Military Air Transport Service assumed responsibility for the strategic airlift mission previously carried out by the Air Transport Command, transporting cargo and personnel to destinations within the Pacific and the Continental United States. It organized the 531st Air Transport Group at Hickam to replace ATC's 1521st Air Force Base Unit. The group was initially equipped with three squadrons of C-54 Skymasters that could reach the Continental US, but required intermediate stopovers along the Pacific transport routes to stations as far away as Pakistan. The unit also had association with Naval Air Transport squadrons assigned to Hickam as part of the joint service organization of MATS. The group was a tenant organization at Hickam, which was a Pacific Air Command Base. In October 1948, the group was redesignated the 1500th ATG when MATS renumbered its Table of Distribution units to conform to USAF policy that its TD units be numbered between 1200 and 2100.
1500th Air Transport Wing
In 1949, Hickam transferred from PAC to MATS, and MATS organized the 1500th Air Transport Wing as the overall headquarters for the 1500th ATG and support organizations to operate Hickam. In 1949, MATS reorganized its units at Hickam and the wing briefly lost its host responsibilities for Hickam and its operational squadrons. It soon received C-54 squadrons, which were transferred from the 1501st ATW at Fairfeld-Susun AFB. It received its first long-range C-97 Stratofreighter aircraft and two additional squadrons in 1951. The wing reorganized in May 1952 as the 1500th Air Base Wing and the 1500th Air Transport Group was reassigned to Pacific Division, MATS. The wing continued as a support organization for Hickam and the Pacific Division until 1954. At that time, in anticipation of the transfer of Hickam to Far East Air Forces , the wing was reassigned and renumbered as the 6486th Air Base Wing to reflect its new assignment. It remained the host at Hickam until being replaced by the 15th ABW in a USAF program to continue the histories of notable combat units.
During the Korean War, MATS airlifted nearly 50,000 combat casualties and patients to the United States.
In 1952, when Typhoon Olive struck the island, MATS aircraft flew in fresh water, food, medicine, cots, and blankets, and helped evacuate more than 450 people to Hawaii and Guam.
MATS supported nuclear weapons testing at the Eniwetok Proving Ground by airlifting more than 14,000 tons of cargo and 13,000 personnel, as well as providing 1,100 of its own technical personnel.
Lineage
1500th Air Transport Wing
Designated as the 1500th Air Transport Wing and organized, 1 June 1949
1500th Air Transport Group
Designated as the 531st Air Transport Group on 14 May 1948
