The 79th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the

349th Operations Group The 349th Operations Group (349 OG) is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 349th Air Mobility Wing. The unit is stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California. The 349 OG controls all operational flying squadrons of the 34 ...

, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California. It is a

USAF Associate Unit The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...

of the active duty 9th Air Refueling Squadron, 60th Air Mobility Wing.

History

World War II

Formed in April 1943 by

I Troop Carrier Command The I Troop Carrier Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Forces, at Stout Field, Indiana, where it was disbanded in November 1945, and its resources transferred to IX Troop Carrier Com ...

, trained and equipped at various bases in the United States for the balance of the year. Deployed to England, being assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command in early January 1944, during the Allied buildup prior to the invasion of France. The squadron participated in the

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

operation, dropping

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...

paratroops near Cherbourg Naval Base, then carried out re-supply and glider delivery missions the following day. The squadron's aircraft flew supplies into Normandy as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties to England. On 17 July the air echelon flew to Grosseto airbase in Italy to prepare for operations connected with the invasion of southern France returning to England on 24 August. Squadron moved to France in July 1944 and for the balance of the Northern France Campaign and the Western Allied invasion of Germany was engaged in combat resupply of ground forces, operating from

Advanced Landing Ground Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 19 ...

s in northern France. Delivered supplies to rough Resupply and Evacuation airfields near the front lines, returning combat casualties to field hospitals in rear areas. Dropped airborne forces during Operation Market-Garden in September 1944 into the Netherlands; later participated in the airborne invasion of Germany in March 1945. After V-E Day, the squadron evacuated prisoners of war. Returned to the United States in August 1945, became a transport squadron for Continental Air Command, Inactivated on 15 November 1945.

Reserve operations and Korean War mobilization

Operated in the reserve, 1948–1951 with C-47s, activated during the Korean War. Its personnel and aircraft assigned as fillers for active-duty units, inactivated a few days later as an administrative unit.

Reserve airlift operations

It performed worldwide

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 ...

operations from, 1966–1971, including missions to Southeast Asia.

Early warning for the southern United States

The squadron also flew

airborne early warning and control 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 ...

missions in the air defense of the United States, using Lockheed EC-121 Warning Stars from its base at Homestead AFB Florida, 1971–1978.

Reserve associate air refueling

Since 1982 it has trained for and flown worldwide air refueling and

strategic Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...

airlift missions, including contingency and humanitarian relief operations. Supported Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle after the 11 September 2001 attack on the U. S.

Campaigns and decorations

* Campaigns. World War II: Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. * Decorations.

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

: France, –7June 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 1 August 2002 – 15 August 2003. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 December 1976 – 15 March 1978; 1 April 1984 – 31 March 1985; 1 July 1991 – 30 June 1993; 1 April – 15 August 1995; 1 July 1996 – 30 June 1998; 1 August 2000 – 31 July 2002; 16 August 2003 – 17 August 2004; 18 August 2004 – 17 August 2005; 18 August 2005 – 17 August 2006; 18 August 2006 – 17 August 2007; 18 August 2007 – 17 August 2008; 18 August 2008 – 17 August 2009.

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry ( vi, Anh-Dũng Bội-Tinh) is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal ...

: 1 July 1966 – 29 July 1971.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 79th Troop Carrier Squadron on 23 March 1943 : Activated on 1 April 1943 : Inactivated on 15 November 1945 * Activated in the Reserve on 11 April 1948 : Redesignated 79th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 27 June 1949 : Ordered to active service on 1 April 1951 : Inactivated on 16 April 1951 * Activated in the Reserve on 18 May 1955 : Inactivated on 15 May 1958 * Redesignated 79th Military Airlift Squadron and activated in the Reserve on 14 March 1966 : Organized on 1 April 1966 : Redesignated 79th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron on 30 June 1971 : Inactivated on 1 October 1978 * Redesignated 79th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy (Associate) on 21 June 1982 : Activated in the Reserve on 1 September 1982 : Redesignated 79th Air Refueling Squadron (Associate) on 1 February 1992 : Redesignated 79th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 October 1994

Assignments

436th Troop Carrier Group 436th may refer to: *436th Airlift Wing, an active United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force based at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware *436th Operations Group, an active United States Air Force unit, the f ...

, 1 April 1943 – 15 November 1945 *

419th Troop Carrier Group 419th may refer to: * 419th Fighter Wing, United States Air Force Reserve unit active with Tenth Air Force, based at Hill Air Force Base, Utah * 419th Flight Test Squadron (419 FLTS), part of the 412th Test Wing based at Edwards Air Force Base, Cal ...

, 11 April 1948 * 436th Troop Carrier Group, 27 June 1949 – 16 April 1951 * 436th Troop Carrier Group, 18 May 1955 – 15 May 1958 * Continental Air Command, 14 March 1966 * 915th Military Airlift Group, 1 April 1966 * Eastern Air Force Reserve Region, 30 July 1971 * Tenth Air Force, 8 October 1976 * 915th Airborne Early Warning and Control Group, 1 December 1976 – 1 October 1978 *

452d Air Refueling Wing 45 may refer to: * 45 (number) * one of the years 45 BC, AD 45, 1945, 2045 Film * ''45'' (film), directed by Peter Coster (2009) * ''.45'' (film), directed by Gary Lennon (2006) Music * ''45'' (Jaguares album), 2008 * ''45'' (Kino album), 1982 * ...

, 1 September 1982 *

452d Operations Group The 452d Operations Group (452 OG) is the flying component of the 452d Air Mobility Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Reserve. The group is stationed at March Air Reserve Base, California. During World War II, its predecessor unit ...

, 1 August 1992 *

, 1 April 1995 – present

Stations

* Baer Field, Indiana, 1 April 1943 *

Alliance Army Air Field An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

, Nebraska, 2 May 1943 * Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North Carolina, 4 August 1943 * Baer Field, Indiana, 16–28 December 1943 * RAF Bottesford (AAF-481), England, January 1944 * RAF Membury (AAF-466), England, 3 March 1944 – February 1945 : Operated from

Voltone Airfield Voltone Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, located approximately 4 km west of Tarquinia (Provincia di Viterbo, Lazio), central Italy, about 70 km northwest of Rome. It was an all-weather temporary field buil ...

, Italy, 20 July – 23 August 1944 *

Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in France. It lies approximately 1 mile (2 km) east-southeast of Mourmelon-le-Grand and 93 miles (150 km) northeast of Paris. The airfield was a semi-permanent f ...

(A-80), France, February – July 1945 * Baer Field, Indiana, 13 August 1945 *

Malden Army Air Field Malden may refer to: Places United Kingdom *Old Malden, historically known as Malden, Kingston upon Thames, England *Malden Rushett, Kingston upon Thames, England *New Malden, Kingston upon Thames, England United States *Malden, Illinois *Malden, ...

, Missouri, 8 September – 15 November 1945 * Norfolk Municipal Airport, Virginia, 11 April 1948 * Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky, 27 June 1949 * Standiford Field, Kentucky, 20 October 1950 – 16 April 195 * Floyd Bennett Field (later U.S. Naval Air Station, New York), New York, 18 May 1955 – 15 May 1958 * Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, 1 April 1966 – 1 October 1978 * March Air Force Base, California, 1 September 1982 * Travis Air Force Base, California, 1 April 1995 – present

Aircraft

* C-47 Skytrain (1943–1945, 1948–1951) * T-7 Navigator (1948–1951) *Beechcraft T-11 Kansan (1948–1951) * C-46 Commando (1955–1958) * C-119 Flying Boxcar (1957–1958) *

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 ...

(1966–1971) * C-121 Constellation (1971–1973, 1976–1978) * EC-121 Warning Star (1971–1978) * KC-10 Extender (1982–present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* *

External links

{{USAF Air Force Reserve Command Military units and formations in California 079