776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

The 776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force squadron activated after 11 September 2001, being engaged in the Global War on Terrorism. Its current status is undetermined.

Previously, the squadron was a Tactical Air Command Troop Carrier squadron, assigned to the 464th Troop Carrier Wing, stationed at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 26 December 1965. During World War II, the 776th Bombardment Squadron was a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron which saw combat with Fifteenth Air Force stationed in Italy, assigned to the 464th Bombardment Group.

History
Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber squadron in mid-1943, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), October 1943, becoming a Fifteenth Air Force heavy bomb squadron, attacking enemy targets both in the MTO and European Theater of Operations (ETO). After end of war in Europe, used B-24s for transport of personnel from various points in Europe to Waller Field, Trinidad, being attached to Air Transport Command. Inactivated 31 July 1945.

Reactivated as a Tactical Air Command theater transport squadron, 1953. Performed Troop Carrier missions using tactical transport aircraft until 1965 when inactivated.

During the Vietnam era the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron flew Lockheed C130E Hercules aircraft. The C130 is a large cargo aircraft capable of many types of missions. These aircraft do not require paved runways and can take off or land in a very short distance. The C130 is 98 feet long with a 132 foot, 7 inch wingspan. These aircraft can carry up to 45,000 pounds of cargo in a cargo compartment that is 40 feet long, 119 inches wide, and 9 feet high. Additional cargo can be carried on the ramp. The C130 can reach a speed of 345 MPH at an altitude of about 20,000 feet. The range is about 2,000 nautical miles. The aircraft is equipped with four Allison T56 engines which produce 4,200 prop shaft horsepower each. Each engine has a variable pitch prop which can operate in forward or reverse. For short field landings the engines are reversed as soon as the landing gear makes contact with the ground resulting in very short airstrip requirements. The C130E is capable of carrying out cargo, airdrop, med evac, passenger, or paratroop drop missions. Other specialized missions are possible. For normal operations the C130 requires a 5 man crew. The normal crew consists of a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer, and loadmaster. The C130E is a very tough and reliable aircraft.

During the early 1970s the 776 TAS carried out missions all over Pacific area, including Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Korea and many other countries. Missions were also flown to many of the islands in the Pacific. All types of cargo was transported. Although much of the cargo was general, fuel and explosives were also hauled. Passengers were transported and medical patients were evacuated to hospital facilities. Passenger missions often included foreign nationals and sometimes prisoners of war. The C130s were often used to transport those killed in action from remote airfields to the larger air bases. In times when a defensive position was surrounded and no supplies could get in, the C130s would fly through heavy anti-aircraft and ground fire to drop needed supplies to the friendlies on the ground.

During 1970 and 1971 the 776 TAS was operating out of CCK, Taiwan with Det 1 at Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam and Det 2 at Utapao, Thailand. Crews were rotated to the detatachments on a TDY basis. There was also a shuttle operating out of Bangkok, Thailand. As the U.S. involvement in the war began to wind down, Det 1 in Ton Sun Nhut was closed down and the 776 crews began operations out of Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Missions were still being flown into Vietnam, but no [U.S.] C-130 crews were assigned TDY to Vietnam.

Activated as a C-130 Hercules airlift squadron as part of the Global War on Terrorism after 9 September 2001. The squadron has participated in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

Lineage

 * Constituted 776th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 May 1943
 * 19 May 1943 - - - Originally constituted as the 776th Bombardment Squadron to fly B-24 Bombers with the 464th Bombardment Group in WW2
 * Activated on 1 August 1943
 * Jun 1944 to 9 Sep 1944 - - - Rome Arno Campaign
 * 25 Jul 1944 to 14 Sep 1944 - - - Northern France Campaign
 * 14 Aug 1944 to 14 Sep 1944 - - - Southern France Campaign
 * 10 Sep 1944 to 4 Aug 1945 - - - North Apennines Campaign
 * 5 Sep 1945 to 8 May 1945 - - - Po Valley Campaign
 * 31 Jul 1945 - - - 776th Bombardment Squadron inactivated


 * Redesignated: 776th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 14 November 1945 (Remained inactive)
 * Redesignated: 776th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium) on 15 December 1952
 * Activated on 1 February 1953
 * Sep 1954 - - - Relocated to Pope AFB, North Carolina - - The 776th was the first squadron at Pope AFB to convert from C-123s to C-130s and one of the first in the USAF to fly the C-130-E models.


 * Redesignated: 776th Troop Carrier Squadron (Assault) on 16 December 1958
 * 28 Nov 1961 to 1 May 1963 - - - AFOUA, DAF Special Order G-152/64


 * Redesignated: 776th Troop Carrier Squadron on 8 January 1964
 * 1964 - - - The 776th flew relief missions to Anchorage, Alaska following the earthquake. They were deployed TDY to France after returning from the relief mission.
 * Early 1965 - - - Operation Eagle Jump
 * April 1965 - - - Operation Power Pack, mission to the Dominican Republic
 * Nov 1965 - - - Alerted for movement to Southern Asia - - - In the spring of 1965 the 776th was deployed TDY to Kadena AFB. When TAC sent 8 full squadrons PCS to PACAF, the 776th was one of them, possibly because the 776th was already operating out of Kadena and Naha. The 776th was held at Tachikawa while CCK AB was being prepared to support the C-130s
 * 1 Jan 1966 - - - Operational at Tachikawa AB, Japan, Support Southern Asia
 * 14 Mar 1966 - - - Frag order #3, 315 ADIV, Ops order #352-66 directed squadron to be in place at Ching Chuan Kang AB, Taiwan - - - The 776th was moved to CCK AB in April or May 1966 to join the 314th Troop Carrier Wing which came over from Stewart.
 * 1 Apr 1966 - - - The 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron operational at CCK
 * 1 Jan 1966 to 30 Apr 1966 - - - Cam Ranh Bay Shuttle (Operation Blue Light)
 * May 1966 - - - Nha Trang Shuttle (Operation Peach Tree)
 * Dec 1966 - - - ABCCC (Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center) requirement, Da Nang AB, Republic of Vietnam
 * Jan 1967 - - - Operation Junction City, Georgia, NC.
 * 15 Jan 1967 - - - ABCCC moves to Udorn, Thailand
 * Sept 1967 - - - Bangkok Shuttle begins
 * Oct 1967 - - - Tuy Hoa Shuttle begins
 * 20 Jan 1968 to 31 Mar 1968 - - - Battle of Khe Sanh, Republic of Vietnam
 * Apr 1968 to Jun 1968 - - - Operation Delaware (A Shau Valley Campaign)
 * 4 Aug 1968 - - - Operation Banish Beach
 * Jul 1969 - - - Commando Twist and Commando Image
 * Aug 1969 to Dec 1969 - - - Katum, Bu Prang, An Hua Operations
 * Feb 1971 to Apr 1971 - - - Operation Lam Son 719
 * May 1971 to Aug 1971 - - - Operation Lam Son 720
 * Oct 1971 - - - Cam Ranh Bay shuttle begins ...Exact date unknown - In a purely paperwork move, the 314 TAW returned stateside and the wing at CCK became the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing. Crews and aircraft remained assigned to CCK and only the name of the wing was changed on official records.
 * 15 Apr 1972 - - - Beginning of the Battle of An Loc, Republic of Vietnam (Easter Airlift)
 * 1972 to 1973 - - - Maintenance and support at Ching Chuan Kang AB, Taiwan / Detachments operating out of Tan Son Nhut, AB Vietnam / U-Tapao AB, Thailand / Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand.
 * 27 Jan 1973 - - - A crew from 776 TAS and a crew from 345 TAS flew into Honoi to bring a North Vietnamese delegation back to Ton Son Nhut near Siagon.
 * Late in 1973 the 776 TAS moved to Clark AFB, Philippines
 * 29 Apr 1975 - - - C-130 with a crew from the 776 TAS was hit by rocket/mortar fire, causing the aircraft to catch fire while taxiing to pick up passengers for evacuation. This event essentially ended the fixed wing air evacuation.  The crew evacuated the aircraft and joined the only other plane at the airport, flown by a 21TAS aircrew.  This departing flight was the last fixed wing aircraft to leave carrying refugees out of Ton Son Nhut as Saigon was being overrun by the North Vietnamese
 * Oct 1975 (approx.) - - - 776 TAS inactivated


 * Converted to provisional status and redesignated as 776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron on undetermined date.
 * Allocated to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate at any time.

Assignments

 * 464th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1943-31 July 1945
 * Attached to: Air Transport Command, 15 June-31 July 1945


 * 464th Troop Carrier Group, 1 February 1953
 * 464th Troop Carrier Wing, 11 November 1957-26 December 1965
 * Air Mobility Command, undetermined

Stations

 * Wendover Field, Utah, 1 August 1943
 * Gowen Field, Idaho, 22 August 1943
 * Pocatello Army Airfield, Idaho, 2 October 1943-9 February 1944
 * Pantanella Airfield, Italy, 10 April 1944
 * Gioia del Colle Airfield, Italy, 20 April 1944


 * Pantanella Airfield, Italy, c. 1 June 1944-c. 6 June 1945
 * Waller Field, Trinidad, 15 June-31 July 1945
 * Lawson AFB, Georgia, 1 February 1953
 * Pope AFB, North Carolina, 16 September 1954-26 December 1965
 * Southwest Asia, undetermined

Aircraft

 * B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945
 * C-46 Commando, 1953–1954
 * C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953–1958
 * C-123 Provider, 1958–1965
 * C-130 Hercules, undetermined