Lineage. Established as 314 Transport Group on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 2 Mar 1942. Redesignated as: 314 Troop Carrier Group on 4 Jul 1942; 314 Troop Carrier Group, Heavy, on 26 Jul 1948; 314 Troop Carrier Group, Medium, on 19 Nov 1948. Inactivated on 8 Oct 1957. Redesignated as 314 Tactical Airlift Group on 24 Aug 1978. Activated on 15 Sep 1978. Inactivated on 15 Jun 1980. Redesignated as 314 Operations Group, and activated, on 1 Dec 1991.
Assignments. 50 Transport Wing, 2 Mar 1942; 52 Transport Wing, 15 Jun 1942; 53 Troop Carrier Wing, 30 Aug 1942; 50 Troop Carrier Wing, 3 Nov 1942; 52 Troop Carrier Wing, 20 Feb 1943; IX Air Force Service Command, 20 May 1945; 302 Transport Wing, 11 Aug 1945; European Air Transport Service (Provisional), 3 Sep 1945; United States Air Forces European Theater, 31 Dec 1945; Eighteenth Air Force, 15 Feb 1946; Strategic Air Command, 21 Mar 1946; Third Air Force, 25 Jul 1946; Caribbean Air Command, 9 Sep 1946; Panama Air Depot, 10 Mar 1948; 5700 Wing, Caribbean Air Command, 26 Jul 1948; Ninth Air Force, 21 Oct 1948; 314 Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Nov 1948-8 Oct 1957 (attached to: Far East Air Forces [FEAF], 7-9 Sep 1950; FEAF Combat Cargo Command, 10 Sep-30 Nov 1950; 314 Air Division, 1 Dec 1950-25 Jan 1951; 315 Air Division [Combat Cargo], 25 Jan 1951-c. 1 Nov 1952; 483 Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Jan 1953-15 Nov 1954). 314 Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 Sep 1978-15 Jun 1980. 314 Airlift Wing, 1 Dec 1991-.
Operational Components. Squadrons: 16 Airlift: 1 Dec 1991-1 Oct 1993. 20 Troop Carrier: 17 Jun 1948-20 Oct 1949. 30 Transport: 2 Mar-14 Jun 1942. 31 Transport: 2 Mar-16 Jun 1942. 32 Transport (later, 32 Troop Carrier; 32 Tactical Airlift): 2 Mar 1942-18 Sep 1945; 1 Nov 1978-30 Jun 1979. 34 Combat Airlift Training (later, Combat Aerial Delivery School; USAF Combat Aerial Delivery School): 1 Dec 1991-1 Apr 1997. 45 Airlift: See Flights. 48 Airlift: 1 Dec 2003-. 50 Troop Carrier (later, 50 Tactical Airlift; 50 Airlift): 15 Jun 1942-27 May 1946; 17 Oct 1949-8 Oct 1957; 1 Nov 1978-15 Jun 1980; 1 Dec 1991-1 Apr 1997. 53 Airlift: 1 Oct 1993-11 Jan 2008. 61 Troop Carrier (later, 61 Tactical Airlift; 61 Airlift): attached, 26 Oct 1942, assigned 15 Mar 1942-c. Dec 1945 (detached Oct-Dec 1945); assigned 17 Oct 1949-8 Oct 1957 (detached 1 Oct 1951-c. 1 Nov 1954); assigned 1 Nov 1978-15 Jun 1980; 1 Dec 1991-1 Apr 1997. 62 Troop Carrier (later, 62 Tactical Airlift, 62 Airlift): 15 Mar 1943-c. Oct 1946; 6 Dec 1945-15 Feb 1946; 17 Oct 1949-8 Oct 1957; 1 Dec 1991-. 301 Troop Carrier: attached 15 Feb-27 May 1946. 302 Troop Carrier: 15 May-7 Aug 1945; 15 Oct 1945-27 May 1946. 321 Troop Carrier: attached 16 Oct 1945-5 Dec 1945; assigned 6 Dec 1945-27 Aug 1946; 8 Jun 1955-1 Aug 1957. 323 Troop Carrier: 16 Oct 1945-30 Sep 1946. 334 Troop Carrier: 15 Oct 1946-20 Oct 1949. Flights: 45 Airlift (later, 45 Airlift Squadron): 1 Oct 1999-.
Stations. Drew Field, FL, 1 Mar 1942; Bowman Field, KY, 24 Jun 1942; Sedalia AAFld, MO, 4 Nov 1942; Lawson Field, GA, 19 Feb-4 May 1943; Berguent, French Morocco, 20 May 1943; Kairouan, Tunisia, 26 Jun 1943; Castelvetrano, Sicily, 1 Sep 1943-13 Feb 1944; Saltby, England, 20 Feb 1944-28 Feb 1945; Poix, France, 4 Mar 1945; Villacoublay, France, 15 Oct 1945-15 Feb 1946; Bolling Field, DC, 15 Feb-9 Sep 1946; Albrook Field, Canal Zone, 9 Sep 1946; Curundu Heights, Canal Zone, 10 Mar-Oct 1948; Smyrna (later, Sewart) AFB, TN, 21 Oct 1948; Laurenburg-Maxton Air Field, NC, 19 Apr 1950; Sewart AFB, TN, 5 May-1 Sep 1950; Ashiya AB, Japan, 7 Sep 1950-15 Nov 1954; Sewart AFB, TN, 15 Nov 1954-8 Oct 1957. Little Rock AFB, AR, 15 Sep 1978-15 Jun 1980. Little Rock AFB, AR, 1 Dec 1991-.
Commanders. 2Lt L. C. Lillie, 2 Mar 1942; 2Lt J. W. Blakeslee, 14 May 1942; Maj Leonard M. Rohrbough, 26 Jun 1942; Col Clayton Stiles, 9 Apr 1943; Lt Col Halac G. Wilson, 22 Aug 1945; Col Charles W. Steinmetz, 29 Nov 1945-15 Feb 1946; Unkn, 15 Feb 1946-7 Oct 1948; Col Richard W. Henderson, 8 Oct 1948; Col William H. Delacey, 27 Aug 1951; Col David E. Daniel, 28 Sep 1951; Lt Col Harold L. Sommers, 1 May 1952; Col William H. Delacey, Nov 1954-unkn. Col Charles W. Howe, by 1 Jan-8 Oct 1957. Col Robert N. Clarke, 1 Nov 1978; Col Frank E. Willis, 7 May 1979-c. 15 Jun 1980. Col David J. Mason, 1 Dec 1991; Col Robert H. Meyers, 5 Aug 1992; Col Melvin M. Reeves Jr., 30 Jul 1993; Col Paul J. Fletcher, 30 Jun 1995; Col Joseph H. Fitzpatrick, 24 Jan 1997; Col Norman A. Weinberg, 23 Sep 1998; Col Dale I. Pangman, 19 May 2000; Col Douglas E. Kruelen, 17 May 2002; Col Charles A. Hamilton, 18 Jun 2004; Col Rudolph T. Byrne, 30 Jun 2006; Col Patrick X. Mordente, 17 Jun 2008; Col Michael J. Bauer, 4 Jun 2010-.
Aircraft. C-47, 1942-1946; C-53, 1942-1943; C-54, 1947-1948; C-82, 1949-1950; C-119, 1950-1957. C-130, 1978-1980. C-130, 1991-; C-21, 1999-.
Operations. The 314 Troop Carrier Group arrived in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in May 1943, taking part with Twelfth Air Force units in two airborne operations. It flew two major night missions in Jul 1943 during the Sicily invasion; dropped paratroops of 82 Airborne Division near Gela on 9 Jul and reinforcements to the area on the 11 Jul. Later in the year, the group transported paratroops and supplies to Salerno on 14 and 15 Sep, during the invasion of Italy. 314th squadrons flew additional missions in the Mediterranean before it transferred in Feb 1944 to England for further training. From there, it took part with the Ninth Air Force in the Normandy invasion, flying numerous supply and reinforcement missions in the ensuing period. The 314 group dropped paratroops over Holland in Sep and carried munitions and supplies to the same area. After moving to France in late Feb 1945, it participated in the airborne crossings of the Rhine River near Wesel on 24 Mar. The group then brought supplies and equipment to combat units and airlifted wounded US and Allied personnel to rear-area hospitals. After termination of hostilities, it evacuated prisoners of war from German camps and flew regular personnel and freight service. Transferred without personnel or equipment (WOPE) to the US in Feb 1946; and in Sep, again WOPE, to the Canal Zone, where the group operated air terminals under Caribbean Air Command. 314 Troop Carrier Group moved back to the US in Oct 1948 for further training. The group served in Japan during the Korean War; participated in two major airborne operations, at Sunchon in Oct 1950 and at Munsan-ni in Mar 1951. It later transported supplies to Korea and evacuated prisoners of war. In 1954, it again transferred, without personnel or equipment to the US where it participated in a continuous stream of tactical exercises and inspections until Oct 1957. The group flew worldwide airlift and provided all C-130 aircrew training to U.S. and allied aircrews, Sep 1978-Jun 1980 and from Dec 1991 to present. Flew Hurricane Katrina relief missions during Sep 2005. Supported Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) missions in Southwest Asia, 2005-.
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer-Fall 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer-Fall 1953.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Sicily, 11 Jul 1943; France, [6-7] Jun 1944; Korea, 28 Nov-10 Dec 1950. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 6 May 1953-10 Sep 1954; 11 Jan-14 Feb 1955; [1 Dec] 1991-30 Jun 1993; 1 Jul 1993-30 Jun 1995; 1 Jul 1995-31 Mar 1997; 1 Jul 1997-30 Jun 1999; 1 Jul 1999-30 Jun 2001; 1 Jul 2001-30 Jun 2003; 1 Jul 2003-30 Jun 2004; 1 Jul 2004-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2005-30 Jun 2006; 1 Jul 2006-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2008-30 Jun 2009. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 1 Jul 1951-27 Jul 1953.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through Oct 2010.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Oct 2010.
Supersedes statement prepared on 4 Oct 2005.
Emblem. Approved on 29 Dec 2015.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Carl E. Bailey.