76th Air Refueling Squadron | |
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.jpg) McGuire AFBKC-10 Extender refueling anF-16 Fighting Falcon with anF-15 Eagle and another F-16 to the side. | |
| Active | 1943–1945; 1947–1952; 1952–1966; 1994–2023 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Aerial refueling |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | McGuire Air Force Base |
| Engagements | Operation Overlord Operation Dragoon Operation Market Garden Operation Plunder[1] |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1] |
| Insignia | |
| 76th Air Refueling Squadron emblem(approved 17 April 1996)[1] |  |
| 76th Troop Carrier Squadron emblem(approved 30 April 1944)[2] |  |
The76th Air Refueling Squadron is aUnited States Air Force unit that is part of the514th Air Mobility Wing atMcGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. It operates theMcDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aircraft conductingair refueling missions as a reserve associate unit of the305th Air Mobility Wing.
The unit was first activated as aDouglas C-47 Skytrain transport unit that saw combat with the435th Troop Carrier Group in Western Europe. Thesquadron flewparatroopers on airborne assaults on Normandy (Operation Overlord); Southern France (Operation Dragoon); the Netherlands (Operation Market Garden), and Germany (Operation Varsity). It also flew combat resupply missions in the relief of Bastogne in 1945. The 76th was awarded aDistinguished Unit Citation for its actions during the Normandy invasion.
The squadron was activated in the reserve in 1947. It was called to active duty in March 1951 for theKorean War, serving at its home station,Miami International Airport. It returned to reserve duty in December 1952. In November 1959 it was assigned directly to the435th Troop Carrier Wing in a reorganization ofContinental Air Command reserve units.
Thesquadron was first activated atBowman Field, Kentucky in February 1943, as one of the original squadrons of the435th Troop Carrier Group. The group usedDouglas C-47 Skytrains and Douglas C-53 Skytrooopers in preparing for duty overseas withNinth Air Force.[1][3]
The 76th left the United States in October 1943, arriving atRAF Langar, England, in early November. On arrival, it began training for participation in the airborne operation overNormandy. The squadron flew its first combat missions onD-Day by dropping paratroopers of101st Airborne Division nearCherbourg-en-Cotentin. The unit towedWaco CG-4A andAirspeed Horsa gliders carrying reinforcements to the same location that afternoon and on the following morning. The squadron received aDistinguished Unit Citation for its part inOperation Overlord, the Normandy invasion.[3]
The squadron began transport services following the landings in France and intermittently engaged in missions of this type untilV-E Day In these operations the 76th hauled supplies such asserum,blood plasma,radar sets, clothing, rations, and ammunition. It also evacuated wounded personnel to Allied hospitals.[3]
The squadron interrupted these supply and evacuation missions to train for and participate in three major airborne assaults. It was part of a detachment of three squadrons from the 435th Group that moved toTarquinia Airfield, Italy in July 1944 forOperation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France.[4] The detachment dropped paratroopers over the assault area on 15 August and also released gliders carrying troops and equipment such asjeeps, guns, and ammunition. The following day it flew a resupply mission over France, then transported supplies to bases in Italy before returning to England at the end of the month.[3]
In September 1944 the squadron participated inOperation Market Garden the unsuccessful airborne operation intended to seize bridges across theMeuse River in the Netherlands, dropping paratroops of the82d and 101st Airborne Divisions and releasing gliders carrying reinforcements.[3] During theBattle of the Bulge, the unit delivered supplies to isolated combat positions of the 101st Airborne and7th Armored Divisions inBastogne and Marcouray, Belgium.[5]
The unit moved toBretigny Airfield, France in February 1945 to prepare forOperation Varsity, the airborne assault across theRhine River. Each squadron aircraft participating in this operation towed two gliders transporting troops and equipment to the east bank of the Rhine nearWesel on 24 March. The unit then flew resupply missions to Germany in support of ground forces.[3]
The squadron transported supplies tooccupation forces in Germany and evacuated Allied prisoners of war after V-E Day. The squadron and the 435th Group returned to the United States in August and the group was inactivated on 15 November 1945.[1][3]
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The squadron was once again activated as a reserve unit underAir Defense Command atOrlando Air Force Base, Florida on 15 July 1947. It was again assigned to the 435th Troop Carrier Group, located at Morrison Field, Florida. The squadron was nominally aCurtiss C-46 Commando unit, but it is not clear to what extent it was equipped with tactical aircraft while at Orlando.[1][3]
In June 1949,Continental Air Command, which had assumed the responsibility for training reserve units from Air Defense Command in 1948, reorganized its reserve units under thewing base organization system. As part of this reorganization and unit reductions required by PresidentTruman's reduced 1949 defense budget,[6] the 435th Group and its squadrons moved toMiami International Airport, where it was assigned to the newly formed435th Troop Carrier Wing and formed itscadre from elements of the inactivating100th Bombardment Group. Air Force flying operations at Orlando came to a temporary end. The squadron was manned at only 25% of the strength of a regular unit.[1][7][8]
At Miami, the squadron trained with C-46s under the supervision of the active duty 2585th Air Force Reserve Training Center.[9] The squadron was ordered into active service in March 1951 as a result of theKorean War. Along with other reserve units called to active duty, it formedTactical Air Command'sEighteenth Air Force. The squadron's initial function was to train C-46aircrews for service in Korea.[10] The 76th also trained withFairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars. Although it remained at Miami, the unit deployed twice while on active duty: toLaurinburg-Maxton Airport, North Carolina from 21 July until 1 September 1951 and toGrenier Air Force Base, New Hampshire from 2 January to 3 March 1952.[11] It was relieved from active duty and inactivated on 1 December 1952 and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the regular744th Troop Carrier Squadron, which was activated the same day.[12][13]
The squadron was activated as a reserve unit the same day at the same station, but with the personnel and equipment of the inactivating812th Troop Carrier Squadron.[14] In the reserve, the squadron once again flew the Curtiss Commandos.[12] By 1956, the unit was flying overseas missions, particularly in the Caribbean area and in Central America. In addition, for the first time as a reserve unit, its flying was performed in unit tactical aircraft, rather than in trainers.[15]
In 1957, the squadron once again received C-119s.[12]
The squadron began strategicairlift operations in 1966, and global air refueling and airlift since 1994.[1]
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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