776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron 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 . History . Established as a B - 24 Liberator heavy bomber squadron 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 . During the Vietnam era the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron flew Lockheed C130E Hercules aircraft . The C130 is a large cargo aircraft capable of many types of missions . These aircraft do not require paved runways and can take off or land in a very short distance . The C130 is 98 feet long with a 132 foot , 7 inch wingspan . These aircraft can carry up to 45 , 000 pounds of cargo in a cargo compartment that is 40 feet long , 119 inches wide , and 9 feet high . Additional cargo can be carried on the ramp . The C130 can reach a speed of 345 MPH at an altitude of about 20 , 000 feet . The range is about 2 , 000 nautical miles . The aircraft is equipped with four Allison T56 engines which produce 4 , 200 prop shaft horsepower each . Each engine has a variable pitch prop which can operate in forward or reverse . For short field landings the engines are reversed as soon as the landing gear makes contact with the ground resulting in very short airstrip requirements . The C130E is capable of carrying out cargo , airdrop , med evac , passenger , or paratroop drop missions . Other specialized missions are possible . For normal operations the C130 requires a 5 man crew . The normal crew consists of a pilot , co - pilot , navigator , flight engineer , and loadmaster . The C130E is a very tough and reliable aircraft . During the early 1970s the 776 TAS carried out missions all over Pacific area , including Taiwan , Vietnam , Thailand , Japan , Korea and many other countries . Missions were also flown to many of the islands in the Pacific . All types of cargo was transported . Although much of the cargo was general , fuel and explosives were also hauled . Passengers were transported and medical patients were evacuated to hospital facilities . Passenger missions often included foreign nationals and sometimes prisoners of war . The C130s were often used to transport those killed in action from remote airfields to the larger air bases . In times when a defensive position was surrounded and no supplies could get in , the C130s would fly through heavy anti - aircraft and ground fire to drop needed supplies to the friendlies on the ground . During 1970 and 1971 the 776 TAS was operating out of CCK , Taiwan with Det 1 at Tan Son Nhut , Vietnam and Det 2 at Utapao , Thailand . Crews were rotated to the detatachments on a TDY basis . There was also a shuttle operating out of Bangkok , Thailand . As the U . S . involvement in the war began to wind down , Det 1 in Ton Sun Nhut was closed down and the 776 crews began operations out of Nakhon Phanom , Thailand . Missions were still being flown into Vietnam , but no [ U . S . ] C - 130 crews were assigned TDY to Vietnam . Activated as a C - 130 Hercules airlift squadron as part of the Global War on Terrorism after 9 September 2001 . The squadron has participated in Operation Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) and Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) .