780th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

History

Activated as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber squadron in mid-1943, it trained under the Second Air Force. It deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in March 1944, where it was assigned to the Fifteenth Air Force. It flew strategic bombardment combat missions over France, Germany, Italy, Austria and the Balkans until the German capitulation in May 1945.

The squadron was attached to Air Transport Command in June 1945. It used its B-24s as transports, flying personnel from Trinidad to Florida. The unit was inactivated in place in Trinidad during July 1945. Redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomber squadron in the reserves later in 1945, it was not, however, activated due to budget restrictions.

The unit was reactivated in 1953 as a Tactical Air Command Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar Troop Carrier squadron under the Eighteenth Air Force. It primarily flew cargo transport missions, but also supported US Army airborne parachute units on maneuvers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The squadron was reassigned in 1953 as a troop carrier squadron, in France. It performed theater airlift and transport operations until 1958 when it was again inactivated due to budget restrictions.

The 780th was reactivated in 2013 to facilitate the U.S. and NATO withdrawal in Afghanistan.

Lineage

Constituted as the 780th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 May 1943

Activated on 1 August 1943 Redesignated 780th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 20 August 1943 Inactivated on 31 July 1945

Redesignated 780th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 14 November 1945

Redesignated 780th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 22 December 1952 Activated on 1 February 1953 Inactivated on 8 March 1958

Redesignated 780th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron on 18 June 2002

Activated c. February 2014

Assignments

465th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1943 – 31 July 1945

465th Troop Carrier Group, 1 February 1953

465th Troop Carrier Wing, 12 March 1957

317th Troop Carrier Wing, 8 July 1957 – 8 March 1958

Stations

Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 1 August 1943

Kearns Center, Utah, c. 13 September 1943

McCook Army Air Field, Nebraska, c. 5 October 1943 – 1 February 1944

Pantanella Airfield, Italy, 15 March 1944 – June 1945

Waller Field, Trinidad, c. 15 June – 31 July 1945

Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina, 1 February 1953 – December 1953

Toul-Rosières Air Base, France, 26 December 1953

Évreux-Fauville Air Base, France, 6 December 1954 – 8 March 1958

Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, February 2014 – present

Aircraft

Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953–1957

Lockheed C-130A Hercules, 1957–1958

McDonnell Douglas C-17A Globemaster III, 2014–present