300th Airlift Squadron

The 300th Airlift Squadron is part of the 315th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission worldwide.

300th Airlift Squadron
A Charleston C-17 Globemaster III at the Berlin Airshow
Active	1943; 1952–1955; 1969–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	Charleston Air Force Base
Nickname(s)	South Carolina Volunteers South Carolina Privateers
Motto(s)	Ad Astra Latin To the Stars
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
300 Military Airlift Sq emblem (approved 25 June 1996)
300th Military Airlift Squadron emblem (approved 1 August 1978, restored 13 November 2007)

Mission

Train and equip C-17 aircrews for global air-land and airdrop operations.

History

World War II

During World War II the 300th airlifted military supplies from India to Allied forces in Burma and China in 1943.

Military Air Transport Service

It flew airlift missions within Japan and to Southeast Asia from 1952 to 1955. The squadron airlifted US ex-prisoners of war from Japan to the U.S. following the Korean War and transported French troops wounded in the First Indochina War from Japan to France and Algeria in 1954.

Air Force Reserve

It has flown worldwide airlift missions since 1969. Specifically, the 300th airlifted U.S. troops to Grenada and U.S. students from Grenada to the U.S. in 1983 and supported the 1989 contingency operation in Panama. Received the Air Force Reserve Aircrew of the Year award twice.

Operations

• World War II
• Operation Urgent Fury
• Operation Just Cause

1991 mobilized for the Gulf War

Lineage

100th Air Transport Squadron

• Constituted as the 100th Transport Squadron on 4 June 1943

Activated on 21 June 1943

Disbanded on 1 December 1943

• Reconstituted and redesignated 100th Air Transport Squadron, Medium on 20 June 1952

Activated on 20 July 1952

Inactivated on 25 October 1955

• Consolidated with the 300th Military Airlift Squadron as the 300th Military Airlift Squadron on 19 September 1985

300th Airlift Squadron

• Constituted as the 300th Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 31 July 1969

Activated in the reserve on 25 September 1969

Consolidated with the 100th Air Transport Squadron on 19 September 1985

Redesignated 300th Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 1 February 1992

Redesignated 300th Airlift Squadron on 1 October 1994

Assignments

• 29th Transport Group, 21 June – 1 December 1943
• 1503d Air Transport Wing, 20 July 1952
• 1611th Air Transport Group, 9–25 October 1955
• 943d Military Airlift Group, 25 September 1969
• 315th Military Airlift Wing (later 315th Airlift Wing), 1 July 1973
• 315th Operations Group, 1 August 1992 – present

Stations

• Sookerating Airfield, India, 21 June – 1 December 1943
• Haneda Air Base (later Tokyo International Airport), Japan, 20 Jul 1952 – 8 Oct 1955
• McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, 9–25 October 1955
• Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, 25 September 1969 – present

Aircraft

• Douglas C-47 Skytrain (1943)
• Curtiss C-46 Commando (1943)
• Douglas C-54 Skymaster (1952–1955)
• Lockheed C-141 Starlifter (1969–1997)
• McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III (1997–present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

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

• Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946–1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
• 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.

External links

• "About Us: 300th Airlift Squadron". 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2016.