772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
: A C-130J with the 772 Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Kandahar Airfield is loaded with supplies to be airdropped Nov. 15, 2012
Active	1943-1945 1953-1971 1972-1993 ???-Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Engagements	World War II - EAME Theater Vietnam War Afghanistan Campaign Iraq Campaign
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation (2x) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (3x) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
Emblem of the 772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

The 772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to Air Combat Command. It is deployed with the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.^[1]

During World War II, the 772d Bombardment Squadron was a B-17 Flying Fortress squadron, assigned to the 463d Bombardment Group, Fifteenth Air Force. It earned Two Distinguished Unit Citations. The unit later served as a C-130 Hercules tactical airlift squadron during the Vietnam War.

Mission

The squadron provides airlift to forces engaged in the Global War on Terrorism.

History

Established in mid-1943 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron; assigned to Second Air Force for training. Attached in late 1943 and early 1944 to Air University Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics. Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in February 1944, squadron taking the South Atlantic Transport Route though the Caribbean and South America; transiting the Atlantic Ocean via Brazil and Dakar, French West Africa, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in March 1944 at several airfields in Southern Italy.

772d Bombardment Squadron B-17G Flying Fortresses in formation

Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transport targets, including oil refineries and production oilfields in Italy; France; Southern Germany; Austria and the Balkans. Continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945. Demobilized in place in Italy during the summer of 1945; inactivated in September 1945.

Reactivated as a Tactical Air Command Troop Carrier squadron in June 1953, assigned C-119 Flying Boxcars. Engaged in transport of equipment and supplies; including support of Army Airborne parachute units throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. Equipped with new C-130A Hercules in 1956.

Deployed to Pacific Air Forces in 1966, being stationed in the Philippines. Engaged in airlift missions between the Philippines and South Vietnam, airlifting supplies and equipment to airfields in the combat areas; evacuating wounded personnel to hospitals at Clark Air Base. Remained in the Western Pacific until 1971 when inactivated as part of the drawdown of United States forces in the region.

Reactivated at Dyess AFB, Texas as a theater airlift squadron in June 1972, initially under Tactical Air Command, later Military Airlift Command and lastly Air Mobility Command. Deployed frequently to Europe or the Pacific, performing intra-theater airlift missions with C-130s. Inactivated in October 1993 as part of the drawdown of the USAF after the end of the Cold War.

Reactivated as a provisional expeditionary airlift squadron in 2001 as a result of the 9/11 attacks and subsequent Global War on Terrorism. Activities and stations are undetermined.

Lineage

Emblem of the 772d Tactical Airlift Squadron

World War II 772d Bombardment Squadron emblem

Constituted 772d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 May 1943

Activated on 1 August 1943

Redesignated 772d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 29 September 1944

Inactivated on 25 September 1945

Redesignated 772d Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 December 1952

Activated on 16 January 1953

Redesignated: 772d Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault on 18 December 1961

Redesignated: 772d Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 15 May 1965

Redesignated: 772d Troop Carrier Squadron on 1 January 1967

Redesignated: 772d Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 August 1967

Inactivated on 15 June 1971. Activated on 1 June 1972

Redesignated 772d Airlift Squadron on 1 November 1991

Inactivated on 1 October 1993

Redesignated 772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, and converted to provisional status, on 4 December 2001

Assignments

463d Bombardment Group, 1 August 1943 – 25 September 1945
463d Troop Carrier Group, 16 January 1953
463d Troop Carrier Wing, 25 September 1957
840th Air Division, 23 November 1965
463d Troop Carrier (later, 463f Tactical Airlift) Wing, 7 February 1966 – 15 June 1971
463d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 June 1972

Attached to: 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 9 July – 15 September 1972 and 10 November 1972 – 10 January 1973

Attached to: 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, 6 May – 4 June 1973

Attached to: 322d Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 February – 8 April 1974

Attached to: 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 January – 15 March 1975 and 3 November 1975 – 15 January 1976

Attached to: 322d Tactical Airlift Wing, 3 August – 15 October 1976

Attached to: 313th Tactical Airlift Group, 3 November 1977 – 7 January 1978, 3 April – 5 June 1979, 3 August – 5 October 1980, 3 December 1981 – 13 February 1982, 4 April – 7 June 1983; 5 June – 4 August 1984; 10 October – 7 December 1985, 4 June – 12 August 1987, 4 August – 13 October 1988, and 4 October – 12 December 1989

463d Operations Group, 1 November 1991 – 1 October 1993
Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate at anytime after 4 December 2001

Stations

Geiger Field, Washington, 1 August 1943
Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, August 1943
MacDill Field, Florida, 4 November 1943
Lakeland Army Airfield, Florida, 3 January 1944
Hampton Roads (Camp Patrick Henry), Virginia (ground echelon), 2–12 February 1944

Air echelon operated from Hunter Field, Georgia, 6–10 February 1944

Morrison Field, Florida, 11–14 February 1944

Then staged through bases in South America and North Africa, 15 February – 13 March 1944

Naples, Italy (ground echelon), 10 March 1944
Celone Airfield, Italy (ground echelon), 11 March 1944

Air echelon operated from Amendola Airfield, Italy, 14–27 March 1944, then joined ground echelon at Celone Airfield, Italy, 28 March 1944

Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, 26 May 1945
Celone Airfield, Italy, 3–25 September 1945
Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee, 16 January 1953
Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma, 17 August 1953

Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 15 November 1958
Langley AFB, Virginia, 5 July 1963 – 7 February 1966
Mactan Isle Airfield, Philippines, 12 February 1966
Clark AB, Philippines, 15 July 1968 – 15 June 1971
Dyess AFB, Texas, 1 June 1972 – 1 October 1993

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 9 July – 15 September 1972 and 10 November 1972 – 10 January 1973

Deployed at: Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, 6 May – 4 June 1973

Deployed at: Rhein Main AB, West Germany, 5 February – 8 April 1974

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 5 January – 15 March 1975, and 3 November 1975 – 15 January 1976

Deployed at: Rhein Main AB, West Germany, 3 August – 15 October 1976

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 3 November 1977 – 7 January 1978, 3 April – 5 June 1979, 3 August – 5 October 1980, 3 December 1981 – 13 February 1982, 4 April – 7 June 1983, 5 June – 4 August 1984, 10 October – 7 December 1985, 4 June – 12 August 1987, and 4 October – 12 December 1989

Deployed at: RAF Sculthorpe, England, 4 August – 13 October 1988

Undetermined Location after 4 December 2001

Aircraft

B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945
C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953–1957
C-130 Hercules, 1956–1971; 1972–present

References

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

↑ New day, new job for Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Kandahar

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (ACC) Factsheet

External links

"C-130 Dyess timeline". Abeline Reporter News. April 23, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2014.

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