The 97th Air Refueling Squadron is an active unit of the

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 ...

, stationed at

Fairchild Air Force Base Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base, located in the northwest United States in eastern Washington, approximately southwest of Spokane. The host unit at Fairchild is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) assigned t ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. It was most recently activated on 1 October 2019 and assigned to the

92nd Operations Group The 92d Operations Group (92 OG) is the flying component of the 92d Air Refueling Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force. The group is stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. During Wo ...

92nd Air Refueling Wing The 92d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington (U.S. state), Washington. The wing is also the host unit at Fairch ...

. 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, de ...

was first activated in January 1941 as the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron. Seven months after activation, it was renamed the 97th Bombardment Squadron and assigned to the

47th Bombardment Group 47th may refer to: Chicago Transit Authority stations * 47th station (CTA Green Line) 47th is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's "L" system, located in the Grand Boulevard community area of Chicago, Illinois and serving the Green ...

. It performed

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 Pacific coast following the entry of the United States into

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 ...

. Three months later, it began training for

light bomber A light bomber is a relatively small and fast type of military bomber aircraft that was primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance. The earliest light bombers were intended to dro ...

operations, and in November 1942 it deployed to the

Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army forc ...

. The squadron engaged in combat in northern Africa, Italy and France until

V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

, earning two

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 ...

s for its actions there. The 97th returned to the United States in the summer of 1945 and was inactivated at

Lake Charles Army Air Field A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

, Louisiana in March 1946. The 97th Air Refueling Squadron was one of the Air Force's first

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 ...

units, activated in 1949. It was active continuously until 2004, except for brief interruptions in 1964 and 1992. The squadron served with Boeing KB-29s until 1954 at

Biggs Air Force Base Biggs Army Airfield (formerly Biggs Air Force Base) is a United States Army military airbase located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. History Biggs Field/Biggs Army Airfield (1916–47) On 15 June 1919, following an attack b ...

, Texas, when it upgraded to Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighters. In 1957 it moved north to Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, where it served until 1964 when the KC-97 was being phased out of the active force inventory. The squadron was soon activated with

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 ...

s at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. In 1985, the two squadrons were consolidated there into a single unit. The consolidated squadron provided crews and aircraft to

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) units in the Pacific during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

and deployed elements that served in

Desert Storm The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

. In 1992, it was inactivated as SAC was closing what had been renamed Eaker Air Force Base. The squadron was again activated a few months later, returning to Malmstrom as part of

Air Mobility Command Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri. Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from elements ...

's tanker fleet. It moved to

, Washington two years later and remained there until its inactivation in 2004.

History

World War II

The

was first activated as the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron at

McChord Field McChord Field is a United States Air Force base in the northwest United States, in Pierce County, Washington. South of Tacoma, McChord Field is the home of the 62d Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command, the field's primary mission being worldw ...

, Washington in January 1941, attached to the

17th Bombardment Group The 17th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The group was last stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The Group is a direct successor to the 17th Pursuit Group, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the ...

, and equipped with

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 ...

s. In May, it was attached to the

and was assigned to the 47th group and redesignated the 97th Bombardment Squadron in August.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 104–106 Douglas B-18A assigned to 99th Bomb Squadron

Douglas B-18A assigned to 99th Bomb Squadron

After the Pearl Harbor Attack it was equipped with Douglas DB-7 Bostons and early-model

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

s,Some or all of the B-24s may have been LB-30s. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 323 to perform

patrols along the Pacific coast. In February 1942, with a Japanese submarine attack unlikely, the squadron moved to

Will Rogers Field Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

, Oklahoma, re-equipped with Douglas A-20 Havoc light bombers and trained for overseas deployment. A-20 Boston in flight

In November 1942, the 97th deployed to French Morocco as part of

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...

, the invasion of French North Africa. The squadron engaged in

close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...

and

air interdiction Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of fr ...

missions during the North African Campaign. It began operations by flying low-level missions in December, continuing these tactics through May 1943. In February 1943, the Afrika Corps broke through American lines at the

Kasserine Pass The Battle of Kasserine Pass was a series of battles of the Tunisian campaign of World War II that took place in February 1943 at Kasserine Pass, a gap in the Grand Dorsal chain of the Atlas Mountains in west central Tunisia. The Axis forces, ...

. Although the unit was undermanned and short of supplies it flew missions on 22 February against advancing enemy armor, helping to blunt the enemy attack. For this action, the 97th was awarded the

.AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, p. 270 The squadron remained active in combat, but also trained for medium altitude bombing missions in April and May. In June 1943 it participated in the reduction of the islands of Pantelleria and

Lampedusa Lampedusa ( , , ; scn, Lampidusa ; grc, Λοπαδοῦσσα and Λοπαδοῦσα and Λοπαδυῦσσα, Lopadoûssa; mt, Lampeduża) is the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The ''comune'' of L ...

. In July, the unit participated in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, attacking German forces evacuating the island from beaches near

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...

the following month. September 1943 saw the launch of

Operation Avalanche Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II. The Italians withdrew from the war the day before the invasion, but ...

, the invasion of Italy. During Avalanche, the squadron provided support for the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces, ...

. It participated in the Italian Campaign and advance toward

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

until the spring of 1944. Douglas A-26 Invader

In August and September 1944, the unit provided support for

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15August 1944. Despite initially designed to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, th ...

, the invasion of southern France. The squadron then returned to Italy, where it attacked German communications and other targets, including tanks, bivouac areas, supply dumps, troop concentrations, roads, bridges,

airfield An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

s and railways. The 97th upgraded to Douglas A-26 Invaders in early 1945. In April 1945, the squadron and the rest of the 47th group maintained attacks on enemy transportation in the Po River Valley for sixty consecutive hours despite bad weather and adverse terrain. The attacks prevented the orderly withdrawal of German forces from northern Italy. For this action, the squadron earned a second Distinguished Unit Citation. The squadron returned to the United States in July 1945, and was initially stationed at

Seymour Johnson Field Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for U.S. Navy Lt. Seymour A. Johnson, a test pilot from Goldsboro who died in an airplane crash near Norbeck, Maryland, ...

, North Carolina. It moved to

in September, where it trained as a pathfinder unit. The unit remained active until March 1946, when the 47th group reduced from four to three squadrons.

Air Refueling

Propeller-driven tankers

The 97th Air Refueling Squadron was activated in March 1949 and assigned to the 97th Bombardment Group at

, Texas. The squadron was initially equipped with the

Boeing KB-29M Superfortress 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-Montha ...

. The KB-29M was equipped with a hose system developed by the British in which the tanker trailed a hose to the receiver and fuel was gravity-fed. The tanker trailed a "hauling line" which was trapped by the receiver, reeled in and attached to the receiver fuel system. The system was perilous and the KB-29Ms were retired in a few years. On 1 September 1950, the squadron was the first to receive the improved KB-29P, which was equipped with a boom and used pumps to deliver the fuel more rapidly. However, the squadron remained below strength until 1952. Kc-97-97thars-malmstrom

The squadron upgraded to Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighters in 1954. The unit frequently deployed from Biggs to England, Newfoundland and Labrador, completing its last unit deployment as it was moving to Montana. In the mid-1950s,

(SAC) began to move its KC-97 refueling strength to the northern United States. The move to Montana-based the squadron ahead of the faster Boeing B-47 Stratojets it would refuel, and on their programmed route. In 1957, the squadron moved to Malmstrom Air Force Base to fill out the 4061st Air Refueling Wing, which had been formed the previous month with the

407th Air Refueling Squadron The 407th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 42nd Bombardment Wing at Loring Air Force Base, Maine, where it was inactivated on 1 October 1990. The first predecessor of the squadr ...

. During the

1958 Lebanon Crisis The 1958 Lebanon crisis (also known as the Lebanese Civil War of 1958) was a political crisis in Lebanon caused by political and religious tensions in the country that included a United States military intervention. The intervention lasted for aro ...

, the squadron provided support for the

92d Bombardment Wing 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...

. In July 1961, the 4061st wing was inactivated and the 97th was assigned to the

9th Bombardment Wing The 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9 RW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command and Sixteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California. The wing is also the host unit at Beale. Its mission is to ...

Mountain Home Air Force Base Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation in the western United States. Located in southwestern Idaho in Elmore County, the base is southwest of Mountain Home, which is southeast of Boise via Interstate ...

, although it remained at Malmstrom and was attached to the host 341st Combat Support Group there. It was discontinued in March 1964 as part of the phaseout of KC-97 aircraft from the active duty force.

Jet tankers

The squadron was redesignated as a heavy unit and organized on 8 October 1964 at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, where it assumed the mission, personnel and

s of the 914th Air Refueling Squadron, which was simultaneously inactivated. The squadron provided air refueling primarily to the

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...

es of the 97th wing. One half of the squadron's aircraft were maintained on fifteen-minute alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. In addition to its alert commitment, the squadron deployed aircraft and aircrews to support Tanker Task Forces in Europe, the Pacific and Alaska. During the

, from the mid 1960s, the squadron deployed forces to the Pacific to other units to support Operation Arc Light and Operation Rolling Thunder. By mid-1972 all of the squadron's tankers were operating with other

units in the Pacific. In September 1985, the 97th was consolidated with the 97th Bombardment Squadron into a single unit. In 1990, the consolidated squadron flew 93 sorties in direct support of

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, ...

and Desert Storm. It deployed to the Persian Gulf area, where it supported the 801st Bombardment Wing (Provisional) and the 802d Air Refueling Wing (Provisional). The squadron remained active until April 1992, when it was inactivated as Eaker Air Force Base was closing. The squadron returned to Malmstrom Air Force Base when it was reactivated in October 1992. At Malmstrom, it was equipped with the re-engined KC-135R tankers. The squadron continued to support deployed Tanker Task Forces throughout the world, including periodic support for the 1700th Strategic Wing (Provisional) in

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...

, Saudi Arabia. It also participated in

Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia from 5 December 1992 until 4 May 1993. A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), U ...

in Somalia. The squadron moved to

, Washington in July 1994 as

reorganized its refueling units. It remained active there until September 2004. The squadron activated at Fairchild AFB on 18 October 2019 with the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.

Lineage

97th Bombardment Squadron * Constituted as the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940 : Activated on 15 January 1941 : Redesignated 97th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 14 August 1941 : Redesignated 97th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 20 August 1943 : Inactivated on 31 March 1946 * Consolidated with the 97th Air Refueling Squadron as the 97th Air Refueling Squadron on 19 September 1985 97th Air Refueling Squadron : Constituted as the 97th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium on 2 February 1949 : Activated on 1 March 1949 : Discontinued and inactivated on 15 March 1964 * Redesignated 97th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy and activated on 8 October 1964 (not organized) : Organized on 23 October 1964 * Consolidated with the 97th Bombardment Squadron on 19 September 1985 : Redesignated 97th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991 : Inactivated on 1 April 1992 * Activated on 1 October 1992 : Inactivated on 30 September 2004 * Activated on 1 October 2019

Assignments

* General Headquarters Air Force (later, Air Force Combat Command), 15 January 1941 (attached to

until 7 May 1941, then

) * 47th Bombardment Group, 14 August 1941 – 31 March 1946 * 97th Bombardment Group, 1 March 1949 (attached to 97th Bombardment Wing after 12 July 1950) * 97th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 (attached to

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 ...

, c. 31 May 1955 – 10 July 1955) * 4061st Air Refueling Wing, 1 September 1957 *

(later 9th Strategic Aerospace Wing) (attached to 341st Combat Support Group), 15 July 1961 *

28th Bombardment Wing The 28th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Eighth Air Force (8 AF) of the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and is stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The wing is also the "host unit" at Ellsworth ...

, 1 July 1962 – 15 March 1964 *

, 8 October 1964 (not organized) * 97th Bombardment Wing, 23 October 1964 * 97th Operations Group, 1 September 1991 – 1 April 1992 *

43rd Operations Group The 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group is an active duty air mobility unit at Pope Field (formerly Pope AFB), Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is part of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) under the USAF Expeditionary Center. The unit is composed of f ...

, 1 October 1992 *

453rd Operations Group The 453rd Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit that was first organized in June 1943, during World War II, as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber group. After training in the United States, it deployed to Englan ...

, 1 April 1994 *

, 1 July 1994 – 30 September 2004 * 92nd Operations Group, 1 October 2019 – present

Stations

* McChord Field, Washington, 15 January 1941 * Army Air Base, Fresno (later Hammer Field), California, 11 August 1941 * Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 15 February 1942 * Greensboro Airport, North Carolina, 16 July 1942 * Langley Field, Virginia, 6–27 October 1942 *

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

, French Morocco, 7 November 1942 *

Mediouna Airfield Mediouna may refer to: *Mediouna, Algeria Mediouna is a town and commune in Relizane Province, Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , ...

, French Morocco, 18 November 1942 *

Thelepte Airfield Thelepte Airfield is an airfield in Tunisia, located about 20 km southwest of Kasserine. It currently is active and in use. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1943 during the North African Campaign again ...

, Tunisia, 27 December 1942 *

Youks-les-Bains Airfield Youks-les-Bains Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Algeria, located about 20 km northwest of Tebessa. The airfield today consists of several agricultural fields, with the faint remains of its main runway, parts of a taxiway and ...

, Algeria, 15 February 1943 * Canrobert Airfield, Algeria, 21 February 1943 * Thelepte Airfield, Tunisia, 31 March 1943 *

Souk-el-Arba Airfield The Souk-el-Arba Airfields are a pair of World War II military airfields in Tunisia, located near what was at the time the village of Souk-el-Arba but since 1966 has been known as Jendouba. The location is approximately 130 km west-southwes ...

, Tunisia, c. 30 April 1943 * Grombalia Airfield, Tunisia, 1 June 1943 * Takali Airdrome,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, 23 July 1943 *

Torrente Comunelli Airfield Torrente Comunelli Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Sicily, located 5 km west-northwest of Gela, approximately 140 km southeast of Palermo. It was an all-weather temporary field built by the XII Engineer Com ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, Italy, 12 August 1943 *

Catania Airport Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...

, Sicily, Italy, 19 August 1943 * Grottaglie Airfield, Italy, c. 24 September 1943 *

Vincenzo 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 strat ...

, Italy, 17 October 1943 *

Vesuvius Airfield Vesuvius Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located approximately east-northeast of San Giuseppe Vesuvianom about east of Naples. It was an all-weather temporary field built by the XII Engineer Command using a g ...

, Italy, c. 8 January 1944 *

Capodichino Airport San Pietro a Patierno is a suburb of Naples, the chief city in Campania, Italy. Geography It is one of the largest suburbs of Naples and is relatively lightly populated compared to surrounding areas, with around 20,000 residents. The district of ...

, Italy, 22 March 1944 * Vesuvius Airfield, Italy, 26 April 1944 * Ponte Galeria Airfield, Italy, 12 June 1944 *

Grosseto Airport Grosseto Airport ( it, Aeroporto di Grosseto) is an airport in central Italy, located west of Grosseto in the Italian region of Tuscany. Although it is classified as a "joint use" facility, Grosseto Airport is primarily an Italian Air Force ( ...

, Italy, 28 June 1944 * Poretta Airport, Corsica, France, 15 July 1944 *

Salon-de-Provence Salon-de-Provence (, ; oc, label= Provençal Occitan, Selon de Provença/Seloun de Provènço, ), commonly known as Salon, is a commune located about northwest of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d' ...

, France (Y-16), 7 September 1944 *

Follonica Airfield Follonica Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located in the vicinity of Follonica in Tuscany; about 180 km northwest of Rome. It was an all-weather temporary field built by the United States Army Air Force X ...

, Italy, 19 September 1944 *

Rosignano Airfield Rosignano Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located near the comune of Rosignano Marittimo in the Province of Livorno in Tuscany. The area was captured by the Fifth Army in the early summer of 1944, and the air ...

, Italy, 9 October 1944 * Grosseto Airport, Italy, 6 December 1944 * Pisa Airport, Italy, 31 March – 25 June 1945 * Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 11 July 1945 * Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, 14 July 1945 *

, Louisiana, 9 September 1945 – 31 March 1946 *

, Texas, 1 March 1949 *Deployed to: :: RAF Upper Heyford, England 15 March – 1 June 1952 :: Ernest Harmon Air Force Base, Newfoundland, 21 November – 20 December 1954 :: Ernest Harmon Air Force Base, Newfoundland c. 31 May – 10 July 1955 ::

RAF Greenham Common Royal Air Force Greenham Common or RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force station in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham in the English county of Berkshire. The airfield was southeast of Newbury, about west of London. Opened ...

, England 1 May – 9 July 1956 ::

Goose Air Force Base Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay , commonly referred to as CFB Goose Bay, is a Canadian Forces Base located in the municipality of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is operated as an air force base by ...

, Labrador – 1 April September 1957 * Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, 1 September 1957 – 15 March 1964 * Blytheville Air Force Base (later Eaker Air Force Base), Arkansas, 8 October 1964 – 1 April 1992 * Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, 1 October 1992 *

, Washington, 1 April 1994 – 30 September 2004 * Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, 1 October 2019 – present

Aircraft

* Douglas B-18 Bolo (1941–1942) * Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1941–1942) * Douglas DB-7 Boston (1942) * Douglas A-20 Havoc (1942–1945) * Douglas A-26 Invader (1945–1946) * Boeing B-29 Superfortress (1950) * Boeing KB-29 Superfortress (1950–1954) * Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter (1954–1964) * Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (1964–2004) * Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (2019–present)

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ;Footnotes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

External links

* * {{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II Military units and formations established in 1949 097 Units and formations of Strategic Air Command Military units and formations in Washington (state) 1949 establishments in Texas