70th Air Refueling Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 1942–1944; 1955–1993; 1994-present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Air Refueling |
Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
Garrison/HQ | Travis Air Force Base |
Motto(s) | Extending Excellence |
Engagements | Desert Storm [1] |
Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award [1] |
Insignia | |
70th Air Refueling Squadron emblem (new)[ citation needed ] | |
70th Air Refueling Squadron emblem [note 2] [1] | |
70th Air Refueling Squadron emblem [note 3] [1] | |
470th Bombardment Squadron emblem [note 4] [2] |
The 70th Air Refueling Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit, assigned to the 349th Operations Group at Travis Air Force Base, California. It is an associate of the active duty 9th Air Refueling Squadron, United States Air Force, and operates the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting mobility, and air refueling missions. The squadron has served in this role since 1994.
The squadron was activated as a Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter unit in August 1955. It provided global air refueling for Strategic Air Command (SAC) with the KC-97, and later with the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. After 1970, it also provided airborne command and control support for SAC. It supported contingency operations and deployed aircraft and aircrews for Desert Storm. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the 470th Bombardment Squadron, a World War II medium bomber training unit. The squadron was inactivated in 1993, as Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana was transferred to Air Force Reserve Command
The 470th Bombardment Squadron was activated on 16 July 1942 at Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina as one of the original components of the 334th Bombardment Group, and was equipped with North American B-25 Mitchells. [2] [3] [4] The 470th acted as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for the B-25. [4] However, the AAF found that standard military units, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, in the spring of 1944, the 334th Group, its components and supporting units at Greenville, were disbanded on 1 May and replaced by the 330th AAF Base Unit (Medium, Bombardment). The emblems of the four squadrons of the 334th Bombardment Group, featuring "Bomby-the-Bear" were featured in the National Geographic Magazine in June 1943 [5]
The 70th Air Refueling Squadron was activated at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas on 1 August 1955 and assigned to the 70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. At the time the squadron was activated, Little Rock was undergoing major construction and the few elements of the 70th Wing that were crewed operated from Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio. With the completion of construction, the wing returned to Little Rock in October 1955 and the squadron finally became operational. [1] [6]
The squadron provided air refueling support to the Boeing RB-47 Stratojets of its parent wing and other SAC units. It deployed as a unit to a forward base at Ernest Harmon Air Force Base, Newfoundland in 1956 and 1957, while the entire 70th Wing deployed to Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco from October to December 1956. In February 1958, the 70th Wing began to reduce its reconnaissance missions and in June 1958 began training SAC aircrews in the Stratojet. The 70th Squadron, however continued its deployments with the KC-97, conducting deployments to Lajes Field, Azores through 1962. In August 1961, the squadron transferred to the 384th Bombardment Wing, which was also stationed at Little Rock, and continued to operate under that wing until the 384th inactivated on 1 September 1964 as B-47 operations at Little Rock came to an end, although it ended KC-97 operations in 1963. [1] [6] [7]
In response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, on 29 October 1962, SAC directed movement of its KC-97 force to forward locations to support its B-47s that had been placed on first cycle alert in the Eastern United States. This required deployment of 87 KC-97s, carrying with them all required supporting personnel, to Harmon, Lajes, and Goose Bay Airport, Labrador. The dispersed aircraft were to be ready to launch within an hour. The dispersed planes began to return to their home bases on 15 November, and all were home by 24 November. [8]
In 1964, the squadron began to equip with the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. It was attached to the 43d Bombardment Wing, which was equipped with the supersonic Convair B-58 Hustler, on 19 August and assigned to the 43d once the wing moved to Little Rock on 1 September 1964. In 1969, the 43d Wing began to draw down with the removal of the B-58 from the inventory and the forthcoming transfer of Little Rock to Tactical Air Command as a base for the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. [1] [9] [10]
The phase out of the B-58 resulted in the 305th Bombardment Wing at Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana becoming an air refueling wing, and the 70th moved to Grissom on 1 January 1970 to become the wing's third refueling squadron. Shortly afterwards, SAC decided to move the Boeing EC-135 aircraft supporting its alternate airborne command posts from their vulnerable locations near the coastlines of the United States and established the 3rd Airborne Command and Control Squadron at Grissom to operate this element of the Post Attack Command and Control System (PACCS). While the primary airborne command post at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska was airborne, these aircraft remained on ground alert. In 1975, the 3rd was inactivated and its PACCS functions at Grissom were absorbed by the 70th, [11] [note 5] which maintained them until inactivating in 1993. In 1983, the squadron supported Operation Urgent Fury, providing refueling to the transports, gunships, and fighters operating in Grenada. [12] In September 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the 470th Bombardment Squadron. [1]
From December 1989 through January 1990, the squadron provided refueling support for Operation Urgent Fury, the United States intervention in Panama. A few months later it deployed aircrews and aircraft to Europe and the Arabian peninsula during the Gulf War. These deployments lasted into 1991. After Air Mobility Command assumed responsibility for air refueling operations in 1992, it began to realign its tanker force. As a result of this realignment, Grissom was transferred to Air Force Reserve Command, and the 70th was inactivated on 1 April 1993. [1]
On 1 September 1994, the squadron was reactivated in the reserve at Travis Air Force Base, California as part of the 349th Air Mobility Wing. The squadron did not have its own aircraft, but flew the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders of the active duty 9th Air Refueling Squadron as an reserve associate unit. After the September 11 attacks, the squadron supported U.S. sorties during the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) and the homeland defense Operation Noble Eagle. It also deployed to support the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the Iraq War. The squadron also supported the Hurricane Katrina relief effort in September 2005. [1]
The 305th Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force strategic airlift and air refueling wing under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command. It generates, mobilizes and deploys C-17 Globemaster III and KC-46A Pegasus aircraft. The 305th AMW is a tenant unit at mostly the McGuire AFB component of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in central New Jersey. It also controls one of the Air Force's busiest aerial ports, and the air operations at both McGuire Air Force Base and Naval Support Activity Lakehurst.
The 499th Air Refueling Wing is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) unit that was last active at Westover AFB, Massachusetts in June 1966.
The 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions.
The 92nd Air Refueling Squadron, sometimes written as 92d Air Refueling Squadron, is a squadron of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing's 92nd Operations Group, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was first activated shortly before the entry of the United States into World War II as the 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron. After training in the Douglas B-18 Bolo in the southeastern United States, the squadron moved to the Pacific Coast after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and participated in antisubmarine patrols with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. In April 1942, it was redesignated the 392nd Bombardment Squadron. Starting in mid-1942, it also began training crews on the Liberator. It ended these operations in July 1943 and began to prepare for overseas movement. After three months of training, the squadron moved to the Central Pacific, where it flew its first combat mission in November. The 392nd continued combat operations until March 1945, when it was withdrawn and moved to Hawaii, where it conducted routine training and patrol operations until it was inactivated in November 1945.
The 825th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command (SAC), assigned to Second Air Force at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, where it was inactivated on 1 January 1970.
The 99th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, but is stationed at Birmingham Air National Guard Base, Alabama. It is an Active Associate Unit, an active duty component attached to the Alabama Air National Guard's 117th Air Refueling Wing. The 99th Air Refueling Squadron works with, supports and flies the 117th Air Refueling Wing's Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft.
The 384th Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it is assigned to the 92d Operations Group and operates the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions.
The 905th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is presently active as an element of the 931st Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The squadron was previously inactivated at the end of 2010 when the 319th Air Refueling Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base lost its operational mission and became the 319th Air Base Wing.
The 906th Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is an active associate squadron and part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
The 22d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to Air Mobility Command. It is engaged in combat operations as part of the Global War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Its current status and location are undetermined. The squadron's permanent designation is the 22d Air Refueling Squadron.
The 26th Air Refueling Squadron was a squadron of the United States Air Force that flew the KC-97E/F/G Stratofreighter, An early Cold War air refueling squadron, it primarily supported B-47 Stratojets of the Strategic Air Command Eighth Air Force during the 1950s and early 1960s. The squadron was inactivated in September 1964 as part of the phaseout of the KC-97 from SAC.
The 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It was last known to be assigned to the 40th Air Expeditionary Group. Diego Garcia Air Base, British Indian Ocean Territory. Its current status is at Al Udeid Air Base under the 379th Expeditionary Operations Group.
The 920th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 379th Bombardment Wing at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan where it was inactivated on 30 September 1992.
The 41st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Operations Group at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated on 15 February 1993.
The 42d Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 42d Bombardment Wing at Loring Air Force Base, Maine, where it was inactivated on 30 April 1994.
The 71st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 458th Operations Group at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana where it was inactivated on 1 April 1994.
The 305th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 305th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, where it was inactivated on 20 August 1993.
The 310th Expeditionary Air Refueling Flight is a provisional United States Air Force unit. The flight was last active as the 310th Air Refueling Squadron in October 1994, when it was assigned to the 380th Air Refueling Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base.
The 902d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 70th Bombardment Wing at Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where it was inactivated on 31 December 1969.
The 917th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active as a Geographically Separated Unit at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, while assigned to the 43d Operations Group at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1994.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency