317th Airlift Group

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317th Airlift Group

Official crest of the 317th Airlift Group
Active 10 August 194814 September 1949
3 July 195225 September 1958
13 March 196318 August 1993
31 March 1997
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Part of Air Mobility Command
15th Air Force
Garrison/HQ Dyess AFB
Equipment C-130 Hercules
Decorations


see "Lineage and honors" section below


Contents

[edit] History

Provided airlift service in the Far East, 1948. At the end of 1948, moved to Germany, where it participated in the Berlin Airlift from January until inactivation in September 1949. From July 1952 to September 1958, provided airlift service for USAFE, NATO and the UN, participating in numerous training exercises and humanitarian missions. From April 1963 to June 1964, provided airlift for USAFE. Moved to Ohio in June 1964, becoming involved in the TAC's worldwide airlift operations, with emphasis on airborne training. Provided C-130 crew replacement training support for PACAF, October 1965–July 1971 and August 1971–December 1971. Trained C-123 combat crews for the U.S. and Republic of Vietnam between September 1969 and August 1971. Tested adverse weather delivery system (AWADS) equipment in combat operations in Southeast Asia from September 1977 to January 1978, and trained aircrews in the system for a C-130 squadron in Europe. Since 1979, supported the nation's new rapid deployment forces. Participated in exercises with other Air Force commands, sister services, and with U.S. allies. Provided airlift, combat control, medical evacuation, and security police support for Operation Urgent Fury, the rescue and evacuation of American citizens from Grenada, October–November 1983. Between 1983 and 1993, participated in training exercises, special assignment airlift missions, channel missions for Military Airlift Command and Air Mobility Command, and national airlift competitions. Crews and aircraft of assigned squadrons rotated periodically to England for European intratheater airlift. Trained jointly with Army airborne forces from Fort Bragg, NC. Tested container delivery system for parachute dropping of heavy equipment. Deployed crews and aircraft worldwide as needed. Took part in Operation Just Cause in Panama. After an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, transported troops, equipment, and supplies to Southwest Asia as part of Operation Desert Shield. Participated in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. In 1992, took part in humanitarian airlifts to Bosnia (Operation Provide Promise) and Somalia (Operation Provide Relief). Transported relief workers and supplies to Florida after Hurricane Andrew. From 1997 to present, deployed personnel and equipment worldwide to provide all phases of combat delivery, air-land, airdrop, airlift maintenance and recovery, operations support and deployable air mobility command and control.

[edit] Mission

[edit] Operations

[edit] Lineage and honors

Established as 317th Troop Carrier Wing, Heavy, on 10 August 1948. Activated on 18 August 1948. Inactivated on 14 September 1949.

Redesignated 317th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, on 3 July 1952. Activated on 14 July 1952. Inactivated on 25 September 1958.

Activated on 13 March 1963. Organized on 15 April 1963. Redesignated: 317th Troop Carrier Wing on 1 March 1966; 317th Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 May 1967; 317th Airlift Wing on 1 January 1992. Inactivated on 18 August 1993.

Redesignated 317th Airlift Group on 31 March 1997. Activated on 1 April 1997.

Bestowed Honors: Authorized to display honors earned by the 317th Troop Carrier Group prior to 18 August 1948 (italicized}.

[edit] Service streamers

This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:

none

[edit] Campaign streamers

This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:

  • World War II Asiatic-Pacific Theater: Air Offensive, Japan; Papua; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines.
  • Berlin: Berlin Airlift.
  • Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

[edit] Armed forces expeditionary streamers

  • Grenada 1983;
  • Panama 1989-1990.

[edit] Decorations

This unit earned the following unit decorations:

[edit] Awards

[edit] Emblem

Approved on 15 May 1958.

[edit] Assignments

Fifth Air Force, 18 August 1948; 1 Air Lift Task Force, 8 January 194914 September 1949.

Twelfth Air Force, 14 July 1952 (attached to 322 Air Division [Combat Cargo], 1 April 195431 July 1955); 322 Air Division (Combat Cargo), 1 August 195525 September 1958.

United States Air Forces in Europe, 13 March 1963; 322 Air Division (Combat Cargo), 15 April 1963; United States Air Forces in Europe, 1 April 1964 (attached to 322 Air Division [Combat Cargo], 1 April 196420 June 1964); Ninth Air Force, 20 June 1964; 840th Air Division, 1 October 1964; Ninth Air Force, 24 December 1969; 839th Air Division, 31 March 1970; Twenty-First Air Force, 31 December 197418 August 1993 (attached to Operating Location A, Headquarters Twenty-First Air Force, 31 December 197430 June 1975).

Fifteenth Air Force, 1 April 1997; Eighteenth Air Force, 1 October 2003–.

[edit] Components

[edit] Historical

Groups:

Squadrons:

[edit] Current

[edit] Stations

Tachikawa AB, Japan, 18 August 19482 December 1948; Celle RAF Station, Germany, 9 January 194914 September 1949.

Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, 14 July 1952; Neubiberg Air Base, Germany, 17 March 1953; Évreux-Fauville Air Base, France, 17 April 195725 September 1958.

Évreux-Fauville Air Base, France, 15 April 196320 June 1964; Lockbourne Air Force Base (currently, Rickenbacker International Airport), Ohio, 20 June 1964; Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, 31 August 197118 August 1993.

Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, 1 April 1997–.

[edit] Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles

C-46 Commando, 1948; C-54 Skymaster, 1948–1949.

C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1952–1957, 1957–1958; C-130 Hercules, 1957–1958.

C-130 Hercules, 1963–1964, 1964–1971, 1971–1993; C-124 Globemaster II, 1963–1964; C-123 Provider, 1969–1971.

C-130H Hercules, 1997–.

[edit] Commanders

Colonel Thomas K. Hampton, 18 August 1948; Colonel William A. Ross, c.15 August 1949–c.14 September 1949.

Colonel Donald J. French, 14 July 1952; Colonel Harry M. Pike, 23 July 1954; Colonel Clarence B. Hammerle Jr., 29 July 1954; Colonel JoSeptemberh A. Cunningham, 9 September 1954 (additional duty only, 8 April 195716 April 1957); None (not manned), 17 April 19577 July 1957; Colonel Robert D. Forman, 8 July 1957; Colonel John B. Wallace, 11 September 195825 September 1958.

None (not manned), 13 March 196314 April 1963; Colonel Arthur C. Rush, 15 April 1963; Colonel George W. Kinney, 20 June 1963; Colonel Harry S. Dennis Jr., 27 December 1965; Colonel Robert M. Levy, 29 July 1966; Colonel Jack J. Schneider, 13 September 1967; Colonel James A. Giles, 28 September 1967; Colonel Bill M. Richardson, 18 December 1967; Colonel James A. Giles, 20 May 1968; Colonel Bill M. Richardson, 19 June 1968; Colonel Richard J. Downs, 2 January 1970; Colonel Thomas G. Cline, 14 July 1971; Colonel Billie J. Norwood, 31 August 1971; Colonel Edwin F. Rumsey, 13 April 1973; Colonel Stewart Young, 14 September 1973; Brigadier General Robert F. Coverdale, 6 June 1975; Colonel Benjamin Kraljev Jr., 8 August 1977; Brigadier General Duane H. Erickson, 28 February 1979; Colonel Robert B. Patterson, 29 March 1980; Colonel Edsel R. Field, 27 February 1981; Colonel Frank E. Willis, 18 February 1983; Colonel Rolland F. Clarkson Jr., 29 February 1984; Colonel Ronnie C. Peoples, 23 September 1985; Colonel Edward N. Brya, 26 March 1987; Colonel Frederick N. Buckingham, 19 April 1988; Colonel Daniel E. Sowada, 20 June 1989; Colonel Maxwell C. Bailey, 18 June 1990; Colonel George N. Williams, 20 July 1992; Colonel Thomas A. Samples, 29 March 199318 August 1993.

Colonel Jimmie C. Jackson Jr., 1 April 1997; Colonel Douglas L. Miller, 26 August 1998; Colonel John A. Tappan, 10 May 2000; Colonel Richard C. Johnston, 9 July 2002; Colonel Paul J. Montgomery, 15 March 2004; Colonel Kevin E. "Moondog" Jackson, 10 January 2006; Colonel Bernard E. Mater, 16 January 2008.

[edit] See also

[edit] References


This article incorporates text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website which, as a United States government publication, is in the public domain.

[edit] External links