76th Airlift Squadron

76th Airlift Squadron History and Lineage   

Constituted 76th Ferrying Squadron (Special) on 30 Jan 1943. Activated on 8 Feb 1943. Redesignated 76th Transport Transition Squadron on 4 Jun 1943. Disbanded on 31 Mar 1944. Reconstituted, and redesignated 76th Air Transport Squadron, Medium, on 20 Jun 1952. Activated on 20 Jul 1952. Redesignated: 76th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 Jan 1966; 76th Airlift Squadron on 1 Oct 1991.

Assignments:  2d Operational Training Unit, 8 Feb 1943-31 Mar 1944. 1700th Air Transport Group, 20 Jul 1952; 1608th Air Transport Group, 1 Feb 1956; 1608th Air Transport Wing, 18 Jan 1963; 437th Military Airlift Wing, 8 Jan 1966; 437th Operations Group, 1 Oct 1991; 86th Airlift Wing Operations Group, 1 Oct 1993-.

Commanders: Capt Charles A. Beck, 8 Feb 1943; Capt Hewitt F. Mitchell, 13 May 1943; unkn, 8 Aug-c. Dec 1943; Capt Jack Manley, by 1 Jan-31 Mar 1944. Maj Herman J. Pardey, 20 Jul 1952; Maj Thomas A. Julian, by 30 Apr 1953; Maj Ralph E. Bullock, by 31 Oct 1953; Lt Col Morris E. Mansell Jr., 1 Apr 1954; Maj Harold D. Slupe, 20 Apr 1955; Maj Ralph E. Bullock, 12 May 1955; Lt Col James F. Wiley, 2 Feb 1956; Maj Gilbert H. Callaway, 5 Jun 1956; Lt Col Pete W. Kuba, 1 Aug 1956; Maj Fred F. May, 1 Oct 1956; Lt Col Pete W. Kuba, 14 Oct 1957; Lt Col Eugene A. Lohman, 1 Apr 1959; Lt Col William J. Weldon, 23 May 1960; Lt Col William J. Senser, 1 Sep 1960; Lt Col Russell C. Clarke, 24 Aug 1961; Lt Col Joe B. Grobe, by 27 Apr 1965; Lt Col Buford E. Stovall, 1 Jul 1965; Col William L. Smith, 1 Apr 1966; Col John E. Cowsert, 31 Jul 1967; Lt Col Gerald C. Weir, 23 Apr 1968; Lt Col Green, by 31 Mar 1970; Lt Col Lawrence Robson, 1 Jun 1971; Lt Col A. F. Weickhardt, 23 May 1972; Lt Col Jack W. Sheppard, 10 Aug 1973; Lt Col Timothy Tschetter, 1 Sep 1974; Lt Col Donald C. Smith, 15 Dec 1974; Lt Col Michael A. Yeager, 6 May 1976; Lt Col Clinton L. Noren, 12 May 1977; Lt Col Richard A. Mathison, 23 Mar 1979; Lt Col John E. Haseltine, 23 Jun 1980; Lt Col Marvin S. Ervin, 17 Jul 1981; Lt Col Robert D. Peterson, 9 Jul 1982; Lt Col Richard J. Rybak, 20 Jan 1984; Lt Col James B. Tapp Jr., c. Apr 1986; Lt Col Michael D. Kenney, 31 May 1988; Lt Col Andrew Martarese, 2 Jan 1990; Lt Col Alan J. Briding, 10 Jun 1991; Lt Col Charles P. Brooks Jr., 10 Jun 1992; Lt Col Darwin C. Prewitt, 10 Jun 1994; Lt Col James A. Albright, 14 Apr 1995; Lt Col Michael R. Helms, 29 May 1996; Lt Col Floyd A. Badsky, 15 Apr 1998; Lt Col Scott P. Goodwin, 19 May 2000; Lt Col Douglas Luhrsen, Jun 2001; Lt Col Mark McLean, Mar 2003; Lt Col David Baldessari, 12 Jun 2006; Lt Col James D. Dryjanski, May 2008; Lt Col Thomas B. Meeks, Dec 2009; Lt Col Geoffrey T. Graze, 22 Jun 2012; Lt Col Daniel Mangan, 20 May 2014; Lt Col Derek P. Gallagher, 26 May 2016- 

Stations:  Homestead AAB, FL, 8 Feb 1943-31 Mar 1944. Kelly AFB, TX, 20 Jul 1952; Charleston AFB, SC, 1 Feb 1956-1 Oct 1993; Ramstein AB, Germany, 1 Oct 1993-.

Aircraft:  C-46, 1943; C-49, 1943; AT-17, 1943; C-54, 1943-1944; C-60, 1943-1944; C-87, 1943-1944; B-24, 1943-1944. C-54, 1952-1956; C-121, 1956-1963; C-130, 1963-1966; C-141, 1966-1993; C-20, 1994; C-21, 1994; CT-43, 1994-1996; C-9, 1997-2000; C-40, 2006-.

Operations: Trained transport flight crews, Feb 1943-Mar 1944. Worldwide airlift beginning 1952. Transported UN troops to Suez Canal, Nov 1956 and participated in the Hungarian refugee crisis. Supported Operations in Southeast Asia, 1966-1973. Supported the Israelis during the Yom Kippur War & transported UN troops to Israel during 1973. In May of 1975, supported the evacuation of Saigon. Airlift Operations to Grenada, Oct-Dec 1983; Panama, 18-28 Dec 1989; and Southwest Asia, Aug 1990-Dec 1991. Primarily flew Operational Support Airlift (OSA) of distinguished visitors (DV) within European Theater of Operations (ETO), 1994-.  

Honors:

Service Streamers:  World War II American Theater.

Campaign Streamers:  Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers:  Panama, 1989-1990.

Decorations:  Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1963-1 Feb 1964; 11 Jul 1966- 10 Jul 1967; 11 Jul 1967-10 Jul 1968; 11 Jul 1968-12 Jun 1969; 13 Jun 1969-12 Jun 1970; 1 Jul 1972-30 Jun 1973; 1 Jul 1982-30 Jun 1984; 1 Jul 1984-30 Jun 1986; 1 Jul 1988-30 Jun 1989; 1 Jul 1989-30 Jun 1990; 21 Sep 1989-31 Oct 1989. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966-28 Jan 1973.

Emblem:

Description: - On a disc per bend Azure and Celeste, a stylized representation of a globe overall or, charged with a stylized bird in flight Argent fimbriated of the first, all within a narrow inner border Yellow and outer border Blue. Attached above the disc, a White scroll edged with a narrow Blue border and inscribed “SAFETY SPIRIT SERVICE” in Blue letters. Attached below the disc, a White scroll edged with a narrow Blue border and inscribed "76TH AIRLIFT SQ” in Blue letters.

Symbolism: - Ultramarine blue and Air Force yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The stylized bird flying over the continents represents the global mission of the Squadron. The light and dark areas of the patch are indicative of the day and night operations of the unit. All items combined serve to represent the motto “Safety, Spirit, Service.”