9th Air Refueling Squadron

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9th Air Refueling Squadron
Official crest of the 9th Air Refueling Squadron
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	Air Force
Size	over 140 combat-ready personnel
Part of	Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force 15th Mobility Task Force 60th Air Mobility Wing 60th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Travis Air Force Base
Motto	"UNIVERSAL"
Equipment	(12x) KC-10A Extender
Decorations	see "Lineage and honors" section below

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 world-wide locations, and is still performing a global mission (some to remote forward operating location), during wartime, humanitarian operations, and exercises.

1 History
- 1.1 Background of name
2 Mission
3 Operations
4 Lineage and honors
5 Emblem
6 Assignments
7 Components
8 Stations
9 Aerospace vehicles
10 Commanders
11 References
12 External links

[edit] History

The 9th Photographic Squadron performed combat photo reconnaissance in the China-Burma-India Theater from 1 December 1942 through 14 April 1945. Then the unit transferred their mission to worldwide air refueling, and with a name change to the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, received KB-29 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.

[edit] Background of name

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

[edit] Mission

The stated mission of the 9th ARS is “Global Reach — Global Power”.

[edit] Operations

The 9th ARS is one of only two squadrons to refuel the SR-71 Blackbird with KC-135 Stratotanker air refueler aircraft. The 9th ARS also has a proud legacy of participation in Air Force Operations such as:

Desert Strike
Phoenix Scorpion I
Phoenix Scorpion II
Phoenix Scorpion III
Phoenix Scorpion IV
CentrazBat
Phoenix Banner (presidential support)
Allied Force
Desert Fox
Urgent Fury

[edit] Lineage and honors

Constituted as 9th Photographic Squadron on 19 January 1942. Activated on 1 February 1942. Redesignated as 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 9 June 1942; 9th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943; 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943. Inactivated on 4 December 1945.

Consolidated with the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium (which was constituted on 24 July 1951), and 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.

[edit] Service streamers

This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:

none

[edit] Campaign streamers

This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:

World War II: New Guinea; Central Pacific; India-Burma; Central Burma; China Defensive.

[edit] Armed forces expeditionary streamers

This unit earned the following organizational expeditionary streamers:

none

[edit] Decorations

This unit earned the following organizational decorations:

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (4): 1 January 1957–31 January 1958; 1 August 1982–30 June 1983; 1 July 1987–30 June 1989; 1 July 1989–30 June 1991.

[edit] Awards

[edit] Emblem

On a Blue disc edged with a narrow Blue border fimbriated Red, a Red elliptical globe, rimmed and grid lined White. Issuing from the rim in sinister and arced to form the figure 9, a spiralling White contrail terminating below a Red and White ascending flight symbol. MOTTO: UNIVERSAL. (Approved on 19 July 1971)

New replacement emblem approved on 2 December 1954.

[edit] Assignments

First Air Force, 1 February 1942; Tenth Air Force, 29 March 1942 (flight attached to Fourteenth Air Force, 10 March 1943–12 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, and to Tenth Air Force, 17 January 1944–6 March 1944); Tenth Air Force, 7 March 1944; 8th Photographic (later, 8th Reconnaissance) Group, 25 April 1944; Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, c. October 1945–4 December 1945.

9th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1951 (attached to 43d Bombardment Wing, 1 August 1951–3 September 1951; 36th Air Division, 4 September 1951–14 January 1952; 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 1955–16 July 1955; SAC Liaison Team, 2 May 1956–1 July 1956).

456th Strategic Aerospace (later, 456 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–.

[edit] Components

none

[edit] Stations

Mitchel Field (later, Mitchel Air Force Base), New York, 1 February 1942; Bradley Field (later, Bradley International Airport), Connecticut, 10 March 1942; Felts Field (later, Felts Field Airport), Washington, 16 April 1942–18 May 1942; Karachi, India, 24 July 1942 (flight at Kunming, Yunnan province, China, November 1942–12 July 1943, with detachment thereof operating from Kweilin, China, c. February 1943–2 July 1943); Chakulia, India, 30 November 1942 (detachment operated from Dinjan, India, 18 March 1943–July 1943); Pandaveswar, India, 3 January 1943 (detachment operated from Dinjan, India, c. September 1943–20 May 1944); Barrackpore, India, 29 October 1943 (detachment operated from Tingkawk Sakan, Burma (later, Myanmar), 16 August 1944–30 November 1944, and from Myitkyina, Burma, 27 November 1944–c.5 December 1944; another detachment operated from Chittagong, India, c.9 October 1944–21 December 1944); Myitkyina, Burma, c.5 December 1944; Piardoba, India, c.1 May 1945; Malir, India, c. October 1945–c.14 November 1945; Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 3 December 1945–4 December 1945.