772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
Emblem of the 772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
Active	1943-Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift

Emblem of the 772d Tactical Airlift Squadron

World War II 772d Bombardment Squadron emblem

The 772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to Air Combat Command. Its present status and location is undetermined.

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.

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

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

Activated on 1 Aug 1943

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

Inactivated on 25 Sep 1945

• Redesignated 772d Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 Dec 1952

Activated on 16 Jan 1953

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

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

Redesignated: 772d Troop Carrier Squadron on 1 Jan 1967

Redesignated: 772d Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Aug 1967

Inactivated on 15 Jun 1971. Activated on 1 Jun 1972

• Redesignated 772d Airlift Squadron on 1 Nov 1991

Inactivated on 1 Oct 1993

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

Assignments

• 463d Bombardment Group, 1 Aug 1943-25 Sep 1945
• 463d Troop Carrier Group, 16 Jan 1953
• 463d Troop Carrier Wing, 25 Sep 1957
• 840th Air Division, 23 Nov 1965
• 463d Troop Carrier (later, 463f Tactical Airlift) Wing, 7 Feb 1966-15 Jun 1971
• 463d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Jun 1972

Attached to: 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 9 Jul-15 Sep 1972 and 10 Nov 1972-10 Jan 1973

Attached to: 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, 6 May-4 Jun 1973

Attached to: 322d Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 Feb-8 Apr 1974

Attached to: 513th Tactical Airlift Wing, 5 Jan-15 Mar 1975 and 3 Nov 1975-15 Jan 1976

Attached to: 322d Tactical Airlift Wing, 3 Aug-15 Oct 1976

Attached to: 313th Tactical Airlift Group, 3 Nov 1977-7 Jan 1978, 3 Apr-5 Jun 1979, 3 Aug-5 Oct 1980, 3 Dec 1981-13 Feb 1982, 4 Apr-7 Jun 1983; 5 Jun-4 Aug 1984; 10 Oct-7 Dec 1985, 4 Jun-12 Aug 1987, 4 Aug-13 Oct 1988, and 4 Oct-12 Dec 1989

• 463d Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991-1 Oct 1993
• Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate at anytime after 4 Dec 2001

Stations

• Geiger Field, WA, 1 Aug 1943
• Rapid City AAB, SD, Aug 1943
• MacDill Field, FL, 4 Nov 1943
• Lakeland AAFld, FL, 3 Jan 1944
• Hampton Roads (Camp Patrick Henry), VA (ground echelon), 2-12 Feb 1944

Air echelon operated from Hunter Field, GA, 6-10 Feb 1944

• Morrison Field, FL, 11-14 Feb 1944

Then staged through bases in South America and North Africa, 15 Feb-13 Mar 1944

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

Air echelon operated from Amendola Field, Foggia, Italy, 14-27 Mar 1944, then joined ground echelon at Celone Airfield, Italy, 28 Mar 1944

• Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, 26 May 1945
• Celone Airfield, Italy, 3-25 Sep 1945
• Memphis Muni Aprt, TN, 16 Jan 1953
• Ardmore AFB, OK, 17 Aug 1953

• Sewart AFB, TN, 15 Nov 1958
• Langley AFB, VA, 5 Jul 1963-7 Feb 1966
• Mactan Isle Airfield, Philippines, 12 Feb 1966
• Clark AB, Philippines, 15 Jul 1968-15 Jun 1971
• Dyess AFB, TX, 1 Jun 1972-1 Oct 1993

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 9 Jul-15 Sep 1972 and 10 Nov 1972-10 Jan 1973

Deployed at: Ching Chuan Kang AB, Taiwan, 6 May-4 Jun 1973

Deployed at: Rhein Main AB, Germany, 5 Feb-8 Apr 1974

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 5 Jan-15 Mar 1975, and 3 Nov 1975-15 Jan 1976

Deployed at: Rhein Main AB, Germany, 3 Aug-15 Oct 1976

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 3 Nov 1977-7 Jan 1978, 3 Apr-5 Jun 1979, 3 Aug-5 Oct 1980, 3 Dec 1981-13 Feb 1982, 4 Apr-7 Jun 1983, 5 Jun-4 Aug 1984, 10 Oct -7 Dec 1985, 4 Jun-12 Aug 1987, and 4 Oct-12 Dec 1989

Deployed at: RAF Sculthorpe, England, 4 Aug-13 Oct 1988

• Undetermined Location after 4 Dec 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 the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN: 0892010975
• 772d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (ACC) Factsheet