page_title: 764th Bombardment Squadron
section_title: Tactical bomber operations
hierarchical_section_title: 764th Bombardment Squadron / History / Tactical bomber operations
caption_attribution_description: English: 461st Bombardment Wing Martin B-57B-MA 53-3934 1956 (Photo taken at Andrews AFB, MD)
context_page_description: The 764th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 461st Bombardment Wing at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 28 March 1968.
  The squadron was first activated during World War II. After training in the United States, it deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, and earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for its actions. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States, where it was inactivated in August 1945.
  The squadron was reactivated at Hill Air Force Base, Utah under Tactical Air Command in late 1943, soon becoming one of TAC's first jet bomber squadrons. It moved to Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas in 1955 and was inactivated there, when Blytheville became a Strategic Air Command base. It was activated in 1963 at Amarillo, when SAC replaced its MAJCON wing there. The squadron stood nuclear alert status at Amarillo and deployed crews and aircraft to Southeast Asia before inactivating.
context_section_description: Prompted by experience in the Korean War, the Air Force decided to increase its air support and air interdiction capabilities to support ground forces.  As part of this increase, it organized the 461st Bombardment Wing, which included the squadron, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in December 1953.  The squadron was intended to be a Martin B-57 Canberra unit, but these aircraft were not available, so it was initially equipped with Douglas B-26 Invaders.  Officer cadre for the squadron was drawn from the 4th Tow Target Squadron at George Air Force Base, California.  Facilities at Hill required development and combat readiness training did not begin until July 1954.
  The wing trained in light bomber operations and participated in exercises, including simulated deployments.  In January 1955, the unit began to receive B-57s and was fully equipped by the end of the year.  However,  Hill's parking and hangar space was inadequate for the B-57s and even as they began to arrive, the unit anticipated a move to Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, which was being developed by the Corps of Engineers for reopening in 1955.  In October 1955, the squadron moved from Hill to Blytheville.
  The conversion to the Canberra brought a number of changes.  The new aircraft was subject to several periods of grounding, and the unit faced shortfalls in the number of aircrew available.  The unit mission also underwent changes, with the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons taking priority over conventional weapons delivery, although conventional weapons remained as a secondary mission.  The squadron inactivated in January 1958 as Tactical Air Command, under budget pressures, prepared to transfer Blytheville to Strategic Air Command (SAC).
caption: 461st Bombardment Wing B-57B Canberra[note 1]
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