The 314th Operations Group (314 OG) is the flying component of the

Air Education and Training Command Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Trainin ...

314th Airlift Wing The 314th Airlift Wing (314 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Little Rock Air Force Base in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its mission is to carry out Lockheed C-130 Hercules combat airlift training. The wing was activated in ...

, stationed at

Little Rock Air Force Base Little Rock Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas. Little Rock AFB is the primary C-130 Hercules training base for the Department of Defense, training C-130 pilots, navi ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...

Overview

The group provides C-130 initial and tactical aircrew training in all crew positions for all of the Department of Defense and allied students from 46 nations.

Units

The 314th Operations Group is composed of one flying squadron and one training squadron. * The 62nd Airlift Squadron flies the C-130J Super Hercules * The 714th Training Squadron provided administrative support for all students

History

: ''See the

for additional history and lineage''

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the 314th Troop Carrier Group arrived in the

Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army for ...

in May 1943, taking part with Twelfth Air Force units in two

airborne operation Airborne forces, airborne troops, or airborne infantry are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop or air assault. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in ...

s. It flew two major night missions in July 1943 during the Sicily invasion, dropping

paratroops A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Wor ...

82d Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops Magazine'', 25 November 2012. Archived from thor ...

near

Gela Gela (Sicilian and ; grc, Γέλα) is a city and (municipality) in the Autonomous Region of Sicily, Italy; in terms of area and population, it is the largest municipality on the southern coast of Sicily. Gela is part of the Province of C ...

on 9 July and reinforcements to the area on the 11th. Later in the year, the group transported paratroops and supplies to

Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...

, 14 and 15 September, during the invasion of Italy. Squadrons from the 314th flew additional missions in the Mediterranean before it transferred, in February 1944, to England for further training. From England, it took part with the Ninth Air Force in the

Normandy invasion Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

, flying numerous supply and reinforcement missions in the ensuing period. The 314th dropped paratroops over the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in September and carried munitions and supplies to the same area. After moving to France in late February 1945, it participated in the airborne crossings of the

Rhine River ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

near

Wesel Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district. Geography Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine. Division of the city Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrigh ...

on 24 March. The group then brought supplies and equipment to combat units and airlifted wounded U.S. and Allied personnel to rear-area hospitals. After the termination of hostilities, it evacuated

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

from German camps and flew regular personnel and freight service. It transferred without personnel or equipment (WOPE) to the United States in February 1946, and in September again transferred WOPE, to the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

, where the 314th operated air terminals under Caribbean Air Command. It moved back to the United States in October 1948 for further training.

Cold War

314th TCG Fairchild C-119B Flying Boxcar 48-352

Transferring without personnel or equipment (WOPE) to US in February 1946, and in Sep, again WOPE, to the Canal Zone, the 314th operated air terminals under Caribbean Air Command. It moved back to the US in October 1948 for further training. The group served in Japan during the Korean War, participating in two major airborne operations, at Sunchon in October 1950 and at Munsan-ni in March 1951. It later transported supplies to Korea and evacuated prisoners of war. In 1954, it again transferred, without personnel or equipment to the US where it participated in a continuous stream of tactical exercises and inspections until October 1957.

Modern era

The group flew worldwide airlift and provided all C-130 aircrew training to U.S. and allied aircrews, September 1978 – June 1980 and from December 1991 to present.

Lineage

* Established as the 314th Transport Group on 28 January 1942 : Activated on 2 March 1942 : Redesignated: 314th Troop Carrier Group on 4 July 1942 : Redesignated: 314th Troop Carrier Group, Heavy on 26 July 1948 : Redesignated: 314th Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 19 November 1948 : Inactivated on 8 October 1957 * Redesignated 314th Tactical Airlift Group on 24 August 1978 : Activated on 15 September 1978 : Inactivated on 15 June 1980 * Redesignated 314th Operations Group and activated on 1 December 1991

Assignments

50th Transport Wing The 50th Troop Carrier Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The wing was formed in 1941 as the 50th Transport Wing, a headquarters fpr air transport organizations of the Office, Chief of the Air Corps, Air Corps. In 1942, it became ...

, 2 March 1942 *

52d Transport Wing The 52d Troop Carrier Wing (52 TCW) is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force. It was last assigned to the New York Air National Guard (NY ANG) as the 52d Fighter Wing, being stationed at Westchester County Airport, New York. It was ina ...

, 15 June 1942 * 53d Troop Carrier Wing, 30 August 1942 * 50th Troop Carrier Wing, 3 November 1942 * 52d Troop Carrier Wing, 20 February 1943 * IX Air Force Service Command, 20 May 1945 * 302d Transport Wing, 11 August 1945 * European Air Transport Service (Provisional), 3 September 1945 *

United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

an Theater, 31 December 1945 *

Eighteenth Air Force Eighteenth Air Force (Air Forces Transportation) (18 AF) is the only Numbered Air Force (NAF) in Air Mobility Command (AMC) and one of the largest NAFs in the United States Air Force. 18 AF was activated on 28 March 1951, inactivated on 1 Janu ...

, 15 February 1946 *

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile c ...

, 21 March 1946 *

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...

, 25 July 1946 *

Caribbean Air Command The United States Air Forces Southern Command is an inactive Major Command of the United States Air Force. It was headquartered at Albrook Air Force Base, Canal Zone, being inactivated on 1 January 1976. Initially designated Panama Canal Air Fo ...

, 9 September 1946 * Panama Air Depot, 10 March 1948 * 5700 Wing, Caribbean Air Command, 26 July 1948 *

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

, 21 October 1948 * 314th Troop Carrier Wing, 1 November 1948 – 8 October 1957 : Attached to

Far East Air Forces Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (f ...

, 7 September 1950 : Attached to FEAF Combat Cargo Command, 10 September 1950 : Attached to

314th Air Division The 314th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It became inactive in September 1986. The unit's origins lie with the World War II 314th Bomba ...

, 1 December 1950 : Attached to

315th Air Division The 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force formation. Originally designated the 315th Bombardment Wing, it was activated in July 1944 at Peterson Field, Colorado as a command and control organization for four very heavy B-29 Su ...

, 25 January 1951 – c. 1 November 1952 : Attached to

483d Troop Carrier Wing 483rd or 483d may refer to: * 483d Bombardment Squadron or 303d Air Refueling Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit * 483d Tactical Airlift Wing, tactical airlift and composite wing assigned to Pacific Air Forces during the Vietnam War S ...

, 1 January 1953 – 15 November 1954 * 314th Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 September 1978 – 15 June 1980 * 314th Airlift Wing, 1 December 1991 – present

Components

16th Airlift Squadron The 16th Airlift Squadron is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command. It is based at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The squadron operates Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircr ...

: 1 December 1991 – 1 October 1993 *

20th Troop Carrier Squadron The 20th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. It currently flies the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and is assigned to the 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. It was originally ...

: 17 June 1948 – 20 October 1949 * 30th Transport Squadron: 2 March – 14 June 1942 * 31st Transport Squadron: 2 March – 16 June 1942 * 32d Transport (later, 32d Troop Carrier; 32d Tactical Airlift) Squadron (S2): 2 March 1942 – 18 September 1945; 1 November 1978 – 30 June 1979 * 34th Combat Airlift Training Squadron (later, Combat Aerial Delivery School; USAF Combat Aerial Delivery School): 1 December 1991–present * 45th Airlift Squadron: 1 October 1999 – 15 July 2011 *

48th Airlift Squadron The 48th Airlift Squadron was part of the 314th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operates Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, conducting pilot and loadmaster training for airlift and airdrop operations. The ...

: 1 December 2003 – present * 50th Troop Carrier (later, 50th Tactical Airlift; 50th Airlift) Squadron (2R): 15 June 1942 – 27 May 1946; 17 October 1949 – 8 October 1957; 1 November 1978 – 15 June 1980; 1 December 1991 – 1 April 1997 *

53d Airlift Squadron The 53d Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last part of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operated Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft for airlift and airdrop operations. The squadro ...

: 1 October 1993 – 11 January 2008 * 61st Troop Carrier (later, 61st Tactical Airlift; 61st Airlift) Squadron (Q9): attached, 26 October 1942, assigned 15 March 1942-c. December 1945 (detached October–December 1945); assigned 17 October 1949 – 8 October 1957 (detached 1 October 1951-c. 1 November 1954); assigned 1 November 1978 – 15 June 1980; 1 December 1991 – 1 April 1997 * 62d Troop Carrier (later, 62d Tactical Airlift, 62d Airlift) Squadron (E5): 15 March 1943-c. October 1946; 6 December 1945 – 15 February 1946; 17 October 1949 – 8 October 1957; 1 December 1991–present *

301st Troop Carrier Squadron 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societies ...

: attached 15 February – 27 May 1946 * 302d Troop Carrier Squadron: 15 May – 7 August 1945; 15 October 1945 – 27 May 1946 * 321st Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 16 October 1945 – 5 December 1945; assigned 6 December 1945 – 27 August 1946; 8 June 1955 – 1 August 1957 * 323d Troop Carrier Squadron: 16 October 1945 – 30 September 1946 * 334th Troop Carrier Squadron: 15 October 1946 – 20 October 1949.

Stations

Drew Field Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective December 30, 2021. The ...

, Florida, 1 March 1942 *

Bowman Field Bowman Field may refer to: Airports * Bowman Field (Kentucky), an airport in Louisville, Kentucky * Bowman Field (Maine), an airport in Livermore Falls, Maine * Bowman Field (Montana), an airport in Anaconda, Montana * Bowman Municipal Airport, an a ...

, Kentucky, 24 June 1942 *

Sedalia Army Air Field Sedalia is the name of several places: Canada * Sedalia, Alberta, a hamlet in Alberta, Canada United States *Sedalia, Colorado *Sedalia, Indiana *Sedalia, Kentucky *Sedalia, Missouri, the largest US city named Sedalia *Sedalia, North Carolina *Sed ...

, Missouri, 4 November 1942 *

Lawson Field Lawson may refer to: Places Australia * Lawson, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Lawson, New South Wales, a town in the Blue Mountains Canada * Lawson, Saskatchewan * Lawson Island, Nunavut United States * Lawson, Arkansa ...

, Georgia, 19 February-4 May 1943 *

Berguent Airfield Berguent Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Morocco, located approximately 33 km south-southeast of Jerada (Oriental); 500 km east-northeast of Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَ� ...

, French Morocco, 20 May 1943 *

Kairouan Airfield Kairouan Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia, which is located approximately 11 km south-southeast of Kairouan, 126 km south of Tunis. It was a major Troop Carrier unit base of the United States Army Air Force Twel ...

, Tunisia, 26 June 1943 *

Castelvetrano Airfield Castelvetrano Airfield is a decommissioned World War II military airfield in Sicily which is located approximately 1 km southwest of Castelvetrano. The airfield had been an Italian Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica''), seized by the United S ...

, Sicily, 1 September 1943 – 13 February 1944 *

RAF Saltby Royal Air Force Saltby or more simply RAF Saltby is a former Royal Air Force station located near Saltby, Leicestershire, England The following units were here at some point: * No. 14 Operational Training Unit RAF * No. 32 Heavy Glider Maintenan ...

(Station 538), England,Station numbers in Anderson 20 February 1944 – 28 February 1945 * Poix Airfield (B-44),Station numbers in Johnson France, 4 March 1945 * Villacoublay Airfield (Station 180, A-42), France, 15 October 1945 – 15 February 1946 *

Bolling Field The origins of the surname Bolling: English: from a nickname for someone with close-cropped hair or a large head, Middle English bolling "pollard", or for a heavy drinker, from Middle English bolling "excessive drinking". German (Bölling): from a ...

, District of Columbia, 15 February-9 September 1946 *

Albrook Field Albrook Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force facility in Panama. It was closed on 30 September 1997 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zon ...

, 9 September 1946 * Curundu Heights, Panama Canal Zone, 10 March–October 1948 *

Smyrna Air Force Base Smyrna Airport is a public general aviation and military use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) north of the central business district of Smyrna, a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. It is owned by the Smy ...

(later Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, 21 October 1948 * Laurinburg-Maxton Airport, North Carolina, 19 April 1950 * Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, 5 May-1 September 1950 *

Ashiya Air Base is a military airdrome of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force . It is located north of Ashiya in the Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. History Ashiya Airfield was established as a Japanese Army Air Force facility in 1944, and was used primarily as a ...

, Japan, 7 September 1950 – 15 November 1954 * Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, 15 November 1954 – 8 October 1957 *

, Arkansas, 15 September 1978 – 15 June 1980 * Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, 1 December 1991–present

Aircraft assigned

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remain ...

, 1942–1946 * Douglas C-53 Skytrooper, 1942–1943 *

Douglas C-54 Skymaster The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian ...

, 1947–1948 *

Fairchild C-82 Packet The C-82 Packet is a twin-engine, twin-boom cargo aircraft designed and built by Fairchild Aircraft. It was used briefly by the United States Army Air Forces and the successor United States Air Force following World War II. Design and develop ...

, 1949–1950 *

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechani ...

, 1950–1957 *

Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally des ...

, 1978–1980; 1991–present *

Learjet C-21 The Learjet Model 35 and Model 36 are a series of American multi-role business jets and military transport aircraft manufactured by Learjet. When used by the United States Air Force they carry the designation C-21A. The aircraft are powered b ...

, 1999–2011

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * Air Force Instruction 84-105, Organizational Lineage, Honors and Heraldry, 19 March 2013

External links

{{Navboxes , list = {{USAF Tactical Air Command, state=autocollapse {{USAAF 9th Air Force UK {{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II {{USAAF 1st Air Force World War II Operations groups of the United States Air Force