171st Air Refueling Squadron

171st Air Refueling Squadron
File:AFG-080109-073.jpg 171st Air Refueling Squadron Emblem
Active	1946 -Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Air Refueling
Part of	Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command
Garrison/HQ	Selfridge ANGB
Nickname(s)	Michigan Six Pack

Emblem of the 171st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (ADC)

Convair F-106B-75-CO Delta Darts 59-0150 and 59-0153

Convair F-106A-125-CO Delta Dart 59-0109

The 171st Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard, flying the KC-135T Stratotanker. Its parent unit is the 127th Wing.

History

World War II

Established in early-1943 as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter squadron, trained under I Fighter Command in the mid-Atlantic states. Also flew air-defense missions as part of the Philadelphia Fighter Wing. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), being assigned to VIII Fighter Command in England, November 1943.

The unit served primarily as an escort organization, covering the penetration, attack, and withdrawal of B-17/B-24 bomber formations that the USAAF sent against targets on the Continent. The squadron also engaged in counter-air patrols, fighter sweeps, and strafing and dive-bombing missions. Attacked such targets as airdromes, marshalling yards, missile sites, industrial areas, ordnance depots, oil refineries, trains, and highways. During its operations, the unit participated in the assault against the German Air Force and aircraft industry during the Big Week, February 20–25, 1944, and the attack on transportation facilities prior to the Normandy invasion and support of the invasion forces thereafter, including the Saint-Lô breakthrough in July.

The squadron supported the airborne attack on Holland in September 1944 and deployed to Chievres Airdrome, (ALG A-84), Belgium between February and April 1945 flying tactical ground support missions during the airborne assault across the Rhine. The unit returned to Little Walden and flew its last combat mission on April 20, 1945. Demobilized during the summer of 1945 in England, inactivated in the United States as a paper unit in October.

Michigan Air National Guard

Allocated to the Michigan Air National Guard on May 24, 1946. The unit was ordered into active service on February 1, 1951 as a result of the Korean War and assigned to Air Training Command. In March 1951 being assigned F-51 Mustangs, F-80 Shooting Stars and F-84 Thunderjets while serving as a training organization.

The unit was relieved from active duty in November 1952, was redesignated as a Fighter-Bomber squadron. Mission aircraft were F-51H, F-86E and F-89C. Redesignated at Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in 1958. The Detroit units flew RF-84F's and the Battle Creek unit was equipped with RB-57's. Moving to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in 1971, converted to RF-101's.

In 1973, he 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron came under the Air Defense Command, flying F-106's. Established at Selfridge ANG Base on 1 April 1996, the 171st Air Refueling Squadron which flies the KC-135T Stratotanker .

Lineage

• Constituted 374th Fighter Squadron on 28 January 1942

Activated on 10 February 1943

Inactivated on 24 October 1945

• Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron, and allotted to the Michigan Air National Guard, 24 May 1946

Federally recognized, 171st Fighter Squadron (Single Engine), 25 April 1948

Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron (Jet), 23 February 1950

Redesignated 171st Training Squadron, 5 March 1951

Redesignated 171st Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1 November 1952

Redesignated 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, November, 1953

Redesignated 171st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 1958

Redesignated 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 22 July 1972

Redesignated 171st Fighter Squadron, 15 March 1992

Redesignated 171st Airlift Squadron, 15 July 1994

Redesignated 171st Air Refueling Squadron, 1 April 2008.

Assignments

• 361st Fighter Group, 10 February 1943 – 24 October 1945
• 127th Fighter Group, 25 April 1948

Activated to Federal Service, 23 Feb 1951-11 Sep 1952

• 191st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 October 1962- 15 March 1992

Redesignated: 191st Fighter Group, 15 March 1992-15 July 1994

Redesignated: 191st Airlift Group, 15 July 1994 – 1 April 1996

• 127th Airlift Group, 8 November 1998 - 1 April 2008

Redesignated: 127th Air Refueling Group, 1 April 2008–Present

Stations

• Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 10 February 1943
• Camp Springs Army Airfield, Maryland, 26 May 1943
• Millville Army Airfield, New Jersey, 15 August 1943
• Camp Springs Army Airfield, Maryland, 18 September 1943
• Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 30 September – 11 November 1943
• RAF Bottisham (AAF-374), England, 30 November 1943
• RAF Little Walden (AAF-165), England, ca. 28 September 1944

Operated from St-Dizier Airfield (A-64), France, 23 December 1944 – 1 February 1945

• Chievres Airdrome (A-84), Belgium, 1 February 1945
• RAF Little Walden (AAF-165), England, 7 April – ca. 11 October 1945
• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 23–24 October 1945
• Wayne County Airport, Michigan, 25 April 1948
• Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, 23 February 1951
• Detroit-Wayne Major Airport, Michigan, 11 September 1952
• Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, July 1971–Present

Aircraft

• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943-1944
• P-51 Mustang, 1944–1950
• F-84 Thundejret, 1950-1952
• F-51H Mustang, 1952–1953
• F-86E Sabre, 1953-1955
• F-89C Scorpion, 1955–1958
• RF-84F Thunderflash, 1958-1971

• RF-101A/C Voodoo, 1971–1972
• F-106A/B Delta Dart (1972–1978)
• F-4C Phantom II (1978–1988)
• F-4D Phantom II (1988–1991)
• F-16A/B Block 15 Fighting Falcon (1991–1995)
• C-130 Hercules(1995–2007)
• KC-135T Stratotanker (2007–Present)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, AL: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.