774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

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	455th Expeditionary Operations Group
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 (approved 7 December 1973)
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. The squadron provides airlift to forces engaged in the War in 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.

History

World War II

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.

Airlift operations

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.^[2]

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.

Redesignated 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, converted to provisional status in 2001 and allotted to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed.^[1]

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
Activated on 20 April 2002

Inactivated on 18 March 2003

Activated on 4 October 2004^[1]

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

320th Expeditionary Operations Group, 20 April 2002 – 18 March 2003

376th Expeditionary Operations Group, 4 October 2004

455th Expeditionary Operations Group, 6 Jan 2006 – unknown^[1]

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)
Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, 20 April 2002 – 18 March 2003
Bishkek Manas, Kyrgyzstan, 4 October 2004
Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, 6 Jan 2006 – unknown^[1]

Aircraft

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953–1957
Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1956–1962; 1963–1971; 1972–1993^[1]

References

Notes

^ Aircraft is Lockheed C-130H Hercules serial 93-7313e at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Khost Province, Afghanistan. Taken on 23 September 2013. At the time the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron consisted mostly of deployed members of the Wyoming Air National Guard's 187th Airlift Squadron.
^ Aircraft is B-17G serail 42-31684 "Joker". The plane flew with the 774th Bombardment Squadron from 9 May 1944 until it was downed by an enemy fighter over Blechhammer, while attacking the chemical plants there on 7 July.

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Haulman, Daniel L. (July 13, 2016). "Factsheet 774 Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved October 19, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Lockheed C-130: The Four Horsemen Demonstrated the Power of the New Aircraft". HistoryNet. June 12, 2006. Retrieved October 19, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

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)
"Hercules and the Four Horsemen". Lockheed Martin. 1960. Retrieved October 19, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) (YouTube video of Four Horsemen demonstration team)

[1] Aircraft is Lockheed C-130H Hercules serial 93-7313e at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Khost Province, Afghanistan. Taken on 23 September 2013. At the time the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron consisted mostly of deployed members of the Wyoming Air National Guard's 187th Airlift Squadron.

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

[774EASfacts-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Haulman, Daniel L. (July 13, 2016). "Factsheet 774 Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved October 19, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[4] "Lockheed C-130: The Four Horsemen Demonstrated the Power of the New Aircraft". HistoryNet. June 12, 2006. Retrieved October 19, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

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