Sidebar: 73rd APS 40-year timeline

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  • By 73rd Aerial Port Squadron
NAS FORT WORTH JRB, Texas --  · June 25, 1971 - The 73rd Aerial Port Squadron is constituted

· June 29, 1971 - Seventy-third APS activated at Carswell AFB, TX. Assigned to the Central Air Force Reserve Region

· First Non-commissioned Officer recruited into the unit - SSgt Robert Martin, later became Chief in the unit.

· 1975 - Re-designated the 73rd Mobile Aerial Port Squadron (MAPS)

· Oct.8, 1976 - Assigned to the 301st Tactical Fighter Wing, Geographically Separated Unit (GSU) Military Airlift Command gain (MAC)

· Oct. 21-23, 1977 - Participated in the first Reserve Aerial Port, Material Handling Equipment, (MHE) Rodeo aircraft loading competition, sponsored by 22nd Air Force and 4th Air Force and hosted by the 63rd Aerial Port Squadron, Norton AFB, CA

· 1978 - SSgt Standrige Walker was the recipient of the 301st Fighter Wing Henry D. Green award

· 1980 - 2010, eight members were selected for the deserving airman program and became officers

· 1980's - Six unit members were selected as the 301st Fighter Wing Airman of the Quarter and one was selected as the 301st FW Airman of the Year

· Received recognition from HQ Air Force Reserve consistent submission of monthly Air Transportation Computer Based Training (ATCBT) results

· Oct. 1, 1980 - Assigned to the 433rd Tactical Airlift Wing, Kelly AFB, Texas

· 1990's - 2 unit members selected as the 301st FW Airman of the Year

· Aug. 1, 1992 - Assigned to the 301st Operations Group

· 1994 - Assisted the 301st FW "ACES NORTH" deployment to Australia. Supported the deployment and re-deployment of approx. 20 tons of cargo and equipment and over 200 passengers and baggage

· 7 unit members accompanied the wing

· June 1994 - Received a Satisfactory rating during the Operational Readiness Inspection with 512th AW and the 436th Aerial Port Squadron, Dover AFB, DE

· Aug 1995 - Rhein Main AB, Germany; supported Operation GOLD NUGGET, a NATO coordinated training exercise with Eastern Block Countries. Processed over 100 Tons of cargo and 1,500 passengers

· 1996 - Working with Marine Air Group - 41, VMGR 234 and coordination with 10th AF/DON, established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) identifying invaluable joint training scenarios/schedules for both units

· 1997 - 1999, participated in the Indian Health Service (IHS), and HQ Air Force Reserve coordinated Operation TRANSAM

· Received, classified, stocked, palletized, and redistributed over 800 tons of medical supplies to Indian Reservations in the U.S.

· 1998 - Patriot Partner, Ramstein AB, GE. Lead unit for Port take over Ramp Services with partial take over Cargo Processing and Passenger Services. Four Reserve units participated; approx. 160 personnel

· July 1999 - Patriot Partner, Elmendorf AFB, AK. Lead unit, four Reserve units; approx. 100 personnel

· 2000 - One unit member selected as the 301st FW Airman of the Year

· 2000 - Unit achieved all Excellent ratings for the Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection; best unit of 44 Reserve units; Achieved the highest possible rating

· 2002 - Named AFRC's Best Aerial Port Squadron among 44 APS assigned to HQ AFRC/DON

· 2002 - Captain James Dickey selected as AFRC's Outstanding Company Grade Officer for Transportation

· 2002 - Represented AFRC in an Air Force-wide competition and won the Air Force Outstanding Transportation Unit award

· 73rd received its third Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 2005

· 2005 to 2006- 73rd APS was mobilized to Travis AFB, CA for 1 year and forward deployed to Iraq in support of OIF

· Worked busiest port in the AOR for five months; 99% of missions were EROs

· Deployers earned Meritorious Unit Award

· 2005 - Unit achieved all Green (Excellent) ratings for Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection

· 2005 - 73rd APS supported humanitarian missions to Hurricane Katrina victims

· 2007 - Unit Supported Golden Medic

· 2008 - Unit Supported Global Medic

· 2009 - Unit Supported Pacific Lifeline

· 2008- Initiated 73rd APS off-site training at Altus AFB, OK. Trained deployers on mission critical MHE. 73rd APS led cargo team on loading 3.5 tons of equipment on 13 sorties to help train Royal Canadian AF loadmasters

· 2008 DEA/FEMA support

· 2008 Support 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB

· Coordinated Marine's Chemical Biological Response Force in exercise ARDENT SENTRY; supported 14 aircraft, 132 passengers while deploying 140 short tons of support equipment

· 2008 Maple Flag, Lake Elizabeth, Canada

· 2009 - Deployed 65 personnel in support of OEF to Bagram AB, Afghanistan; stood up AFCENT's 1st Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron

· Moved 65,000 tons of cargo, 120,000 passengers on 8,000 missions

· 2009 - 2010 Supported 3 RED FLAGs tours at Nellis AFB, NV; Moved 401 tons cargo and 1,700 passengers on 54 missions

· 2010 - Key support to Operation Unified Response; deployed 12 personnel to Homestead ARB, FL in support of Haiti relief efforts. Handled 1,720 tons of cargo and 4,455 passenger on 650 missions

· Jun 2010 - Unit received its first Logistics Compliance Assessment Program Evaluation (LCAP). Achieved an "Outstanding" rating

· Received 82 evaluations and 27 inspections, 106/109 passed items for a 97.2% pass rate. Best score in the 301st FW

· Jun 2010 - Unit received zero findings during the 301st FW Unit Compliance Inspection

· 2010 - Deployed 43 personnel in support of OIF/OEF, to Ali Al Salem, Kuwait

· 2011 - Unit participated in an Operational Readiness Inspection