906th Air Refueling Squadron | |
|---|---|
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| Active | 1941–1945; 1959–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Refueling |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Scott Air Force Base, Illinois |
| Motto(s) | Global Refueling |
| Engagements | Aleutian Islands Campaign Operation Carpetbagger |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award French Croix de Guerre with Palm |
| Insignia | |
| 906th Air Refueling Squadron emblem[b][1] |  |
| 406th Bombardment Squadron emblem[c][2] |  |
The906th Air Refueling Squadron is an activeUnited States Air Force unit. It is an active associate squadron and part of the375th Air Mobility Wing atScott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Thesquadron was first activated in United States military buildup just beforeWorld War II as the16th Reconnaissance Squadron. After theattack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron participated in the Antisubmarine Campaign of theAmerican Theater of Operations. As the406th Bombardment Squadron it also served in theAleutian Islands Campaign of thePacific Theater of Operations and several campaigns in theEuropean Theater of Operations. The squadron was unusual in that it received campaign credit in three different theaters of operation.
The906th Air Refueling Squadron was activated as part ofStrategic Air Command's nuclear deterrent force. It maintained aircraft on alert throughout theCold War. The squadron deployedaircrews and aircraft to support combat operations inSoutheast Asia from the mid 1960s through the early 1970s. It also supported numerous contingency operations from its bases in the northern United States and forward operating locations until moving to Scott in 2009 and becoming an active associate unit of theIllinois Air National Guard.
The 906th operates theBoeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conductingair refueling missions. It is an active associate unit and the airmen of the 906th operate and maintain the aircraft of the126th Air Refueling Wing and fly with the108th Air Refueling Squadron of theIllinois Air National Guard.[3]
The first predecessor of the906th Air Refueling Squadron was established as the16th Reconnaissance Squadron. It was assigned to the3d Bombardment Wing,[1] but was under the operational control of the42d Bombardment Group, to which it was assigned the following year. Since a reorganization ofGeneral Headquarters Air Force in September 1936, each bombardment group of theArmy Air Forces (AAF) had an attachedreconnaissance squadron, which operated the same aircraft as that group's assigned bombardment squadrons.[4] That arrangement continued for units like the 39th that were designated asmedium bombardment units.[5] Thesquadron drew itscadre from the88th Reconnaissance Squadron and was equipped with a mixture ofDouglas B-18 Bolos,Lockheed A-29 Hudsons, and a fewMartin B-26 Maraudermedium bombers.[2][6] After the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron flewantisubmarine patrols over the Pacific until early May 1942.[2]
Following Pearl Harbor, military planning called for Alaska to be defended by units based in theZone of the Interior, which would deploy only their air echelons, which would move forward to Alaska as they were needed. The 42d Bombardment Group was tabbed as one of the units to deploy combat elements to Alaska.[7] The Japanese invasion of theAleutian Islands showed that permanent units were necessary for Alaskan defense.[8] However, because of other demands, only the 406th and the77th Bombardment Squadrons of the group deployed to Alaska, where they were attached to the28th Composite Group.[2][9] The squadron continued antisubmarine operations in the Gulf of Alaska[10] and detachments of the squadron flew combat missions during theAleutian Campaign from forward bases onAdak andAmchitka withNorth American B-25 Mitchells, attacking enemy targets onDutch Harbor that helped force the withdrawal of enemy ships and onKiska until the Japanese withdrew from the island.[11][12] The squadron returned to the Continental United States in late 1943 and was briefly assigned toFourth Air Force.[2]
The squadron moved on paper to theEuropean Theater of Operations in November where it was organized from crews and aircraft formerly assigned to the479th Antisubmarine Group. The 406th received itscadre atRAF Alconbury from the ground echelon of the4th Antisubmarine Squadron and the air echelon of the22d Antisubmarine Squadron,[13] which had been disbanded atRAF Podington.[14] The squadron was equipped with modified B-24Ds that had been stripped of armament except for the tail turret.[13] The aircraft were painted gloss black overall and the openings left by the removal of the gun turrets from their bellies were used by agents being dropped by parachute. In addition, plexiglass bubbles were added to the cockpit side windows to improve visibility for the pilots.[15]
The unit flew its firstCarpetbagger mission to drop supplies to members of theResistance inOccupied Europe under the guidance of theRoyal Air Force (RAF) in early January.[13] In April the squadron moved toRAF Harrington, which was nearRAF Tempsford, where the RAF was engaged in similar activities.[15] Carpetbagger missions also began to include the infiltration of agents with most missions flown over occupied France and the low countries. In August 1944 the squadron transferred its personnel and equipment to the858th Bombardment Squadron[15] of the492d Bombardment Group, which assumed the Carpetbagger mission.[13]
When the 492d took over the Carpetbagger mission, its 858th Bombardment Squadron, which was engaged inpsychological warfare againstNazi Germany, joined it atRAF Harrington.[16] The 406th moved on paper toRAF Cheddington and took over the dozenBoeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 858th. These aircraft used laminated paper leaflet bombs that burst at one to two thousand feet above the ground and could accurately deliver 80,000 leaflets. As the squadron assumed its new mission in August 1944, the pace of missions accelerated to about eight per night. Squadron strength expanded to 24 aircraft and the B-17s were replaced by B-24s by the end of the year. The squadron flew these missions over France, Germany, Norway and the low countries. After thesurrender of Germany in May 1945, the squadron continued flying missions for theOffice of Strategic Services.[17] Just under two billion leaflets were delivered by the night leaflet unit.[18]
In July 1945, the unit returned to the United States, where it was redesignated as a very heavy bombardment squadron. The war in the Pacific Theater ended and the squadron was inactivated in October 1945.[2]
In 1959 the Air Force assigned the906th Air Refueling Squadron toStrategic Air Command (SAC), which organized it atMinot Air Force Base, North Dakota in June, where it was assigned to the4136th Strategic Wing.[19] The 4136th wing was established by SAC in a program to disperse itsBoeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.[20] The squadron received its firstBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker on 23 September 1959 and was judged to be combat ready on 31 October.[21] Starting in 1960, one third of the squadron's aircraft were maintained on fifteen-minutealert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. This was increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962.[22] The 4136th (and later the 450th and 5th wings) continued to maintain an alert commitment until the end of theCold War. The 906th refueled B-52s participating inOperation Chrome Dome,[19] the airborne component of SAC's alert force, until Chrome Dome was terminated in 1968. The squadron's ground alert commitment was increased in the fall of 1962 during theCuban Missile Crisis, when all available aircraft assumed an alert status.
In February 1963, The450th Bombardment Wing assumed the aircraft, personnel and equipment of the discontinued 4136th wing. The 4136th was a Major Command controlled (MAJCON) wing, which could not carry a permanent history or lineage,[23] and SAC wanted to replace it with a permanent unit. The 906th was assigned to the newly activated 450th wing.[24] In 1966 the squadron was awarded the Saunders Trophy for outstanding refueling operations.[25]
In 1962, SAC organized fourPost-Attack Command and Control System (PACCS) squadrons and equipped them withBoeing EB-47 Stratojets. The establishment ofBoeing EC-135 airborne command post aircraft at SACheadquarters and at each of itsNumbered Air Forces resulted in the inactivation of the less capable B-47 units by 1965. The communications relay mission of the B-47 units was assumed by the 906th and28th Air Refueling Squadrons, which received a variety of EC-135s for this mission. By the mid-1960s, improved accuracy of Soviet ballistic missiles made undergroundMinuteman missile launch control centers more vulnerable, so theAirborne Launch Control System (ALCS) was created to provide a survivable launch capability. The ALCS was eventually installed aboard all PACCS aircraft assigned to the 906th. Launch crews came from the91st Strategic Missile Wing. In April 1970, the squadron's ALCS aircraft were transferred to the new4th Airborne Command and Control Squadron atEllsworth Air Force Base.[26]
The squadron deployed aircrews and aircraft to support the Spanish, Great Lakes and Alaskan Tanker Task Forces.[27][28][29] It engaged in worldwide operations supporting combat operations inSoutheast Asia from 1968 through 1975 through participation in Operation Young Tiger and support forOperation Arc Light.[1][25][30] Afterwards it continued to support forward based tanker task forces.[31] Due to normally supporting the European Tanker Task Force (ETTF) and Pacific Tanker Task Force (PTTF) simultaneously along with home operations, it adopted the slogan "The sun never sets on the 906th". It supported combat operations inSouthwest Asia from 1990 through 1991.[1]
In 1992 the air force reorganized its major commands. As a result, the 906th's parent5th Operations Group was reassigned toAir Combat Command as a bomber unit, while the 906th became an element ofAir Mobility Command (AMC) and was assigned as a geographically separated unit to the43d Operations Group atMalmstrom Air Force Base.[31] During this time, the squadron included not just the normal operations personnel, but also maintenance and other support personnel. For 1992 and 1993, the squadron maintainers were recognized as the Best AMU (Aircraft Maintenance Unit) in all of AMC. In December of 1992, they received a no-notice tasking to deploy to Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal, and departed organically (no other airlift support) within 24 hours. At Lajes they were the lead unit along with KC-135As from K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI. They were part of Operation Restore Hope supporting humanitarian efforts in Somalia, enabling US-based airlifters to deliver supplies more efficiently. During 1993, they converted operations from the KC-135A to the KC-135R. From January to March 1994, they deployed to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Southern Watch. While deployed, the squadron flag was reassigned and they became Detachment 1, 43d Operations Group until transfer of all personnel and aircraft out of Minot later in 1994. The squadron was assigned to the319th Air Refueling Wing one of three "super tanker wings" atGrand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, where it became the second of four tanker squadrons assigned to the wing's319th Operations Group.[32][33]
Under AMC control, the unit supportedOperation Deny Flight, the United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994 and 1995 fromPisa Airport, Italy andIstres Air Base, France.[34] It supportedOperation Uphold Democracy, the United Nations action to remove the military junta and restore the elected president ofHaiti in 1995. In 1996 the squadron deployed planes and crews toRiyadh Air Base, Saudi Arabia forOperation Southern Watch, the Southwest Asia Task Force operation to monitor and control airspace in southern Iraq.[34] It also deployed for the sister operation patrolling northern Iraq,Operation Northern Watch.[32]
For three months in the summer of 2000, the squadron was forced to operate fromMacDill Air Force Base, Florida as the Grand Forks runways underwent a nine million dollar renovation. For the first time in ten years, following the9/11 attacks, the squadron once again placed aircraft on alert as part ofOperation Noble Eagle and also began support forOperation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Toward the end of the following year, the squadron began to deploy forward in what becameOperation Iraqi Freedom, the war in Iraq.[35]
AMC began to prepare for the end of air refueling operations at Grand Forks in preparation for the arrival ofGlobal Hawk unmanned aircraft.[36] As a result, it began to inactivate or transfer the tanker squadrons stationed there. On 2 October 2009 the 906th moved without personnel or equipment fromGrand Forks Air Force Base toScott Air Force Base, Illinois, where it was assigned to the375th Air Mobility Wing as an active associate unit with the126th Air Refueling Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard. The 375th maintains administrative control of the squadron, while the 126th has operational control. The airmen of the 906th operate and maintain the aircraft of the 126th wing's108th Air Refueling Squadron.[3]
406th Bombardment Squadron
906th Air Refueling Squadron
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| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1977 – 30 June 1979 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1983 – 30 June 1984 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1984 – 30 June 1985 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1985 – 30 June 1986 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1991 – 31 May 1992 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1992 – 30 June 1993 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 1993 – 30 June 1995 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1995 – 30 June 1997 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2000 – 30 June 2002 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2004 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2004 – 30 June 2005 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2005 – 30 June 2006 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2006 – 30 June 2007 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 2007 – 19 June 2009 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2009 – 31 August 2011 | 906th Air Refueling Squadron[1] |
 | French Croix de Guerre with Palm | none given | 406th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Antisubmarine | 7 December 1941 – 6 May 1942 | 16th Reconnaissance Squadron (later 406th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
 | Aleutian Islands | 7 June 1942 – 24 August 1943 | 406th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater | 7 June 1942 – October 1943 | 406th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
 | Air Offensive, Europe | 11 November 1943 – 5 June 1944 | 406th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Normandy | 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 | 406th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Northern France | 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 | 406th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Rhineland | 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 | 406th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
| Central Europe | 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 | 406th Bombardment Squadron[2] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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