32d Air Refueling Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 32d Air Refueling Squadron


caption= 32d Air Refueling Squadron Patch
dates= 13 June 1917 - 14 April 1919
24 June 1932 - 15 October 1945
4 August 1946 - 8 June 1964
23 December 1964 - 30 September 1979
1 November 1981 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Aerial refueling
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Mobility Command
18th Air Force
305th Air Mobility Wing
305th Operations Group
current_commander=
garrison= McGuire Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto= Linking the Continents
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= Operation Linebacker II
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=

The 32d Air Refueling Squadron (32 ARS) is part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.

Mission

History

The 32d originally served as an aircraft repair unit from 1917–1918. At the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the squadron was under orders to move to the Philippines. A portion of the squadron had already set sail from San Francisco on 6 December only to return on 9 December. The squadron instead flew antisubmarine patrols off the California coast in mid–December 1941, and from c. late May–c. early June 1942 before going on to fly combat sorties in the European Theater of Operations and Mediterranean Theater of Operations from 2 October 1942–c. 26 April 1945. [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0032ars.html AFHRA 32 ARS Page] ]

During the Cold War, the squadron trained with electronic countermeasures from 1958–1964 and performed aerial refueling operations worldwide from 1965–1979 and since 1981. From c. 10 June–8 October 1972, all personnel and aircraft were on loan to units in the Pacific or other Strategic Air Command units, leaving the squadron unmanned. It deployed most aircraft and personnel to Southeast Asia from October–December 1972, in support of Operation Linebacker II. It again deployed aircrews and tankers to various locations for air refueling support in Southwest Asia from August 1990–April 1991.

=Operations=

*World War I
*World War II
*Vietnam War
*Operation Desert Storm

=Lineage=

*32d Aero Squadron (1917 - 1923)
*32d Bombardment Squadron (1923 - 1939)
*32d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (1939 - 1944)
*32d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy (1944 - 1945)
*32d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy (1945 - 1948)
*32d Bombardment Squadron, Medium (1948 - 1964)
*32d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy (1964 - 1991)
*32d Air Refueling Squadron (1991 - Present)

=Assignments=

*Third Aviation Instruction Center (1917 - 1919)
*19th Bombardment Group (1932 - 1941)
**Attached: IV Bomber Command (22 October - December 1941)
**Attached: 7th Bombardment Group (c. 8 - 15 December 1941)
*Sierra Bombardment Group (1941 - 1942)
*4th Air Force (1942)
*2nd Air Force (1942)
*301st Bombardment Group (1942 - 1945)
*301st Bombardment Wing (1946 - 1964)
*Strategic Air Command (1964 - 1965)
*301st Air Refueling Wing (1965 - 1979)
*2d Bombardment Wing (1981 - 1992)
*458th Operations Group (1992 - 1995)
*305th Air Mobility Wing (1995 - Present)

=Bases stationed=

*Camp Kelly, Texas (1917)
*Étampes, France (1917)
*Issoudun, France (1917 - 1919)
*Bordeau, France (1919)
*Mitchel Field, New York (1919
*Rockwell Field, California (1932 - 1935)
*March Field, California (1935 - 1941)
*Albuquerque, New Mexico (1941)
*Bakersfield, California (1941 - 1942)
*Geiger Field, Washington (1942)
*Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico (1942)
**Operated From: Muroc Army Air Field, California (c. 28 May - 14 June 1942)
*Richard E. Byrd Field, Virginia (1942)
*RAF Chelveston, England (1942)
*Tafaraoui, Algeria (1942)
*Maison Blanche, Algeria (1942)
*Biskra, Algeria (1942 - 1943)
*Ain M’lila, Algeria (1943)
*Saint-Donat, Algeria (1943)
*Oudna, Algeria (1943)
*Cerignola, Italy (1943 - 1944)
*Lucera, Italy (1944 - 1945)
*Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota (1945)
*Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho (1945)
*Pyote Army Air Field, Texas (1945)
*Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico (1946 - 1947)
*Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas (1947 - 1949)
*Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (1949 - 1958)
**Deployed: RAF Lakenheath, England (16 May - 1 December 1950)
**Deployed: RAF Brize Norton, England (8 December 1952 - 6 March 1953)
**Deployed: Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco (14 February - 15 April 1954)
*Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio (1958 - 1964)
*Rickenbacker Air Force Base, Ohio (1965 - 1979)
*Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (1981 - 1994)
*McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey (1994 - Present)

=Aircraft Operated=

*C-26 Dolphin (1932 - 1935)
*O-27 (1932 - 1935)
*B-12 (1932 - 1935)
*B-3 (1932 - 1935)
*B-10 (1935 - 1941)
*B-18 Bolo (1935 - 1941)
*B-17 Flying Fortress (1935 - 1941, 1942 - 1945)
*B-29 Superfortress (1947 - 1953)
*B-47 Stratojet (1953 - 1961, 1963 - 1964)
*RB-47 Stratojet (1958)
*EB-47 Stratojet (1961 - 1964)
*EC-135 (1965 - 1966)
*KC-135 Stratotanker (1965 - 1979)
*KC-10 Extender (1981 - Present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0032ars.html AFHRA 32d Air Refueling Squadron History]

ee also