712th Air Refueling Squadron

712th Air Refueling Squadron
Emblem of the 712th Air Refueling Squadron
Active	1943-1951; 1994-1996
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Air Refueling

Emblem of the World War II 712th Bombardment Squadron

The 712th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 19th Operations Group, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The unit was inactivated on 1 July 1996.

History

Activated in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to England in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during November 1943, assigned to VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron. Participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until German capitulation in May 1945. Personnel demobilized in England and returned to the United States; squadron reassigned to Second Air Force and re-equipped with B-29 Superfortresses, being trained for deployment to Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation canceled deployment and was assigned to Fort Worth AAF, Texas as Continental Air Forces, later Strategic Air Command squadron. Budget and personnel shortages led to inactivation in August 1946.

Activated in the postwar reserve as a B-29 squadron. Trained for proficiency as part of Strategic Air Command reserve forces. Activated as a result of Korean War in 1951, squadron's aircraft and personnel reassigned to Far East Air Force Bomber Command, inactivated as a paper unit.

Reactivated in 1994 as a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling squadron. Inactivated in 1996 as part of realignment of host 19th Operations Group. Emblem for the 712th was designed by SSgt Christian Crotts.

Lineage

• Constituted 712th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 April 1943

Activated on 1 May 1943

Redesignated 712th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 5 August 1945

Inactivated on 4 August 1946

• Activated in the reserve on 19 April 1947

Redesignated 712th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 27 June 1949

Ordered to active service on 17 March 1951

Inactivated 21 March 1951

• Redesignated 712th Air Refueling Squadron, and activated, on 1 April 1994

Inactivated on 1 July 1996.

Assignments

• 448th Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946; 19 April 1947 – 21 March 1951
• 19th Operations Group, 1 April 1994 – 1 July 1996

Stations

Gowen Field, Idaho, 1 May 1943 Wendover Field, Utah, 4 July 1943 Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, 11 September-7 November 1943 RAF Seething (AAF-146), England, 25 November 1943 – 5 July 1945 Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 15 July 1945 McCook Army Airfield, Nebraska, 25 July 1945

Biggs Field, Texas, 23 August 1945 McCook Army Airfield, Nebraska, 8 September 1945 Fort Worth Army Air Field, Texas, 15 December 1945 – 4 August 1946 Long Beach Army Air Field, California, 19 April 1947 – 21 March 1951 Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 April 1994 – 1 July 1996

Aircraft

• B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945
• B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1946
• KC-135 Stratotanker, 1994–1996

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• 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.