18th Air Refueling Squadron
The 18th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 931st Operations Group, 931st Air Refueling Wing stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. It operates the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions. If mobilized the squadron would be gained by Air Mobility Command.Overview
The squadron operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, conducting aerial refueling missions.History
"During World War II the 18th flew airborne assaults on Sicily, Myitkyina, Burma, and Southern France in addition to supporting partisans in Northern Italy from January to May 1945 and conducting aerial transportation in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and briefly in the China-Burma-India Theater. It flew strategic and tactical airlift missions from 1948 to 1954 and 1962 to 1967. The squadron provided tactical airlift training for US and subsequently South Vietnamese pilots and crews from 1969 to 1972.
This unit has flown worldwide air refueling missions since 1995."Operations
- World War II
- Operation Husky
- Operation Dragoon
- Operation Joint Endeavor
- Operation Joint Guard, 21 June 1996 – 19 June 1998
- Operation Joint Forge, June 201998 – 12 February 2004
- Southern Watch
- Northern Watch
- Operation Desert Fox
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Operation Noble Eagle
Lineage
- Constituted as the 18th Transport Squadron on 20 November 1940
- Redesignated 18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 24 July 1948
- Redesignated 18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 3 July 1952
- Activated on 3 August 1961
- Redesignated 18th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron on 14 August 1969
- Redesignated 18th Air Refueling Squadron on 9 September 1994
Assignments
- 64th Transport Group, 11 December 1940 – 31 July 1945
- 5700th Composite Wing, 1 August 1948 – 1 March 1949
- 64th Troop Carrier Group, 14 July 1952 – 21 July 1954
- Tactical Air Command, 3 August 1961
- 64th Troop Carrier Wing, 8 January 1962
- 516th Troop Carrier Wing, 1 January 1963
- 314th Troop Carrier Wing, 1 July 1963
- 317th Troop Carrier Wing, 1 April 1965 – 25 June 1967
- 516th Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 October 1969
- 463d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 June–31 August 1972
- 931st Air Refueling Group, 1 October 1995 – present
Stations
- McClellan Field, California, 11 December 1940
- March Field, California, 11 July 1941
- Westover Field, Massachusetts, 9 June–31 July 1942
- RAF Ramsbury, England, 18 August–c. November 1942
- Blida Airfield, Algeria, 16 December 1942
- Kairouan Airfield, Tunisia, 1 July 1943
- El Djem Airfield, Tunisia, 26 July 1943
- Comiso Airfield, Italy, 8 September 1943
- Ciampino Airfield, Italy, 10 July 1944
- Rosignano Airfield, Italy, 9 January–23 May 1945
- Waller Field, Trinidad, 4 June–31 July 1945
- Albrook Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone, 1 August 1948 – 1 March 1949
- Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina, 14 July 1952 – 21 July 1954
- Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, 8 January 1962
- Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, 1 July 1963
- Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, 1 April 1965 – 25 June 1967
- Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, 15 October 1969 – 31 August 1972
- McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 1 October 1995 – present
Aircraft
- Douglas C-47 Skytrain
- Douglas C-54 Skymaster
- Fairchild C-82 Packet
- Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules
- De Haviland Canada C-7 Caribou
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
