311th Airlift Squadron

311th Airlift Squadron
311th Airlift Squadron Patch
Active	23 October 1943 - 15 May 1946 27 May 1949 - 2 April 1951 24 May 1963 - 5 October 1971 1 April 1997 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Part of	Air Mobility Command 18th Air Force 375th Airlift Wing 375th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Peterson Air Force Base
Engagements	Battle of Khe Sanh
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

The 311th Airlift Squadron (311 AS) is part of the 375th Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. It operates C-21 aircraft providing executive airlfit for Combatant Commanders.

History

The 311th Troop Carrier Squadron trained in the United States from 1943–1944 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 F. 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.

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

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.

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.

The flight replaced the 11th Airlift Flight and was equipped with C-21A aircraft in 1997. It has since supported the Commander, US Strategic Command, providing passenger airlift for high-level Defense Department officials and members of Congress throughout the US.

Operations

• World War II
• Vietnam War

Lineage

• 311th Troop Carrier Squadron (1943–1949)
• 311th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium (1949–1963)
• 311th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault (1963–1965)
• 311th Air Commando Squadron, Troop Carrier (1965–1967)
• 311th Air Commando Squadron, Tactical Airlift (1967–1968)

• 311th Special Operations Squadron (1968–1970)
• 311th Tactical Airlift Squadron (1970–1997)
• 311th Airlift Flight (1997–2005)
• 311th Airlift Squadron (2005–Present)

Assignments

• 349th Troop Carrier Group (1943–1944)
• I Troop Carrier Command (1944–1945)
• VI Air Service Area Command (1945)
• 7th Air Force (1945)
• U.S. Army Forces, Middle Pacific (1945)

• VIII Air Force Service Command (1945–1946)
• 54th Troop Carrier Wing (1946)
• 349th Troop Carrier Group (1949–1951)
• 315th Tactical Airlift Wing (1963–1971)
• 375th Airlift Wing (1997–Present)

Bases stationed

• Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri (1943–1944)
• Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska (1944)
• Pope Field, North Carolina (1944–1945)
• Baer Field, Indiana (1945)
• Fort Lawton, Washington (1945)
• Kahuku Army Air Base, Hawaii (1945)
• Bellows Field, Hawaii (1945)

• Okinawa (1945–1946)
• Hamilton Air Force Base, California (1949–1951)
• Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam (1963–1967)
• Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam (1967–1971)
• Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska (1997–2005)
• Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado (2005–Present)

Aircraft operated

• C-47 Skytrain (1943–1945)
• C-53 Skytrooper (1943–1944)
• C-46 Commando (1945–1946, 1949–1951)
• C-123 Provider (1963–1971)
• C-21 (1997 – Present)

External links

• USAF 311th Airlift Squadron History
• 375th Operations Group Fact Sheet