317th Airlift Squadron

The mission of the 317th Airlift Squadron is to recruit, train, and support combat ready aircrews in order to meet global taskings. ==History==

World War II The 317th was first activated as a transport squadron during World War II and airlifted cargo and mail for the Eighth Air Force within the United Kingdom from 1943 to 1944. The squadron arrived in theater at a time when British troops were on the offensive in the Chindwin Valley. Because only a few forward airfields were available, a large amount of supplies for these troops had to be airdropped to them. The squadron also airlanded at the forward airfields and evacuated wounded aiding the ground troops in the successful outcome of the campaign. In April, the squadron glider section landed eight gliders loaded with engineering equipment into the Lewe airfield to level the field for aircraft operation. An attack the following day by Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar" fighters resulted in the destruction of five of the gliders. This operation earned the squadron a second arrowhead. In May 1945, British and Indian forces had driven forward and were closing in on Rangoon. It was determined to conduct an airborne assault to the south of Rangoon to capture or destroy Japanese gun positions. The 317th dropped Gurkha paratroopers at Elephant Point in the first combat airdrop in Asia. The squadron converted from a commando unit in September and provided aerial transportation for US and allied units in China briefly after the war until November 1945. Viet Nam War Era The squadron was again activated as a special operations airlift unit at Hurlburt Field with a mission of training C-123 Provider aircrews for combat in the Vietnam War in 1964. In 1966, the 317th moved to England AFB and a few months later converted to training crews involved in other forms of special air warfare until 1973. Present Day Since reactivation in the Air Force Reserve in the spring of 1992, the squadron has flown worldwide airlift missions. It flew humanitarian airlift missions to Washington DC and New York City, NY, after the terrorist attack on the US, 11 September 2001. ==Lineage==

317th Transport Squadron : Detachment operated from Tulihal, India, 11 November 1944 – 18 November 1944 • Bikram, India, 30 November 1944 • Myitkyina, Burma, 5 December 1944 • Kalaikunda Airfield, India, 6 January 1945 : Detachments operated from Dinjan, India, 8 January 1945 – 13 January 1945, and Bikram, 22 January 1945 – 30 January 1945 • Palel, India, 7 February 1945 • Kalaikunda Airfield, India, 13 April 1945 : A detachment operated from Akyab, Burma, 29 April 1945 – 1 May 1945, and Comilla, India, 3 May 1945 – 20 May 1945 • Ledo, India, 1 June 1945 • Liangshan, China, 10 September 1945 • Hsian (Xi'an), China, 25 September 1945 • Kunming Airport, China, 3 November 1945 • Salua Airstrip, India, 10 November 1945 • Hijli Base Area, India, 18 December 1945 • Titagurh, India, 12 January 1946 – 28 February 1946. • Hurlburt Field, Florida, 1 July 1964 • England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 15 January 1966 • Hurlburt Field, Florida, 15 April 1970 – 30 April 1974 • Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina (1992 – present) From: Decorations • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award : 1 June 1964 – June 1965 : 15 April 1970 – 15 April 1971 : 1 July 1993 – 30 June 1995 : 1 July 1995 – 30 June 1997 : 1 July 1998 – 30 June 2000 : 1 September 1998 – 31 August 2000 : 11 September 2001 – 30 September 2003 : 1 August 2005 – 31 July 2007 Campaigns • • China-Burma-India Theater : India-Burma : China Defensive : Central Burma with two Arrowheads : China Offensive ==Aircraft operated==

• CG-4 Waco (1944–1945) • CG-15 Waco (1944–1945) • C-47 Skytrain (1944–1945, 1966–1970) • C-46 Commando (1945) • C-123 Provider (1964–1965, 1972–1973) • U-10 Super Courier (1966–1973) • AC-47 Spooky (1967–1968) • T-28 Trojan (1967–1968) • UH-1 Iroquois (1970–1974) • CH-3 Jolly Green Giant (1973–1974) • C-141 Starlifter (1992–1993) • C-17 Globemaster III (1993 – present) From: ==References==