746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
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The 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed. Most recently, it operated Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft in theater airlift missions as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1952–1956; after 2002 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Airlift |
Part of | Air Combat Command |
Nickname(s) | Blue nosed mules |
Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations Iraq War |
Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
Insignia | |
746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron emblem[lower-alpha 2][1] | |
746th Bombardment Squadron emblem (World War II)[2] |
The squadron was first activated as the 746th Bombardment Squadron in June 1943. After training in the United States, it deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. It earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for its combat operations. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and began reorganizing as a very heavy bomber unit, but after the Japanese surrender, was inactivated in October 1945.
The squadron was reactivated in the reserve in 1947, but does not appear to have been fully equipped or manned. It was activated again in 1952 as the 746th Troop Carrier Squadron, when the 456th Troop Carrier Group replaced the 435th Troop Carrier Group, a reserve group that had been mobilized for the Korean War. It operated from Japan with elements of United States Air Force Security Service, performing special reconnaissance missions, until returning to the United States for inactivation in 1958.
It was converted to provisional status as the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron in 2002.