909th Air Refueling Squadron | |
|---|---|
 A 909th Air Refueling SquadronBoeing KC-135R refuels anF-16 Fighting Falcon in 2018 | |
| Active | 1942–1945; 1945–1946; 1963 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Refueling |
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of | Pacific Air Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Kadena Air Base, Okinawa |
| Motto | Always There |
| Mascot | Young Tigers |
| Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations European Theater of Operations |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award withCombat "V" Device Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm |
| Insignia | |
| 909th Air Refueling Squadron emblem[a][1] |  |
| KC-135 Tail Code | ZZ |
| 409th Bombardment Squadron emblem[b][2] |  |
| World War II Fuselage Code[3] | YM |
| World War II Tail Marking[3] | Circle B |
The909th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the18th Wing atKadena Air Base, Japan. It operates theKC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conductingair refueling missions.
The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the19th Reconnaissance Squadron, but was redesignated the409th Bombardment Squadron shortly after activation. After briefly serving as anantisubmarine unit, it participated in combat in theMediterranean andEuropean Theaters of Operations, earning twoDistinguished Unit Citations for its actions. After thesurrender of Germany the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated.
The squadron was reactivated shortly after the end ofWorld War II as aBoeing B-29 Superfortress unit, and became one of the first units ofStrategic Air Command in 1946. It was inactivated later that year when its parent group was replaced by the43d Bombardment Group.
The909th Air Refueling Squadron was activated in 1963 atAmarillo Air Force Base, Texas. The squadron supportedStrategic Air Command operations from activation and, starting in 1964, supported operations in Southeast Asia from Amarillo,March Air Force Base, California andKadena Air Base, Okinawa. After the end of theVietnam War, the squadron continued to support refueling and reconnaissance operations in the Pacific. In 1985 the 409th and 909th squadrons were consolidated into a single unit. The squadron also provided support for combat operations in Southwest Asia during the 1990s.
The 909th is thePacific Air Forces (PACAF)'s "lead force" for air refueling U.S. and allied aircraft during contingencies. The squadron accomplishesaeromedical evacuations for military and civilian members, transporting patients to as far away as the United States when necessary. It also conductsStrategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and headquarters- and command-directed missions.[4]
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The squadron was established as the19th Reconnaissance Squadron in early 1942 atBarksdale Field, Louisiana as one of the original four squadrons of the93d Bombardment Group.[2][5] Since a reorganization ofGeneral Headquarters Air Force in September 1936, each bombardment group of theArmy Air Forces (AAF) had an attachedreconnaissance squadron, which operated the same aircraft as that group's assigned bombardment squadrons.[6] That arrangement continued for units like the 19th that were designated asheavy bombardment units.[7] The squadron was formed from acadre supplied by the44th Bombardment Group and was equipped withConsolidated B-24D Liberators.[8][9] Shortly after activation the 19th was redesignated as the409th Bombardment Squadron.[2] It completed its Phase I training[d] at Barksdale.[8] The squadron moved toPage Field, Florida, and flewantisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea until the end of July.[5] Its parent group claimed the destruction of threeU-boats while stationed in Florida.[8]
Two weeks later the squadron began to deploy to theEuropean Theater of Operations.[2] Its ground echelon sailed aboard theRMS Queen Elizabeth on 31 August, arriving in Scotland on 1 September. The air echelon transferred toGrenier Field, New Hampshire, where it received new B-24Ds. It flew the first formation crossing of the Atlantic in September.[8]
Thesquadron was a member of the first B-24heavy bomber group to become part ofVIII Bomber Command in England.[8] It flew its first mission on 9 October against a steel factory atLille. Until December, it operated primarily againstsubmarine pens on the coast of theBay of Biscay. The squadron flew some antisubmarine patrols withRAF Coastal Command fromRAF Holmsley South.[9] Later in the month the 409th transferred some of its personnel to the329th Bombardment Squadron, which was training forspecial operations.[9]
In early December, the air echelon of the squadron deployed to Algeria,[1][5] where it was attached toXII Bomber Command.[9] Operating with inadequate supplies under difficult conditions the squadron struck heavy blows against enemy shipping and lines of communication during its Mediterranean deployment.Tafaraoui Airfield had no hardened runways, and the first four missions had to be cancelled when heavy rains turned the airfield into a sea of mud, making it impossible to taxi. After flying one mission, the unit moved toGambut Main, Libya, where it came under the control ofIX Bomber Command. At Gambut, dust storms "played havoc" with the engines of the squadron's B-24s. The 409th flew 22 missions, attacking enemy ports and attacking Italian supply centers to support theBritish Eighth Army.[9] The squadron was awarded its firstDistinguished Unit Citation for these efforts.[5]
The squadron returned to England in February 1943 and until June attacked engine repair facilities,power plants,harbors, and other targets in France, the Low Countries and Germany. In May the squadron was withdrawn from operations and began to train for night attacks. However, this training ended abruptly and the squadrons of the 93d Group joined those of the only other B-24 group inEighth Air Force, the 44th Bombardment Group, in flying diversionary missions, while Eighth'sBoeing B-17 Flying Fortresses attacked primary targets. On 29 May the squadron was once again taken off operations and began practicing low level flights over England.[10]Norden bombsights were removed from unit B-24s and a modified gunsight, optimized for low level attacks, replaced them. Liberators that had been modified for night operations were sent to another unit and bomb bay tanks were installed in others.[11]
In June, the air echelon returned to Libya and initially supportedOperation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, flying ten missions.[11] Following this, the unit resumed low level training in Libya. On 1 August, the squadron participated inOperation Tidal Wave, the low level attack onoil refineries nearPloiești,[5] where 60% of the Axis fuel was produced. This attack involved a round trip of over 2,000 miles.[11] The squadron's formation followed the376th Bombardment Group which had mistaken the Initial Point for the bomb run and flew the wrong course to the target, bombing targets that had been assigned to other groups, despite heavy opposition from enemy forces that had been fully alerted to the approach of the bombers. For this action, the squadron earned its second Distinguished Unit Citation.[5] Before departing the Mediterranean, the squadron flew an attack against theMesserschmitt Bf 109 factory atWiener Neustadt, stretching the range of its B-24s and requiring it to recover at bases in Tunisia, which were closer than its station in Libya.[11]
The squadron returned to England in August, but flew only two missions before the air echelon returned to the Mediterranean to fly missions from Tunisia to support theFifth Army atSalerno duringOperation Avalanche, the invasion of Italy. The crews and aircraft returned to England in October.[5]
From England, the squadron resumed strategic bombardment raids againstmarshalling yards, aircraft factories, chemical plants, and oil refineries in Germany. The squadron also made tactical attacks on gun emplacements nearCherbourg Naval Base duringOperation Overlord, the Normandy invasion, in June 1944 and attacked troop concentrations during theSaint Lo breakout the following month. In August and September, its bombers were diverted toairlifting food, gasoline, water and other supplies toAllies advancing through northern France. It also dropped supplies to airborne troops engaged inOperation Market Garden airborne attacks in the Netherlands.[5]
Near the end of the war, on 24 March 1945, the squadron dropped supplies to airborne forces nearWesel and bombed anight fighter base nearStörmede duringOperation Varsity, the airborne assault across theRhine. The squadron ended combat operations in April, and began returning to the United States in May and June.[5] The ground echelon sailed aboard theRMS Queen Mary and received thirty days leave upon arrival.[8] In July the 409th was inactivated when its parent group began conversion toBoeing B-29 Superfortresses.[5][8]
The squadron was activated again atPratt Army Air Field, Kansas in August[2] where it began to train with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses.[5] At the end of the year the squadron moved toClovis Army Air Field, New Mexico.[2]In the spring of 1946 the squadron became one of the first units assigned to the newStrategic Air Command,[5] and in June it moved toDavis-Monthan Field, Arizona, where it was assigned to the444th Bombardment Group. In October, the 444th group and its squadrons were inactivated and their mission, equipment and personnel were transferred to the43d Bombardment Group.[2][12]
The909th Air Refueling Squadron was organized atAmarillo Air Force Base, Texas in Apr 1963.[1] Once the squadron was combat ready in July,[13] half of the squadron's aircraft were maintained on fifteen-minutealert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike.[14] The squadron trained withBoeing KC-135 Stratotankers and conducted worldwide air refueling and participated inStrategic Air Command (SAC) directed exercises. The 909th deployed to refuel tactical units in Southeast Asia as part of Operation Young Tiger and deployed crews and planes to Spain and Alaska for support ofOperation Chrome Dome airborne alert forces.[15][16] The squadron also supportedOperation Arc Light B-52 strikes in Southeast Asia.[17]
The 909th maintained combat proficiency at Amarillo until June 1966, when it moved toMarch Air Force Base, California, where it was assigned to the22d Bombardment Wing, which became a "super wing" with two bombardment squadrons and two air refueling squadrons assigned.[18][19] From May to October 1967 the squadron was non-operational as the 22d wing was reduced to a small rear echelon non-combat organization with all its tactical resources allotted to SAC organizations involved in combat in Southeast Asia.[18]
The unit rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia from 1967 to 1973. In 1971 SAC decided to maintain a permanent tanker presence in the Pacific and the squadron moved toKadena Air Base on Okinawa.[1] The squadron supported the tanker task force at Kadena (Giant Bear) and reconnaissance operations (Rivet Joint andCobra Ball).[20] In 1991, the squadron was transferred toPacific Air Forces and reassigned from the376th Strategic Wing to the18th Operations Group.[1]
The 909th provided air refueling in Southwest Asia duringOperation Desert Storm from August 1990 to March 1991.[1] In 1996 it revisited Southwest Asia to support Operation Desert Strike, an attack against fixedsurface-to-air missile sites andair defense sites in Iraq.[21]
The 909th has been a major force provider for a number of operations in the Pacific area. For these operations, PACAF has activated a provisional909th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron for the operations, using the squadron's resources.
The 909th expeditionary squadron has been:
409th Bombardment Squadron
909th Air Refueling Squadron
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Distinguished Unit Citation | 17 Dec 1942-20 Feb 1943 North Africa | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Distinguished Unit Citation | 1 August 1943 Ploiești, Romania | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/Combat "V" Device | 1 July 1971 – 31 March 1972 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/Combat "V" Device | 1 April 1972 – 28 January 1973 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 April 1967 – 1 October 1967 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 25 March 1968 – 1 May 1968 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1969 – 30 June 1970 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 September 1970 – 30 June 1971 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 29 January 1973 – 31 March 1974 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1974 – 30 June 1976 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1976 – 30 June 1977 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1977 – 30 June 1979 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1981 – 30 June 1983 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1985 – 30 June 1987 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1987 – 30 June 1988 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1989 – 30 June 1991 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1991 – 31 May 1993 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1993 – 31 August 1994 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 September 1995 – 31 August 1997 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 1998 – 30 September 2000 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2000 – 30 September 2002 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2002 – 30 September 2004 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2005 – 30 September 2007 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
 | Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm | 1 July 1971 – 28 January 1973 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Antisubmarine | 1 March 1942 – 13 August 1942 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
 | Egypt-Libya | 16 December 1942 – 12 February 1943 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Air Offensive, Europe | 7 September 1942 – 5 June 1944 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Tunisia | 12 November 1942 – 13 May 1943 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Sicily | 14 May 1943 – 17 August 1943 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Naples-Foggia | 18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Normandy | 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Northern France | 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Rhineland | 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Ardennes-Alsace | 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Central Europe | 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Air Combat, EAME Theater | 7 September 1942 – 11 May 1945 | 409th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
 | Defense of Saudi Arabia | 2 August 1990 – 16 January 1991 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Liberation and Defense of Kuwait | 17 January 1991 – 11 April 1991 | 909th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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