1953. It participated in numerous military exercises in the United States and overseas, primarily with airborne forces of the United States Army. In March 1955, the 456th Troop Carrier Wing reorganized, and the squadron was assigned directly to wing headquarters as the 456th Group and all wing support organizations were inactivated, while the squadron formed a detachment with eight C-119L aircraft. In October, the squadron moved with the wing to Shiroi Air Base, Japan, but the flying detachments of the wing were located at various points between Okinawa and Alaska. The squadron took part in Project Drag Net, recovering instrument packages from high altitude research or reconnaissance balloons. The project was terminated in May 1956 due to its low success rate, although the squadron earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its participation. The squadron returned to the United States and Ardmore Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where it was inactivated in July 1956 and its assets transferred to the 339th Troop Carrier Squadron. Strategic Air Command In 1962, in order to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Strategic Air Command (SAC) received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its Major Command controlled strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate Air Force controlled units, which could carry a lineage and history. As a result, the 456th Strategic Aerospace Wing replaced the 4126th Strategic Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California. As part of this organizational action, the squadron again became the 744th Bombardment Squadron and took over the mission, personnel and equipment of the 31st Bombardment Squadron, which was simultaneously inactivated. One half of the squadron's Boeing B-52G Stratofortress aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. The squadron continued the mission of strategic bombardment training. It frequently deployed aircraft and crews to meet USAF requirements, often having nearly all of the squadron's resources scattered around the world at various operating locations. The squadron was inactivated on 30 September 1975, and its mission, equipment and personnel were transferred to the 34th Bombardment Squadron, which moved on paper to Beale from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Provisional unit In June 2002, the squadron was redesignated the 744th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, converted to provisional status and assigned to Air Mobility Command. It has not been active