92d Air Refueling Squadron

The 92d Air Refueling Squadron (92 ARS) is part of the 92d Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.

Mission
The squadron operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.

World War II
Established as a B-18 Bolo reconnaissance squadron; assigned to Third Air Force although stationed in California for maritime patrol duty off the west coast. Deployed to Louisiana after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, engaged in antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico.

Redesignated as the 392d Bombardment Squadron in April 1942, returned to California and flew antisubmarine patrols off the west coast while also conducting replacement training from, January 1942–c. July 1943.

Re-equipped with Very Long Range (VLR) B-24 Liberators and deployed to the Central Pacific in November 1943 to take part in the island hopping campaign. Moved to Funafuti Airfield, Nanumea in the Gilbert Islands. Mounted bombing raids against enemy installations on those islands. It also raided airfields in the Marshall Islands to help prevent the launching of Japanese planes against the amphibious assault on Tarawa.

Staging through the recently captured Tarawa and Mankin Islands, the squadron attacked several atolls in the Marshalls, including Kwajalein. Between November 14, 1943 and April 1, 1944, the squadron carried out bombing missions over the Marshall Islands and participated in the actual invasion of Kwajalein in February 1944.

As the war moved closer to Japan, the squadron attacked Truk. The 392d also bombed Wake Island, Guam, Saipan, and harassed other islands in the Carolines and Marianas, bypassed by American amphibious forces.

In August 1944, the squadron moved to East Field, Saipan in the Mariana Islands. During the next six months, the 38th conducted intensive bombing strikes against airfields and shipping at Bonin and Volcano Islands, Iwo Jima, ChiChi Jima, and Yap. Its final bombing mission was at Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, the same day three Marine divisions invaded the island.

In March 1945, the 392d returned to Hawaii on the popular but mistaken rumor that it was to be reequipped with B-32 Dominators. Instead, many of the crews and planes were reassigned to the 11th Bombardment Group and subsequently served with it. The remaining elements waited out the war conducting training sorties and routine patrols. Inactivated on 20 March 1946.

Cold War
The 92d Air Refueling Squadron was activated on 1 July 1957 when it assumed the mission, personnel, and aircraft of the inactivating 506th Air Refueling Squadron as Strategic Air Command transferred the 42d Air Division and its fighter resources at Bergstrom Air Force Base to Tactical Air Command.

Has flown worldwide air refueling since reactivation. It furnished tankers and crews to support combat in Southeast Asia between 1965 and 1975 and to Southwest Asia from, 15 August 1990–15 April 1991.

Lineage

 * Constituted 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940
 * Activated on 15 January 1941


 * Redesignated: 392d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942
 * Redesignated: 392d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 5 May 1943
 * Inactivated on 30 November 1945


 * Consolidated (19 September 1985) with 92d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, which was constituted on 12 February 1957
 * Activated on 1 July 1957
 * Redesignated 92 Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991.

Assignments

 * General Headquarters Air Force
 * Attached to 30th Bombardment Group, 15 January 1941


 * III Bomber Command
 * Remained attached to 30th Bombardment Group, 4 September 1941
 * Associated with: 1st Photographic Group, 10 Jun 1941-22 Apr 1942 (training)


 * 30th Bombardment Group, 22 April 1942-30 November 1945
 * 92d Bombardment (later, 92d Strategic Aerospace; 92d Bombardment) Wing, 1 July 1957
 * Attached to Second Air Force, 1 July-13 September 1957


 * 92d Operations Group, 1 September 1991
 * 453rd Operations Group, 1 June 1992
 * 92d Operations Group, 1 July 1994–present

Bases stationed

 * March Field, California, 15 January 1941
 * New Orleans Airport, Louisiana, 5 May 1941
 * Muroc Army Airfield, California, 25 December 1941
 * Hammer Field, California, 27 February 1942
 * Detachment operated from San Diego Airport, California, 10 April-11 May 1942


 * March Field, California, 15 July 1942-28 September 1943
 * Barking Sands Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 20 October 1943
 * Canton Airfield, Gilbert Islands, 10 November 1943


 * Abemama Airfield, Gilbert Islands, 10 January 1944
 * Kwajalein Airfield, Marshall Islands, 17 March 1944
 * East Field, Saipan, Mariana Islands, 4 August 1944
 * Kipapa Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 18 March 1945
 * Kahuku Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 29 September-30 November 1945
 * Bergstrom AFB, Texas, 1 July 1957
 * Fairchild AFB, Washington, 14 September 1957–present

Aircraft Operated

 * B-18 Bolo (1941)
 * B-17 Flying Fortress (1941)
 * LB-30 (1942)
 * B-24 Liberator (1943–1945)
 * KB-29 Superfortress (1957)
 * KC-135 Stratotanker (1958–present)

Operations

 * World War II
 * Vietnam War
 * Operation Desert Storm