32d Air Refueling Squadron

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Lineage

Organized as 32d Aero Squadron on 13 Jun 1917. Demobilized on 14 Apr 1919. Reconstituted, and redesignated 32d Bombardment Squadron, on 24 Mar 1923. Activated on 24 Jun 1932. Redesignated: 32d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 Dec 1939; 32d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, c. 6 Mar 1944; 32d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 5 Aug 1945. Inactivated on 15 Oct 1945. Activated on 4 Aug 1946. Redesignated 32d Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 28 May 1948. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 8 Jun 1964. Redesignated 32d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, and activated, on 23 Dec 1964. Organized on 15 Mar 1965. Inactivated on 30 Sep 1979. Activated on 1 Nov 1981. Redesignated 32d Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1991.

Assignments

Unkn, 13 Jun?Sep 1917; Third Aviation Instruction Center, Sep 1917?Jan 1919; unkn, Jan?14 Apr 1919. 19th Bombardment Group, 24 Jun 1932 (attached to IV Bomber Command, 22 Oct?Dec 1941; apparently attached to 7th Bombardment Group for operations, c. 8?15 Dec 1941); Sierra Bombardment Group, 16 Dec 1941; Fourth Air Force, 17 Jan 1942; Second Air Force, 16 Mar 1942 (attached to 301st Bombardment Group, 16?30 Mar 1942); 301st Bombardment Group, 31 Mar 1942?15 Oct 1945. 301st Bombardment Group, 4 Aug 1946 (attached to 301st Bombardment Wing, 10 Feb 1951?15 Jun 1952); 301st Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952?8 Jun 1964. Strategic Air Command, 23 Dec 1964; 301st Air Refueling Wing, 15 Mar 1965?30 Sep 1979. 2d Bombardment Wing, 1 Nov 1981; 2d Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991; 458th Operations Group, 1 Jun 1992; 305th Operations Group, 1 Jul 1995?.

Stations

Camp Kelly, TX, 13 Jun?11 Aug 1917; Etampes, France, 20 Sep 1917; Issoudun, France, 28 Sep 1917; Bordeau, France, c. 6 Jan?c. 18 Mar 1919; Mitchel Field, NY, c. 5?14 Apr 1919. Rockwell Field, CA, 24 Jun 1932; March Field, CA, 25 Oct 1935; Albuquerque, NM, c. 4 Jun?22 Nov 1941 (air echelon, which was at Hamilton Field, CA, under orders for movement to Philippine Islands at time of Japanese attack on Hawaii on 7 Dec 1941, apparently moved to Muroc, CA, c. 8 Dec 1941; ground echelon departed San Francisco aboard ship on 6 Dec 1941 and returned on 9 Dec 1941); Bakersfield, CA, 17 Dec 1941 (air echelon evidently departed for Southwest Pacific, c. late Dec 1941; concurrently dissolved and personnel assigned to other units); Geiger Field, WA, c. 14 Mar 1942; Alamogordo, NM, 27 May 1942 (operated from Muroc, CA, c. 28 May?14 Jun 1942); Richard E. Byrd Field, VA, 21 Jun?19 Jul 1942; Chelveston, England, 18 Aug 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria, 26 Nov 1942; Maison Blanche, Algeria, 6 Dec 1942; Biskra, Algeria, 16 Dec 1942; Ain M?lila, Algeria, 16 Jan 1943; St?Donat, Algeria, 8 Mar 1943; Oudna, Tunisia, 6 Aug 1943; Cerignola, Italy, 11 Dec 1943; Lucera, Italy, 2 Feb 1944?Jul 1945; Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, 28 Jul 1945; Mountain Home AAFld, ID, 17 Aug 1945; Pyote AAFld, TX, 23 Aug?15 Oct 1945. Clovis AAFld, NM, 4 Aug 1946; Smoky Hill AAFld (later, AFB), KS, 16 Jul 1947; Barksdale AFB, LA, 7 Nov 1949 (deployed at RAF Lakenheath, England, 16 May?1 Dec 1950; Brize Norton RAF Station, England, 8 Dec 1952?6 Mar 1953; and Sidi Slimane AB, French Morocco, 14 Feb?15 Apr 1954); Lockbourne AFB, OH, 15 Apr 1958?8 Jun 1964. Lockbourne (later, Rickenbacker) AFB, OH, 15 Mar 1965?30 Sep 1979. Barksdale AFB, LA, 1 Nov 1981; McGuire AFB, NJ, 1 Sep 1994?.

Aircraft

Included C?26, O?27, B?12, and apparently B?3 during period 1932?1935; included B?10, B?18, and B?17, successively, during period 1935?1941; B?17, 1942?1945. B?29, 1947?1953; B?47, 1953?1961, 1963?1964; RB?47, 1958; E/EB?47, 1961?1964. EC?135, 1965?1966; KC?135, 1965?1972, 1972?1979. KC?10, 1981?.

Operations

Aircraft repair, 1917?1918. Antisubmarine patrols off California Coast, mid?Dec 1941, and c. late May?c. early Jun 1942. Combat in ETO and MTO, 2 Oct 1942?c. 26 Apr 1945. Electronic countermeasures, 1958?1964. Air refueling operations worldwide, 1965?1979 and 1981?. From c. 10 Jun?8 Oct 1972, all personnel and aircraft were on loan to units in Pacific or other SAC units leaving squadron unmanned. Deployed most aircraft and personnel to SEA, Oct?Dec 1972, in support of Linebacker II. Deployed aircrews and tankers to various locations for air refueling support in Southwest Asia, Aug 1990?Apr 1991.

Honors

Service Streamers. World War I Theater of Operations.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Egypt-Libya; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Tunisia, 6 Apr 1943; Germany, 25 Feb 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1961?31 Dec 1962; 1 Oct 1966?1 Apr 1967; 1 Jul 1983?30 Jun 1985; 1 Jul 1985?30 Jun 1986; 1 Jul 1986?30 Jun 1987; 1 Jul 1987?30 Jun 1988; 1 Jul 1988?30 Jun 1989.

Emblem

Celeste, on an equilateral triangle one point to base Azure a stylized eagle Argent grasping two lightning flashes saltirewise Or surmounted in base by a compass rose as a mullet of eight Gules, all within a diminished bordure of the fourth. Approved on 27 Sep 1994; replaced emblems approved on 23 Aug 1982 (DFSC 82?08972), 9 Aug 1966 (KE 20821) and 21 Nov 1936 (8569 A.C.). MOTTO: LINKING THE CONTINENTS. Approved on 9 Aug 1966.

  
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