22d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

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22d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron
376th Expeditionary Operations Group KC-135.jpg
376th Expeditionary Operations Group KC-135 at Manas [1]
Active1939–1945; 1950–1962; 1963–1989; 1992–2002; 2003–present
CountryUnited States
Branch United States Air Force
Role Air Refueling
Garrison/HQ Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyz Republic
Nickname(s)Mules
Engagements South West Pacific Theater of World War II
China Burma India Theater of World War II
War in Afghanistan
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
22d Air Refueling Squadron emblem (Approved 15 November 1994) [2] 22d Air Refueling Squadron.PNG
22d Air Refueling Squadron emblem (Approved 13 December 1960) [3] 22d Air Refueling Squadron - SAC - Patch.png
22d Bombardment Squadron emblem (Approved 19 March 1945) [4] 22d Bombardment Squadron - Emblem.png

The 22d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to United States Air Forces Central. It is engaged in combat operations as part of the Global War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Its current status and location are undetermined.

United States Air Force Air and space warfare branch of the United States Armed Forces

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial and space warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces, and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially formed as a part of the United States Army on 1 August 1907, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on 18 September 1947 with the passing of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the youngest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the fourth in order of precedence. The USAF is the largest and most technologically advanced air force in the world. The Air Force articulates its core missions as air and space superiority, global integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.

War in Afghanistan (2001–present) war in Afghanistan since 2001

The War in Afghanistan, code named Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan (2001–14) and Operation Freedom's Sentinel (2015–present), followed the United States invasion of Afghanistan of 7 October 2001. The U.S. was initially supported by the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia and later by a coalition of over 40 countries, including all NATO members. The war's public aims were to dismantle al-Qaeda and to deny it a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power. The War in Afghanistan is the longest war in United States history.

Contents

The squadron was previously designated as the 22d Air Refueling Squadron, and was an Air Mobility Command, Strategic Air Command, and Air Combat Command air refueling squadron, established in 1950.

Strategic Air Command 1946-1992 United States Air Force major command; predecessor of Air Force Global Strike Command

Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense (DoD) Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command (MAJCOM), responsible for Cold War command and control of two of the three components of the U.S. military's strategic nuclear strike forces, the so-called "nuclear triad," with SAC having control of land-based strategic bomber aircraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles or ICBMs.

Air Combat Command Major command of the United States Air Force responsible for air and cyber forces

Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of ten Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and it is the direct successor to Tactical Air Command. Air Combat Command is headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia, United States.

During World War II, the 22d Bombardment Squadron was a heavy Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and later, a medium B-25 Mitchell bomb squadron which fought in the Southwest Pacific and China-Burma-India theaters.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber aircraft by Boeing

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications. Although Boeing lost the contract because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the four-engined B-24 and the multirole, twin-engined Ju 88.

History

World War II

Formed in 1939 as a prewar bomb squadron, equipped with Douglas B-18 Bolos, later early model Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. Flew antisubmarine patrols off California coast, 8 December – c. 10 December 1941. Deployed to Southwest Pacific Theater and assigned to Fifth Air Force in Australia, engaging in combat, c. 13 January – c. 1 March 1942; detachment under control of United States Navy in combat from the Fiji Islands and Australia, 14 February – c. 14 March 1942. Surviving B-17 aircraft and personnel reassigned to other units in Australia, March 1942 and unit reassigned without personnel or equipment to the United States for re-equipping and remanning as medium bomber squadron.

Douglas B-18 Bolo family of bomber aircraft

The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American medium bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, based on its DC-2, and was developed to replace the Martin B-10.

Re-equipped as a North American B-25 Mitchell bomb squadron and deployed to Tenth Air Force for combat in the China-Burma-India theater, 14 December 1942 – 25 July 1945. Deployed to Karachi, India; Chakulia, India; and Yangkai, China. While in Calcutta, India, the unit converted to the Douglas A-26 Invader attack bomber. During World War II, the unit earned two Distinguished Unit Citations and participated in nine separate campaigns. Personnel demobilized in India after the war, and the 22d was inactivated as a paper unit in the United States in November 1945.

North American B-25 Mitchell family of medium bomber aircraft

The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American twin-engine, medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation (NAA).

Tenth Air Force Numbered air force of the United States Air Force responsible for reserve air combat, special operations, training, and space forces

The Tenth Air Force is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field, Texas.

Douglas A-26 Invader family of attack bomber aircraft

The Douglas A-26 Invader is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major Cold War conflicts. A limited number of highly modified United States Air Force aircraft served in Southeast Asia until 1969. It was a fast aircraft capable of carrying a large bomb load. A range of guns could be fitted to produce a formidable ground-attack aircraft.

Strategic Air Command

On 16 June 1950, the 22d Air Refueling Squadron was activated at March Air Force Base, California, flying the Boeing KC-97 Aircraft. The squadron relocated to McChord AFB, WA on 15 June 1960 where it later upgraded to the Boeing KC-135 Stratoranker. The squadron was inactivated on 1 July 1962. The Squadron was reactivated at March on 1 July 1963, flying the KC-135 and EC-135 aircraft.

In 1962, SAC established an airborne command post at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, nicknamed Looking Glass, to ensure continuity of command and control of SAC forces in the event of a nuclear attack. Looking Glass was soon augmented by auxiliary aircraft stationed with the headquarters of SAC's three Numbered Air Forces. The 22d received Boeing EC-135C aircraft to operate SAC's Western Auxiliary Command Post's airborne element for Fifteenth Air Force. The 22d continued to operate PACCS aircraft until 1 April 1970, when SAC reorganized its airborne command post aircraft and withdrew them from vulnerable bases near the coasts like Westover and assigned them to the 2d, 3d, and 4th Airborne Command and Control Squadrons, stationed at bases closer to the heartland of North America. [5]

It was deployed to Andersen AB, Guam whereupon it supported the Vietnam War until mid-1973. The squadron was inactivated on 1 December 1989.

On 19 Sep 1985 the 22d Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), a unit that was last active 2 Nov 1945. This action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachment 1 (Active Units), 19 Sep 1985. The Consolidated Unit retained the Designation of 22d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy.

Mobility unit

Reactivated on 1 October 1992 at Mountain Home AFB, ID, it was assigned seven KC-135R model aircraft as part of the Air Force’s first Composite Air Intervention Wing. The squadron was consecutively awarded the 366th Wing's Silver Bolt Award for foreign object damage prevention during fiscal year 1997-1 and 1997-2, as well ACC’s Best Tanker Award for 1993. The squadrong garnered the 366th Wing’s only "Outstanding" rating during the July 1995 ORI and its deployed maintenance won the ACC IG Superior Performance Team Award during the 366th Wing's 1997 AEF and first ever combat zone ORI. The 22d ARS was the only squadron in the 366th Wing to display nose art on the entire fleet. It was also awarded the Outstanding Unit Award, 1 June 1998 through 31 May 1999. The squadron was inactivated in 2002.

The unit was reactivated as the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron in 2003 as an AFCENT provisional squadron deployed to combat areas as part of the Global War on Terrorism in Afghanistan.

Lineage

22d Bombardment Squadron

Redesignated 22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) c. 15 September 1942
Redesignated 22d Bombardment Squadron, Medium 28 April 1944
Inactivated on 2 November 1945.

22d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron'

Activated on 15 June 1950
Discontinued and inactivated on 1 July 1962
Organized on 1 July 1963
Inactivated on 1 December 1989
Activated on 1 October 1992
Inactivated on 30 August 2002

Assignments

376th Expeditionary Operations Group 22 January 2003 - c. 2014

Stations

Aircraft

See also

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ This aircraft, deployed from MacDill AFB flew the last air refueling mission from the Manas Transit Center
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bailey, Carl E. (March 19, 2003). "Lineage and Honors History of the 22 Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron (ACC)" (PDF). Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved January 6, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ SeeEndicott, Judy G. (1998). Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ASIN   B000113MB2 . Retrieved July 2, 2014. (approval date)
  4. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons pp. 115–116
  5. ↑ Ogletree, Greg (n.d.). "A History of the Post Attack Command and Control System (PACCS)". Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2014.

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN   0-405-12194-6. LCCN   70605402. OCLC   72556.

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