It was inactivated in September 1949 as part of the Air Force's reduction of the number of combat groups required by President Truman's 1949 defense budget.

Originally scheduled for European operations, its orders were changed to prepare to move to the Southwest Pacific Theater.

It received a Distinguished Unit Citation for making numerous flights in unarmed planes over the Owen Stanley Range on 30 January and 1 February 1943 to transport reinforcements and supplies to Wau, Papua New Guinea, where allied forces were defending a valuable Allied airdrome against Japanese attack.

It took part in the first airborne operation in the Southwest Pacific on 5 September, dropping paratroops at Nadzab, New Guinea, to cut supply lines and seize enemy bases in the area.

Until November 1944, the group transported men and cargo to Allied bases on New Guinea, New Britain, Guadalcanal, and in the Admiralty Islands.

[1] The group flew two unusual missions on 12 and 15 April 1945 when this troop carrier organization bombed Carabao Island with napalm drums.

The group dropped part of 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment near Aparri on 23 June 1945 to split Japanese forces in the Cagayen Valley and prevent them from retreating to the hills in northern Luzon.

[1] The 317th was the first Allied unit to touch down on Japanese soil after the surrender of Japan, when twelve of its planes led a 16 ship formation that landed at Atsugi Air Base on 28 August.

His plane, and the next two to land were equipped with special communications gear in order to establish an initial command and control network for the occupying forces.

[1] The Soviet blockade of Berlin created a demand for all the large transport aircraft in the United States Air Force inventory.

Although United States Air Forces Europe had two troop carrier groups in Germany, they were both equipped with the C-47 in the summer of 1948.

However, the Royal Air Force had made improvements to several of their bases in the British Zone of Occupation and began to open them for use by American units participating in the airlift.

[1][16] The 317th Became a theater airlift organization, trading in its "Heavy" designation for "Medium" in July 1952 when it was activated at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany.

It used Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars for troop carrier and airlift service, participating in numerous exercises and humanitarian missions.

[21] The group was activated during Operation Desert Storm, and deployed forces of the 317th airlifted American and allied combat troops deep inside Iraqi territory to support the flanking maneuver that led to the surrender of Iraq's Republican Guard.