In 1949 the US Navy was looking for a tactical assault transport for its Marine Corps units and arrangements were made to divert 8 off the shelf C-119Bs from the USAF to the USMC. These 8 aircraft and the 31 C-119Cs that followed were designated R4Q-1s. A small number of these R4Q-1s were operated in Korea during the war before they were replaced by upgraded R4Q-2s/C-119Fs of which 58 were acquired. The R4Q-2s were later retrofitted with a nose mounted weather radar.

The R4Q/C-119 were twin engine, twin boom transport / paratrooper aircraft equiped with a 36 ft 11 in long, 9 ft 2 in wide, 9 ft 10 in high cargo fuselage with clamshell aft facing doors capable of loading artillery or small vehicles. As a transport, 42 troops could be carried or 35 liters could be used. The main difference between the R4Q-1 and R4Q-2 were the engines used. The R4Q-1/C-119C used the R-4360 and the R4Q-2/C-119F used the R-3350.