701st Airlift Squadron
 | |
|---|---|
 C-17 Globemaster IIIs assigned to the 437th and 315th Airlift Wings participate in an exercise over the coast of Charleston, SC. | |
| Active | 1943–1945, 1947–1949, 1952–1957, 1957–1965, 1970–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Airlift |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Charleston Air Force Base |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations Operation Just Cause[1] |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award French Croix de Guerre with Palm Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1] |
| Insignia | |
| 701st Airlift Squadron Emblem[a][2] |  |
| 701st Bombardment Squadron emblem (World War II)[3] |  |
| World War II Fuselage Code | MK |
The 701st Airlift Squadron is part of the 315th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft providing global airlift.
The squadron was first activated in April 1943 as the 701st Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed with its Consolidated B-24 Liberators to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign until the end of hostilities, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation and a French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its actions. It returned to the United States in the summer of 1945 and was inactivated in September.
The squadron was reactivated in the reserves in 1947, although it is not clear whether it was fully manned or equipped before inactivating in 1949. It was activated again in the reserves in 1952 as the 701st Fighter-Bomber Squadron. It was inactivated in July 1957, but activated a few months later in the airlift role as the 701st Troop Carrier Squadron. The squadron was called to active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Except for an inactive period from 1965 through 1970, the squadron has served as a reserve airlift unit.
- ^ a b Robertson, Patsy (28 February 2011). "Factsheet 701 Airlift Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 707
- ^ Watkins, pp. 88–89
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