774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
101st Airborne Division soldiers make their way to a squadron C-130 Hercules
Active	1943-1945; 1953-1971; 1972-1993; unknown
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airlift
Part of	Air Combat Command
Engagements	World War II - EAME Theater Vietnam War Afghanistan Campaign
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation (2x) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (3x)
Insignia
774th Expeditionary Airlift Sq emblem
774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron morale patch
774th Bombardment Squadron emblem

The 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

During World War II, the 774th Bombardment Squadron was a B-17 Flying Fortress squadron, assigned to the 463d Bombardment Group of Fifteenth Air Force. It earned two Distinguished Unit Citations.

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.

B-17G 42-31684 "Joker" flew with the 774th Bombardment Squadron from 9 May 1944 until it was downed by an enemy fighter over Blechhammer, attacking the chemical plants there on 7 July.

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, the squadron also operated a TAC-sponsored flight demonstration team during the late 1950s and early 1960s known as "The Four Horsemen," utilizing four C-130A aircraft.

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.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 774th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 May 1943

Activated on 1 August 1943

Redesignated 774th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 29 September 1944

Inactivated on 25 September 1945

• Redesignated 774th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 December 1952

Activated on 16 January 1953

Redesignated: 774th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault on 18 December 1961

Redesignated: 774th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 15 May 1965

Redesignated: 774th Troop Carrier Squadron on 1 January 1967

Redesignated: 774th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 August 1967

Inactivated on 15 June 1971

Activated on 1 June 1972

• Redesignated 774th Airlift Squadron on 1 November 1991

Inactivated on 1 October 1993

• Redesignated 774th 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 Wing (later 463d Tactical Airlift Wing), 7 February 1966 – 15 June 1971
• 463d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 June 1972 (attached to: 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 September – 15 November 1974, 322d Tactical Airlift Wing, 12 October – 15 December 1973)
• 463d Operations Group, 1 November 1991 – 1 October 1993
• Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate at any time after 4 December 2001

455th Expeditionary Operations Group, unknown

Stations

• Geiger Field, Washington, 1 August 1943
• Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, August 1943
• MacDill Field, Florida, 4 November 1943
• Lakeland Army Air Field, Florida, 3 January 1944
• 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
• 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 Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 17 August 1953
• Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, 15 November 1958
• Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, 5 July 1963 – 7 February 1966
• Mactan Isle Airfield, Philippines, 12 February 1966
• Clark Air Base, Philippines, 15 July 1968 – 15 June 1971
• Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, 1 June 1972 – 1 October 1993 (deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 5 September – 15 November 1974; Rhein Main Air Base, West Germany, 12 October – 15 December 1973; RAF Sculthorpe, England, 4 August – 13 October 1988)
• Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base, Uzbekistan, unknown
• Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, unknown

Aircraft

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945
• Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953–1957
• Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1956–1971; 1972–1993; present

See also

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations

References

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• 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.

External links

• 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Factsheet
• "C-130 Dyess timeline". Abeline Reporter News. April 23, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)