The unit's World War II predecessor unit, the 374th Troop Carrier Group operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater, being formed in Australia in 1942 using resources from the Air Carrier Service (formerly Air Transport Command). The group employed a large variety of aircraft to perform air transport of troops, cargo, and evacuation of the wounded, earning two United States Distinguished Unit Citations (DUCs) in Papua New Guinea. In January–February 1943, the group supplied Allied forces during the battle of Wau airstrip, making landings at the airstrip under enemy fire and earning its third DUC. When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, was the only air transport group in the Far East. During the Cold War, the group airlifted wounded French troops from Indo-China to Japan, en ro