| 517th Airlift Squadron | |
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517th Airlift Squadron Patch |
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| Active | 20 November 1940 - 31 July 1945 19 May 1947 - 10 September 1948 14 July 1952 - 21 July 1954 24 October 1960 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Airlift |
| Part of | Pacific Air Forces 11th Air Force 3d Wing 3d Operations Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Elmendorf Air Force Base |
| Nickname | Firebirds |
| Engagements | Operation Husky Operation Dragoon |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm |
The 517th Airlift Squadron (517 AS) is part of the 3d Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It operates C-12 Huron and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft providing airlfit in the Pacific theater.
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The 517th Airlift Squadron provides tactical airlift operating C-17 and C-12F aircraft. Supporting worldwide airlift, airdrop, airland requirements while providing airlift for theater deployed forces and resupply of remote Alaskan long-range radar sites in support of PACOM, NORAD, and TRANSCOM. Provides aircrew qualification training for the U.S. Air Force.
During World War II the squadron participated in airborne assaults on Sicily and Southern France, support for partisans in Northern Italy from January-May 1945, aerial transportation in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, and briefly in the China-Burma-India Theater. The squadron was deactivated following the war.
It was activated but unmanned from 1947-1948. When reactivated again in the 1960 it resupplied Distant Early Warning (DEW) line sites in Northern Canada and radar sites in Greenland. Parts of the squadron deployed to South Vietnam from 1967-1968 to provide tactical airlift. It provided intratheater airlift within Alaska including support to forward operating bases, airland/airdrop of troops, equipment and supplies, and search and rescue as required. It provided C-130 aircraft and crews for Pacific airlift to Southwest Asia, August-November 1990. Since 1992 the 517th provided worldwide combat airdrop, tactical air/land, operational support airlift, airlift for theater deployed forces and resupply of remote Alaskan long-range radar sites in support of PACAF. It has provided continuous rotational airlift and airdrop support in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2004. The 517th was among first United States units to participate in relief efforts following the Asian tsunami that occurred on 26 December 2004.
During WW II, members of a C-47 crew of the 17th Troop Carrier Squadron were credited with downing an enemy plane after they were attacked by Japanese fighter planes while on a mission near the Indo-Burmese border. See http://www.firebirds.org/menu1/thezero.htm [1]
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