Lineage. Constituted as 317 Transport Group on 2 Feb 1942. Activated on 22 Feb 1942. Redesignated as: 317 Troop Carrier Group on 4 Jul 1942; 317 Troop Carrier Group, Heavy, on 21 May 1948. Inactivated on 14 Sep 1949. Redesignated as 317 Troop Carrier Group, Medium, on 3 Jul 1952. Activated on 14 Jul 1952. Inactivated on 12 Mar 1957. Redesignated as 317 Troop Carrier Group on 24 Aug 1978. Activated on 15 Sep 1978. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1980. Redesignated as 317 Operations Group on 19 Dec 1991. Activated on 1 Jan 1992. Inactivated on 16 Jul 1993. Activated on 6 Jul 2017.
Assignments. Air Service Command, 22 Feb 1942; 50 Transport Wing, 31 Mar 1942; Fifth Air Force, Jan 1943; 317 Troop Carrier Wing, 18 Aug 1948-14 Sep 1949 (detached 21 Sep 1948-8 Jan 1949). 317 Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Jul 1952-12 Mar 1957. 317 Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 Sep 1978-1 Apr 1980. 317 Airlift Wing, 1 Jan 1992-16 Jul 1993. 317 Airlift Wing, 6 Jul 2017-.
Operational Components. Squadrons. 39 Troop Carrier (later, 39 Tactical Airlift; 39 Airlift): 22 Feb 1942-14 Sep 1949; 14 Jul 1952-12 Mar 1957; 1 Oct 1978-1 Apr 1980; 1 Jan-1 Jun 1992; 6 Jul 2017-. 40 Troop Carrier (later, 40 Tactical Airlift; 40 Airlift): 22 Feb 1942-14 Sep 1949; 14 Jul 1952-12 Mar 1957; 1 Oct 1978-1 Apr 1980; 1 Jan 1992- 16 Jul 1993; 6 Jul 2017-. 41 Troop Carrier (later, 41 Tactical Airlift; 41 Airlift): 22 Feb 1942-14 Sep 1949; 1 Oct 1978-1 Apr 1980; 1 Jan 1992-16 Jul 1993. 46 Troop Carrier: 19 Aug 1942-10 Aug 1948.
Stations. Duncan Field, TX, 22 Feb 1942; Bowman Field, KY, 19 Jun 1942; Lawson Field, GA, 11 Oct 1942; Maxton, NC, 3-12 Dec 1942; Townsville, Australia, 23 Jan
1943; Port Moresby, New Guinea, c. 30 Sep 1943; Finschhafen, New Guinea, Apr 1944; Hollandia, New Guinea, Jun 1944; Leyte, 17 Nov 1944; Clark Field, Luzon, c. 17 Mar 1945; Okinawa, 24 Aug 1945; Kimpo, Korea, 31 Oct 1945; Tachikawa, Japan, c. 15 Jan 1946-c. 21 Sep 1948; Wiesbaden AB, Germany, c. 30 Sep 1948; Celle RAF Station, Germany, 15 Dec 1948-14 Sep 1949. Rhein-Main AB, Germany, 14 Jul 1952; Neubiberg AB, Germany, 21 Mar 1953-12 Mar 1957. Pope AFB, NC, 15 Sep 1978-1 Apr 1980. Pope AFB, NC, 1 Jan 1992-16 Jul 1993. Dyess AFB, TX, 6 Jul 2017-.
Commanders. Col Samuel V. Payne, 22 Feb 1942; Col Robert L. Olinger, 21 Jun 1944; Col John H. Lackey Jr., 2 Oct 1944; Lt Col Robert I Choate, 31 Aug 1945; Col Dwight B. Schannep, Oct 1945-unkn; Col Marshall S. Roth, Jan 1946; Col Othel R. Deering, Jan 1947; Col Thomas K. Hampton, 19 May 1948; Lt Col James M. Johnson, 18 Aug 1948; Col Bertram C. Harrison, Oct 1948; Lt Col James M. Johnson, 24 Nov 1948; Lt Col Walter E. Chambers, 11 Mar 1949; Lt Col Robert J. DuVal, 13 June 1949-unkn. Col Lucion N. Powell, 14 Jul 1952; Lt Col James E. Bauley, 1 Mar 1954; Col Harry M. Pike, May 1954-.
Aircraft: Primarily C-47, 1942-1947; C-54, 1947-1949; C-46, 1948. C-119, 1952-1957. C-130, 1978-1980. C-130, 1992-1993. C-130, 2017-.
Operations. Trained with C-47’s. Moved to Australia, Dec 1942-Jan 1943, and assigned to Fifth Air Force. Operated in New Guinea for a short time early in 1943. Received a DUC for making numerous flights in unarmed planes over the Owen Stanley Range, 30 Jan-1 Feb 1943, to transport reinforcements and supplies to Wau, New Guinea, where enemy forces were threatening a valuable Allied airdrome. Exchanged its new C- 47’s for old C-39’s. C-47’s, C-49’s, C-60’s, B-17’s, and LB-30’s in New Guinea and began operating from Australia. Where the group had maintained its headquarters; flew troops and equipment to New Guinea, established courier and passenger routes to Australia, and trained with airborne troops. Equipped with C-47’s and moved to New Guinea in Sep 1943. Took part in the first airborne operation in the Southwest Pacific on 5 Sep, dropping paratroops at Nadzab, New Guinea, to cut supply lines and seize enemy bases. Until Nov 1944, transported men and cargo to Allied bases to New Guinea, new Britain, Guadalcanal, and in the Admiralty Islands. Also dropped reinforcements and supplies to US forces on Noemfoor, 3-4 Jul 1944. After moving to the Philippines in Nov 1944, transported supplies to ground forces on Luzon, Leyte, and Mindoro, and supplied guerrillas on Mindanao, Cebu, and Panay. Participated in two airborne operations during Feb 1945: on 3 and 4 Feb dropped paratroops south of Manila to seize highway routes to the city, and on 16 and 17 Feb dropped the 502d Regiment of Corregidor to open Manila Bay to US shipping; received a DUC for the latter operation, performed at low altitude over small drop zones in a heavily defended area. Completed two unusual missions on 12 and 15 Apr 1945 when this troop carrier organization bombed Carabao Island with drums of napalm. Dropped part of 511th Regiment near Aparri on 23 Jun 1945 to split Japanese forces in the Cagayen Valley and prevent a retreat to the hills in northern Luzon. Remained in the theater as part of the Far East Air Forces after the war; used C-46 and C-47 aircraft, the latter being replaced in 1947 with C-54’s. Flew courier and passenger routes to Japan, Guam, Korea, and the Philippines, and transported freight and personnel in the area. Redesignated 317th Troop Carrier Group (Heavy) in May 1948. Moved, via the US, to Germany in Sep 1948 and became a part of United States Air Forces in Europe for service in the Berlin airlift. Used C-54’s to transport coal, food, and other supplies to the blockaded city. Inactivated in Germany on 14 Sep 1949 (not operational c. 31 Aug-14 Sep 1949). Flew C-119 missions in Germany, 1952-1957 (not operational 8 May 1955-12 Mar 1957). During relatively brief periods of active service in 1978-1980 and 1992-1993, managed C-130s squadrons with the 317 Tactical Airlift Wing (later 317 Airlift Wing) at Pope AFB, NC (not operational 15-30 Sep 1978). Activated again to manage C-130s squadrons, serving under 317 Airlift Wing at Dyess AFB, TX, 2017-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Japan; Papua; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines. Berlin: Berlin Airlift.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Papua, Jan 1943; New Guinea, 30 Jan-1 Feb 1943; Philippine Islands, 16-17 Feb 1945. Meritorious Unit Award: [6 Jul] 2017-30 Jun 2018. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Jun 1979-[1 Apr 1980]. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.
Lineage, Assignments, Operational Components, Stations, Aircraft, Operations, and
Honors through 15 Feb 2019.
Commanders through 1954.
Emblem. Approved on 25 Jul 2017.
Prepared by James Musser.