The 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

unit. It was last active at

George Air Force Base George Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. Established by the United States Army Air Co ...

, California, as part of the 602d Tactical Air Control Wing based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. In 1985, the

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

was consolidated with the

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 opposin ...

-era 27th Ferrying Squadron and the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

-era 27th Air Refueling Squadron.

History

World War II

The 27th Ferrying Squadron was first activated in July 1942 at

Presque Isle Army Air Field ''Beautiful Minds'' (french: Presque) is a 2021 French-Swiss comedy-drama film directed by Bernard Campan and Alexandre Jollien. Cast * Bernard Campan - Louis Caretti * Alexandre Jollien - Igor * Marie Benati - la prostituée * Marilyne Canto ...

, Maine, but moved within a week to

New Castle Army Air Base New Castle National Guard Base is a United States Air Force installation under the control of the Delaware Air National Guard, located at New Castle Airport in New Castle County, Delaware. Overview The base is the home of the 166th Airlift Wi ...

, Delaware, where it was assigned to the 2d Ferrying Group. It served primarily to deliver aircraft from manufacturers to operational or training units. However, by 1944 the

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

was finding that organizations using rigid

tables of organization A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as well as the un ...

were proving inefficient in performing logistic support and training missions. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional organization in which each base was grouped into a single organization. At the end of March 1944, the 2d Ferrying Group, its squadrons (including the 27th) and all support organizations at New Castle were combined into the 552d Army Air Forces Base Unit, which absorbed their personnel and equipment and continued the ferrying mission.

Strategic Air Command

The 27th Air Refueling Squadron was activated at

Bergstrom Air Force Base Bergstrom Air Force Base (1942–1993) was located seven miles southeast of Austin, Texas. In its later years it was a major base for the U.S. Air Force's RF-4C reconnaissance fighter fleet. History Bergstrom was originally activated on 1 ...

, Texas, in October 1953 and assigned to the

27th Strategic Fighter Wing 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

. The mission of the unit was to provide global refueling for the

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...

(SAC) 27th and 12th Strategic Fighter Wings at Bergstrom and other USAF units as directed. The unit was inactivated in 1957 shortly after SAC transferred its fighters to

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

and a SAC refueling unit was no longer required to support them.

Tactical Air Support

The 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron was activated at

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) ass ...

, Arizona in July 1977, but inactivated three years later when the

23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron The 23rd Flying Training Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force, currently assigned to 58th Operations Group performing helicopter training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Mission Since January 1994, the 23d Flying Training Squadron is the ...

moved from Bergstrom to Davis-Monthan along with the 602d Tactical Air Control Wing and assumed the 27th's mission, personnel and equipment. It was activated again in May 1984 at

, California. In September 1985, the 27th Air Refueling Squadron and 27th Ferrying Squadron were consolidated with 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron.Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons

Lineage

; 27th Ferrying Squadron * Constituted as the 27th Ferrying Squadron on 29 June 1942 : Activated on 13 July 1942 : Disbanded on 31 March 1944 : Reconstituted and consolidated with the 27th Air Refueling Squadron and the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron as the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 19 September 1985 ; 27th Air Refueling Squadron * Constituted as the 27th Air Refueling Squadron, Strategic Fighter on 14 September 1953 : Activated on 25 October 1953 : Inactivated 1 November 1957 : Consolidated with the 27th Ferrying Squadron and the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron as the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 19 September 1985 ; 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron * Constituted as the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 7 February 1977 : Activated on 1 July 1977 : Inactivated 1 July 1980 : Activated 15 May 1984 : Consolidated with the 27th Ferrying Squadron and the 27th Air Refueling Squadron on 19 September 1985 : Inactivated after June 1988''See'' (Preparing for move of squadron from George AFB to Davis-Monthan AFB)

Assignments

* Domestic Wing, Air Transport Command, 13 July 1942 * 2d Ferrying Group, 20 July 1942 – 31 March 1944 * 27th Strategic Fighter Wing, 25 October 1953 (attached to 12th Strategic Fighter Wing, 1 April 1955 – 1 September 1955)Ravenstein, pp. 49–52 *

Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...

, 1 July – 1 November 1957 * 602d Tactical Air Control Wing, 1 July 1977 – 1 July 1980 * 602d Tactical Air Control Wing, 15 May 1984 – unknown

Stations

* Presque Isle Army Air Field, Maine, 13 July 1942 * New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware, 20 July 1942 – 31 March 1944 * Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 25 October 1953 – 1 November 1957 * Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. 1 July 1977 – 1 July 1980Mueller, p. 104 * George Air Force Base, California, 15 May 1984 * Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, 1989 – unknown

Aircraft

* Ferried Numerous Aircraft to Overseas Areas 1942–1944 *

Boeing KB-29 The Boeing KB-29 was a modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress for air refueling needs by the USAF. Two primary versions were developed and produced: KB-29M and KB-29P. The 509th and 43d Air Refueling Squadrons (Walker AFB, NM and Davis-Month ...

, 1953–1957 *

Cessna O-2 Skymaster The Cessna O-2 Skymaster (nicknamed "Oscar Deuce") is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, used for forward air control (FAC) and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010. Design and developm ...

, 1977–1980 *

North American OV-10 Bronco The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a f ...

. 1984–unknown

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * * {{Strategic Air Command Military units and formations of the United States in the Cold War Military units and formations established in 1953 Military units and formations established in 1977 027