70th Air Refueling Squadron | |
|---|---|
_USAF_(6485990047).jpg) | |
| Active | 1942–1944; 1955–1993; 1994-present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Aerial refueling |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Travis Air Force Base |
| Motto | Extending Excellence |
| Engagements | Desert Storm[1] |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award withCombat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1] |
| Insignia | |
| 70th Air Refueling Squadron emblem (new)[citation needed] | .png) |
| 70th Air Refueling Squadron emblem[b][1] |  |
| 70th Air Refueling Squadron emblem[c][1] |  |
| 470th Bombardment Squadron emblem[d][2] |  |
The70th Air Refueling Squadron is anAir Force Reserve Command unit, assigned to the349th Operations Group atTravis Air Force Base, California. It is anassociate of the active duty9th Air Refueling Squadron, United States Air Force, and operates theBoeing KC-46A Pegasus aircraft conducting mobility, andair refueling missions. The squadron previously operated theMcDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender. The squadron has served in this role since 1994.
The squadron was activated as aBoeing KC-97 Stratofreighter unit in August 1955. It provided globalair refueling forStrategic Air Command (SAC) with the KC-97, and later with theBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker. After 1970, it also providedairborne command and control support for SAC. It supported contingency operations and deployed aircraft and aircrews forDesert Storm. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the470th Bombardment Squadron, aWorld War IImedium bomber training unit. The squadron was inactivated in 1993, asGrissom Air Force Base, Indiana was transferred toAir Force Reserve Command.
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Thesquadron's first predecessor, the470th Bombardment Squadron, was activated on 16 July 1942 atGreenville Army Air Base, South Carolina as one of the original components of the334th Bombardment Group, and was equipped withNorth American B-25 Mitchells.[2][3][4] The 470th acted as aReplacement Training Unit (RTU) for the B-25.[4] RTUs were oversized units whose mission was to train individualpilots oraircrews.[4]
However, the AAF found that standard military units, whose manning was based on relatively inflexibletables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission, particularly to the replacement training mission.[5] Accordingly, in the spring of 1944, the 334th Group, its components and supporting units at Greenville, were disbanded on 1 May and replaced by the 330th AAF Base Unit (Medium, Bombardment).[1][3][6]
The70th Air Refueling Squadron was activated atLittle Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas on 1 August 1955 and assigned to the70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. At the time thesquadron was activated, Little Rock was undergoing major construction and the few elements of the 70th Wing that were crewed operated fromLockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio. With the completion of construction, thewing returned to Little Rock in October 1955 and the squadron finally became operational.[1][7]
The squadron providedair refueling support to theBoeing RB-47 Stratojets of its parent wing and otherStrategic Air Command (SAC) units. It deployed as a unit to a forward base atErnest Harmon Air Force Base, Newfoundland in 1956 and 1957, while the entire 70th Wing deployed toSidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco from October to December 1956. In February 1958, the 70th Wing began to reduce itsreconnaissance missions and in June 1958 began training SACaircrews in the Stratojet. The 70th Squadron, however continued its deployments with the KC-97, conducting deployments toLajes Field,Azores through 1962. In August 1961, the squadron transferred to the384th Bombardment Wing, which was also stationed at Little Rock, and continued to operate under that wing until the 384th inactivated on 1 September 1964 as B-47 operations at Little Rock came to an end, although it ended KC-97 operations in 1963.[1][7][8]
In response to theCuban Missile Crisis, on 29 October 1962, SAC directed movement of its KC-97 force to forward locations to support its B-47s that had been placed on first cycle alert in the Eastern United States. This required deployment of 87 KC-97s, carrying with them all required supporting personnel, to Harmon, Lajes, andGoose Bay Airport, Labrador. The dispersed aircraft were to be ready to launch within an hour. The dispersed planes began to return to their home bases on 15 November, and all were home by 24 November.[9]
In 1964, the squadron began to equip with theBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker. It was attached to the43d Bombardment Wing, which was equipped with the supersonicConvair B-58 Hustler, on 19 August and assigned to the 43d once the wing moved to Little Rock on 1 September 1964. In 1969, the 43d Wing began to draw down with the removal of the B-58 from the inventory and the forthcoming transfer of Little Rock toTactical Air Command as a base for theLockheed C-130 Hercules.[1][10][11]
The phase out of the B-58 resulted in the305th Bombardment Wing atGrissom Air Force Base, Indiana becoming an air refueling wing, and the 70th moved to Grissom on 1 January 1970 to become the wing's third refueling squadron. Shortly afterwards, SAC decided to move theBoeing EC-135 aircraft supporting its alternate airborne command posts from their vulnerable locations near the coastlines of the United States and established the3rd Airborne Command and Control Squadron at Grissom to operate this element of thePost Attack Command and Control System (PACCS). While the primary airborne command post atOffutt Air Force Base, Nebraska was airborne, these aircraft remained on ground alert. In 1975, the 3rd was inactivated and its PACCS functions at Grissom were absorbed by the 70th,[12][e]. which maintained them until inactivating in 1993. In 1983, the squadron supportedOperation Urgent Fury, providing refueling to the transports, gunships, and fighters operating inGrenada.[13] In September 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the470th Bombardment Squadron.[1]
In 1990, the squadron deployed aircrews and aircraft to Europe and the Arabian peninsula during theGulf War. These deployments lasted into 1991. AfterAir Mobility Command assumed responsibility for air refueling operations in 1992, it began to realign its tanker force. As a result of this realignment, Grissom was transferred toAir Force Reserve Command, and the 70th was inactivated on 1 April 1993.[1]
On 1 September 1994, the squadron was reactivated in thereserve atTravis Air Force Base, California as part of the349th Air Mobility Wing. The squadron did not have its own aircraft, but flew theMcDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders of the active duty9th Air Refueling Squadron as areserve associate unit. After theSeptember 11 attacks, the squadron supported U.S. sorties during theWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the homeland defenseOperation Noble Eagle. It also deployed to support the2003 invasion of Iraq and theIraq War. The squadron also supported theHurricane Katrina relief effort in September 2005.[1]
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award withCombat "V" Device | 1 August 2002-15 August 2003 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 15 February-30 December 1957 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1972-30 June 1973 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1973-30 June 1974 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1975-30 June 1977 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1979-30 June 1980 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1990-31 May 1992 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | [1 September] 1994-15 August 1995 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1996-30 June 1998 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 August 2000-31 July 2002 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 16 August 2003-17 August 2004 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 18 August 2004-17 August 2005 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 18 August 2005-17 August 2006 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 18 August 2006-17 August 2007 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 16 August 2007-17 August 2008 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 18 August 2008-17 August 2009 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 30 September 2009-30 September 2011 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2011-30 September 2013 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2013-31 December 2014 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
.png) | American Theater without inscription | 15 July 1942–1 April 1944 | 470th Bombardment Squadron[1] |
 | Defense of Saudi Arabia | 2 August 1990–16 January 1991 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Liberation and Defense of Kuwait | 17 January 1991–11 April 1991 | 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1][f] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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