9th Air Refueling Squadron
| 9th Air Refueling Squadron | |
|---|---|
|
9th Air Refueling Squadron emblem | |
| Active |
19 January 1942 – 4 December 1945 1 August 1951 – 15 December 1965 12 December 1969 – 27 January 1982 1 August 1982 – |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Size | over 120 combat-ready personnel |
| Part of |
Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force 60th Air Mobility Wing 60th Operations Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Travis Air Force Base |
| Motto | "UNIVERSAL" |
| Equipment | (12x) KC-10A Extender |
| Commanders | |
| Current Commander | Lieutenant Colonel Thad Middleton |
| Current Operations Officer | Major Jarrod Paine |
| First Sergeant | MSgt Gary Dayton |
| Current Squadron Superintendent | CMSgt Robbie Wellbaum |
| Notable commanders |
General Arthur J. Lichte General Paul Selva Lieutenant General Michelle D. Johnson |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Tanker | KC-10 Extender |
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The 9th Air Refueling Squadron (9th ARS) was initially activated in 1951, although its history can be traced back to the 9th Photographic Squadron of World War II. The 9th ARS has had many deployments to worldwide locations, and is still performing a global mission (some to remote forward operating location), during wartime, humanitarian operations, and exercises.
History
Established under First Air Force as a photo-reconnaissance squadron at Mitchell Field, New York. Operated over the Northeast United States flying reconnaissance missions over the Atlantic coast and Newfoundland shipping lanes, primarily operating early-model F-4 (P-38) Lightning.
Deployed to the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations (CBI) during the summer of 1943; being assigned to Headquarters, Tenth Air Force. Flights of F-5 (P-38) photo-reconnaissance aircraft operated over a wide area of Burma; Thailand and China until the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945 obtaining aerial photos and reconnaissance of enemy positions and targets for heavy bomber attacks. Flew tactical reconnaissance missions to support United States and British ground forces in Burma.
Returned to the United States during the fall of 1945, inactivated in December.
Unit transferred their mission to worldwide air refueling, and with a name change to the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, received KB-29M tanker aircraft. They then began refueling operations from August 1951 to December 1965, January 1970 to January 1982, and from August 1982 through today, including support during the rescue of US nationals from Grenada in 1983, support for deployments to Southwest Asia from 1990 to 1991, and humanitarian airlift missions to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope during 1992–1993.
On 19 September 1985 the 9th Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, a unit that was last active 4 September 1945. This action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachment 1 (Active Units), 19 September 1985. The Consolidated Unit will retain the Designation of 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy".
Following the events of 9/11 supported Operation Noble Eagle. Starting in October 2001 and continuing present day deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Starting in March 2003 and continuing present day deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lineage
- Constituted 9th Photographic Squadron on 19 January 1942
- Activated on 1 February 1942
- Redesignated: 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 9 June 1942
- Redesignated: 9th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943
- Redesignated: 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943
- Inactivated on 4 December 1945
- Consolidated (19 September 1985) with the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, which was constituted on 24 July 1951
- Activated on 1 August 1951
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 15 December 1965
- Redesignated 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 12 December 1969
- Activated on 1 January 1970
- Inactivated on 27 January 1982
- Activated on 1 August 1982
- Redesignated 9th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991
- Personnel designated as: 9th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron with unit in provisional status when deployed after 11 September 2001
Assignments
- First Air Force, 1 February 1942
- Tenth Air Force, 29 March 1942
- Flight attached to Fourteenth Air Force, 10 March – 12 July 1943
- Army Air Forces, India-Burma Sector, 30 October 1943
- Attached to: 5306th Photographic and Reconnaissance Group [Provisional], 30 October 1943 – 17 January 1944
- Attached to: Tenth Air Force, 17 January – 6 March 1944
- Tenth Air Force, 7 March 1944
- 8th Photographic (later, 8th Reconnaissance) Group, 25 April 1944
- Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, c. Oct-4 December 1945
- 9th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1951
- Attached to: 43d Bombardment Wing, 1 August – 3 September 1951
- Attached to: 36th Air Division, 4 September 1951 – 14 January 1952
- Attached to: 303d Bombardment Wing, 15 January 1952–
- 9th Bombardment (later, 9th Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 16 June 1952 – 15 December 1965
- Remained attached to 303d Bombardment Wing, to 30 April 1953
- Attached to: 5th Air Division, 18 April – 16 July 1955
- Attached to: SAC Liaison Team, 2 May – 1 July 1956
- 456th Strategic Aerospace (later, 456th Bombardment) Wing, 1 January 1970
- 17th Bombardment Wing, 30 September 1975
- 100th Air Refueling Wing, 30 September 1976 – 27 January 1982
- 22d Bombardment (later, 22d Air Refueling) Wing, 1 August 1982
- 22d Operations Group, 1 September 1991
- 722d Operations Group, 1 January 1994
- 60th Operations Group, 1 September 1994 – present
- Air Mobility Command (9 EARS) when deployed to combat areas after 11 September 2001
- Attached to: 40th Air Expeditionary Wing, Oct 2001 – Aug 2006
Stations
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Aircraft
- F-4 Lightning, 1942–1944
- F-5 Lightning, 1943–1945
- B-25 Mitchell, 1943–1945
- KB-29 Superfortress (Tanker), 1951–1954
- KC-97 Stratotanker, 1954–1965
- KC-135 Stratotanker, 1970–1982
- KC-10 Extender, 1982 – present
Operations
The 9th ARS has a proud legacy of participation in Air Force Operations such as:
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Commanders
| Name | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lt Col Russell F. Ireland | 1 August 1951 | 11 October 1951 |
| 2. | Maj Jack N. Fancher | 11 October 1951 | 2 November 1951 |
| 3. | Lt Col John B. Stokes | 2 November 1951 | 1 May 1953 |
| 4. | Maj C.C. Gifford | 1 May 1953 | 1 September 1963 |
| 5. | Maj Edward H. Dvorak | 1 September 1953 | 19 March 1954 |
| 6. | Lt Col Max W. Rogers | 19 March 1954 | 1 September 1958 |
| 7. | Lt Col William B. Becklund | 1 September 1958 | 27 April 1959 |
| 8. | Lt Col Donald S. Seeley | 27 April 1959 | 30 September 1960 |
| 9. | Lt Col William B. Becklund | 30 September 1960 | 31 July 1962 |
| 10. | Lt Col Roy J. Sousley Jr | 31 July 1962 | 30 September 1964 |
| 11. | Lt Col Carl E. Rice | 30 September 1964 | 15 December 1965 |
| – | INACTIVE | 15 December 1965 | 12 December 1969 |
| 12. | Lt Col Clarence W. Thomas | 12 December 1969 | 4 January 1971 |
| 13. | Lt Col Richard D. Jenkins | 4 January 1971 | 1 April 1971 |
| 14. | Lt Col Allan J. Surridge | 1 April 1971 | 15 August 1971 |
| 15. | Lt Col William C. Walker | 15 August 1971 | 9 October 1971 |
| 16. | Lt Col Louis C. Wagner | 9 October 1971 | 6 June 1972 |
| 17. | Lt Col James G. Dunham | 6 June 1972 | 3 March 1973 |
| 18. | Lt Col Joe H. Snow | 3 March 1973 | 1 February 1974 |
| 19. | Lt Col Douglas A. Jewett | 1 February 1974 | 1 September 1976 |
| 20. | Lt Col William R. Borkowski | 1 September 1976 | 20 September 1977 |
| 21. | Lt Col Melvin U. Edens | 20 September 1977 | 6 October 1978 |
| 22. | Lt Col Curtis R. Archer Jr | 6 October 1978 | 30 November 1979 |
| 23. | Lt Col Larry D. Sykes | 30 November 1979 | 13 March 1981 |
| 24. | Lt Col Charles P. Rushforth III | 13 March 1981 | 27 January 1982 |
| – | INACTIVE | 27 January 1982 | 1 August 1982 |
| 25. | Lt Col Donald E. Brice | 1 August 1982 | 19 November 1982 |
| 26. | Lt Col Joseph M. Hudson | 19 November 1982 | 12 August 1984 |
| 27. | Lt Col Stephen L. Toles | 12 August 1984 | 26 June 1986 |
| 28. | Lt Col Arthur J. Lichte | 26 June 1986 | 1 July 1988 |
| 29. | Lt Col Thomas Dooley | 1 July 1988 | 23 March 1990 |
| 30. | Lt Col James N. Christian | 23 March 1990 | 28 March 1991 |
| 31. | Lt Col Leo A. Brownyard | 28 March 1991 | 27 May 1992 |
| 32. | Lt Col Bernard H. Fullenkamp | 27 May 1992 | 2 June 1993 |
| 33. | Lt Col Ronald D. Jones | 2 June 1993 | 1 September 1994 |
| 34. | Lt Col Paul J. Selva | 1 September 1994 | 25 June 1995 |
| 35. | Lt Col Daniel A. Hale | 25 June 1995 | 18 June 1996 |
| 36. | Lt Col Michelle D. Johnson | 18 June 1996 | 10 July 1998 |
| 37. | Lt Col Richard Traster | 10 July 1998 | 11 July 1999 |
| 38. | Lt Col Martin J. Wojtysiak | 11 July 1999 | 21 June 2000 |
| 39. | Lt Col Mark Simon | 21 June 2000 | 21 June 2001 |
| 40. | Lt Col Bruce A. VanSkiver | 21 June 2001 | 30 June 2003 |
| 41. | Lt Col Marshall T. Morrison | 30 June 2003 | 16 June 2005 |
| 42. | Lt Col Kurt W. Meidel | 16 June 2005 | 7 June 2007 |
| 43. | Lt Col Matthew J. Lloyd | 7 June 2007 | 10 April 2009 |
| 44. | Lt Col Johnny L. Barnes II | 10 April 2009 | 20 May 2011 |
| 45. | Lt Col Mark S. Robinson | 20 May 2011 | 17 May 2013 |
| 46. | Lt Col Thad Middleton | 17 May 2013 | Present |
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.
External links
- Travis Air Force Base web site
- Air Force Link
- Air Force Historical Research Agency: 9th Air Refueling Squadron
- GlobalSecurity.org: 9th Air Refueling Squadron
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