Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 776 (HMR-776) was commissioned at
Naval Air Station Glenview,
Illinois, on 1 April 1959. They were the second helicopter squadron to form at NAS Glenview after HMR-763 was activated in April 1958. In April 1962, the squadron was redesignated Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 776 (HMM-776). The redesignated HMM-763 was deactivated 30 September 1962 and its personnel reassigned to HMM-776. Another change in designation took place in 1972 when the squadron traded in its
UH-34Ds for
UH-1Es, and was again redesignated to its final name, HML-776. In January 1979 the squadron was reassigned to
Marine Air Control Group 48. In 1990, HML-776 was called to active duty in support of
Operation Desert Storm and was deployed to
Okinawa to fill a gap in forces left by the deployment of active duty forces to
Southwest Asia. In 1991, while assigned to
Marine Aircraft Group 36, HML-776 was sent to the
Philippines to assist in relief operations following the eruption of
Mount Pinatubo. The squadron returned to NAS Glenview in 1991 and returned to reserve status. In 1994, as part of the reorganization of the
Marine Forces Reserve, HML-776 was deactivated. The squadron’s personnel and aircraft were transferred to
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove,
Pennsylvania, and formed
HMLA-773, Detachment A. ==Unit awards==