79th Air Refueling Squadron

79th Air Refueling Squadron
79th Air Refueling Squadron Patch
Active	1 April 1943 - 15 November 1945 11 April 1948 - 16 April 1951 18 May 1955 - 15 May 1958 14 May 1966 - 1 October 1978 1 September 1982 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Aerial refueling
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command 4th Air Force 349th Air Mobility Wing 349th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Travis Air Force Base
Engagements	Operation Overlord Operation Dragoon Operation Market Garden Operation Varsity
Decorations	DUC AFOUA RVGC w/ Palm

The 79th Air Refueling Squadron (79 ARS) is a unit part of the USAF, belonging to the 349th Operations Group at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions as the reserve associate to the 60th Air Mobility Wing.

History

Formed in April 1943 by I Troop Carrier Command, trained and equipped at various bases in the United States for the balance of the year. Deployed to England, being assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command, Ninth Air Force in early January 1944, during the Allied buildup prior to the invasion of France.

The squadron participated in the D-Day operation, dropping 101st Airborne Division paratroops near Cherbourg, then carried out re-supply and glider delivery missions the following day.

The squadron's aircraft flew supplies into Normandy as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties to England. On 17 July the air echelon flew to Grosseto airbase in Italy to prepare for operations connected with the invasion of southern France returning to England on 24 August.

Squadron moved to France in July 1944 and for the balance of the Northern France Campaign and the Western Allied invasion of Germany was engaged in combat resupply of ground forces, operating from Advanced Landing Grounds in northern France. Delivered supplies to rough Resupply and Evacuation airfields near the front lines, returning combat casualties to field hospitals in rear areas. Dropped airborne forces during Operation Market-Garden in September 1944 into the Netherlands; later participated in the airborne invasion of Germany in March 1945. After V-E Day, the squadron evacuated prisoners of war.

Returned to the United States in August 1945, became a transport squadron for Continental Air Command, Inactivated on 15 Nov 1945. Operated in the reserve, 1948-1951 with C-47s, activated during the Korean War. It's personnel and aircraft assigned as fillers for active-duty units, inactivated a few days later as an administrative unit.

It performed worldwide airlift operations from, 1966–1971, including missions to Southeast Asia. The squadron also flew airborne early warning and control missions in the air defense of the United States from, 1971-1978. Since 1982 it has trained for and flown worldwide air refueling and strategic airlift missions, including contingency and humanitarian relief operations.

Lineage

• Constituted as 79 Troop Carrier Squadron on 23 Mar 1943

Activated on 1 Apr 1943

Inactivated on 15 Nov 1945

• Activated in the Reserve on 11 Apr 1948

Re-designated as: 79 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 27 Jun 1949

Ordered to active service on 1 Apr 1951

Inactivated on 16 Apr 1951

• Activated in the Reserve on 18 May 1955

Inactivated on 15 May 1958

• Re-designated as: 79 Military Airlift Squadron, and activated in the Reserve, on 14 Mar 1966

Organized on 1 Apr 1966

Re-designated as: 79 Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron on 30 Jun 1971

Inactivated on 1 Oct 1978

• Re-designated as: 79 Air Refueling Squadron (Heavy) (Associate) on 21 Jun 1982

Activated in the Reserve on 1 Sep 1982

Re-designated as: 79 Air Refueling Squadron (Associate) on 1 Feb 1992

Re-designated as: 79 Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Oct 1994.

Assignments

• 436 Troop Carrier Group, 1 Apr 1943-15 Nov 1945
• 419 Troop Carrier Group, 11 Apr 1948
• 436 Troop Carrier Group, 27 Jun 1949-16 Apr 1951; 18 May 1955-15 May 1958
• Continental Air Command, 14 Mar 1966
• 915 Military Airlift Group, 1 Apr 1966
• Eastern Air Force Reserve Region, 30 Jul 1971
• Tenth Air Force, 8 Oct 1976
• 915 Airborne Early Warning and Control Group, 1 Dec 1976-1 Oct 1978
• 452 Air Refueling Wing, 1 Sep 1982
• 452 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992
• 349 Operations Group, 1 Apr 1995-Present

Stations

• Baer Field, Indiana, 1 Apr 1943
• Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska, 2 May 1943
• Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North Carolina, 4 Aug 1943
• Baer Field, Indiana, 16-28 Dec 1943
• RAF Bottesford (AAF-481), England, Jan 1944
• RAF Membury (AAF-466), England, 3 Mar 1944-Feb 1945

Operated from Voltone Airfield, Italy, 20 Jul-23 Aug 1944

• Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield (A-80), France, Feb-Jul 1945
• Baer Field, Indiana, 13 Aug 1945

• Malden Army Airfield, Missouri, 8 Sep-15 Nov 1945
• Norfolk Muni Aprt, VA, 11 Apr 1948
• Godman AFB, KY, 27 Jun 1949
• Standiford Field, KY, 20 Oct 1950-16 Apr 195
• New York Naval Air Station (later, U.S. Naval Air Station, New York), NY, 18 May 1955-15 May 1958
• Homestead AFB, FL, 1 Apr 1966-1 Oct 1978
• March AFB, CA, 1 Sep 1982
• Travis AFB, CA, 1 Apr 1995-Present

Aircraft

• C-47 Skytrain (1943–1945, 1948–1951)
• T-7 Navigator (1948–1951)
• T-11 Kansan (1948–1951)
• C-46 Commando (1955–1958)
• C-119 Flying Boxcar (1957–1958)

• C-124 Globemaster II (1966–1971)
• C-121 Constellation (1971–1973, 1976–1978)
• EC-121 Warning Star (1971–1978)
• KC-10 Extender (1982–Present)

References

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5

• AFHRA 79th Air Refueling Squadron History