924th Air Refueling Squadron | |
|---|---|
 KC-46 Pegasus aircraft atMcConnell Air Force Base | |
| Active | 1942–1943; 1959–1992; 2017–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Air refueling |
| Garrison/HQ | McConnell Air Force Base Kansas |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lt Col Brian Correll[1] |
| Insignia | |
| 924th Air Refueling Squadron Emblem |  |
| 24th Ferrying Squadron emblem |  |
The924th Air Refueling Squadron is an activeUnited States Air Forceassociate unit. It is assigned to the 931st Operations Group atMcConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The squadron is the first Air Force Reserve Command unit dedicated to flying theBoeing KC-46 Pegasus.
The earliest predecessor of thesquadron was the24th Transport Squadron which was activated at Morrison Field, Florida in 1942. The squadron supported theSouth Atlantic air ferrying route ofAir Transport Command inWorld War II until it was disbanded in 1943.
The924th Air Refueling Squadron was activated at Castle in 1959. Through most of its existence it served as the tactical refueling component of the93d Bombardment Wing, while its companion93d Air Refueling Squadron was the "schoolhouse" forBoeing KC-135 Stratotankeraircrews, although in the 1980s, these roles were reversed. In 1985 the 24th and 924th squadrons were consolidated into a single unit. The unit was inactivated in 1992, shortly beforeStrategic Air Command was inactivated and responsibility for theair refueling mission transferred toAir Mobility Command.
The earliest predecessor of the squadron was the24th Transport Squadron which was activated at Morrison Field, Florida in 1943. The squadron supported theSouth Atlantic ferrying route ofAir Corps Ferrying Command (later Air Transport Command) as Morrison served as the western terminus of the route, processing personnel and equipment for deployment overseas.[2] Although the squadron was stationed at Morrison, its personnel were also used to man other stations of the Caribbean Wing. After a little more than a year of trying to use traditionalTable of Organization units like the 24th, Air Transport Command found them too inflexible for its operations. It, therefore, decided to replace its groups and squadrons and assign personnel directly to each of its stations, based on the needs of the station.[3] The squadron was therefore disbanded and its personnel transferred to Station 11, Caribbean Wing, Air Transport Command.
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The924th Air Refueling Squadron was activated on 1 July 1959 byStrategic Air Command (SAC) atCastle Air Force Base and assigned to the93d Bombardment Wing.[4][5] The squadron drew itscadre from the93d Air Refueling Squadron. It was equipped withBoeing KC-135 Stratotankers and its primary mission was to train KC-135aircrews for SAC tanker units.[6] It also providedair refueling to theBoeing B-52 Stratofortress strategicbombers of its parent wing as they conducted combat crew training in the "Buff" and to other USAF units as directed. The squadron also deployed aircraft andaircrews to the Pacific, European and Alaskan Tanker Task Forces.[7]
Later, the 93d Air Refueling Squadron assumed the bulk of the tanker training mission[8] and the squadron deployed crews and aircraft to the Western Pacific region to support combat operations during theVietnam War. The squadron also supported the Pacific, European, and Alaskan Tanker Task Forces.[8] During periods when the 924th was not the primary tanker training unit of the 93d wing, it kept half of the squadron's aircraft on fifteen-minutealert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike.[9]
In 1985 the squadron was consolidated with the World War II24th Transport Squadron.[10] It deployed personnel and equipment to theMiddle East in 1990 as part ofOperation Desert Shield, and in 1991 for combat operations duringOperation Desert Storm.
The 924th had the distinction of havingStrategic Air Command's first all-female crew in June 1982,[11] named "Fair Force One". The squadron was inactivated in 1992 as part of drawdown of United States strategic forces after the end of theCold War and in anticipation of the closure of Castle transfer of air refueling training toAltus Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
In April 2017, the squadron was reactivated atMcConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. As areserve associate squadron, the 924th flies theBoeing KC-46 Pegasus aircraft assigned to the active duty22d Operations Group at McConnell. The first KC-46 aircraft were delivered to McConnell in January 2019, and the 924th was the firstreserve unit to fly the new tanker.[12][13]
24th Transport Squadron
924th Air Refueling Squadron
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1963 – 31 March 1964 | 924th Air Refueling Squadron[14][b] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 April 1973 – 30 June 1974 | 924th Air Refueling Squadron[15] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1983 – 30 June 1985 | 924th Air Refueling Squadron[16] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1988 – 30 June 1990 | 924th Air Refueling Squadron[16] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 2 August 1990 – 11 April 1991 | 924th Air Refueling Squadron[16] |
| Service Streamer | Theater | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
.png) | American Theater | 27 April 1942 – 13 October 1943 | 24th Transport Squadron |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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