The 56th Air Refueling Squadron is an active unit of the United States Air Force. It is part of the

97th Operations Group The 97th Operations Group (97 OG) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 97th Air Mobility Wing of Air Education and Training Command . It is stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Col. Cornelius Walter "Connie" Cousland served ...

at Altus Air Force Base,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. It operates Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aircraft, conducting initial and advanced

aircrew Aircrew, also called flight crew, are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose. Commercial aviation Flight deck positions ...

training for air refueling operations. The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the 56th Troop Carrier Squadron. After training in the United States, the squadron moved to the Southwest Pacific Theater, where it conducted combat airlift operations against the Japanese until the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...

. It moved to Japan and served as part of the

occupation forces Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...

until inactivating in 1946.

History

World War II

The squadron was first activated 18 November 1942 as the 56th Troop Carrier Squadron at Bowman Field, KY. After training in the United States, the squadron moved to New Guinea, where it conducted tactical

airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distanc ...

in the Southwest Pacific Theater. The unit participated in the

airborne Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...

assault on Nadzab, New Guinea, on 5 September 1943 during World War II. After the

, the squadron moved to Tachikawa Airfield, where it participated in the military occupation of Japan until inactivating in 1946.

Reserve operations and Korean War

In August 1947, the squadron was activated at Greater Pittsburgh Airport as a reserve unit. It trained in the reserves until October 1950, when it was called to active duty for the Korean War. The squadron moved to Greenville Air Force Base and served on active duty until July 1952 when it was inactivated and its personnel and aircraft were transferred to the

18th Troop Carrier Squadron 18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19. In mathematics * Eighteen is a composite number, its divisors being 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9. Three of these divisors (3, 6 and 9) add up to 18, hence 18 is a semiperfect number. ...

, which was simultaneously activated.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', The same day it was inactivated at Greenville, the squadron returned to Pittsburgh and reserve service, where it assumed the mission, personnel and equipment of the

458th Troop Carrier Squadron 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 *45 ...

, which was simultaneously inactivated. The squadron continued to train in the reserves until inactivating in 1957.

Airlift training

In 1966,

Military Air Transport Service The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...

(MATS) became Military Airlift Command and replaced its former Major Command Controlled (MAJCON or 4 digit) units with AFCON units. As part of this transformation, the 56th replaced the 1740th Air Transport Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma in January 1966. The 1740th had been organized by MATS on 5 September 1951 as the 1740th Air Transport Squadron (Transition Training Unit) at McChord Air Force Base and was assigned to the

1705th Air Transport Wing The 1705th Air Transport Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Western Transport Air Force, Military Air Transport Service, stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 18 June ...

. It moved to

Palm Beach Air Force Base Palm Beach International Airport is a public airport in Palm Beach County, Florida, located just west of the city of West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, which it serves as the primary airport for. It is also the primary airport for most of ...

in July 1952 and to Tinker Air Force Base in March 1959 when MATS moved its training wing. At Tinker, the squadron provided training for aircrews in

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is an American heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. The C-124 was the primary heavy-lift transport for United States Air Force (USAF ...

. Redesignated 56 Military Airlift Squadron, Training, and activated on 27 Dec 1965. In January 1966, the 56th Military Airlift Squadron replaced the 1740th and continued to train Globemaster crews through 1968. With the arrival of the Air Force's first C-5 Galaxy on 17 December 1969, the 56th became the first operational C-5 squadron in the Air Force. It provided training and transition-flying training for aircrews in C-5 aircraft from 1969 to 2007. It also supported U.S. forces in Southeast Asia from April 1972 to December 1974. The Squadron was re-designated as the 56th Airlift Squadron on 27 August 1991, becoming attached to the

at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operated

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed, and now maintained and upgraded by its successor, Lockheed Martin. It provides the United States Air Force (USAF) with a heavy intercontinental-rang ...

aircraft, conducting initial and advanced

training for

, airdrop and air refueling operations . The 56th Airlift Squadron was the Air Force's formal school for

airland qualification training. The squadron transferred its C-5s in 2007, although it did not inactivate until September 2008. The last C-5 Galaxy (''0462'') "flewaway" from Altus on 20 July 2007. It was transferred to

167th Airlift Wing The 167th Airlift Wing (167 AW) is a unit of the West Virginia Air National Guard, stationed at Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, Martinsburg, West Virginia. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Forc ...

, West Virginia Air National Guard.

Air refueling training

The Squadron was reactivated as the 56th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 August 2016 as the Air Force's Boeing KC-46A Pegasus formal training unit at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, after eight years of dormancy. The Squadron received its first Boeing KC-46A Pegasus on 8 February 2019, followed by another two days later.

Operations

* World War II

Lineage

* Constituted as the 56th Troop Carrier Squadron on 12 November 1942 : Activated on 18 November 1942 : Inactivated on 25 March 1946 : Activated in the reserves on 3 August 1947 * Redesignated 56th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 27 June 1949 : Ordered to active service on 15 October 1950 : Inactivated on 14 July 1952 : Activated in the reserves on 14 July 1952 : Inactivated on 16 November 1957 * Redesignated 56th Military Airlift Squadron, Training and activated on 27 December 1965 (not organized) : Organized on 8 January 1966 * Redesignated 56th Airlift Squadron on 27 August 1991 : Inactivated on 30 September 2008 * Redesignated 56th Air Refueling Squadron on 23 June 2016 : Activated on 1 August 2016Lineage, except as indicated, including assignments, stations and aircraft in Haulman.

Assignments

375th Troop Carrier Group 375th may refer to: * 375th Air Mobility Wing, unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Eighteenth Air Forcestationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois *375th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit * 375th Fighter Squadr ...

, 12 November 1942 – 25 March 1946 * 375th Troop Carrier Group, 3 August 1947 – 14 July 1952 * 375th Troop Carrier Group, 14 July 1952 – 16 November 1957 * Military Air Transport Service (later Military Airlift Command), 27 December 1965 (not organized) *

443d Military Airlift Wing The 443d Airlift Wing is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with Air Mobility Command, being stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on October 1, 1992. History : ''For additional ...

(later 443d Airlift Wing), 8 January 1966 *

443d Operations Group The 443d Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 443d Airlift Wing. The 443d Troop Carrier Group was formed during World War II and played a crucial role in transporting Allied troops, eva ...

, 1 October 1991 *

, 1 October 1992 – 30 September 2008 * 97th Operations Group, 1 August 2016 – present

Stations

* Bowman Field, Kentucky, 18 November 1943 * Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, 23 January 1943 * Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North Carolina, 5 May 1943 *

Baer Field Baer (or Bär, from german: bear, links=no) or Van Baer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Baer * Alan Baer, American tuba player * Arthur "Bugs" Baer (1886–1969), American journalist and humorist * Buddy Baer (1915–1986) ...

, Indiana, 2 June 1943 – 17 June 1943 *

Port Moresby Airfield Complex The Port Moresby Airfield Complex was a World War II military airfield complex, built near Port Moresby in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. It was used during the Battle of New Guinea as a base of Allied air operations primarily in 1942 an ...

, New Guinea, c. 15 July 1943 *

Dobodura Airfield Complex Girua Airport is an airport serving Popondetta, a city in the Oro (or Northern) province in Papua New Guinea. History Girua Airport is located near Dobodura, to the north-east of the Embi Lakes, north-east of Inonda. To the south is Mt. Laming ...

, New Guinea, 2 August 1943 * Port Moresby, New Guinea, 23 December 1943 *

Nadzab Airfield Complex Lae Nadzab Airport is a regional airport located at Nadzab outside Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea along the Highlands Highway. It is served by both private and regional aircraft with domestic flights. The airport replaced the Lae Airfi ...

, New Guinea, 22 April 1944 * Biak, New Guinea, 19 September 1944 *

San Jose, Occidental Mindoro San Jose, officially the Municipality of San Jose ( tgl, Bayan ng San Jose), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 153,267, representing a third of ...

, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, 27 February 1945 * Porac, Pampanga, Philippines, c. 20 May 1945 * Okinawa, c. 20 August 1945 * Tachikawa Airfield, Japan, c. 20 September 1945 – 25 March 1946 * Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pennsylvania, 3 August 1947 * Greenville Air Force Base, South Carolina, 16 October 1950 – 14 July 1952 * Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pennsylvania, 14 July 1952 – 16 November 1957 * Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 8 January 1966 * Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma 20 January 1969 – 30 September 2008 * Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 1 August 2016 – present

Aircraft

* Douglas C-47 Skytrain (1942–1945) *

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 ...

(1944) *

Curtiss C-46 Commando The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...

(1944–1946, 1952–1954) *

Fairchild C-82 Packet The C-82 Packet is a twin-engine, twin-boom cargo aircraft designed and built by Fairchild Aircraft. It was used briefly by the United States Army Air Forces and the successor United States Air Force following World War II. Design and develop ...

(1949–1950) * Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (1954–1957) *

(1966–1968) *

(1969–2007) * Boeing KC-46 Pegasus (2019–present) Retired smsgt Ernest Lyon 1985-1990

References

Notes

Explanatory notes Footnotes

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

56th Airlift Squadron Fact Sheet
{{USAAF 5th Air Force World War II Military units and formations in Oklahoma

056 56 may refer to: * 56 (number) * one of the years 56 BC, AD 56, 1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steame ...