776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
Emblem of the 776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
Active	1943–1945; 1953–1975; 2000s (decade)
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

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.

Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber squadron with the 464th Bombardment Group 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. In September 1954 the squadron relocated to Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. The 776th was the first squadron at Pope to convert from Fairchild C-123 Providers to Lockheed C-130 Herculeses and one of the first in the USAF to fly the C-130E model.