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465th Air Refueling Squadron | |
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| Active | 1944–1946; 1953–1955; 1955–1960; 1972–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Air refueling |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Tinker Air Force Base |
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| 465th Air Refueling Squadron emblem |  |
| 465th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron emblem[note 2][2] |  |
The465th Air Refueling Squadron is aUnited States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the507th Operations Group,507th Air Refueling Wing, stationed atTinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The squadron operates theKC-135R aircraft conductingaerial refueling missions.
The squadron operatesBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions. It is one of three flying organizations in the 507th Air Refueling Wing, incorporating pilots and traditional operations functions.
As civilians, many of the pilots assigned to the refueling squadron are employed by commercial airlines. As reservists, they are required to fly the same type sorties as their active-duty counterparts to remain proficient and combat ready.
Formed in late 1944 as the 465th Fighter Squadron and trained underII Fighter Command in the midwest and Texas. Equipped with the very long rangeRepublic P-47N Thunderbolt with a combat mission to escortBoeing B-29 Superfortress bombers from their bases in the Mariana Islands to Japan.
Following months of delays, the squadron arrived in the Pacific Theater, being assigned toIe Shima in theRyukyu Islands on 28 June 1945 from Saipan/Tinian. During forty-six days of combat, the squadron flew forty-six missions. With the end of the war, the squadron was reassigned to Yontan Air Base, Okinawa in January 1946 conductingoccupation duty. It was inactivated on 24 May 1946.
Activated 18 February 1953 byAir Defense Command atMcChord Air Force Base, Washington, equipped withNorth American F-86D Sabres with an air defense mission. Inactivated 18 August 1955 IAW Project Arrow when parent567th Air Defense Group inactivated and replaced325th Fighter Group (Air Defense).
Reactivated 8 October 1955 atGriffiss Air Force Base, New York and assigned to32d Air Division withNorthrop F-89D Scorpions; converted to F-89H/J Scorpions in the fall of 1956; transferred to4727th Air Defense Group in February 1957; moved toHanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts and reassigned toBoston Air Defense Sector in August 1959, acquiringNorth American F-86L Sabres in a swap with the49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron; inactivated 15 March 1960 as the Sabre was being phased out in favor of supersonic interceptors.
It trained for fighter missions between 1972 and 1994 and has flown worldwide air refueling missions since 1994.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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