Constituted as 316th Transport Group on 2 Feb 1942 and activated on 14 Feb then Redesignated 316th Troop Carrier Group in Jul 1942. Trained with C-47 and C-53 aircraft and moved to the Mediterranean theater then assigned to Ninth AF, and began operations in Nov 1942. They transported supplies and evacuated casualties in support of the Allied drive across North Africa. In May 1943 they began training for the invasion of Sicily. They received a DUC for carrying reinforcements to Sicily on 11 July although severely attacked by ground and naval forces and received another DUC for supporting aerial and ground operations in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Sicily, 25 Nov 1942-25 Aug 1943, by transporting reinforcements and supplies.