171st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron RF-84F 52-8756

The 171st Air Refueling Squadron (171 ARS) is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard's 127th Wing (127 WG) located at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan. The 171st is equipped with the

KC-135T 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 ...

History

World War II

Established in early 1943 as a

P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomb ...

fighter squadron, the

374th Fighter Squadron 374th may refer to: *374th Airlift Wing, unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Fifth Air Force, stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan * 374th Fighter Squadron or 171st Air Refueling Squadron, unit of the Michigan Air National Guard's 127th ...

trained under

I Fighter Command I Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces intermediate command responsible for command and control of the fighter operations within the First Air Force during World War II. It was initially established in June 1941 as the 1st In ...

in the mid-Atlantic states. Also flew air-defense missions as part of the

Philadelphia Fighter Wing The Philadelphia Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the I Fighter Command, stationed at Philadelphia Airport, Pennsylvania, where it was inactivated on 3 April 1946. History The wing was a ...

. Deployed to the

European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...

(ETO) as part of the

361st Fighter Group The 127th Operations Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard. It is stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and 1s one of two flying groups assigned to the 127th Wing. The group operates Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbol ...

, being assigned to

VIII Fighter Command The VIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit of command above the wings and below the numbered air force. Its primary mission was command of fighter operations within the Eighth Air Force. In the World War II European The ...

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 ...

, November 1943. The unit served primarily as an escort organization, covering the penetration, attack, and withdrawal of B-17/B-24 bomber formations that the USAAF sent against targets on the Continent. The squadron also engaged in counter-air patrols, fighter sweeps, and strafing and dive-bombing missions. Attacked such targets as airdromes, marshalling yards, missile sites, industrial areas, ordnance depots, oil refineries, trains, and highways. During its operations, the unit participated in the assault against the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...

and aircraft industry during the

Big Week Big Week or Operation Argument was a sequence of raids by the United States Army Air Forces and RAF Bomber Command from 20 to 25 February 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany. The planners intended to ...

, 20–25 February 1944, and the attack on transportation facilities prior to the

Normandy invasion Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

and support of the invasion forces thereafter, including the Saint-Lô breakthrough in July. The squadron supported the airborne attack on the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in September 1944 and deployed to Chievres Airdrome, (ALG A-84), Belgium between February and April 1945 flying tactical ground support missions during the airborne assault across the Rhine. The unit returned to Little Walden and flew its last combat mission on 20 April 1945. Demobilized during the summer of 1945 in England, inactivated in the United States as a paper unit in October.

Michigan Air National Guard

The wartime 374th Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 171st Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Michigan Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Wayne County Airport, Michigan, and was extended federal recognition on 25 April 1948. The 171st Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history, honors, and colors of the 374th. The squadron was equipped with

F-47D Thunderbolt The P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Republic Aviation from 1941 to 1945. Early designs XP-47 (AP-10) In response to a USAAC requirement for a new fighter aircraft, Republic Aviation engineer Alexander Kartveli p ...

s and was assigned to the Michigan ANG

127th Fighter Group The 127th Operations Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard. It is stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and 1s one of two flying groups assigned to the 127th Wing. The group operates Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt ...

. The unit was ordered into active service on 1 February 1951, as a result of the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

and assigned to

Air Training Command Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as ...

. In March 1951 being assigned F-51 Mustangs, F-80 Shooting Stars and F-84 Thunderjets while serving as a training organization. The unit was relieved from active duty in November 1952, was redesignated as a Fighter-Bomber squadron. Mission aircraft were F-51H, F-86E and F-89C. Redesignated at Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in 1958. The squadron flew RF-84F's. Moving to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in 1971 and upgrading to the newer

RF-101 Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a '' ...

. Became an Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) Fighter-Interceptor squadron in 1973, equipped with

F-106 Delta Dart The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft of the United States Air Force from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it proved to be the last specialist interceptor ...

interceptors. Performed air defense duties of the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

and

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

area until 1978 when ADCOM was merged into Tactical Air Command. Continued air defense mission for ADTAC component of TAC with

F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and ...

s, transferring to

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the C ...

when ADTAC was replaced in 1985. Upgraded to

F-16A Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...

s in 1990. Realigned into an airlift squadron in 1993, equipped with

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...

Tactical Airlifters. Flew the C-130 until September 2007 when it was realigned as an Air Refueling Squadron, being equipped with the KC-135T Stratotanker.

Lineage

* Constituted 374th Fighter Squadron on 28 January 1942 : Activated on 10 February 1943 : Inactivated on 24 October 1945 * Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron, and allotted to the Michigan Air National Guard, 24 May 1946 : Federally recognized, 171st Fighter Squadron (Single Engine), 25 April 1948 : Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron (Jet), 23 February 1950 : Activated to Federal Service, 23 February 1951 : Redesignated 171st Training Squadron, 5 March 1951 : Returned to Michigan State Control, 11 September 1952 : Redesignated 171st Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1 November 1952 : Redesignated 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, November 1953 : Redesignated 171st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 1958 : Redesignated 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 22 July 1972 : Redesignated 171st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1 September 1978 : Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron, 15 March 1992 : Redesignated 171st Airlift Squadron, 15 July 1994 : Redesignated 171st Air Refueling Squadron, 1 April 2008.

Assignments

, 10 February 1943 – 24 October 1945 *

, 25 April 1948 – 30 September 1962 * 191st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 October 1962 – 31 December 1972 *

191st Fighter-Interceptor Group The 127th Air Refueling Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard, assigned to the 127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan. History Established in 1962 when the Michigan ANG 171st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron wa ...

, 1 January 1973 – 31 May 1978 * 191st Tactical Fighter Group, 1 June 1978 – 15 March 1992 * 191st Fighter Group, 16 March 1992 – 14 July 1994 *

191st Airlift Group The 127th Air Refueling Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard, assigned to the 127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan. History Established in 1962 when the Michigan ANG 171st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron w ...

, 15 July 1994 – 31 March 1996 * 127th Airlift Group, 1 April 1996 – 1 May 1999 *

, 1 May 1999 – 30 September 2007 * 127th Air Refueling Group, 30 September 2007 – Present

Stations

Richmond Army Air Base Richmond International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Sandston, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community (in Henrico County). The airport is about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of downtown Richmond, the capital of ...

, Virginia, 10 February 1943 * Camp Springs Army Airfield, Maryland, 26 May 1943 * Millville Army Airfield, New Jersey, 15 August 1943 * Camp Springs Army Airfield, Maryland, 18 September 1943 *

, Virginia, 30 September – 11 November 1943 *

RAF Bottisham Royal Air Force Bottisham or more simply RAF Bottisham is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. History RAF Fighter Command use RAF Bottisham opened in March 1940 and was first used by bomb-ar ...

(AAF-374), England, 30 November 1943 *

RAF Little Walden Royal Air Force Little Walden or more simply RAF Little Walden is a former Royal Air Force station primarily used by the United States Army Air Forces located north of Saffron Walden, Essex, England. The following units were here at some poin ...

(AAF-165), England, ca. 28 September 1944 : Operated from St-Dizier Airfield (A-64), France, 23 December 1944 – 1 February 1945 * Chievres Airdrome (A-84), Belgium, 1 February 1945 *

(AAF-165), England, 7 April – ca. 11 October 1945 *

Camp Kilmer Located in Central New Jersey, Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service ...

, New Jersey, 23–24 October 1945 * Wayne County Airport, Michigan, 25 April 1948 *

Luke Air Force Base Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States., effective 20 December 2007 It is located west of the central business district of Glendale, and west of Phoenix. Luke AFB is a major traini ...

, Arizona, 23 February 1951 * Detroit-Wayne Major Airport, Michigan, 11 September 1952 * Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, July 1971–Present

Aircraft

, 1943–1944 *

P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

, 1944–1950 *

F-84 Thunderjet The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...

, 1950–1952 *

F-51H Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs N ...

, 1952–1953 *

F-86E Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

, 1953–1955 * F-89C Scorpion, 1955–1958 * RF-84F Thunderflash, 1958–1971 * RF-101A/C Voodoo, 1971–1972 * F-106A/B Delta Dart 1972–1978 *

F-4C Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American Tandem#Aviation, tandem two-seat, twinjet, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic aircraft, supersonic jet interceptor aircraft, interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed ...

1978–1988 *

F-4D Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and ...

1988–1991 * F-16A/B Block 15 Fighting Falcon 1991–1995 *

1995–2007 *

2007–Present

References

* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, AL: Office of Air Force History. .

External links

{{Air National Guard Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard Military units and formations in Michigan Air refueling squadrons of the United States Air Force