96th Air Refueling Squadron

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96th Air Refueling Squadron
203d Air Refueling Squadron - Boeing KC-135R-BN Stratotanker 61-0290.jpg
KC-135 Stratotanker flown by 96th and 203d Air Refueling Squadrons [a]
Active
  • 1941–1946
  • 1953–1960
  • 1960–1965
  • 1994–2005
  • 2010-2015
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Role Aerial refueling
MottoUbique (Latin for 'Everywhere')) [1]
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation [2] [b]
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award [3]
Insignia
96th Air Refueling Squadron emblem [c] [1] 96th Air Refueling Squadron.png
Patch with first 96th Air Refueling Squadron emblem [d] [1] 96th Air Refueling Squadron - SAC - Patch.png
396th Bombardment Squadron emblem [4] 396 Bombardment Sq emblem.png
6th Reconnaissance Squadron emblem [4] 6 Reconnaissance Sq (Medium) emblem.png

The first predecessor of the 96th Air Refueling Squadron was activated in California as the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron began flying antisubmarine patrols off the Pacific Coast as it trained and prepared for overseas deployment. In the fall of 1943, it moved to the Pacific, participating in combat as the 396th Bombardment Squadron until V-J Day, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation. It was inactivated in the Philippines in 1946.

Contents

The second predecessor of the squadron was activated in 1953, refueling Strategic Air Command bombers and maintaining aircrat on alert status until inactivating in 1965. It was active again from 1994 to 2005 as a unit of Air Mobility Command

From 2010 to 2015, the squadron was an active duty associate of the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron of the Hawaii Air National Guard

History

World War II

Organization and antisubmarine operations

The first predecessor of the squadron was the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron, which was activated on 15 January 1941 at March Field, California and equipped with mix of Douglas B-18 Bolo, Lockheed A-29 Hudson, and Consolidated LB-30 Liberator aircraft. [5] Since September 1936, a long range reconnaissance squadron , like the 6th, was attached to each bombardment group, [6] and the squadron was attached to the 41st Bombardment Group. [5] The squadron moved with the 41st Group to Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona in May. [5]

The day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron moved to Muroc Army Airfield, California, and began flying antisubmarine patrols off the California Coast. It moved its base of operations to Sacramento Municipal Airport, California in early January 1942, and operated from Naval Air Station Alameda, California between April and May 1942. After June 1942, it sent a detachment to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, from which it conducted patrols over the Atlantic. In February 1942, the squadron's attachment to the 41st Group became an assignment, and three months later, it became the 396th Bombardment Squadron. [5]

The squadron moved to Hammer Field, California in late August 1942 to begin training with North American B-25 Mitchells for overseas deployment. However, its training was interupted in December, when it resumed antisubmarine patrols, again operating from Sacramento and Alameda. These operations continued until February 1943, although operations from Sacramento continued until late September when the squadron deployed to the Pacific. [5]

Combat in the Pacific

Deployed to the Central Pacific Area, from 19 January–23 September 1944, engaging in combat operations in the Gilbert Islands, then returning to Hawaii in October 1944.

Deployed to Okinawa in June 1945, flying combat bombardment missions over eastern China and Formosa. Prepared for combat action as part of Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of the Japanese Home Islands however the Japanese Capitulation in August cancelled those plans. Squadron demobilized on Okinawa during the fall of 1945, aircraft being sent to reclamation in the Philippines. Personnel returned to the United States and squadron inactivated on 27 January 1946.

Cold War

Activated as 96th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium in 1953. Based at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma; supported refueling operations primarily in Northeast Air Command and Alaskan Air Command areas. Also deployed to Guam in 1956 flying KC-97F and G aircraft. The squadron was reassigned to the 11th Bombardment Wing, on 3 December 1957. Redesignated as the 96th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 8 March 1958, the squadron converted that same year to the KC-135A. The 96th ARS was discontinued on 1 October 1960. Organized on 15 December 1960, and assigned to 11th Bombardment (later, 11th Strategic Aerospace) Wing, at Altus AFB, OK, with the KC-135A as its aircraft, it was discontinued and inactivated, on 25 June 1965 and its mission, personnel and aircraft were transferred to the 11th Air Refueling Squadron, which was transferred on paper to Altus from Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. [7]

Modern era

Redesignated as the 96th Air Refueling Squadron, reactivated, on 1 April 1994 with KC-135Rs, [1] Inactivated on 31 March 2005 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was reactivated on 23 July 2010 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam as part of the Total Force Integration partnership between the 15th Wing of Pacific Air Forces and 154th Wing of the Hawaii Air National Guard. The squadron was again inactivated on 30 September 2015. [8] [9]

It was a unit of PACAF's 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii in partnership with the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron and 154th Maintenance Group of the Hawaii Air National Guard. It was inactivated on 3 September 2015. [9]

Lineage

396th Bombardment Squadron

Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 396th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 April 1942
Redesignated 396th Bombardment Squadron, Medium c. 9 May 1943
Inactivated on 27 January 1946 [5]

96th Air Refueling Squadron

Activated on 18 November 1953
Redesignated 96th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 8 March 1958
Discontinued on 1 October 1960
Discontinued and inactivated on 25 June 1965

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. ↑ Aircraft is Boeing KC-135R-BN Stratotanker serial 61-290.
  2. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 486 lists no award for this period.
  3. ↑ Approved 9 December 1994. Description: Argent, an eagle descending Sable, tail and head of the first [color], beak and feet Or, grasping in dexter talon an olive branch Vert and in sinister talon a sheaf of three arrows Yellow, all within a diminished border of the fourth [color].
  4. ↑ Approved 19 June 1956.
Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Endicott, p. 699
  2. ↑ Endicott, p. 699
  3. ↑ "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 26 February 2017. (search)
  4. 1 2 Watkins, pp. 80-91
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 486
  6. ↑ Maurer (1987), p. 340
  7. ↑ See "USAFHRC Form 5, USAF Lineage and Honors History, 11th Air Refueling Squadron" (PDF). Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 15 October 2014.[ dead link ]
  8. ↑ Robertson, Patsy (3 April 2014). "Factsheet 96 Air Refueling Squadron (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Paden, SSG Teri (3 September 2015). "96th ARS inactivates after five years at JBPHH". 15th Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Lineage, including assignments aircraft and stations, through May 2014 in Robertson, AFHRA Factsheet 96 Air Refueling Squadron.

Bibliography

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