908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron | |
|---|---|
 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling SquadronKC-10 Extenders in Southwest Asia, 2010 | |
| Active | 1917–1919; 1921–1922; 1922–1928; 1936–1946; 1958–1962; 1963–1977, 2002 – present |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Refueling |
| Part of | Air Forces Central Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia |
| Engagements | South West Pacific Theater of World War II Iraq War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) War in Iraq Military intervention against ISIL |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit CitationPhilippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation |
| Insignia | |
| 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron emblem[a][1] |  |
| 908th Air Refueling Squadron emblem |  |
| 408th Bombardment Squadron emblem on a green disc[b][2] |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Tanker | McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender |
The908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisionalUnited States Air Force (USAF) unit. It is assigned to the378th Air Expeditionary Wing atPrince Sultan Air Base inSaudi Arabia. It has supported combat operations in theWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021),Iraq, andSyria from its previous location ofAl Dhafra Air Base in theUnited Arab Emirates. The squadron has a varied background, having been formed by a series of consolidations of no fewer than five distinct units.
The squadron is one of the oldest in the USAF. Its origins date to 16 June 1917, when the18th Aero Squadron was organized atRockwell Field, San Diego, California. This unit served as a pilot training squadron duringWorld War I until it was demobilized in 1919. A second predecessor was also active under the same name at Rockwell for nine months in the early 1920s.
The third predecessor of the squadron was the18th Headquarters Squadron, which served as the hostAir Corps unit atBolling Field, District of Columbia from 1922 until 1928.
The fourth predecessor of the squadron was the18th Reconnaissance Squadron, which was activated atLangley Field, Virginia in 1936. The squadron saw combat duringWorld War II as the408th Bombardment Squadron in theSouth West Pacific Theater of World War II, where it earned twoDistinguished Unit Citations and aPhilippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation. Elements of the squadron also participated in theBattle of Midway. It was inactivated in thePhilippines in 1946.
The408th Bombardment Squadron was again activated atMarch Air Force Base, California in 1958 as part ofStrategic Air Command (SAC) during the expansion ofBoeing B-47 Stratojet wings during theCold War. It was inactivated as the B-47 was being replaced by the longer-rangedBoeing B-52 Stratofortress.
The unit's fifth predecessor was also part of SAC as the908th Air Refueling Squadron, stationed atKincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan equipped withBoeing KC-135 Stratotankers. It stood alert at Kincheloe and deployed aircrews and aircraft to support combat operations inVietnam until it was inactivated when the Air Force closed the base.
The squadron was converted to provisional status in March 2002 as part of thewar on terror. It has served as aMcDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender squadron in Southwest Asia since then, with KC-135 aircraft added in late 2003 until an undetermined time.
The first predecessor of the squadron was established in the summer of 1917 as theAir Service18th Aero Squadron,[c] training aviation students duringWorld War I atRockwell Field in southern California. The squadron apparently operatedCurtiss JN-4 and improvedCurtiss JN-6 "Jenny" two-seat trainers andThomas-Morse S-4 single-seat advanced trainers.[2] In July 1918, it was redesignated asSquadron B, Rockwell Field. It was demobilized in late 1918 when the training squadrons at Rockwell were combined into a single flying school detachment.[2]
The second predecessor of the squadron was established at Rockwell in 1921 as the18th Squadron (Observation). Its mission as an observation squadron was to flyaerial photographic missions and to act as an airborne observation post during maneuvers, but it is not certain that the squadron was manned or equipped. It was inactivated nine months after its activation.[2]
The third predecessor of the squadron was organized in 1922 as the Headquarters Detachment,Bolling Field, District of Columbia. It replaced the99th Squadron (Observation) as theAir Service host unit at Bolling responsible for station administration.[3] In 1924 the detachment was expanded to a squadron and the following year, it was redesignated the18th Headquarters Squadron and consolidated with the two previous 18th squadrons. The squadron operated various aircraft at Bolling.[2] It was inactivated in 1928 and was replaced as theAir Corps host by the Air Corps Detachment, Bolling Field.[3]
The fourth predecessor of the squadron was established in 1935 as the18th Observation Squadron and activated in September 1936 atMitchel Field onLong Island, New York. In this reorganization ofGeneral Headquarters Air Force, each bombardment group had an attachedreconnaissance squadron, which operated the same aircraft as that group's assigned bombardment squadrons.[4] It was assigned to the2d Wing ofGeneral Headquarters Air Force and equipped withMartin B-10 bombers, while attached to the9th Bombardment Group.[2] The squadron flew reconnaissance and coastal patrol flights overLong Island Sound and southern New England. The squadron receivedDouglas B-18 Bolos in 1937 along with a mixture of obsolete attack and light observation aircraft[2] in the build-up beforeWorld War II The unit received early modelMartin B-26 Marauders while retaining its B-18s.[2]
After thePearl Harbor Attack, the squadron was transferred to the West Coast, flyingantisubmarine patrols fromMuroc Army Air Field, California from December 1941 to the end of January 1942.[5] It was then assigned toFifth Air Force.[6] By the time the squadron arrived in theSouthwest Pacific Theater the situation on the Philippines was desperate, and the squadron was based in Australia, where it was redesignated as the408th Bombardment Squadron.[2]
While the squadron was stationed atReid River Airfield, Australia, two of the squadron's aircraft were diverted from their flight to Australia and flew missions during theBattle of Midway between 29 May 1942 and 4 June 1942.[7][8] These aircraft operated under the control of theNavy, whose Patrol Wing Two controlled both Army and Navy aircraft operating from Midway. They were armed with torpedoes and on 4 June, along with two B-26s of the69th Bombardment Squadron ofVII Bomber Command, attacked the enemy fleet. They met with heavyantiaircraft fire and opposition from enemy fighters. Two of the Marauders were shot down. Although the other two made successful attacks, both aircraft crash landed upon their return to Midway.[8] From Australia, the 408th also attacked Japanese targets onPapua New Guinea andNew Britain. Its actions in New Guinea earned the squadron twoDistinguished Unit Citations.[2] In October 1943 the B-26 Marauders were joined byNorth American B-25 Mitchells, and for the rest of the year the group continued to operate in support of Allied troops on New Guinea.[5]
While stationed atNadzab Airfield in February 1944 the unit converted toConsolidated B-24 Liberators optimized for long range bombing missions. While transitioning, the squadron was attached to the309th Bombardment Wing for operational control.[9] With the new bombers came a designation as a heavy bomber unit. The squadron's Liberators attacked targets onBorneo,Ceram andHalmahera,[5] among them the crucial oil fields of the Dutch East Indies. In September 1944 the squadron moved its attention to the Philippines, attacking targets onLeyte. It moved to Leyte on 15 November 1944. From then until August 1945 it flew against targets onLuzon, as well as supporting the campaign on Borneo and even ranging as far as China.[5] Its actions in the Philippines won it aPhilippine Presidential Unit Citation.[2] Finally, in August 1945 the unit moved toOkinawa, from where it flew a number ofarmed reconnaissance missions over southern Japan. The squadron moved on paper to the Philippines in November, leaving its personnel and equipment behind on Okinawa. It was inactivated atFort William McKinley in early 1946.[5]
The 408th was activated atMarch Air Force Base, California in 1958 whenStrategic Air Command (SAC) expanded its wings flyingBoeing B-47 Stratojets from three to four squadrons. In March 1961, PresidentJohn F. Kennedy directed that the phaseout of the B-47 be accelerated. and the squadron was inactivated on 1 January 1962 as part of the drawdown of the USAF B-47 force. Two years later, the squadron was combined with the preceding units, but remained inactive.[2]
The908th Air Refueling Squadron was activated on 1 July 1963 by SAC atKincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan[10] and equipped withBoeing KC-135 Stratotankers. Its mission was to provide air refueling to theBoeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers of its parent449th Bombardment Wing and other USAF units as directed. This included taskings to provideair refueling forMcDonnell F-4 Phantom II fighters andDouglas RB-66 Destroyer reconnaissance aircraft deploying to Southeast Asia.[11][12]
The unit deployed individual aircraft and crews to the Western Pacific region between 1966 and 1975 to support combat operations of deployed SAC units and tactical aircraft over Southeast Asia during theVietnam War, including participation in Operation Young Tiger.[13][14] The squadron also deployed crews and aircraft to support theTorrejon,Eielson andHickam Tanker Task Forces.[15]
In 1976 the squadron contributed to its parent449th Bombardment Wing being awarded the Omaha Trophy as the best wing in SAC.[16] It was inactivated on 30 September 1977 when Kincheloe closed.[10][17]
In September 1985, the 908th was consolidated with the 408th, but for the time, it remained inactive.[1]
The squadron was reactivated as the908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, a provisional squadron, in July 2002[1] and equipped withMcDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders.Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers were added in late 2003 until an undetermined time.[18] The squadron conducted air refueling during theIraq War andWar in Afghanistan (2001-2021). The squadron's KC-10s can refuel aircraft with either a boom or with a drogue, which makes it capable of refueling Air Force orNavy aircraft, as well as aircraft from other coalition air forces.[19] In 2010 the squadron flew the first combat mission with an all-female KC-10 crew.[d] While refueling strike aircraft in Afghanistan and Iraq, during 2011, the squadron supported an average of more than four "Troops in Contact" events daily and provided about a third of the airborne fuel used to protect ground forces.[20] As of 2017 it was supporting theMilitary intervention against ISIL in Iraq and Syria.[21]
18th Observation Squadron
18th Headquarters Squadron
408th Bombardment Squadron
908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron
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| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Distinguished Unit Citation Papua | 23 July 1942 – January 1943 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Distinguished Unit Citation New Guinea | 5 November 1943 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/Combat "V" Device | 1 June 2002–31 May 2003 | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
 | Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 1 June 2003–31 May 2004 | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 1 January-31 December 2010 | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 20 June 2011-19 June 2012 | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 20 June 2012-19 June 2013 | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 1 July 2015-30 June 2016 | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 1 July 2016-30 June 2017 | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1974-30 June 1976 | 908th Air Refueling Squadron[24] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 20 June 2011–19 June 2012 | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[24] |
_Streamer.png) | Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation | November 1944-4 July 1945 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Antisubmarine | 7 December 1941 – 29 January 1942 | 18th Reconnaissance Squadron[2] |
 | East Indies | 25 February 1942 – 22 July 1942 | 18th Reconnaissance Squadron (later 408th Bombardment Squadron)[2] |
| Air Offensive, Japan | 17 April 1942 – 2 September 1945 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| China Defensive | 4 July 1942 – 4 May 1945 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Papua | 23 July 1942 – 23 January 1943 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| New Guinea | 24 January 1943 – 31 December 1944 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Bismarck Archipelago | 15 December 1943 – 27 November 1944 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Western Pacific | 17 April 1944 – 2 September 1945 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Leyte | 17 October 1944 – 1 July 1945 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Luzon | 15 December 1944 – 4 July 1945 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Southern Philippines | 27 February 1945 – 4 July 1945 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| China Offensive | 5 May 1945 – 2 September 1945 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater | 25 February 1942 – 2 March 1946 | 408th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
.svg) | Transition of Iraq | 2 May 2003–28 June 2004 | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
 | Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal | 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
Explanatory Notes
Footnotes
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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