97th Air Refueling Squadron | |
|---|---|
 One of the squadron's boom operators conducts an aerial refueling of aC-17 Globemaster III over Washington, 2020 | |
| Active | 1941–1946; 1949–1964; 1964–1992; 1992–2004; 2019–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Aerial Refueling |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington |
| Mottos | Pro Potentia Inter Astra (Latin: "For Strength Among the Stars") |
| Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Insignia | |
| 97th Air Refueling Squadron emblem(approved 9 December 1994)[1] |  |
| 97th Air Refueling Squadron emblem(approved 10 September 1965)[1] |  |
| 97th Air Refueling Squadron emblem(approved 2 November 1955)[1] |  |
| 97th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 9 August 1944)[2] |  |
The97th Air Refueling Squadron is an active unit of theUnited States Air Force, stationed atFairchild Air Force Base,Washington. It was most recently activated on 1 October 2019 and assigned to the92nd Operations Group,92nd Air Refueling Wing.
Thesquadron was first activated in January 1941 as the20th Reconnaissance Squadron. Seven months after activation, it was renamed the97th Bombardment Squadron and assigned to the47th Bombardment Group. It performedantisubmarine patrols off the Pacific coast following the entry of the United States intoWorld War II. Three months later, it began training forlight bomber operations, and in November 1942 it deployed to theMediterranean Theater of Operations. The squadron engaged in combat in northern Africa, Italy and France untilV-E Day, earning twoDistinguished Unit Citations for its actions there. The 97th returned to the United States in the summer of 1945 and was inactivated atLake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana in March 1946.
The97th Air Refueling Squadron was one of the Air Force's firstair refueling units, activated in 1949. It was active continuously until 2004, except for brief interruptions in 1964 and 1992. The squadron served withBoeing KB-29s until 1954 atBiggs Air Force Base, Texas, when it upgraded toBoeing KC-97 Stratofreighters. In 1957 it moved north toMalmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, where it served until 1964 when the KC-97 was being phased out of the active force inventory.
The squadron was soon activated withBoeing KC-135 Stratotankers atBlytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. In 1985, the two squadrons were consolidated there into a single unit. The consolidated squadron provided crews and aircraft toStrategic Air Command (SAC) units in the Pacific during theVietnam War and deployed elements that served inDesert Storm. In 1992, it was inactivated as SAC was closing what had been renamed Eaker Air Force Base.
The squadron was again activated a few months later, returning to Malmstrom as part ofAir Mobility Command's tanker fleet. It moved toFairchild Air Force Base, Washington two years later and remained there until its inactivation in 2004.
Thesquadron was first activated as the20th Reconnaissance Squadron atMcChord Field, Washington in January 1941, attached to the17th Bombardment Group, and equipped withDouglas B-18 Bolos. In May, it was attached to the47th Bombardment Group and was assigned to the 47th group and redesignated the97th Bombardment Squadron in August.[1][2][3]
After thePearl Harbor Attack it was equipped withDouglas DB-7 Bostons and early-modelConsolidated B-24 Liberators,[note 1] to performantisubmarine patrols along the Pacific coast. In February 1942, with a Japanese submarine attack unlikely, the squadron moved toWill Rogers Field, Oklahoma, re-equipped withDouglas A-20 Havoc light bombers and trained for overseas deployment.[2][3]
In November 1942, the 97th deployed to French Morocco as part ofOperation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa. The squadron engaged inclose air support andair interdiction missions during theNorth African Campaign. It began operations by flying low-level missions in December, continuing these tactics through May 1943.
In February 1943, theAfrika Corps broke through American lines at theKasserine Pass. Although the unit was undermanned and short of supplies it flew missions on 22 February against advancing enemyarmor, helping to blunt the enemy attack. For this action, the 97th was awarded theDistinguished Unit Citation.[3][4]
The squadron remained active in combat, but also trained for medium altitude bombing missions in April and May. In June 1943 it participated in the reduction of the islands ofPantelleria andLampedusa. In July, the unit participated inOperation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, attacking German forces evacuating the island from beaches nearMessina the following month.[3]September 1943 saw the launch ofOperation Avalanche, the invasion of Italy. During Avalanche, the squadron provided support for theBritish Eighth Army. It participated in theItalian Campaign and advance towardRome until the spring of 1944.
In August and September 1944, the unit provided support forOperation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France.
The squadron then returned to Italy, where it attacked German communications and other targets, including tanks, bivouac areas, supply dumps, troop concentrations, roads, bridges,airfields and railways.[3]
The 97th upgraded toDouglas A-26 Invaders in early 1945. In April 1945, the squadron and the rest of the 47th group maintained attacks on enemy transportation in thePo River Valley for sixty consecutive hours despite bad weather and adverse terrain. The attacks prevented the orderly withdrawal of German forces from northern Italy. For this action, the squadron earned a second Distinguished Unit Citation.[3]
The squadron returned to the United States in July 1945, and was initially stationed atSeymour Johnson Field, North Carolina. It moved toLake Charles Army Air Field in September, where it trained as a pathfinder unit.[2][5]
The unit remained active until March 1946, when the 47th group reduced from four to three squadrons.[3]
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The97th Air Refueling Squadron was activated in March 1949 and assigned to the97th Bombardment Group atBiggs Air Force Base, Texas. The squadron was initially equipped with theBoeing KB-29M Superfortress. The KB-29M was equipped with a hose system developed by the British in which the tanker trailed a hose to the receiver and fuel was gravity-fed. The tanker trailed a "hauling line" which was trapped by the receiver, reeled in and attached to the receiver fuel system. The system was perilous and the KB-29Ms were retired in a few years.
On 1 September 1950, the squadron was the first to receive the improved KB-29P, which was equipped with a boom and used pumps to deliver the fuel more rapidly.[6] However, the squadron remained below strength until 1952.[7]
The squadron upgraded toBoeing KC-97 Stratofreighters in 1954. The unit frequently deployed from Biggs to England, Newfoundland and Labrador, completing its last unit deployment as it was moving to Montana.[1] In the mid-1950s,Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to move its KC-97 refueling strength to the northern United States.[8] The move to Montana-based the squadron ahead of the fasterBoeing B-47 Stratojets it would refuel, and on their programmed route.[9]
In 1957, the squadron moved toMalmstrom Air Force Base to fill out the4061st Air Refueling Wing, which had been formed the previous month with the407th Air Refueling Squadron.[10] During the1958 Lebanon Crisis, the squadron provided support for the92d Bombardment Wing.[11] In July 1961, the 4061st wing was inactivated and the 97th was assigned to the9th Bombardment Wing atMountain Home Air Force Base, although it remained at Malmstrom and was attached to the host 341st Combat Support Group there.[12] It was discontinued in March 1964 as part of the phaseout of KC-97 aircraft from the active duty force.[1]
The 97th ARS was redesignated as a heavy unit and organized on 8 October 1964 atBlytheville Air Force Base,Arkansas, where it assumed the mission, personnel andBoeing KC-135 Stratotankers of the914th Air Refueling Squadron, which was simultaneously inactivated.[13] The squadron provided air refueling primarily to theBoeing B-52 Stratofortresses of the97th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, which had also moved from Texas almost five years prior.[14] One half of the squadron's aircraft were maintained on fifteen-minutealert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike.[15]
In addition to its alert commitment, the squadron deployed aircraft and aircrews to support Tanker Task Forces in Europe, the Pacific and Alaska.[16] During theVietnam War, from the mid 1960s, the squadron deployed forces to the Pacific to other units to supportOperation Arc Light andOperation Rolling Thunder. By mid-1972 all of the squadron's tankers were operating with otherStrategic Air Command units in the Pacific.[17] In September 1985, the 97th was consolidated with the97th Bombardment Squadron into a single unit. In 1990, the consolidated squadron flew 93 sorties in direct support ofDesert Shield and Desert Storm.[18] It deployed to the Persian Gulf area, where it supported the801st Bombardment Wing (Provisional) and the802d Air Refueling Wing (Provisional).[19] The squadron remained active until April 1992, when it was inactivated as Eaker Air Force Base was closing.[1]
The squadron returned to Malmstrom Air Force Base when it was reactivated in October 1992. At Malmstrom, it was equipped with the re-engined KC-135R tankers.[20] The squadron continued to support deployed Tanker Task Forces throughout the world, including periodic support for the1700th Strategic Wing (Provisional) inRiyadh, Saudi Arabia.[18] It also participated inOperation Restore Hope in Somalia. The squadron moved toFairchild Air Force Base, Washington in July 1994 asAir Mobility Command reorganized its refueling units. It remained active there until September 2004.[1]
The squadron activated at Fairchild AFB on 18 October 2019 with the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.[21]
97th Bombardment Squadron
97th Air Refueling Squadron
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| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Presidential Unit Citation | 22 February 1942 | North Africa, 97th Bombardment Squadron[4] |
| Presidential Unit Citation | 21 April 1945 – 30 April 1945 | Po Valley, 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
 | Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 1 June 2003 – 30 September 2004 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[24] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1955 – 1 September 1957 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 2 July 1957 – 3 November 1957 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1975 – 30 June 1977 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1977 – 30 June 1978 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1978 – 30 June 1980 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1980 – 30 June 1982 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1986 – 30 June 1988 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1986 – 30 June 1988 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[24] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1995 – 30 June 1997 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[24] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1998 – 30 June 1999 | 97th Air Refueling Squadron[24] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Antisubmarine | 31 December 1941 – 15 February 1942 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2][4] |
 | Algeria-French Morocco | 8 November 1942 – 11 November 1942 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Tunisia | 12 November 1942 – 13 May 1943 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Sicily | 14 May 1943 – 17 August 1943 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Naples-Foggia | 18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Anzio | 22 January 1944 – 24 May 1944 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Rome-Arno | 22 January 1944 – 9 September 1944 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Southern France | 15 August 1944 – 14 September 1944 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| North Apennines | 10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Po Valley | 3 April 1945 – 8 May 1945 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Air Combat, EAME Theater | 7 November 1942 – 11 May 1945 | 97th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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