72d Air Refueling Squadron
Encyclopedia
434th Air Refueling Wing
The 434th Air Refueling Wing, is one of the key refueling units in the Air Force Reserve. The wing provides mid-air refueling with Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers to long-range bombers, fighters, and cargo aircraft....
at Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. It operates the Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
aircraft conducting aerial refueling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
missions. The squadron presently is assigned with 8 aircraft.
Mission
The 72d Air Refueling Squadron's primary mission is to provide Global Reach by force extending through aerial refuelingAerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
operations for the United States Military and its allies. Additionally the unit is tasked with aeromedical evacuation
Aeromedical evacuation
Aeromedical Evacuation usually refers to specialized medical transportation units in the United States Air Force. Within the U.S. Air Force, AE is coordinated by Air Mobility Command located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
support, airlift
Airlift
Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...
, and passenger transport.
Origins - World War II
The 72d Air Refueling Squadron originated as the 72nd Troop Carrier Squadron on 3 January 1943. The squadron was activated on 9 February 1943 at Alliance Army Airfield, Nebraska assigned to the 434th Troop Carrier Group. In September 1943 equipped with C-47s, the unit moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana at Baer Field, which today is the Fort Wayne International Airport. Shortly thereafter the squadron deployed to the European theatre in support of the Allied Forces in World War II. During its World War II tour in the European Theater of Operations, the squadron staged out of Fullbeck, England, Aldermaston and finally out of Mourmelon-le-Grand, France. It participated in airborne assaults on Normandy, Holland, and Germany and the relief of Bastogne. It was credited with participation in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns. It earned the Distinguished Unit Citation and French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its participation in the airborne assault on Normandy, and later earned the French Fourragere. In addition to the C-47, the squadron also flew Horsa gliders, as well as CG-4 gliders during the war. After the war the 72nd returned to Baer Field, IN in August 1945 and then back to Alliance Army Airfield in September 1945. In October 1945 the unit moved to George Field, Illinois, and finally in February 1946 it moved to Greenville AAB, SC where it was inactivated on 31 July 1946. On 1 August 1947 the unit was re-activated as the 72nd Troop Carrier Squadron in the Reserves at Baer Field, IN. It was assigned to the 434th Troop Carrier Group, equipped with C-47s.Korean War - 1973
In July 1949 the squadron and group moved to Atterbury AFB, IN, which today is the Columbus Indiana Municipal Airport, where they transitioned to the C-46. Starting in May 1951 as part of the Korean mobilization the unit served under Tactical Air Command's Eighteenth Air Force for the next 21 months where it supported Army paratroop training in Georgia. In addition the 72nd participated in Exercises Southern Pine and Long Horn, as well as conducting routine airlift and troop carrier missions for Tactical Air Command. The squadron returned to Atterbury AFB in February 1953. By 1957 Atterbury AFB had been renamed Bakalar AFB, and in the same year the 72nd converted to C-119 "Boxcars". In 1962 as a result of the Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
, the squadron served for 32 days supporting the deployment of Air Force strategic and tactical resources to the Southeast corner of the country and their redeployment there from.
In July 1969, wing, group, and squadron were re-designated as tactical air support units and were reequipped with U-3As and O-2As. On 31 December 1969, in connection with the closing of Bakalar AFB, the 434th Wing was inactivated and the 931st Group and its squadron moved to Grissom AFB, IN. First reassigned to the 403rd Composite Wing on 1 June 1970 and then on 15 January 1971 to the 434th Special Operations Wing, concurrently activated and collocated with group and squadron at Grissom. On 1 March 1971, group and squadron converted to A-37
A-37 Dragonfly
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a United States light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s...
s and were re-designated as special operations units. On 15 September 1973, the 434th Special Ops Wing was re-designated as a tactical fighter wing. On 1 October 1973, the 72nd Special Operations Squadron was inactivated in favor of the 46th Tactical Fighter Squadron because at the time another 72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron existed.
Air Force Reserve - Desert Storm
On 18 May 1977 the squadron was re-designated as the 72nd Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, and was assigned to the Air Force Reserve. HQ Air Force Reserve officially activated the 72nd Air Refueling Squadron on 1 July 1978. In July 1987 the 434th Tactical Fighter Wing was re-designated as the 434th Air Refueling Wing of which the 72nd Air Refueling was a part. In 1990 the 72nd as part of the 434th were recalled to active duty for the Gulf War and helped to form one of the largest tanker task forces ever assembled operating out of western Saudi Arabia. The 72nd and its partners flew more than 7,000 refueling missions, offloading fuel to more than 25,000 coalition aircraft. In June 1992, the 434th Air Refueling Wing with its KC-135s and the 930th Fighter Group with its A-10s merged to form the first ever reserve composite wing to include the 72nd ARS and was designated the 434th Wing. In 1994 the A-10 squadron under the 434th deactivated and the 434th Wing reorganized as the 434th Air Refueling Wing once again.Kosovo - Present
During the 1990s the 72nd deployed personnel and aircraft numerous times to support "No Fly" operations in the Balkans, as well as Operations Northern and Southern Watch over Iraq. In May 1999, the 72nd and the 434th were activated to provide aerial refueling support to Operation Allied Force deployed out of Rhein Mein AB in Germany as part of the war in Kosovo. In September 2001, just days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the 72nd was activated for a year in support of the Global War on TerrorWar on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. The squadron initially deployed to the Pacific theatre to help provide a western air bridge in preparation for the war in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Later during that year, the 72nd was deployed to a classified Southwest Asian location flying aerial refueling missions over Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf in support of the war. The unit's activation ended in late summer of 2002, but 6 months later in Feb of 2003 the 72nd was again activated for a six month stint in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Most of the unit staged out of Moron AB, Spain, with a smaller elements staging out of RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Although the unit's second activation supporting the Global War on Terror ended in late 2003, the 72nd continues to provide worldwide air refueling and air mobility support by flying missions for Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.
Campaign Narrative
The 72d participated in airborneAirborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
assaults on Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, Holland, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, assisted in the relief of Bastogne, and conducted aerial transportation of passengers and cargo in the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The squadron performed troop carrier and transport duties from 1947–1969, forward air control
Forward air control
Forward air control is the provision of guidance to Close Air Support aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller . For NATO forces the qualifications and experience required to be...
training from 1969–1971, special operations
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
training from 1971–1973, and worldwide air refueling missions since 1973. Personnel and aircraft deployed from the 72d to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, performing air refueling duties for allied forces from August 1990-March 1991 and periodically deployed since late 1993 to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and other western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an locations in support of NATO operations over Bosnia.
Lineage
- Constituted 72d Troop Carrier Squadron on 30 Jan 1943
- Activated on 9 Feb 1943
- Inactivated on 31 Jul 1946
- Activated in the Reserve on 1 Aug 1947
- Re-designated 72d Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 Jul 1949
- Ordered to Active Service on 1 May 1951
- Inactivated on 1 Feb 1953
- Activated in the Reserve on 1 Feb 1953
- Ordered to Active Service on 28 Oct 1962
- Relieved from Active Duty on 28 Nov 1962
- Re-designated: 72d Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jul 1967
- Re-designated: 72d Tactical Air Support Squadron on 25 Jun 1969
- Re-designated: 72d Special Operations Squadron on 1 Mar 1971
- Inactivated on 1 Oct 1973
- Re-designated 72d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 18 May 1977
- Activated in the Reserve on 1 Jul 1978
- Re-designated 72d Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Feb 1992.
Assignments
- 434th Troop Carrier Group, 9 Feb 1943-31 Jul 1946; 1 Aug 1947-1 Feb 1953; 1 Feb 1953
- 434th Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959
- 931st Troop Carrier (later, 931st Tactical Airlift; 931st Tactical Air Support; 931st Special Operations) Group, 11 Feb 1963-1 Oct 1973
- 931st Air Refueling Group931st Air Refueling GroupThe United States Air Force's 931st Air Refueling Group is a Air Force Reserve Command air refueling group located at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas....
, 1 Jul 1978 - 434th Air Refueling Wing434th Air Refueling WingThe 434th Air Refueling Wing, is one of the key refueling units in the Air Force Reserve. The wing provides mid-air refueling with Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers to long-range bombers, fighters, and cargo aircraft....
, 1 Jul 1987 - 434th Operations Group434th Operations GroupThe 434th Operations Group is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is the flying component of the Fourth Air Force 434th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana....
, 1 Aug 1992-Present
Bases stationed
- Alliance Army Air Field, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 9 Feb 1943 - Baer Field, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, 3-24 Sep 1943 - RAF FulbeckRAF FulbeckRAF Station Fulbeck is a former World War II airfield in Lincolnshire, England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Radcliffe on Trent; about north-northwest of London...
(AAF-488), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 7 Oct 1943 - RAF WelfordRAF WelfordRAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Newbury; about west-southwest of London...
(AAF-474), England, 10 Dec 1943 - RAF AldermastonRAF AldermastonRAF Aldermaston was a World War II airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Eighth and Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.-Origins:...
(AAF-467), England, 3 Mar 1944-Feb 1945 - Mourmelon-le-Grand AirfieldMourmelon-le-Grand AirfieldMourmelon-le-Grand Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in France. It lies approximately 1 mile east-southeast of Mourmelon-le-Grand and 93 miles northeast of Paris....
(A-80), FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Feb-Jun 1945 - Baer Field, Indiana, 5 Aug 1945
- Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska, 15 Sep 1945
- George Army Airfield, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, 11 Oct 1945 - Greenville Army Air Base, 2 Feb-31 Jul 1946
- Baer Field, Indiana, 1 Aug 1947
- Atterbury Air Force Base, Indiana, 1 Feb 1953
- Lawson Air Force Base, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, 23 Jan 1952-1 Feb 1953 - Bakalar Air Force BaseBakalar Air Force BaseBakalar Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located north-northeast of Columbus, Indiana.Opened during World War II, the base was a training base for medium-range C-46 and C-47 troop carrier planes and glider pilots. It also was used for training B-25 Mitchell and B-26...
, Indiana, 1 Feb 1953 - Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana 1 Jan1970–1973, 1978–Present)
Aircraft
- C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
(1943–1946, 1949) - Horsa glider (1944–1945)
- CG-4 (1944–1945)
- C-46 CommandoC-46 CommandoThe Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
(1945–1946, 1949–1957) - T-7 NavigatorBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
(1949–1951) - T-11 KansanBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
(1949–1953) - T-6 TexanT-6 TexanThe North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
(1953)
- C-45 ExpeditorBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
(1953–1957) - C-119 Flying BoxcarC-119 Flying BoxcarThe Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
(1957–1969) - O-2 SkymasterO-2 SkymasterThe O-2 Skymaster is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster utilized as an observation and forward air control aircraft...
(1969–1971) - U-3 Blue Canoe (1969–1971)
- A-37 DragonflyA-37 DragonflyThe Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a United States light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s...
(1971–1973) - KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
(1978–Present)
Operations
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- Operation Desert Storm
- Operation Allied ForceOperation Allied ForceThe NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
- Operation Northern WatchOperation Northern WatchOperation Northern Watch, the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a US European Command Combined Task Force charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq...
- Operation Southern WatchOperation Southern WatchOperation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
- Operation Noble EagleOperation Noble EagleOperation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Operation Enduring Freedom