Lineage. Constituted as 309 Troop Carrier Squadron on 25 May 1943. Activated on 1 Oct 1943. Inactivated on 31 Jul 1945. Redesignated as 309 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 10 May 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to active service on 1 May 1951. Inactivated on 1 Feb 1953. Redesignated as 309 Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Rotary Wing on 12 Aug 1954. Activated on 8 Oct 1954. Inactivated on 9 Jul 1956. Redesignated as 309 Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, and activated, on 18 Mar 1963. Organized on 1 Apr 1963. Redesignated as: 309 Air Commando Squadron, Troop Carrier on 8 Mar 1965; 309 Air Commando Squadron, Tactical Airlift on 1 Aug 1967; 309 Special Operations Squadron on 1 Aug 1968; 309 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jan 1970. Inactivated on 31 Jul 1970. Redesignated as 309 Airlift Squadron on 10 Feb 2002. Activated on 12 Mar 2002.
Assignments. 443 Troop Carrier Group, 1 Oct 1943; I Troop Carrier Command, 15 Feb 1944; Eighth Air Force, 21 Apr 1944; 315 Troop Carrier Group, 26 Apr 1944-31 Jul 1945. 443 Troop Carrier Group, 27 Jun 1949-1 Feb 1953. Eighteenth Air Force (attached to 63 Troop Carrier Wing), 8 Oct 1954-9 Jul 1956. Ninth Air Force (attached to 464 Troop Carrier Wing), 1 Apr 1963; Pacific Air Forces, Jun 1963; 315 Troop Carrier Group, 1 Jul 1963; 315 Air Commando (later, 315 Special Operations; 315 Tactical Airlift) Wing, 8 Mar 1966-31 Jul 1970. 86 Operations Group, 12 Mar 2002-.
Stations. Sedalia AAFld, MO, 1 Oct 1943; Alliance AAFld, NE, 19 Jan 1944; Camp Mackall, NC, 8 Mar-21 Apr 1944; Spanhoe, England, 21 Apr 1944; Amiens, France, 6 Apr-May 1945; Waller Field, Trinidad, May-31 Jul 1945. Hensley Field, TX, 27 Jun 1949; Donaldson AFB, SC, 9 Aug 1951-1 Feb 1953. Donaldson AFB, SC, 8 Oct 1954-9 Jul 1956. Pope AFB, NC, 1 Apr-1 Jul 1963; Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam, 1 Jul 1963; Phan Rang AB, South Vietnam, 7 Jul 1967-31 Jul 1970. Chievres AB, Belgium, 12 Mar 2002-.
Commanders. None (not manned), 1-11 Oct 1943; Maj Arthur Kaufman, 11 Oct 1943; none (not manned), 21-30 Apr 1944; Lt Col Smylie C. Stark, 1 May 1944; Maj Edwin F. Titsworth (Acting), 16 Jan 1945; Lt Col Smylie C. Stark, 23 Feb 1945; Maj Edwin F. Titsworth, 28 Mar-Apr 1945; unkn, May-31 Jul 1945. Unkn, 27 Jun 1949-Apr 1951; Lt Col John A. Slaughter, 1 May 1951; Maj Luther E. Davis Jr., by Oct 1951; Maj Paul F. Ross, 17 Jan-31 Oct 1952; unkn, Nov 1952-1 Feb 1953. Maj Ned W. Farr Jr., 8 Oct 1954; Maj Frank L. Kebelman Jr., 15 Jul 1955-9 Jul 1956. None (not manned), 1 Apr-30 Jun 1963; Maj Gerald L. Woodruff, 1 Jul 1963; Lt Col Orville D. Beardsley, Oct 1963; Lt Col Richard M. Kenny, Nov 1964; unkn, Jan-Dec 1965; Lt Col Calvin G. Bass, by Jan 1966; Lt Col Robert I. Ferguson, 1 Jul 1966; Lt Col Herbert M. Hazzard, 7 Feb 1967; Lt Col Conrad Kreps, 30 May 1967; Lt Col Wayne S. Crawford Jr., 30 Apr 1968; Lt Col Lloyd G. Russell, 14 Sep 1968; Lt Col Paul E. Rova, Mar 1969; Lt Col Harvey H. Hogue, c. Aug 1969; Lt Col Ben V. Walker, Feb 1970; Lt Col William J. Gibson, by 1 Apr 1970; Maj Earl J. Dunn Jr., Jun 1970; none (not manned), 1-31 Jul 1970. Lt Col Robert E. Jacobson, unkn-Jun 2006; Lt Col Peter Guisti, Jun 2006; Lt Col Mark A. Gaubert, Jan 2008; Lt Col Michael A. Dickinson, May 2009-.
Aircraft. L-3, 1943; C-53, 1943-1944; C-47, 1944, 1944-1945; B-24, 1944-1945; C-46, 1945. C-46, 1951-1952; C-119, 1952-1953. H-19, 1954-1956; H-21, 1956. C-123, 1963-1970. C-37, 2002-.
Operations. Aerial transportation in European Theater of Operations (ETO) of materiel, equipment, and troops, including airborne assaults on Normandy, Holland, and Germany, 6 Jun 1944-May 1945. Flew intratheater combat cargo and troop carrier missions in Southeast Asia, 1 Jul 1963-26 Jun 1970. Provided executive airlift support for Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), and Commander United States Air Forces in Europe (COMUSAFE), 2002-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe. Vietnam: Vietnam Advisory; Vietnam Defensive; Vietnam Air; Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall; Vietnam Winter-Spring; Sanctuary Counteroffensive.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: France [6] Jun 1944. Presidential Unit Citations: Southeast Asia, 21 Jan-12 May 1968; Southeast Asia, 1 Apr-30 Jun 1970. Navy Presidential Unit Citation: Vietnam, 20 Jan-31 Mar 1968. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device: 1 May 1963-30 Apr 1965; 30 Jun-9 Jul 1965; 15 Oct 1966-30 Apr 1967; 10 Jun-31 Dec 1967; 15 Jul 1968-30 Jun 1969; 15 Jan 2004-31 Oct 2005. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: [12 Mar]-31 Dec 2002; 1 Nov 2005-31 Dec 2006; 1 Jan-31 Dec 2007. Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 29 Jun 1966-31 Jul 1970.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 8 Apr 2010.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Apr 2010.
Supersedes statement prepared on 24 Sep 2002.
Emblem. Approved on 14 Mar 1966 and modified on 21 May 2007.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Carl E. Bailey.