336th Air Refueling Squadron | |
|---|---|
 SquadronKC-135 Stratotanker atMarch Air Reserve Base | |
| Active | 1942–1944; 1949–1953; 1953–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Aerial refueling |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | March Joint Air Reserve Base |
| Mottos | The First and the Finest (1996-present) |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm |
| Insignia | |
| 336th Air Refueling Squadron emblem[a][1] |  |
| 336th Air Refueling Squadron emblem[b][1] | .png) |
| 536th Bombardment Squadron emblem[c][2] |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Tanker | Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker |
The336th Air Refueling Squadron is aUnited States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the452d Operations Group, stationed atMarch Joint Air Reserve Base, California. The squadron shares its aircraft and facility with the912th Air Refueling Squadron, aUSAF Associate Unit assigned to the92d Air Refueling Wing.
The first predecessor of thesquadron was the536th Bombardment Squadron, active duringWorld War II. It served as a training unit in the southwestern United States before being inactivated in 1944 during a reorganization of theArmy Air Force's training units.
The second predecessor of the squadron was organized in thereserves in 1949 as the336th Troop Carrier Squadron.
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The squadron operates theBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conductingair refueling missions.
The first predecessor of the squadron is the536th Bombardment Squadron, which was activated atSalt Lake City Army Air Base in November 1942 as one of the four original squadrons of the382d Bombardment Group. The squadron moved toDavis–Monthan Field, Arizona in January 1943 and began to operate as anOperational Training Unit (OTU) forConsolidated B-24 Liberator units.[1] The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to providecadres to "satellite groups".[3] In April 1943, the squadron moved toPocatello Army Air Field, Idaho, where its mission changed to acting as aReplacement Training Unit (RTU) for Liberatoraircrews.[1] RTUs were also oversized units, but their mission was to train individualpilots oraircrews.[3]
However, theArmy Air Forces (AAF) was finding that standard military units like the 536th, based on relatively inflexibletables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly the AAF adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit, whose manning and equipment was tailored to the base's mission.[4] As a result of this reorganization, the 536th was inactivated,[1] and along with other units atMuroc Army Air Field, California, replaced by the 421st AAF Base Unit (Bombardment Replacement Training Unit-Heavy).[5]
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The second predecessor of the squadron was organized in thereserves as the336th Troop Carrier Squadron atBirmingham Municipal Airport, Alabama in June 1949, although it moved toMitchel Air Force Base, New York in October along with its parent514th Troop Carrier Group. At Mitchel, it trained under the supervision ofContinental Air Command (ConAC)'s 2233d Air Force Reserve Flying Training Center. The 514th Group was equipped withCurtiss C-46 Commandos during this period, but it is not clear if any of thegroup's operational aircraft were assigned to the squadron.[6]
All reserve combat units were mobilized for theKorean War.[7] The squadron wasmobilized on 1 May 1951,[1] Its parent514th Troop Carrier Wing was one of six C-46 wings were mobilized forTactical Air Command and assigned toEighteenth Air Force.[8] The squadron remained at Mitchel and performed airlift missions until relieved from active duty on 1 February 1953.[1] The squadron's personnel and equipment were transferred to the47th Troop Carrier Squadron, which was activated at Mitchel the same day.[9]
The reserve began to receive aircraft again in July 1952.[10] While the squadron was still serving on active duty, ConAC had formed the65th Troop Carrier Wing at Mitchel in 1952 as a reserve airlift unit. On 1 April 1953, the 514th Wing returned to the reserves, replacing the 65th Wing, and the 336th Squadron was activated and absorbed the personnel and equipment of the13th Troop Carrier Squadron.[1][11][12] The squadron again trained with the 2233d Center, flying C-46 Commandos but it completed transition toFairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars by August 1954. In the summer of 1956, the unit participated in Operation Sixteen Ton during its two weeks of active duty training. Sixteen Ton was performed entirely by reserve troop carrier units and movedUnited States Coast Guard equipment FromFloyd Bennett Naval Air Station, New York toIsla Grande Airport in Puerto Rico andSan Salvador in the Bahamas. After the success of this operation, the squadron began to use inactive duty training periods for Operation Swift Lift, transporting high priority cargo for the Air Force and Operation Ready Swap, transporting aircraft engines betweenAir Materiel Command’s depots.[13]
In 1958, the 2233d Center was inactivated and some of its personnel were absorbed by the squadron. In place of active duty support[e] for reserve units, ConAC adopted the Air Reserve Technician program, in which acadre of the unit consisted of full-time personnel who were simultaneously civilian employees of the Air Force and also held military rank as members of the reserve.[14] After 1958, the squadron increasingly participated inhumanitarian and other airlift missions.[15]
In April 1959, the 514th Wing reorganized under the Dual Deputy system. Its 514th Troop Carrier Group was inactivated and the squadron was assigned directly to the wing.[16][15] Starting in late 1955,Continental Air Command (ConAC) had begun to disperse some of its reserve flying squadrons to separate bases in order to improve recruiting and avoid public objection to entire wings of aircraft being stationed near large population centers under what was called the Detached Squadron Concept.[17] The 336th Squadron moved toStewart Air Force Base, New York in March 1961 as part of this program.[1]
Although the dispersal of flying units was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during theBerlin Crisis of 1961 To resolve this, at the start of 1962, ConAC determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed. However, as this plan was entering its implementation phase, another partial mobilization occurred for theCuban Missile Crisis. The formation of troop carrier groups was delayed until January for wings that had not been mobilized.[18] The904th Troop Carrier Group became the squadron's headquarters on 17 January 1963.[1]
%2c_USA_-_Air_Force_AN1590513.jpg)
In the fall of 1966, the squadron transition into theDouglas C-124 Globemaster II and was redesignated the336th Military Airlift Squadron. The squadron, along with its parent 904th Group moved toHamilton Air Force Base, California at the end of 1969 as reserve flying operations at Stewart ended. 1972 saw another name change to the336th Tactical Airlift Squadron as the squadron transitioned into theLockheed C-130 Hercules. The 904th Group was inactivated in 1975 asAir Force Reserve eliminated its groups located on the same bases as their parent wings to avoid duplication. The squadron was assigned directly to the452d Tactical Airlift Wing at Hamilton.[1]
In early 1976, the 336th moved toMarch Air Force Base, California. Shortly thereafter, it began to fly theBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker and became the336th Air Refueling Squadron. It has performed air refueling worldwide since 1977.[1]
|
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| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 26 January 1968-31 March 1969 | 336th Military Airlift Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1976-2 October 1977 | 336th Tactical Airlift Squadron (later 336th Air Refueling Squadron)[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1991-30 June 1993 | 336th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 September 1995-31 August 1996 | 336th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 September 1997-31 August 1999 | 336th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2002-30 September 2004 | 336th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2004-30 September 2006 | 336th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2006-30 September 2008 | 336th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2008-30 September 2010 | 336th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
 | Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm | 1 October 1966-31 March 1972 | 336th Military Airlft Squadron[1] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
.png) | American Theater without inscription | 3 November 1942 – 31 March 1944 | 536th Bombardment Squadron[1] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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