The 32nd Air Refueling Squadron, sometimes written as 32d Air Refueling Squadron, is part of the

305th Air Mobility Wing 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-10 Extender aircraft. ...

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

, New Jersey. It operates the

KC-10 Extender The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is an American aerial refueling tanker aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). A military version of the three-engine DC-10 airliner, the KC-10 was developed from the Advanced Tanker Cargo A ...

aircraft conducting

air refueling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...

missions. The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, its origins dating to 19 May 1917, being organized at

Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

, Texas. The squadron deployed to England as part of the

American Expeditionary Force The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. During

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 ...

, the squadron saw combat service as a

B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

unit, assigned to the

Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Force ...

in Italy. During the early years of 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 ...

, it was an RB-47 Stratojet Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron as part of

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).

History

World War I

The squadron's origins begin on 19 May 1917, about a month after the United States' entry into World War I. On that date a group of recruits were organized at

, Texas under the title of the Second Provisional Company, F. That was later changed to First Provisional Company E. At Kelly Field, the new Army recruits received basic military indoctrination by having drill in the mornings, then spending the balance of each day in the construction of facilities at the new camp, building roads, barracks and aircraft hangars in the afternoons. On 30 June the company was given the permanent designation of the 32d Aero Squadron.Gorell, On 11 August, orders were received for the 32d to deploy to France. The 30th to 37th Aero Squadrons were sent as a group to Fort Totten, New York, and embarked on the

RMS Baltic RMS ''Baltic ''was an ocean liner of the White Star Line that sailed between 1904 and 1932. At 23,876 Gross register tonnage, she was the world's largest ship until May 1906. She was the third of a quartet of ships, all measuring over 20,000 g ...

on 23 August for their trans-Atlantic voyage. They arrived on 15 September at Liverpool, England, where 50 men of the group were selected to remain to train for aircraft mechanic instruction with the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

. The balance of the squadron were ordered to Le Harve, France, arriving on 18 September. There most of the men of the group were sent to various French aviation schools for training to maintain French aircraft. The remainder of the group was designated as the 32d Aero Squadron and sent to the new

Issoudun Aerodrome Issoudun Aerodrome was a complex of military airfields in the vicinity of Issoudun, Centre, France. They were used during World War I as part of the Third Air Instructional Center, American Expeditionary Forces for training United States airmen ...

in Central France. There the squadron was engaged in construction activities, building roads, barracks and hangars for what was designated as the 3d Air Instructional Center. The 32d Aero Squadron remained at

for the balance of the war, engaging in construction activities at the facility as it grew and expanded. By the end of the war, the complex had grown to fifteen different airfields, all with support buildings and facilities. In November 1918, the 32d was reassigned to the

Third Army Air Service The Third Army Air Service was a United States Army Air Service organization stationed in France and Occupied Germany in the immediate aftermath of World War I. It was demobilized in Germany on 2 July 1919. There is no modern United States Air F ...

, being moved to

Trier Airdrome Trier Air Base, also known as Trier Euren Airfield, is a former military airfield located in the southwest of Trier, a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was established in 1910. During World War I it was used by the Deutsche Luftstreitkr� ...

, in the Rhineland of Germany to repair the facility for use by the Air Service. In early January 1919, orders for demobilization were received and the squadron moved to a Base Port at Bordeaux, France for the return voyage back to the United States. It remained at the base camp until March, when it finally sailed for New York, arriving at

Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territory ...

about 5 April. There the men of the 32d Aero Squadron were demobilized and returned to civilian life. The squadron was itself demobilized formally on 14 April 1919.

Inter-war years

The squadron was reconstituted in the Army Air Service as the 32d Bombardment Squadron on 24 March 1923. It was assigned to the 7th Bombardment Group. however it was not organized or activated until 24 June 1932 when it was assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group at

Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...

, San Diego, California. The 32d was equipped with

Keystone B-3 The Keystone B-3A was a bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps by Keystone Aircraft in the late 1920s. Design and development The B-3 was originally ordered as the LB-10A (a single-tail modification of the Keystone LB-6) ...

bombers. It was moved in 1935 along with the group to the new

March Field March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Ma ...

, near Riverside, where it received a mix of

Martin B-10 The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to be regularly used by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934.Jackson 2003, p. 246. It was also the first mass-produced bomber whose performance was superior to ...

and B-12 monoplane bombers. In the late 1930s, the 32d received

B-18 Bolo The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company f ...

medium and early model Y

heavy bombers. In 1940, it received the new B-17B Flying Fortress, the first production version of the B-17. The squadron was reassigned to

Albuquerque Army Air Base Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Ro ...

, New Mexico on 4 June 1941. Its purpose was to train air and ground crews for reconnaissance and bombing duty with the B-17 before deployment to Clark Field in the Philippine Islands. On 23 November it moved to Hamilton Field, California to stage for its subsequent movement to Clark Field. It was at Hamilton Field on 7 December 1941 during the

Pearl Harbor Attack 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, j ...

.Mitchell, Upon the outbreak of World War II, the 32d moved to

Muroc Army Airfield Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is Ed ...

, its mission was antisubmarine patrols along the Southern California coast. On 16 December it was attached to the provisional Sierra Bombardment Group, where it mission was antisubmarine patrol duty. However, as conditions in the Philippines worsened, the Air Echelon B-17s departed via Hawaii on 17 December. Upon arrival at

Hickam Field Hickam may refer to: ;Surname *Homer Hickam (born 1943), American author, Vietnam veteran, and a former NASA engineer ** October Sky: The Homer Hickam Story, 1999 American biographical film *Horace Meek Hickam (1885–1934), pioneer airpower advoca ...

, the aircraft were pressed into service for defensive reconnaissance patrols around the Hawaiian Islands. The Ground Echelon at Muroc was concurrently dissolved and personnel assigned to other units.Hallion,

World War II

The squadron was reformed in the United States in March 1942, by a redesignation of the newly established 354th Bombardment Squadron. It trained under Second Air Force. It flew

antisubmarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...

patrols off the

California coast Coastal California, also known as the California Coastline and the Golden Coast, refers to the coastal regions of the U.S. state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by cultural, economic ...

from late May to early June 1942, then over the Mid-Atlantic coast from June to July 1942. The squadron deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO) in August 1942, being assigned to

VIII Bomber Command 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

, one of the first B-17 heavy bomb squadrons assigned to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It engaged in strategic bombardment operations over occupied Europe, attacking enemy military and industrial targets. It was reassigned to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) as part of Operation Torch invasion of North Africa. It operated from desert airfields in Algeria and Tunisia during North African and Tunisian campaign. It was assigned to Northwest African Strategic Air Force during the invasion of Sicily, and later Italy in 1943. It was allocated to Fifteenth Air Force for strategic bombing of Nazi Germany and occupied Europe. It attacked enemy targets primarily in the Balkans, Southern France, Southern Germany and Austria from southern Italy. It engaged in shuttle bombing missions to airfields in the Soviet Union during the summer of 1944. Personnel were largely demobilized after German capitulation in May 1945. The squadron was reassigned to the United States and was programmed for conversion to B-29 Superfortress operations and deployment to Pacific Theater. Plans were canceled after Japanese capitulation in August 1945. The aircraft were sent to storage and the unit was inactivated largely as a paper unit in October 1945.

Cold War

It was reactivated in 1946 as a Strategic Air Command B-29 squadron. It was deployed to Furstenfeldbruck AB, Germany, July–August 1948; to RAF Station Scrampton, England, October 1948-January 1949; and to RAF Stations Lakenheath and Sculthorpe, May–November 1950 for "show of force" missions in Europe as a result of the Berlin Blockade by the Soviet Union and rising Cold War tensions in Europe. The squadron was equipped in 1953 with B-47 Stratojets, and trained with

electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...

from 1958–1964. In 1965 the squadron was redesignated 32d Air Refueling Squadron and assumed the mission, personnel and equipment of the 321st Air Refueling Squadron, which was simultaneously inactivated, at

Lockbourne Air Force Base Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation located near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker. It is the home of ...

. The unit performed

operations worldwide from 1965–1979 and since 1981. From c. 10 June–8 October 1972, all personnel and aircraft were on loan to units in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

or other

units, leaving the squadron unmanned. It deployed most aircraft and personnel to

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

October–December 1972, in support of

Operation Linebacker II Operation Linebacker II was an aerial bombing campaign conducted by U.S. Seventh Air Force, Strategic Air Command and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) during the final period of ...

. It again deployed aircrews and tankers to various locations for air refueling support in

Southwest Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Anat ...

from August 1990–April 1991.

Modern era

The 32d received the first KC-10A delivered to the Air Force, at Barksdale AFB, on 17 March 1981.

Lineage

* Organized as the 32d Aero Squadron on 13 June 1917 : Demobilized on 14 April 1919 * Reconstituted and redesignated 32d Bombardment Squadron on 24 March 1923 : Activated on 24 June 1932 : Redesignated: 32d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 December 1939 : Redesignated: 32d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 6 March 1944 : Redesignated: 32d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945 : Inactivated on 15 October 1945 * Activated on 4 August 1946 : Redesignated 32d Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948 : Discontinued and inactivated, on 8 June 1964 * Redesignated 32d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy and activated on 23 December 1964 (not organized)The squadron is not related to a 32d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy that was constituted the same day and assigned to Strategic Air Command for activation on or about 8 March 1965. This action was retroactively revoked in November 1965 and the 32d Bombardment Squadron was redesignated as the 32d Air Refueling Squadron. AFOMO Letter 346n, 23 December 1964, Activation of the 32d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy and Certain Other USAF Unit Actions. AFOMO Letter 481n, Amendment to AFOMO Letter 346n, 23 Nov 1965. : Organized on 15 March 1965 : Inactivated on 30 September 1979 * Activated on 1 November 1981 : Redesignated 32d Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991

Assignments

* Unknown, 13 June–September 1917 (probably Post Headquarters, Camp Kelly) * Third Aviation Instruction Center, September 1917 – January 1919 * Unknown, January–14 April 1919 *

19th Bombardment Group 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...

, 24 June 1932 (attached to

IV Bomber Command The IV Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force headquarters. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command bomber units assigned to 4th Air Force. Following the entry of the United State ...

, 22 October–December 1941, apparently attached to 7th Bombardment Group for operations, c. 8–15 December 1941) * Sierra Bombardment Group, 16 December 1941 *

Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. 4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reser ...

, 17 January 1942 *

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 ...

, 16 March 1942 (attached to 301st Bombardment Group, 16–30 March 1942) * 301st Bombardment Group, 31 March 1942 – 15 October 1945 * 301st Bombardment Group, 4 August 1946 (attached to

301st Bombardment Wing The 301st Air Refueling Wing is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force being last assigned to the Strategic Air Command at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, where it was inactivated on 1 June 1992. History : ''See the 301st Operations ...

after 10 February 1951) * 301st Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 – 8 June 1964 *

, 23 December 1964 (not organized) * 301st Air Refueling Wing, 15 March 1965 – 30 September 1979 * 2nd Bombardment Wing, 1 November 1981 *

2nd Operations Group The 2d Operations Group (2 OG) is the flying component of the United States Air Force 2d Bomb Wing, assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force. The group is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. 2 OG is one ...

, 1 September 1991 *

458th Operations Group 458th may refer to: * 458th Air Expeditionary Group, a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe *458th Airlift Squadron (458 AS), part of the 375th Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois *4 ...

, 1 June 1992 * 305th Operations Group, 1 July 1995 – present

Stations

Camp Kelly Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

, Texas 13 June-11 August 1917 *

Étampes Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department. Étampes, together with the neighboring c ...

, France 20 September 1917 * Issoudun Aerodrome, France 28 September 1917 *

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

, France c. 6 January-c. 18 March 1919 * Mitchel Field, New York c. 5–14 April 1919 * Rockwell Field, California 24 June 1932 * March Field, California 25 October 1935 *

Army Air Base, Albuquerque Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy ...

, New Mexico c. 4 June-22 November 1941 : Air echelon, which was at Hamilton Field, CA, under orders for movement to Philippine Islands at time of Japanese attack on Hawaii on 7 December 1941, apparently moved to

Muroc Army Air Field Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is E ...

, California, c. 8 December 1941, Ground echelon departed San Francisco aboard ship on 6 December 1941 and returned on 9 December 1941 *

Army Air Base, Bakersfield Meadows Field is a public airport in Kern County, California, United States, three miles northwest of Downtown Bakersfield. It is the main airport for the Bakersfield area, and one of two international airports in the San Joaquin Valley. Also kn ...

, California 17 December 1941 (Air echelon evidently departed for Southwest Pacific, c. late December 1941; concurrently dissolved and personnel assigned to other units0 *

Geiger Field Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately west-southwest of downtown Spokane, Washington, United States. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and includes areas ...

, Washington, 14 March 1942 (ir echelon re-manned and re-equipped from inactivating 354th Bombardment Squadron) *

Alamogordo Army Air Field Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...

, New Mexico 27 May 1942 (operated From: Muroc Army Air Field, California (c. 28 May - 14 June 1942) * Richard E. Byrd Field, Virginia 21 June-19 July 1942 *

RAF Chelveston Royal Air Force Chelveston, or more simply RAF Chelveston, is a former Royal Air Force station located on the south side of the B645 (former A45 road), east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, England. Duri ...

, England 18 August 1942 *

Tafaraoui Airfield Oran Tafaraoui Airport is a joint civil/military airport in Oran Province, Algeria . History During World War II, it was a primary mission objective of the United States Army 34th Infantry Division during the Allied Operation Torch landings on 8 ...

, Algeria 26 November 1942 *

Maison Blanche Airport Houari Boumediene International Airport ( ar, مطار هواري بومدين الدولي, Maṭār Hawwārī Būmadyan al-Duwaliyy) , also known as Algiers Airport or Algiers International Airport, is the main international airport serving A ...

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

, Algeria, 6 December 1942 *

Biskra Airfield Mohamed Khider Airport or Biskra Ouakda Airport is an airport in Algeria, located approximately 12 km north-northeast of Oumache; about 200 km south-southwest of Constantine, Algeria, Constantine. History During World War II, the air ...

, Algeria 16 December 1942 *

Ain M'lila Airfield Ain M'lila Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Algeria, located approximately 17 km north-northwest of Aïn Kercha in Oum el Bouaghi province, about 50 km south-southeast of Constantine, Algeria, Constantine. It wa ...

, Algeria 16 January 1943 *

Saint-Donat Airfield Saint-Donat Airfield was a World War II military airfield in Algeria, located near Tadjenanet in Mila Province; approximately 63 km southwest of Constantine, Algeria, Constantine. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air ...

, Algeria 8 March 1943 *

Oudna Airfield Oudna Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, which was located approximately southwest of La Mohammedia, south-southwest of Tunis It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North Af ...

, Tunisia 6 August 1943 *

Cerignola Airfield The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force as part of the str ...

, Italy 11 December 1943 *

Lucera Airfield Lucera Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy. It was located 7.9 kilometers east of Lucera, in the Province of Foggia. The airfield was abandoned and dismantled after the end of the war in 1945. History Lucera Airfield a ...

, Italy 2 February 1944-July 1945 *

Sioux Falls Army Air Field Sioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a public and military use airport three miles northwest of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. It is named in honor of aviator and Sioux Falls native Joe Foss, who later served a ...

, South Dakota 28 July 1945 *

Mountain Home Army Air Field A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

, Idaho 17 August 1945 * Pyote Army Air Field, Texas 23 August-15 October 1945 *

Clovis Army Air Field Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base, located approximately southwest of Clovis, New Mexico. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The host unit at Cannon is the 27th Special Operatio ...

, New Mexico 4 August 1946 * Smoky Hill Army Air Field (later

Smoky Hill Air Force Base Salina Regional Airport , formerly Salina Municipal Airport, is three miles southwest of Salina, Kansas, United States. The airport is owned by the Salina Airport Authority. It is used for general aviation, with service by one passenger airline, ...

), Kansas 16 July 1947 *

Barksdale Air Force Base Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB ...

, Louisiana 7 November 1949 **Deployed:

RAF Lakenheath Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, UK, north-east of Mildenhall and west of Thetford. The base also sits close to Brandon. Despite being an RAF stati ...

, England (16 May - 1 December 1950) **Deployed:

RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the village of Brize Norton, and the towns of Carterton and Witney. The station ...

, England (8 December 1952 – 6 March 1953) **Deployed:

Sidi Slimane Air Base Sidi Slimane Air Base was a military air base in Sidi Slimane, a city in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region in Morocco. It is also known as the Fifth Royal Air Force Base, operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force. History Built in 1951 by Atlas C ...

, French Morocco (14 February - 15 April 1954) *

(later Rickenbacker Air Force Base), Ohio 15 March 1965 – 30 September 1979 * Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana 1 November 1981 *

McGuire Air Force Base McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Air Force base in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, approximately south-southeast of Trenton. McGuire is under the j ...

(later Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst), New Jersey 1 September 1994 – present

Aircraft

* Douglas C-26 Dolphin (1932–1935) * Fokker O-27 (1932–1935) * Martin B-12 (1932–1935) *

(1932–1935) * Martin B-10 (1935–1941) *

Douglas B-18 Bolo The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company f ...

(1935–1941) *

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

(1935–1941, 1942–1945) *

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...

(1947–1953) *

Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...

(1953–1961, 1963–1964) * Boeing RB-47 Stratojet (1958) * Boeing EB-47 Stratojet (1961–1964) *

Boeing EC-135 The Boeing EC-135 is a retired family of command and control aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 Stratolifter. During the Cold War, the EC-135 was best known for being modified to perform the Looking Glass mission where one EC-135 was always ...

(1965–1966) *

Boeing 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 transpor ...

(1965–1979) *

McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is an American aerial refueling tanker aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). A military version of the three-engine DC-10 airliner, the KC-10 was developed from the Advanced Tanker Cargo A ...

(1981–present)

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

External links

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
(official website)
Air Mobility Command
(official website) {{USAF air refueling units 032 Military units and formations in New Jersey