Lineage

Constituted 303 Troop Carrier Squadron on 25 May 1943. Activated on 1 Sep 1943. Inactivated on 30 Sep 1946. Redesignated 303 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 10 May 1949. Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to Active Service on 10 Mar 1951. Inactivated on 12 Mar 1951. Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jun 1952. Redesignated 303 Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 8 May 1961. Ordered to Active Service on 1 Oct 1961. Relieved from Active Duty on 27 Aug 1962. Redesignated: 303 Air Transport Squadron, Heavy on 1 Dec 1965; 303 Military Airlift Squadron on 1 Jan 1966; 303 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 27 Jun 1971; 303 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Oct 1982; 303 Fighter Squadron on 1 Feb 1992.

Assignments

442 Troop Carrier Group, 1 Sep 1943-30 Sep 1946. 442 Troop Carrier Group, 27 Jun 1949-12 Mar 1951. 442 Troop Carrier Group, 15 Jun 1952; 442 Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959; 935 Troop Carrier (later, 935 Air Transport; 935 Military Airlift; 935 Tactical Airlift) Group, 17 Jan 1963; 442 Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Nov 1974; 442 Tactical Fighter Group, 1 Oct 1982; 442 Tactical Fighter (later, 442 Fighter) Wing, 1 Feb 1984; 442 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992-.

Stations

Sedalia AAFld, MO, 1 Sep 1943; Alliance AAFld, NE, 15 Dec 1943; Pope Field, NC, 26 Jan 1944; Baer Field, IN, 2-8 Mar 1944; Fulbeck, England, 27 Mar 1944; Weston Zoyland, England, 12 Jun 1944 (operated from Follonica, Italy, 18 Jul-24 Aug 1944); Peray, France, 5 Oct 1944; St-Andre-de-L'Eure, France, 5 Nov 1944 (operated from Metz, France, 21 Apr-15 May and 26 May-10 Sep 1945); Munich/Reim (later, USAF Sta Munich/Reim; USAF Sta Munich; Munich AAB), Germany, 10 Sep 1945-30 Sep 1946. Fairfax Field, KS, 27 Jun 1949; Olathe NAS, KS, 27 May 1950-12 Mar 1951. Olathe NAS, KS, 15 Jun 1952; Grandview (later, Richards-Gebaur) AFB, MO, 3 Apr 1955; Whiteman AFB, MO, 1 Apr 1994-.

Commanders

Lt Col Robert G. Whittington Jr., Sep 1943; Maj Virgil M. Carroll, 1 Aug 1945; Capt Vernon H. Anderson, c. 18 Sep 1945; Maj Oren K. Crum, by Jan 1946; Maj James J. Brown, Jun-30 Sep 1946. Unkn, 27 Jun 1949-1950; Lt Col Donald J. Stoeger, by Jun 1950; Maj Gerald M. Adams, by Dec 1950-12 Mar 1951. Unkn, 15 Jun 1952-1954; Maj Gordon A. Summers, by Jun 1955; Maj John E. Lacy, by Jun 1960; Col Walter H. Oades, by Jan 1964; Lt Col David M. Hunt, Apr 1971; Maj James H. Phillips, 24 Jul 1971; Maj Jerry D. Oberhelman, 26 Jun 1973; Lt Col Bernard B. McLean, by 1974; Lt Col Larrie C. Bates, 18 Feb 1979; Lt Col John M. Winslow Jr., 1 Oct 1981; Lt Col Robert E. Dorrough Jr., 18 Oct 1982; Lt Col Edward E. Kirkpatrick, 11 Jun 1984; Lt Col Donald B. Stokes, 1 Apr 1986; Lt Col James G. Vallance, 14 Mar 1987; Lt Col Jeffrey M. Musfeldt, 6 Jan 1990; Lt Col Michael K. Lynch, 1 Jun 1993; Lt Col Richard E. Nelson, 7 Jul 1995; Lt Col DeWayne Burgess, 7 Sep 1996; Lt Col Jeffrey L. Waller, 1 Nov 1997-.

Aircraft

C-47, 1943-1946; C-53, 1943, 1944, 1945; CG-4 (glider), 1944-1945; C-109, 1945; L-4, 1945; L-3, 1945; CG-15 (glider), 1945. T-6, 1949-1950; T-7, 1949-1951; T-11, 1949-1951; C-47, 1949-1950; C/TC-46, 1949, 1950-1951. C-46, 1952-1957; C-119, 1957-1961; C-124, 1961-1971; C-130, 1971-1982; A-10, 1982-.

Operations

Airborne assaults on Normandy, Southern France, Holland, and Germany during World War II. Also transported cargo, passengers, and wounded in ETO and MTO. Trained for and performed airlift missions, 1949-1951 and 1952-1982. Trained for A-10 fighter operations since 1982.

Service Streamers

None.

Campaign Streamers

World War II: Normandy, Rome-Arno; Southern France; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers

None.

Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citation: France, [6-7] Jun 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Mar 1976-28 Feb 1978; 12-29 Jun 1979; 1 Jun 1987-31 Jul 1988; 1 Nov 1989-31 Oct 1991; 1 Oct 1997-31 Aug 1999. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966-28 Jun 1971 and 26 Oct-6 Nov 1972.

Emblem

Approved on 13 Apr 1995.

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 10 Apr 2000.

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Sep 1998.