7th Air Refueling Squadron
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Active
| 1943; 1952?1955; 1958?1993
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Country
| United States
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Branch
| United States Air Force
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Role
| Air Refueling
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Motto(s)
| Cum Diligentia atque Celeritate
Latin
With Diligence and Speed
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Patch with 7th Air Refueling Squadron emblem
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Military unit
The
7th Air Refueling Squadron
is an inactive
United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the
19th Operations Group
, stationed at
Robins Air Force Base
, Georgia, where it was inactivated on 1 January 1993.
History
[
edit
]
World War II
Established in 1943 by
Air Transport Command
in India, the squadron flew
Curtiss C-46 Commando
transports from the
Assam Valley
in India over the 'Hump' to bases in China, flying supplies, personnel and equipment to support
Fourteenth Air Force
combat units in the
China Burma India Theater
(CBI).
MATS airlift
[
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]
Reactivated as part of
Military Air Transport Service
(MATS) in 1952, it flew
Douglas C-54 Skymasters
from
McChord Air Force Base
, Washington to
Elmendorf
and
Ladd Air Force Bases
, Alaska. It moved to
Travis Air Force Base
, California in 1953, where it was re-equipped with
Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
intercontinental strategic transport aircraft. The unit flew very long range strategic airlift missions within the MATS Western Transport Air Force area from California to Japan, the Philippines, Indochina and
Karachi Airport
in West Pakistan during the 1950s. It was inactivated in July 1955 due to budget reductions.
Air refueling
[
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]
It was re-activated at
Carswell Air Force Base
, Texas on 1 April 1958 when its parent unit, the
7th Bombardment Wing
received
Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses
. The unit provided
air refueling
on a worldwide basis for over 30 years with
Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers
. The squadron was not operational 6 May ? 1 December 1965 and 10 December 1969 ? 31 March 1970
[1]
due to operations in
Southeast Asia
. All aircrews and aircraft were deployed or on loan to provisional units at
Kadena Air Base
,
Okinawa
,
Andersen Air Force Base
,
Guam
or
U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield
, Thailand. On 19 September 1985 the 7th Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 77th Air Transport Squadron.
It remained assigned to the 7th Wing at Carswell until 1 June 1992. Reassigned to the
19th Operations Group
at Robins AFB, the squadron was inactivated in 1993 as part of the post
Cold War
drawdown of the USAF.
Lineage
[
edit
]
- 77th Air Transport Squadron
- Constituted as the
77th Air Corps Ferrying Squadron
on 30 January 1943
- Activated on 22 February 1943
- Redesignated
77th Transport Squadron
on 1 July 1943
- Disbanded on 1 December 1943
- Reconstituted on 16 September 1952 as the
77th Air Transport Squadron
, Heavy
- Activated on 24 September 1952
- Inactivated on 1 July 1955
- Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the
7th Air Refueling Squadron
as the
7th Air Refueling Squadron
[2]
- 7th Air Refueling Squadron
- Constituted as the
7th Air Refueling Squadron
, Heavy on 28 January 1958
- Activated on 1 April 1958
- Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the
77th Air Transport Squadron
[2]
- Redesignated
7th Air Refueling Squadron
on 1 September 1991
- Inactivated on 1 January 1993
Assignments
[
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]
- 22d Ferrying Group (later 22d Transport Group), 22 February 1943 ? 1 December 1943
- 1705th Air Transport Group
, 24 September 1952
- 1501st Air Transport Group, 20 November 1953 ? 1 July 1955
- 7th Bombardment Wing, 1 April 1958
[1]
- 19th Operations Group, 1 June 1992 ? 1 January 1993
Stations
[
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]
- Chabua Airfield
, Assam, India, 22 February 1943
- Jorhat Airfield
, Assam, India, April ? December 1943
- McChord Air Force Base
, Washington, 24 September 1952
[3]
- Travis Air Force Base
, California 20 November 1953 ? 1 July 1955
[4]
- Carswell Air Force Base
, Texas, 1 April 1958
[5]
- Robins Air Force Base
, Georgia, 1 June 1992 ? 1 January 1993
Aircraft
[
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]
References
[
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]
- Notes
- ^
a
b
Ravenstein, pp. 19-20
- ^
a
b
Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
- ^
Mueller, p. 395
- ^
Mueller, p. 558
- ^
Mueller, p. 68
Bibliography
[
edit
]
This article incorporates
public domain material
from the
Air Force Historical Research Agency
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Leadership
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Structure
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Personnel and
training
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Uniforms and
equipment
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History and
traditions
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