912th Air Refueling Squadron

912th Air Refueling Squadron
912th Air Refueling Squadron Patch
Active	15 June 1942 - 28 August 1945 16 July 1947 - 27 June 1949 3 August 1961 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Aerial refueling
Part of	Air Mobility Command 4th Air Force 452d Air Mobility Wing 452d Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	March Air Reserve Base
Decorations	DUC AFOUA
Aircraft flown
Tanker	KC-135 Stratotanker

Emblem of the World War II 412th Bombardment Squadron

The 912th Air Refueling Squadron (912 ARS) is an "Active Associate" organization, a full-time active duty Regular Air Force squadron located with and assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March Air Reserve Base, California, while administrative control is maintained by the Air Mobility Command's 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. The squadron operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling and other air mobility missions.

History

The squadron flew combat missions in the European Theater of Operations from, 13 May 1943–20 April 1945. It conducted long distance aerial refueling from, 1961–1972 and worldwide aerial refueling, beginning 1973. The 912th gained also flew EC–135 airborne command post missions from, 1984–1989. On 19 Sep 1985 the 912th Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 412th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), a unit that was last active 27 Jun 1949. Thia action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachme1 (Active Units), 19 Sep 1985 The Consolidated Unit retains the Designation of "912th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy". The 912th supported operations in Grenada, 23–24 October 1983, Panama, 18–21 December 1989, and Southwest Asia, August 1990–March 1991.^[1]

The squadron was deactivated at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota on 20 Mar 2009 pursuant to BRAC 2005 action which directed the transition of Grand Forks AFB from an air refueling mission to an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft mission with the RQ-4 Global Hawk.^[2]

The squadron was reactivated at March ARB, California on 3 Dec 2010 as an Active Associate organization, an active duty Regular Air Force flying unit assigned to an Air Force Reserve Command flying unit, with both organizations operating the same aircraft. As part of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing (452 AMW) at March, the 912th is an active duty squadron that will work in tandem with March's 336th Air Refueling Squadron and 452nd Maintenance Group, flying and maintaining the KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft as the 912th previously did at Grand Forks. However, the 912 ARS will remain under the administrative control of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) at Fairchild AFB, Washington.^[3]

Operations and Decorations

• Combat Operations: Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO), 13 May 1943-20 Apr 1945. Gained EC-135 airborne command post mission, 1984-1989. Supported operations in Grenada, 23-24 Oct 1983; Panama, 18-21 Dec 1989; and Southwest Asia, Aug 1990-Mar 1991. Performed aerial refueling operations in support of various missions including: Joint Task Force Southwest Asia; effort to monitor airspace over Bosnia; humanitarian missions in Haiti, Rwanda and Cuba; and NATO actions, 1996-. Deployed aircraft and personnel in support of homeland defense after terrorist attacked the US on 11 Sep 2001.

• Campaigns: World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

• Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 17 Aug 1943; Munster, Germany, 10 Oct 1943; Berlin, Germany, 4 Mar 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: [1 Dec] 1961-31 Mar 1962; 1 Jul 1976-30 Jun 1978; 1 Jul 1982-30 Jun 1984; 1 Jul 1984-30 Jun 1986; 1 Oct 1993-30 Jun 1995; 1 Jul 1995-30 Jun 1997; 1 Jul 2000-30 Jun 2002; 1 Jul 2002-30 Jun 2004; 1 Jul 2004-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2005-30 Jun 2006; 1 Jul 2006-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2007-20 Mar 2009.

Lineage

• Constituted as 22d Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942

Re-designated as 412th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 Apr 1942

Activated on 15 Jun 1942

Re-designated as 412th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 20 Aug 1943

Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945

• Re-designated as 412th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 9 Jul 1947

Activated in the Reserve on 16 Jul 1947

Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949

• Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with 912th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, which was constituted, and activated, on 3 Aug 1961

Organized on 1 Dec 1961

Re-designated as 912th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1991.

Assignments

• 95th Bombardment Group, 15 Jun 1942-28 Aug 1945; 16 Jul 1947-27 Jun 1949
• Strategic Air Command, 3 Aug 1961
• 4137th Strategic Wing, 1 Dec 1961
• 465th Bombardment Wing, 1 Feb 1963
• 19th Bombardment (later, 19th Air Refueling) Wing, 25 Jul 1968
• 19th Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991
• 319th Operations Group, 1 Apr 1994
• 92d Operations Group, 1 Oct 2010-Present

Stations

Aircraft

• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942-1945
• KC-135 Stratotanker, 1962-Present
• EC-135, 1984-1989.

References

	United States Air Force portal
	Military of the United States portal
	World War II portal

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
• AFHRA 912th Air Refueling Squadron History

See also

v t e Air Mobility Command (AMC) Numbered Air Forces Eighteenth Air Force Command Organizations 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force · 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force · 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center) · USAF Expeditionary Center · Special Air Mission Bases Andrews · Charleston · Dover · Fairchild · Grand Forks · Little Rock · MacDill · McChord · McConnell · McGuire · Pope · Scott · Travis Groups 317th Airlift  · 463rd Airlift Wings Air Base 87th · 628th Air Mobility 6th · 60th · 305th · 375th · Air Refueling 22nd · 92nd · 319th Airlift 19th  · 43rd · 62nd · 89th · 436th · 437th Air Mobility Operations 515th · 521st Contingency Response 615th · 621st

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