to fly missions in the United States Africa Command area. Lineage Constituted as the 42d Transport Squadron on 17 April 1942 Activated on 2 May 1942 Redesignated 42d Troop Carrier Squadron on 5 July 1942 Disbanded on 14 April 1944 Reconstituted on 6 February 1956 and redesignated 42d Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium (Special) Activated on 25 October 1956 Inactivated on 8 December 1957 Redesignated 42d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron on 6 November 2007 and allotted to United States Air Forces in Europe to activate or inactivate as needed Activated on 1 October 2008 Inactivated on 15 June 2009 Assignments Eleventh Air Force: 2 May 1942 (attached to XI Air Force Service Command [Provisional]) after 21 June 1942) XI Air Force Service Command: 8 August 1942 (attached to 11th Air Force Troop Carrier Group [Provisional]) after 1 July 1943) 60th Troop Carrier Wing: 6 March 1944 – 14 April 1944 Third Air Force: 25 October 1956 – 8 December 1957 404th Air Expeditionary Group: 1 October 2008 – 15 June 2009 Stations Elmendorf Field, Alaska, 2 May 1942 Lawson Field, Georgia, 6 March 1944 – 14 April 1944 RAF Molesworth, England, 25 October 1956 RAF Alconbury, England, 31 May 1957 – 8 December 1957 Ramstein Air Base, Germany 1 October 2008 – 15 June 2009 Aircraft Douglas C-47 Skytrain (1942–1944) Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (1944) Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (1956–1957) Douglas C-54 Skymaster (1956–1957) Grumman SA-16 Albatross (1956–1957) Lockheed C-130 Hercules (2008–2009) See also List of United States Air Force airlift squadrons List of C-130 Hercules operators References Notes Bibliography Air expeditionary squadrons of the United States Air Force 042 Military units and formations of the United States in the Cold War