World War II

The 311th Troop Carrier Squadron trained in the United States from 1943 to 1944 and later flew cargo and personnel missions. It transferred to Hawaii in February 1945 and flew cargo in the Hawaiian Islands. When Lieutenant General Millard Harmon crashed in the Pacific, the squadron participated in an intensive air search for survivors. In August 1945 it moved to Okinawa and continued its airlift mission until May 1946.

Air Force reserve

The 311th trained in C-46 aircraft from June 1949 – April 1951.

Vietnam War

In Vietnam, the 311th flew cargo and passengers in support of I and II Corps. In addition, the unit flew flare, communications cover, air evacuation, and search and rescue missions for downed aircraft.

On 10 May 1968, The special forces camp at Kham Duc in the central highlands near Laos came under heavy mortar fire and was ordered to be evacuated. On 12 May, during evacuation efforts, an Army Boeing CH-47 Chinook and two division C-130s were disabled by enemy fire. One C-130 burst into flames at the end of the runway, killing all aboard. The final C-130 took off thinking it had boarded the last of the men on the ground. As the Viet Cong overran the forward outpost and established gun positions on the airstrip, eight aircraft were destroyed and the C-130 on the runway reduced its usable length to only about 2,200 feet. However, the three-man combat control team, in charge of directing the evacuation, was still on the ground searching for survivors.^[2]

Informed that three men remained behind, Lt Col Joe M. Jackson of the 311th Air Commando Squadron (834th Air Division) dove his Fairchild C-123K Provider from 9,000 to land at the field. Unable to slow by reversing his propellers (Reversing the propellers on the C-123K shut off the two jet engines. They would have to be restarted before the aircraft could begin to take off again.) he jammed on the brakes and skidded halfway down the runway. The three combat controllers jumped from a culvert next to the runway and leaped into the open rear cargo door. A 122 mm rocket, fired from just outside the perimeter stopped only 10 meters from the plane. It did not explode. Jackson taxied around the shell and took off under heavy fire from the hills on either side of the camp. For this rescue, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.^[2]

Operational support airlift

The squadron was redesignated the 311th Airlift Flight and activated at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska in April 1997, assuming the mission, personnel and Learjet C-21 aircraft of the inactivating 11th Airlift Flight,^[1][3] when Air Force operational support airlift in the United States was centralized under the 375th Air Mobility Wing. It supported the Commander, United States Strategic Command, providing passenger airlift for Department of Defense officials throughout the US. In June 2005, the flight became the 311th Airlift Squadron and moved to Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, absorbing the resources of the 84th Airlift Flight, which was inactivated.^[4] It was inactivated in June 2014, leaving the 200th Airlift Squadron of the Colorado Air National Guard to continue its mission at Peterson.^[3]

Assignments

• 349th Troop Carrier Group, 1 November 1943
• I Troop Carrier Command, 1 December 1944
• VI Air Service Area Command, 9 February 1945
• Seventh Air Force, 22 July 1945
• U.S. Army Forces, Middle Pacific, 31 July 1945
• VIII Air Force Service Command, 1 September 1945
• 54th Troop Carrier Wing, 15 February–15 May 1946
• 349th Troop Carrier Group, 27 June 1949 – 2 April 1951
• 315th Troop Carrier Group (later 315 Air Commando Group), 8 July 1963
• 315th Air Commando Wing (later 315 Special Operations Wing, 315 Tactical Airlift Wing), 8 March 1966 – 5 October 1971
• 458th Airlift Squadron, 1 April 1997
• 375th Operations Group, 15 June 2005 – 1 June 2014^[1][3]

Stations

Aircraft

• Douglas C-47 Skytrain (1943–1945)
• Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (1943–1944)
• Curtiss C-46 Commando (1945–1946, 1949–1951)
• Fairchild C-123 Provider (1963–1971)
• Learjet C-21 (1997–2014)^[1][3]

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.