Air Offensive Asia-Pacific Theater, Air Offensive Japan[1]
Decorations
Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (12x) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1]
The unit activated on 15 January 1941 at Fort Douglas, Utah. After combat operations in the Pacific theater during World War II, the 77th contributed to America's nuclear deterrent during the Cold War. It formed the backbone of the Air Force's B-52 force during the Vietnam War.
When the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands in June 1942, the squadron was reassigned to Fort Glenn Army Airfield on Adak Island; and began combat missions over the captured islands of Kiska and Attu. Flew combat missions with B-26 Marauders and later North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers during the Aleutian Campaign, remaining in Alaska until the end of World War II in 1945 when the squadron personnel were demobilized. The unit inactivated as a paper unit in early November 1945. SSgt Charlton Heston served as a radio operator and gunner aboard a B-25 of the 77th from 1944–45.[3]
Cold War
The 77th was reactivated as a Strategic Air CommandBoeing B-29 Superfortress squadron in 1946, based in the Midwest for training before being moved to Alaska in late 1946. The mission changed from strategic bombardment training to strategic reconnaissance and mapping,involving very long range reconnaissance missions in the Bering Straits, North Pacific coast and the Arctic Ocean coastline of the Soviet Union. The squadron performed charting and other mapping missions, likely including ferret and ELINT missions.
The squadron returned to the Continental United States in 1947, being equipped with Convair B-36 Peacemaker strategic bombers, both in the bomber and strategic reconnaissance versions. It undertook strategic bombardment training missions on a global scale, including strategic reconnaissance missions with the RB-36s until the phaseout of the B-36 from the Strategic Air Command in 1957.
The 77th was re-equipped with Boeing B-52D Stratofortresses and stood nuclear alert and conducted global strategic bombardment training missions until 1966, when it began rotational deployments to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flying conventional strategic bombardment Operation Arc Light missions over Indochina (1966–1970). Converting to B-52G in 1971, the squadron returned to nuclear alert status, upgrading to B-52H in 1977. In 1985 it received the first production Rockwell B-1B Lancers and maintained nuclear alert until the end of the Cold War in 1991. Strategic bombardment training continued until 1997, when the squadron was inactivated as part of the draw down of the USAF.[citation needed]
Modern era
Organization established as the USAF Weapons School B-1 Division on 28 August 1992 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Redesignated 77th Weapons Squadron in 2003. It provides training to B-1 aircrews at Dyess.
Lineage
Constituted as the 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 20 November 1940
Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 77th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 9 October 1944
Inactivated on 5 November 1945
Redesignated 77th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 15 July 1946
Activated on 4 August 1946
Redesignated 77th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948
Redesignated 77th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 16 May 1949
Redesignated 77th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic on 1 April 1950
Redesignated 77th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Heavy on 16 July 1950
Redesignated 77th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 October 1955
Redesignated 77th Bomb Squadron on 1 September 1991
Inactivated on 31 March 1995
Activated on 1 April 1997
Inactivated on 19 September 2002
Redesignated 77 Weapons Squadron on 24 January 2003
Elmendorf Field, Alaska, 29 December 1941 (air echelon operated from Fort Glenn Army Air Field, Alaska beginning 30 May 1942
Adak Army Air Field, Alaska Territory, 3 October 1942 (air echelon operated from Adak Army Air Field, Alaska, beginning 12 December 1942 and from Amchitka Army Air Field, Alaska, beginning 9 March 1943)
Air echelon operated from Attu Airfield, Alaska, beginning 10 July 1943
Amchitka Army Air Field, Alaska, 11 September 1943
Attu Airfield, Alaska, 11 February 1944 – 19 October 1945
Fort Lawton, Washington, 29 October-5 November 1945
Elmendorf Field, Alaska, 20 October 1946 – 24 April 1947
Rapid City Army Air Field (later Rapid City Air Force Base; Ellsworth Air Force Base), South Dakota, 17 April 1947 (air echelon), 3 May 1947 (ground echelon) – 31 March 1995
Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 1 April 1997 – 19 September 2002
^Approved 17 May 1997. This emblem is based on the unofficial emblem designed for the squadron c. December 1941 by the Disney Studios. Although the emblem is partly imaged on this most recently archived page showing the emblem, the link to the full emblem is broken. The image is available on the version of the page archived on 24 November 2016 at [1].
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