313th Airlift Squadron

313th Airlift Squadron History and Lineage  

 The 313th Airlift Squadron is located at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It is part of the 446th Airlift Wing and operationally flies the C-17 Globemaster jet transport. The mission of the 313 AS consists of airlift, aerial delivery, and aerial refueling on a worldwide basis. The majority of the airlift mission is conducted in the Pacific and Alaska; however, missions are also flown to Europe, Africa, and South America.

Constituted as the 313th Troop Carrier Squadron October 23, 1943 at Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, the squadron was activated November 1, 1943.

As part of the 349th Troop Carrier Group, the squadron soon transferred to the European Theater. The 313 TCS was located at Barkston, England, and later at Roye Army Airfield, France, where it participated in aerial transportation flying the C-53 and C-47.

Following World War II, the unit was deactivated September 1946. It was activated into the Reserve in 1949.

Following a short recall to active service in 1951, the squadron was redesignated as the 313th Fighter-Bomber Squadron May 26, 1952. The 313 FBS was located at Hamilton AFB, Calif., and flew the T-6, F-51, T-28, T-33, and F-80 as part of the 349th Fighter Bomber Group.

Redesignated as the 313th Troop Carrier Squadron September 1, 1957, the unit transferred to Portland International Airport, Oregon. The squadron flew the C-46 and the C-119 Flying Boxcar, and in September 1958 flew the first Reserve mission outside the continental United States taking a R-33 engine to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The squadron was ordered to active service for a month in 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis. It became part of the 939th Troop Carrier Group in 1963 and was redesignated the 313th Tactical Airlift Squadron July 1, 1967.

July 25, 1968, the squadron transferred to McChord AFB, Wash., where it was redesignated as the 313th Military Airlift Squadron as part of the 939th Military Airlift Group. At McChord, it flew the C-141A Starlifter and with a global strategic mission, 313th aircrews saw much service providing airlift to Southeast Asia.

The 313th Military Airlift Squadron was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in June 1970 and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm in January 1973. A second Air Force Outstanding Unit Award was awarded June 1974 following participation in Operation Nickel Grass in defense of Israel. It became part of the 446th Military Airlift Wing in July 1973.

The 313th Airlift Squadron has also received numerous safety awards and has recently completed 39 years and more than 168,000 hours of accident-free flying.

Lineage: Constituted as 313 Troop Carrier Squadron on 23 Oct 1943. Activated on 1 Nov 1943. Inactivated on 7 Sep 1946. Redesignated 313 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 10 May 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to active duty on 1 Apr 1951. Inactivated on 2 Apr 1951. Redesignated 313 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 26 May 1952. Activated in the Reserve on 13 Jun 1952. Redesignated 313 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 Sep 1957. Ordered to active duty on 28 Oct 1962. Relieved from active duty on 28 Nov 1962. Redesignated: 313 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jul 1967; 313 Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 25 Jul 1968; 313 Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 Feb 1992; 313 Airlift Squadron on 1 Oct 1994.

Assignments: 349 Troop Carrier Group, 1 Nov 1943-7 Sep 1946. 349 Troop Carrier Group, 27 Jun 1949-2 Apr 1951. 349 Fighter-Bomber (later, 349 Troop Carrier) Group, 13 Jun 1952; 349 Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959; 939 Troop Carrier (later, 939 Tactical Airlift; 939 Military Airlift) Group, 11 Feb 1963; 446 Military Airlift (later, 446 Airlift) Wing, 1 Jul 1973; 446 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992-.

Stations: Sedalia AAFld, MO, 1 Nov 1943; Alliance AAFld, NE, 20 Jan 1944; Pope Field, NC, 11 Mar 1944; Baer Field, IN, 7-15 Mar 1945; Barkston, England, 3 Apr 1945; Roye/Amy Airfield, France, 18 Apr-13 Jul 1945; Bergstrom Field, TX, 17 Sep 1945-7 Sep 1946. Hamilton AFB, CA, 27 Jun 1949-2 Apr 1951. Hamilton AFB, CA, 13 Jun 1952; Hill AFB, UT, 14 Oct 1955; Portland Intl Aprt, OR, 16 Nov 1957; McChord AFB, WA, 25 Jul 1968-.

Commanders: 1Lt Mathieu T. Slater, 1 Dec 1943; Capt William H. Corwin, 4 Dec 1943-1945; Unkn, Oct 1945-7 Sep 1946. Unkn, 27 Jun 1949-2 Apr 1951. Unkn, 13 Jun 1952-Jun 1955; Lt Col Henry L. Knoll, by Jun 1955; Lt Col Benton M. Clay, by Dec 1955; Lt Col Gilbert G. Tipton, by Dec 1957; Col Vernon E. Acker, by Jun 1959; Lt Col Leonard E. Ranton, by Jun 1963; Lt Col Herbert F. Mellor, by Dec 1963; Lt Col Edmund G. Hepner, 18 Oct 1970; Lt Col Donald G. Turner, by Sep 1971; Lt Col Howard H. Bauer, by 1 Jul 1973; Lt Col Lawrence D. Luedke, by Jun 1975; Lt Col Nile E. Woltman, 15 Oct 1975; Lt Col Lawrence D. Luedke, by Dec 1977; Lt Col Theodore M. Tochterman, 14 Dec 1981; Lt Col Ronald P. Huffman, 5 Jul 1983; Lt Col George H. Suter, 4 Feb 1985; Lt Col Robert A. Stewart, 1 May 1986; Lt Col William E. Thomlinson, 18 Nov 1989; Lt Col Charles P. Little, 17 Aug 1992; Lt Col Bruce K. McRae, 16 Oct 1993; Lt Col Roger S. Parsons, 30 Jun 1997; -unkn; Lt Col Eric Newhouse, 1 Jan 2006; Lt Col Richard O. Grayson, May 2008; Lt Col Tony Angello, Oct 2011-.     (Need help completing list...)-

Aircraft. Principally C-53, 1943-1944; C-47, 1944, 1945-1946; C-46, 1944-1946. C-46, 1949-1951; T-7, 1949-1951; T-11, 1949-1951. T-6, 1952-1954; F-51, 1952-1954; T-33, 1953-1956; F-80, 1954-1956; F-84, 1956-1957; C-46, 1957-1958; C-119, 1958-1968; C-141, 1968- 1999; C-17, 1999 -.  

Honors:

Service Streamers: World War II: American Theater; EAME Theater.

Campaign Streamers: Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers: None.

Decorations: Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 23 Dec 1964-22 Jan 1965; 1 Jul 1969-30 Jun 1970; 1 Jul 1973-30 Jun 1974; 1 Sep 1982-31 Aug 1984; 1 Aug 1990-31 Jul 1992. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 25 Jul 1969-28 Jan 1973.