The 153d Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the Mississippi Air National Guard 186th Air Refueling Wing located at Key Field Air National Guard Base, Mississippi. The 153d is equipped with the

KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of trans ...

aircraft. The squadron is a descendant organization of the 153d Observation Squadron, one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the

United States Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...

formed before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Overview

The squadrons aircraft are eight KC-135R Stratotankers. The mission of the squadron is to provide air refueling support to major commands of the United States Air Force, as well as other U.S. military forces and the military forces of allied nations.

History

World War II

Activated as part of the

Mississippi National Guard The Mississippi National Guard (MSNG), commonly known as the Mississippi Guard, is both a Mississippi state and a federal government organization, part of the United States National Guard. It is part of the Mississippi Military Department, a stat ...

in 1939 by the National Guard Bureau. Equipped with

Douglas O-38 The Douglas O-38 was an observation airplane used by the United States Army Air Corps. Between 1931 and 1934, Douglas built 156 O-38s for the Air Corps, eight of which were O-38Fs. Some were still in service at the time of the Pearl Harbor Attack ...

observation aircraft. Ordered to active service on 15 October 1940 as part of the buildup of the

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

prior to the United States entry into World War II. After the

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ju ...

, was attached to

Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, which ...

, performed anti-submarine patrols over the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

until August 1943 when the mission was turned over to the United States Navy. Transferred to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), August 1943. Assigned to

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

as a photographic reconnaissance unit. After the Normandy Invasion in June 1944, because a liaison and courier unit flying light aircraft until the end of the war in Europe. Inactivated during December 1945 in Germany.

Mississippi Air National Guard

The squadron was re-designated as the 153d Fighter Squadron and allotted to the Mississippi Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at

Key Field Meridian Regional Airport is a joint civil-military public use airport located at Key Field, a joint-use public/military airfield. It is located southwest of Meridian, a city in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States. The Meridian Airp ...

, Meridian, Mississippi and was extended federal recognition on 12 September. The squadron was equipped with

F-47D Thunderbolt The P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Republic Aviation from 1941 to 1945. Early designs XP-47 (AP-10) In response to a USAAC requirement for a new fighter aircraft, Republic Aviation engineer Alexander Kartveli p ...

s and was allocated to the Fourteenth Air Force,

Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary augm ...

by the National Guard Bureau. The unit was called to active federal service on 1 March 1951. This activation temporarily resulted in the dissolution of the Mississippi Air National Guard, as members were sent to various places, including for many, duty in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. The squadron was sent to Turner AFB, Georgia where it was assigned to the federalized

108th Fighter-Bomber Group The 108th Operations Group is a unit of the 108th Wing (108 WG) of the New Jersey Air National Guard, one of the many units stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. If activated to federal service with the U.S. Air Force, the ...

with a mission to provide fighter escorts to Strategic Air Command

B-50 Superfortress The Boeing B-50 Superfortress is an American strategic bomber. A post–World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, it was fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller tail fin, and ot ...

bombers on training missions. In December 1951 it was moved to

Godman AFB Godman Army Airfield is a military airport located on the Fort Knox United States Army post in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. It has four runways and is used entirely by the United States Army Aviation Branch The United States Arm ...

, Kentucky where it replaced a unit deployed to England. It was released from active duty and returned to Mississippi state control on 10 November 1952. Reformed in December 1952, being equipped with RF-51D Mustang reconnaissance aircraft. Performed tactical reconnaissance for Tactical Air Command, retiring the Mustangs in 1955 and flying RF-80C Shooting Star aircraft until 1956. Re-equipped with

RF-84F Thunderflash The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing Republic F-84 Thunderjet, F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a Aer ...

reconnaissance aircraft. At the height of the Cold War in 1961, the squadron was federalized as a result of tensions concerning the Berlin Wall. Part of the squadron remained at Key Field in an active-duty status for about a year before being released. 153d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron RF-4C 66-428

153d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron RF-4C 66-428

On 15 October 1962, the 153d was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 186th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 153d TRS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 186th Headquarters, 186th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 186th Combat Support Squadron, and the 186th USAF Dispensary. In 1970 Tactical Air Command retired the RF-84s and they were replaced by the RF-101C Voodoo. In 1979 the Voodoos were again replaced by

RF-4C Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and ...

s. RF-101C 56-0166, on display at the

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...

, served with the 186th TRG. The aircraft was flown directly from Key Field to the

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wr ...

, Ohio on its final flight 27 October 1978. In 1990 during the Gulf Crisis, several aircraft and support personnel were activated and deployed to Doha International Airport, Qatar, being part of the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) during

Operation Desert Shield The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

. In 1992 the squadron's 186th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was realigned to an air refueling unit as the RF-4Cs were retired. The squadron was equipped with

s and placed initially under Air Combat Command, later under Air Mobility Command. The 153d Air Refueling Squadron has seen worldwide duty with the KC-135s, supporting Operation Display Determination, Operation Provide Relief, Operation Restore Hope, Operation Support Justice, Operation Deny Flight, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lineage

* Designated 153d Observation Squadron, and allotted to Mississippi NG, on 18 August 1939 : Activated on 27 September 1939 : Ordered to active service on 15 October 1940 : Re-designated: 153d Observation Squadron (Light) on 13 January 1942 : Re-designated: 153d Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942 : Re-designated: 153d Liaison Squadron on 31 May 1943. : Inactivated on 15 December 1945 * Re-designated 153d Fighter Squadron, and allotted to Mississippi ANG, on 24 May 1946. : Extended federal recognition on 12 September 1946 : Federalized and placed on active duty, 1 March 1951 : Re-designated: 153d Fighter-Escort Squadron 1 March 1951 : Re-designated: 153d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 11 December 1951 : Released from active duty and returned to Mississippi state control, 30 November 1952 : Re-designated: 153d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 December 1952 : Federalized and placed on active duty, 1 October 1961 : Released from active duty and returned to Mississippi state control, 31 August 1962 : Re-designated: 153d Air Refueling Squadron on 1 April 1992

Assignments

, 27 September 1939 * Fourth Corps Area, 15 October 1940 * V Army Corps, c. Dec 1940 * 67th Observation (later Reconnaissance; Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 1 September 1941 *

IX Fighter Command The IX Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany, wheret was inactivated on 16 November 1945. IX Fighter Command was the primary tactical fighter ...

, 12 December 1943 : Attached to First Army, 4 Feb – 15 November 1944 *

, 14 March 1944 *

IX Tactical Air Command The IX Tactical Air Command was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. It fought in the European theater of World War II. Its last assignment was at Camp Shanks, New York, where it was inactivated on 25 October 1945. History Formed ...

, 25 April 1944 : Attached to Twelfth Army Group, 15 November 1944 – 26 July 1945 *

XII Tactical Air Command The XII Tactical Air Command was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe at Bad Kissingen, Germany, where it was inactivated on 10 November 1947. History The 12th Gr ...

, 15 Jul – 15 December 1945 : Attached to Seventh Army after 26 July 1945 *

116th Fighter Group The 116th Operations Group is a Georgia Air National Guard unit assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing. The unit is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 116th Group controls all operational Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS aircraft ...

, 12 September 1946 * 108th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 March 1951 – 30 November 1952 * 116th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 30 November 1952 * 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 December 1952 *

(Air Defense), 1 July 1955 * 7117th Tactical Wing, 1 October 1961 – 31 August 1962 * Mississippi Air National Guard, 1 September 1962 : Gained by: Tactical Air Command * 186th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 15 October 1962 * 186th Air Refueling Group, 1 April 1992 * 186th Operations Group, 1 June 1992 – present

Stations

* Meridian, Mississippi, 27 September 1939 * Bluethenthal Field, North Carolina, 16 December 1941 * Key Field, Mississippi, 28 January 1942 *

Esler Field Esler Field, also known as Esler Regional Airport , is a military and public use airfield in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States, near the City of Pineville. It is located 10 nautical miles (12 statute miles, 19 kilometres) northeas ...

, Louisiana, 17 Feb – 12 August 1942 *

RAF Membury Royal Air Force Membury or more simply RAF Membury is a former Royal Air Force station built in the civil parish of Lambourn in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northwest of Hungerford, at the Membury services ...

, England, 7 September 1942 *

RAF Keevil Royal Air Force Station Keevil or more simply RAF Keevil is a former Royal Air Force station located between the villages of Keevil and Steeple Ashton, about east of the town of Trowbridge, in Wiltshire, England. The airfield was built on ...

, England, 28 November 1942 *

, England, 3 October 1943 *

, England, 28 November 1943 * RAF Erlestokes, England, 13 March 1944 * Vouilly, France, 18 June 1944 * Canisy, France, 6 August 1944 * St Pois, France, 11 August 1944 * Couteme, France, 23 August 1944 * Maillebois, France, 25 August 1944 * St Cyr, France, 2 September 1944 * Vuel, Belgium, 10 September 1944 * Ham, Belgium, 12 September 1944 * Stree (near Huy), Belgium, 16 September 1944 * Verviers, Belgium, 20 September 1944 * Spa, Belgium, 24 October 1944 * Olne, Belgium, c. 19 December 1944 : Operated from Liege, Belgium, 18–23 Dec 1944 * Tongres, Belgium, 22 December 1944 * Rutten (Russon), Belgium, 8 January 1945 : Operated from Tongres, Belgium, 18 January 1945 * Duren, Germany, 9 Man 1945 * Euskirchen, Germany, 16 March 1945 * Bad Godesberg, Germany, 30 March 1945 * Marburg, Germany, 5 April 1945 * Bad Wildungen, Germany, 15 April 1945 * Weimar, Germany, 24 April 1945 * Brunswick, Germany, 20 May 1945 * Augsburg, Germany, 4 June 1945 * Heidelberg, Germany, 25 Jul – 15 December 1945 * Key Field (later Meridian Regional Airport), 12 September 1946 :: Designated: Key Field Air National Guard Base, Meridian, Mississippi, 1991 – present : Operated from: Turner AFB, Georgia, Mar 1951 : Operated from:

, Kentucky, 11 December 1951

Aircraft

, 1939–1941 * In addition to

North American O-47 The North American O-47 is an American observation fixed-wing aircraft monoplane designed in the mid-1930s and used by the United States Army Air Corps during the Second World War. It has a low-wing configuration, retractable landing gear, and a t ...

, 1940–1942, and O-49 and

Curtiss O-52 Owl The Curtiss O-52 Owl was an observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps before and during World War II. Design and development Developed in 1939, the Curtiss O-52 was the last "heavy" observation aircraft developed for the US ...

, 1941–1942 * Included F-3A Havoc and F-6A Mustang in 1942; in addition to L-4 Sentinel, 1942–1944, and F-3A Havoc, 1943–1944 * Included Spitfire PR XI, 1942–1943, and DB-7 Boston, 1943 *

L-5 Sentinel The Stinson L-5 Sentinel is a World War II-era liaison aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces, U.S. Army Ground Forces, U.S. Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force. It was produced by the Stinson Division of the Vultee Aircr ...

, 1944–1945 *

F-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomb ...

, 1946–1952 * RF-51D Mustang, 1952–1955 * RF-80 Shooting Star, 1955–1956 *

, 1956–1970 * RF-101C Voodoo, 1970–1979 *

, 1978–1991 *

, 1992–2011 *

C-26 Metroliner The Fairchild C-26 "Metroliner" is the designation for the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner series twin turboprop aircraft in the service of the United States military. It was not officially named by the US Armed Forces, but is unofficially known ...

, 2007–present *

C-27J Spartan The Alenia C-27J Spartan is a military transport aircraft developed and manufactured by Leonardo's Aircraft Division (formerly Alenia Aermacchi until 2016). It is an advanced derivative of Alenia Aeronautica's earlier G.222 (C-27A Spartan in ...

, 2011–2013 *

KC-135R Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transport ...

, 2013–present

Aircraft flying in this unit

KC-135
58-0059(R) (Jan'94)

References

; Notes

Bibliography

* Hubbard, Gerard (June 1943). "Aircraft Insignia, Spirit of Youth". Vol. LXXXIII (No. 6) National Geographic, pp. 710–722 * * *

External links

186th Air Refueling Wing History and Lineage

186th Air Refueling Wing homepage

{{Mississippi Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard Meridian, Mississippi Air refueling squadrons of the United States Air Force Military units and formations in Mississippi