921st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron
KC-135A in SAC markings of the 1960s
Active	1942–1946; 1947–1949; 1960; unknown −2011
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Air refueling
Part of	Air Mobility Command
Engagements	China Burma India Theater
Insignia
21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron emblem[a][1]

The921st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisionalUnited States Air Force unit. Its last known active period ended on 12 November 2011 atMoron Air Base, Spain.

Thesquadron was first activated in 1942 as the21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron in 1942 atPeterson Field, Colorado. It served in combat in theChina Burma India Theater as part of theFourteenth Air Force. After the war, the squadron served as the21st Reconnaissance Squadron with theAir Force Reserve atStewart Air Force Base, New York from 1947 until 1949, but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped.

The921st Air Refueling Squadron was activated in 1960 atAltus Air Force Base, Oklahoma to serve as anair refueling squadron for dispersedBoeing B-52 Stratofortresses. However, the decision to activate the squadron was reversed shortly thereafter and its personnel and equipment were returned to the squadron that had provided itscadre.

In September 1985, the921st Air Refueling Squadron and the21st Reconnaissance Squadron were consolidated into a single unit. The squadron was subsequently converted to provisional status and designated the921st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron.

Thesquadron was first activated as the21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron in September 1942 atPeterson Field, Colorado, but apparently was not fully manned until December.^[2] It trained there until April 1943, when the squadron was reassigned from the5th Photographic Group and began its overseas movement.^[1] The squadron arrived in India in June and began deployingflights to China the following month.^[1] It served as an umbrella organization forFourteenth Air Force reconnaissance operations in China. The squadron deployed detached flights ofreconnaissance aircraft, (mostly specially equippedLockheed F-5 Lightnings] andNorth American F-4 and F-6 Mustangs), which flew combat reconnaissance missions over Japanese-held territory from numerous forward airstrips. Squadron detachments flew missions over India, Burma, Thailand, French Indochina,Hainan Island, Formosa,Shanghai, China, the Philippines, Japan and Korea.^[2][3] Flight A of the squadron also performed mapping missions over Thailand and Burma.^[4] The squadron redeployed from China at the end of 1945 and was inactivated atFort Lawton, Washington, at the beginning of 1946.^[1]

The squadron was redesignated the21st Reconnaissance Squadron and reactivated as a reserve unit underAir Defense Command (ADC) on 1 October 1947 atStewart Air Force Base, New York.^[1] In 1948Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve andAir National Guard units from ADC.^[5] At Stewart, the squadron trained under ConAC's 2232d Air Force Reserve Training Center, but does not appear to have been fully equipped.^[6] PresidentTruman’s reduced 1949 defense budget also required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,^[7] and the 21st was inactivated in June 1949 and not replaced as reserve flying operations at Stewart ceased.^[1]

The921st Air Refueling Squadron was one of twoair refueling squadrons activated in 1960 atAltus Air Force Base, Oklahoma^[8] for movement to other bases to provideBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker support to dispersedBoeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers.Cadre and aircraft for the squadron was drawn from the96th Air Refueling Squadron, which was inactivated^[9] The decision to organize squadrons at Altus for movement elsewhere was reversed shortly after the 921st was organized, and the squadron was inactivated and its personnel and aircraft were returned to the 96th, which was reactivated.^[9][10]

The921st Air Refueling Squadron and the21st Reconnaissance Squadron were consolidated in September 1985.^[11] The consolidated squadron was redesignated the921st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and converted to provisional status.^[12]

In 2011, the921st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron was deployed in support ofOperation Unified Protector, serving atMoron Air Base, Spain, until November 2011.^[13] The squadron was NATO's largest tanker squadron composed of active duty, Air National Guard andAir Force Reserve Command KC-135 and KC-10 aircrews. The squadron executed over 1,000 combat missions to enforce the United Nations No Fly Zone over Libya.^[14]

The AMC wing at Moron was the313th Air Expeditionary Wing and it appears that the 921 EARS served under this wing. James B. Dermer served as squadron commander for a period in 2011 at Moron,^[15] who was then succeeded by Lt. Col. Phil Heseltine who was squadron commander from August to October 2011.^[14]

21st Reconnaissance Squadron

• Constituted as the21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 July 1942

Activated on 2 September 1942

Redesignated21st Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943

Redesignated21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943

Inactivated on 6 January 1946

• Redesignated the21st Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic on 11 March 1947 and allotted to the reserve

Activated on 1 October 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949^[16]

• Consolidated with the921st Air Refueling Squadron as the921st Air Refueling Squadron on 19 September 1985.^[11]

921st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

• Constituted as the921st Air Refueling Squadron on 20 May 1960

Activated on 1 October 1960

Inactivated on 15 December 1960

• Consolidated with the21st Reconnaissance Squadron on 19 September 1985.^[11]
• Redesignated921st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron on 12 June 2002^[17]

Activated by August 2011

Inactivated on 12 November 2011^[13]

• 5th Photographic Group (later 5th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group), 2 September 1942
• Fourteenth Air Force, June 1943 – 6 January 1946
• 74th Reconnaissance Group, 1 October 1947 – 27 June 1949^[16]
• 11th Bombardment Wing, 1 October 1960 – 15 December 1960^[18]
• Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed, 12 June 2002^[17]

Unknown August 2011 – 12 November 2011

• Army Air Base, Colorado Springs (later Peterson Field), Colorado, 2 September 1942 – 27 April 1943
• Bishnupur Airfield, India, 27 June 1943

Flights atKunming Airport, China, 12 July 1943 – 22 August 1943 andKweilin Airfield, China, 12 July 1943 – 12 September 1944)

• Kunming Airport, China, 22 August 1943

Flights atSuichwan Airfield, China, 26 October 1943 – 26 June 1944 andca. 12 November 1944 – 22 January 1945,Liangshan Airfield, China, April 1944 – 18 October 1944,Kanchow Airfield, China, August 1944 – 20 November 1944,Liuchow Airfield, China,, 10 September 1944 – 6 November 1944,Hanchung Airfield, China, 18 October 1944 – 13 August 1945,Luliang Airfield, China,ca. 26 November 1944 – 13 May 1945,Hsian Airfield, China, 5 February 1945 –ca. 5 October 1945,Laifeng Airfield, China, 7 May 1945 – 16 August 1945,Shwangliu Airfield, China, 14 May 1945,Ankang Airfield, China, 25 June 1945 –ca. 5 October 1945, andChihkiang Airfield, China, 16 August 2045 –ca. 15 October 1945

• Hanchow Airfield, China, 18 October 1945 –ca. 15 December 1945
• Fort Lawton, Washington, 5 – 6 January 1946
• Stewart Air Force Base, New York, 1 October 1947 – 27 June 1949^[16]
• Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 1 October 1960 – 15 December 1960^[8]
• Moron Air Base, Spain, by August 2011 – 12 November 2011^[15]

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	Central Pacific	27 June 1943 – 6 December 1943	21st Photographic Squadron (later 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron)[1]
	India-Burma	27 June 1943 – 28 January 1945	21st Photographic Squadron (later 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron)[1]
	China Defensive	27 June 1943 – 4 May 1945	21st Photographic Squadron (later 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron)[1]
	New Guinea	27 June 1943 – 31 December 1944	21st Photographic Squadron (later 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron)[1]
	Air Offensive, Japan	27 June 1943 – 2 September 1945	21st Photographic Squadron (later 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron)[1]
	Western Pacific	17 April 1944 – 2 September 1945	21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
	Central Burma	29 January 1945 – 15 July 1945	21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
	China Offensive	5 May 1945 – 2 September 1945	21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron[1]

• List of P-38 Lightning operators
• List of United States Air Force air refueling squadrons

Explanatory notes

Citations

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988).Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Vol. 2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969].Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-405-12194-6.LCCN 70605402.OCLC 72556. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016.
• Mueller, Robert (1989).Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982(PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984).Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

• Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997).Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946-1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program.ISBN 0-16049-269-6.
• Smith, Richard K. (1998).Seventy-Five Years of Inflight Refueling: Highlights, 1923-1998(PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 24 August 2017. Retrieved13 August 2013.

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