18th Air Refueling Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 18th Air Refueling Squadron


caption= 18th Air Refueling Squadron Patch
dates= 11 December 1940 - 31 July 1945
1 August 1948 - 1 March 1949
14 July 1952 - 21 July 1954
3 August 1961 - 25 June 1967
15 October 1969 - 31 August 1972
1 October 1995 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Aerial refueling
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Force Reserve Command
4th Air Force
507th Air Refueling Wing
931st Air Refueling Group
current_commander=
garrison= McConnell Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= Operation Husky
Operation Dragoon
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=

The 18th Air Refueling Squadron (18 ARS) is part of the 931st Air Refueling Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.

Mission

History

During World War II the 18th flew airborne assaults on Sicily, Myitkyina, Burma, and Southern France in addition to supporting partisians in Northern Italy from, January-May 1945 and conducting aerial transportation in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and briefly in the China-Burma-India Theater. The squadron flew strategic and tactical airlift missions from, 1948-1954 and 1962-1967. The squadron provided tactical airlift training for US and later, South Vietnamese pilots and crews from, 1969-1972. The squadron has flown worldwide air refueling missions since 1995. [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0018ars.html AFHRA 18 ARS Page] ]

=Operations=

*World War II

=Lineage=

*18th Transport Squadron (1940 - 1942)
*18th Troop Carrier Squadron (1942 - 1948)
*18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy (1948 - 1952)
*18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium (1952 - 1966)
*18th Troop Carrier Squadron (1966 - 1969)
*18th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron (1969 - 1994)
*18th Air Refueling Squadron (1994 - Present)

=Assignments=

*64th Troop Carrier Group (1940 - 1945)
*5700th Composite Wing (1948 - 1949)
*64th Troop Carrier Group (1952 - 1954)
*Tactical Air Command (1961 - 1962)
*64th Troop Carrier Wing (1962 - 1963)
*516th Troop Carrier Wing (1963)
*314th Troop Carrier Wing (1963 - 1965)
*317th Tactical Airlift Wing (1965 - 1967)
*516th Tactical Airlift Wing (1969 - 1972)
*463d Tactical Airlift Wing (1972)
*931st Air Refueling Group (1995 - Present)

=Bases stationed=

*McClellan Field, California (1940 - 1941)
*March Field, California (1941 - 1942)
*Westover Field, Massachusetts (1942)
*RAF Ramsbury, England (1942)
**Operated From: Maison Blanche, Algeria (11 November - December 1942)
*Bilda, Algeria (1942 - 1943)
*Kairouan, Tunisia (1943)
*El Djem, Tunisia (1943)
*Comiso, Italy (1943 - 1944)
**Operated From: India (April - June 1944)
*Ciampino, Italy (1944 - 1945)
**Operated From: Istres, France (7 September - 11 November 1944)
*Rosignano, Italy (1945)
*Waller Field, Trinidad (1945)
*Albrook Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone (1948 - 1949)
*Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina (1952 - 1954)
*Dyess Air Force Base, Texas (1962 - 1963)
*Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee (1963 - 1965)
*Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio (1965 - 1967)
*Dyess Air Force Base, Texas (1969 - 1972)
*McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas (1995 - Present)

=Aircraft Operated=

*C-47 Skytrain (1941 - 1945)
*C-54 Skymaster (1948 - 1949)
*C-82 Packet (1951 - 1953)
*C-119 Flying Boxcar (1953 - 1954)
*C-130 Hercules (1962 - 1967)
*C-7 Caribou (1969 - 1972)
*KC-135 Stratotanker (1995 - Present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0018ars.html AFHRA 18th Air Refueling Squadron History]

Also See