- Source: 18th Air Refueling Squadron
- McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle
- 18th Air Refueling Squadron
- 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron
- List of United States Air Force air refueling squadrons
- 931st Air Refueling Wing
- 909th Air Refueling Squadron
- McConnell Air Force Base
- List of active United States Air Force aircraft squadrons
- 91st Air Refueling Squadron
- 6th Air Refueling Wing
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The 18th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 931st Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. It operates the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions. If mobilized the squadron would be gained by Air Mobility Command.
The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 18th Transport Squadron. After training in the United States, the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where, as the 18th Troop Carrier Squadron, it participated in all major airborne assault operations and earned a Distinguished Unit Citation. From April until June 1944, it deployed to the China Burma India Theater to augment forces in Burma. Following V-E Day, the squadron served under Air Transport Command in the Caribbean returning American soldiers to the United States. The squadron was again briefly active in the Caribbean area during the later 1940s.
The squadron was active again from 1952, when it absorbed the resources of a reserve unit that had been mobilized for the Korean War. It was again active from 1961 until 1972, when it participated in military exercises, provided airlift, and trained aircrew for deployment to Southeast Asia.
Mission
The squadron operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, conducting aerial refueling missions.
History
"During World War II the 18th flew airborne assaults on Sicily, Myitkyina, Burma, and Southern France in addition to supporting partisans in Northern Italy from January to May 1945 and conducting aerial transportation in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and briefly in the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI). It flew strategic and tactical airlift missions from 1948 to 1954 and 1962 to 1967. The squadron provided tactical airlift training for US and subsequently South Vietnamese pilots and crews from 1969 to 1972.
This unit has flown worldwide air refueling missions since 1995."
= Operations
=World War II
Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily)
Operation Dragoon (the invasion of southern France)
Operation Joint Endeavor (Peacekeeping in Bosnia Herzegovina)
Operation Joint Guard (Peacekeeping in Bosnia Herzegovina), 21 June 1996 – 19 June 1998
Operation Joint Forge (Peacekeeping in Bosnia Herzegovina), June 201998 – 12 February 2004
Southern Watch (enforcing a no-fly zone in pre-war southern Iraq)
Northern Watch (enforcing a no-fly zone in pre-war northern Iraq)
Operation Desert Fox (December 1998 bombing of Iraq)
Operation Enduring Freedom (The War on Terrorism - War in Afghanistan (2001-2021))
Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003 Iraq War)
Operation Noble Eagle ( US homeland security)
Lineage
Constituted as the 18th Transport Squadron on 20 November 1940
Activated on 11 December 1940
Redesignated 18th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942
Inactivated on 31 July 1945
Redesignated 18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 24 July 1948
Activated on 1 August 1948
Inactivated on 1 March 1949
Redesignated 18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 3 July 1952
Activated on 14 July 1952
Inactivated on 21 July 1954
Activated on 3 August 1961 (not organized)
Organized on 8 January 1962
Redesignated 18th Troop Carrier Squadron on 1 March 1966
Discontinued and inactivated, on 25 June 1967
Redesignated 18th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron on 14 August 1969
Activated on 15 October 1969
Inactivated on 31 August 1972
Redesignated 18th Air Refueling Squadron on 9 September 1994
Activated in the reserve on 1 October 1995
= Assignments
=64th Transport Group (later 64 Troop Carrier Group), 11 December 1940 – 31 July 1945
5700th Composite Wing, 1 August 1948 – 1 March 1949
64th Troop Carrier Group, 14 July 1952 – 21 July 1954
Tactical Air Command, 3 August 1961 (not organized)
64th Troop Carrier Wing, 8 January 1962
516th Troop Carrier Wing, 1 January 1963
314th Troop Carrier Wing, 1 July 1963
317th Troop Carrier Wing (later 317th Tactical Airlift Wing), 1 April 1965 – 25 June 1967
516th Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 October 1969
463d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 June – 31 August 1972
931st Air Refueling Group, 1 October 1995 – present
= Stations
== Aircraft
=References
= Notes
=Explanatory notes
Citations
= Bibliography
=This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
External links
"C-130 Dyess timeline". Abilene Reporter News. 23 April 2011. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2014.