517 Airlift Squadron (PACAF)

Lineage. Constituted 17 Transport Squadron on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 11 Dec 1940. Redesignated 17 Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 31 Jul 1945. Activated on 19 May 1947. Inactivated on 10 Sep 1948. Redesignated 17 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 3 Jul 1952. Activated on 14 Jul 1952. Inactivated on 21 Jul 1954. Activated on 24 Oct 1960. Organized on 8 Feb 1961. Redesignated: 17 Troop Carrier Squadron on 8 Dec 1965; 17 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Sep 1967; 517 Airlift Squadron on 1 Apr 1992.

Assignments. 64 Transport (later, 64 Troop Carrier) Group, 11 Dec 1940-31 Jul 1945. 64 Troop Carrier Group, 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948. 64 Troop Carrier Group, 14 Jul 1952-21 Jul 1954. Tactical Air Command, 24 Oct 1960; 64 Troop Carrier Wing, 8 Feb 1961; 516 Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Jan 1963; 5040 Air Base Wing, 15 Jun 1964; 21 Composite Wing, 8 Jul 1966; Twenty-Second Air Force, 31 Mar 1975; 616 Military Airlift Group, 1 Nov 1975; 3 Operations Group, 1 Apr 1992-. 

Stations. McClellan Field, CA, 11 Jul 1940; Hamilton Field, CA, 11 Jul 1941; Westover Field, MA, 13 Jun-31 Jul 1942; Ramsbury, England, 18 Aug 1942; Greenham Common Airdrome, England, 26 Sep 1942; Blida, Algeria, 27 Nov 1942 (air echelon operated from Nouvion, Algeria, 6-27 Jun 1943 and Kairouan, Tunisia, 27 Jun-26 Jul 1943); Kairouan, Tunisia, 29 Jun 1943; El Djem, Tunisia, 26 Jul 1943; Milo/Trapani Airdrome, Sicily, 1 Sep 1943; Comiso, Sicily, 4 Sep 1943 (air echelon operated from Lalmia, India, 7 Apr-9 Jun 1944); Ciampino, Italy, 8 Jul 1944 (operated from Istres, France, 8 Sep-11 Nov 1944); Rosignano Airfield, Italy, 10 Jan-23 May 1945; Waller Field, Trinidad, 4 Jun-31 Jul 1945. Langley Field, VA, 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948. Donaldson AFB, SC, 14 Jul 1952-21 Jul 1954. Dyess AFB, TX, 8 Feb 1961; Elmendorf AFB, AK, 15 Jun 1964-. 

Commanders. Capt Aaron H. Hoffeditz, 11 Dec 1940; Capt Albert B. Willett, 10 May1941; Maj William S. Pocock, 15 Dec 1941; Maj Earl B. Cook, 16 Mar 1942; Maj John T. Thompson, 13 Oct 1942; Maj LaVerne L. Cheney, 17 May 1943; Maj Leo J. Hagerty, 7 Nov 1944-unkn; Capt William B. Parker, unkn-4 Mar 1945; Maj Leo J. Hagerty, 4 Mar 1945; Capt William B. Parker, 21 Mar 1945-unkn. None (not manned), 19 Sep 1947-10 Sep 1948. Maj Wesly C. Brashear, by Sep 1952; Capt Robert E. Lee, by Oct 1952; Lt Col G. B. Gray, by Dec 1952-unkn. Capt Charles D. Adams, 8 Feb 1961; Maj Guy E. Ridgeway Jr., 1 Apr 1961; Lt Col Joseph J. Kesler, Oct 1961; Lt Col Guy E. Ridgeway Jr., 25 Apr 1962; Col John H. Statts, 12 Mar 1963; Lt Col Kenneth E. Bethe, 1 Jul 1966-unkn; Lt Col R. T. Tinney, by 1 Sep 1969; Lt Col John C. Parker, 22 Sep 1969; Lt Col Ora J. Baird Jr., by Mar 1971; Lt Col Charles F. Renner, by May 1971; Lt Col Ora J. Baird Jr., by Jun 1971; Lt Col Charles F. Renner, 4 Jun 1971; Lt Col Ora J. Baird Jr., 3 Sep 1971; Lt Col John D. Hedges, 26 Jun 1972; Lt Col Donald R. Gould, 11 Dec 1972; Lt Col John D. Hedges, by Apr 1973; Lt Col Donald R. Gould, 10 Apr 1973; Lt Col James H. Waldman, 1 Apr 1974; Lt Col William J. Gibbons, 22 Jun 1976; Lt Col Robert T. Shellenberger Jr., 22 Jul 1976; Lt Col David M. Calder, 26 Aug 1978; Lt Col William P. Martin Jr., by 30 Sep 1978; Lt Col Donald L. Smith, 1 Jul 1979; Lt Col Ronald B. Dorcy, 2 Jun 1981; Lt Col James W. Prouty, 4 Jan 1984; Lt Col George N. Williams, 14 Nov 1985; Lt Col Ralph G. Bent II, by Jan 1988; Lt Col Andrew M. Gessner, 6 Jul 1989; Lt Col Richard J. Casey, 29 Jun 1991; Lt Col Douglas L. Miller, 28 Jun 1993; Lt Col William M. Hudson, 20 Jun 1994; Lt Col Walter J. Tomczak, 12 Jul 1996; Lt Col Paul A. Curlett, 2 Jul 1998; Lt Col Neil B. Friedli, 17 Mar 2000; Lt Col Paul Stephenson, 23 Mar 2001; Lt Col Patrick Hollrah, 13 Mar 2003; Lt Col Paul E. Feather, 24 Aug 2004; Lt Col Gary J. Gottschall, 27 Jan 2006-. 

Aircraft. C-47, 1941-1945. None, 1947-1948. C-82, 1952-1953; C-119, 1953-1954. C-130, 1961-; C-124, 1970-1971; C-12, 1992-. 

Operations. World War II: Included airborne assaults on Sicily and Southern France; support for partisans in Northern Italy, Jan-May 1945; aerial transportation in MTO, and briefly in CBI. Unmanned, 1947-1948. Resupplied Distant Early Warning (DEW) line sites in Northern Canada and radar sites in Greenland, 1964-1975. Parts of the squadron deployed to South Vietnam, 1967-1968 to provide tactical airlift. Provided intratheater airlift within Alaska including support to forward operating bases; airland/airdrop of troops, equipment and supplies; search and rescue as required. Provided C-130 aircraft and crews for Pacific airlift to Southwest Asia, Aug-Nov 1990. Since 1992, 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. Provided continuous rotational airlift and airdrop support for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, 2004-. Among first responders to Asian tsunami that occurred on 26 Dec 2004. 

Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples- Foggia; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley, India-Burma. Vietnam: Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II. 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: CBI Theater, 7 Apr-15 Jun 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 2 May 1967-1 Jan 1968. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1962-15 Jun 1964; 16 Jun 1964-31 May 1966; 8 Jul 1966-1 May 1967; 2 Jan-31 Dec 1968; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1969; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1970; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1971; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1972; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1974; 1 Jan-30 Mar 1975; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1979; 1 Jun 1986-31 May 1987; 1 Jun 1987-31 May 1989; 1 Jan 1994-31 Dec 1995; 1 Jan 1996-30 Sep 1998; 1 Jan 2000-31 Dec 2001; 1 Jan 2002-30 Sep 2003; 1 Oct 2003-30 Sep 2005. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Sep 1966-1 Jan 1968. 

Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 29 Sep 2006. 

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 29 Sep 2006. 

Supersedes published information contained in: Judy G. Endicott (ed.)., Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 (Washington:USPGO, 1999). 

Emblem. Approved on 29 Mar 1962; modified on 16 Feb 1999. 

Prepared by Patsy Robertson. 

Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.