jul 1954; Lt Col Samuel S. Mines, by Jan 1957; Maj William Lyon, by Jun 1962-Jan 1963; unkn, Feb 1963-Mar 1969; Lt Col James E. McAdoo, 25 Apr 1969; Lt Col Albert A. Sparlis, 19 Oct 1970; Lt Col Charles B. Coleman III, 28 Feb 1971; Col Donald C. Hart, 29 Sep 1974; Lt Col Everett G. Orozco, 17 Sep 1978; Lt Col Donald B. Dik, 22 Sep 1979; Lt Col Robert M. Miranda, 27 Oct 1980; Lt Col Joseph P. Moore III, by Jun 1981; Col Fredrick L. Schuster, 10 Jul 1982; Col John H. Heslin, 29 Jul 1985; Lt Col Edwin R. Ganoung, 25 Jun 1988; Lt Col Larry W. McKellar, 1 Dec 1989; Lt Col Robert J. Massey, 23 Oct 1993-.
Aircraft. B-17, 1943-1945. Unkn, 1947-1948; T-6, 1948-1950; T-7, 1948-1950; T-11, 1948-1950; B-26, 1949-1952. T-6, 1952-1954; F-51, 1953-1954; T-33, 1954-1955; F-80, 1954-1955; B-26, 1955-1957; C-46, 1957-1958; C-119, 1958-1969; C-141, 1969-2005; C-17, 2006-.
Operations. Combat in the European Theater of Operations (ETO), 5 Feb 1944-21 Apr 1945. Combat in Korea, 2 Nov 1950-9 May 1952. Airlifted personnel and cargo worldwide, 1960-. Missions also included humanitarian relief, aeromedical flights, and airdrops of supplies and paratroopers.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Korea: UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1952.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 7 Apr 1945; Korea, 9 Jul-27 Nov 1951; Korea, 28 Nov 1951-30 Apr 1952. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1970-30 Jun 1971; 1 Sep 1985-31 Aug 1987; 1 Sep 1995-31 Aug 1996; 1 Sep 1997-31 Aug 1999; 1 Oct 2002-30 Sep 2004; 1 Oct 2004-30 Sep 2006; 1 Oct 2006-30 Sep 2008; 1 Oct 2008-30 Sep 2010; 1 Oct 2014-31 Dec 2015. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 27 Oct 1950-27 Oct 1951. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 25 Jul 1968-28 Jan 1973.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 9 Jun 2021.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Dec 1997.
Supersedes statement prepared on 21 Nov 2012.
Emblem. Approved on 2 May 1995.
Prepared by Margaret Ream.