11th Air Refueling Squadron

The 11th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 340th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Altus AFB, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 1 October 1994.

History
During World War II the squadron trained crews and technicians for photographic reconnaissance and mapping, 1942-1944.

Reactivated in 1955 under Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a KC-97 air refueling squadron, it participated in SAC tests, exercises, and air refueling operations and other Air Force commands in North America, Europe, and the Pacific Far East, and Southeast Asia, from 1955 onward. It won numerous wards for its operational performance.

It was upgraded in 1965 to the KC-135 Stratotanker jet. In 1972 the 11th supported two large-scale aircraft movements to Southeast Asia, 5-6 and 8–9 April, and on 12 May and over the next three days it deployed all available tankers and crews at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand. About one-half of squadron personnel formed a rear echelon at Altus AFB. The forward echelon manned the 4101st Air Refueling Squadron, Provisional. Some 11th ARS personnel were returning to Altus AFB on 4 Nov 1972, but some of the squadron remained on temporary duty in SEA. By January 1973 about half of the 11th’s KC-135s had returned and by June 1973 all aircraft and crews had returned. The 11th continued its normal SEA support as well as its many other global commitments. The squadron refueled its first C-5 Galaxy on 1 May 1974.

The squadron's resources were divided on 1 Jul 1977, a part being retained by the 11th, the remainder used to man the new 340th Air Refueling Group, Heavy, and the 340th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. The new group was assigned to the 19th Air Division and the 11th to the group.

On 19 Sep 1985 the 11th Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 11th Combat Mapping Squadron, a unit that was last active 1 May 1944. This action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachment 1 (Active Units), 19 Sep 1985. The Consolidated Unit will retain the Designation of 11th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy".

The squadron was inactivated in 1994 as part of the drawdown of the USAF after the end of the Cold War.

Lineage

 * Constituted as the 5th Mapping Squadron on 1 May 1942
 * Activated on 7 May 1942
 * Redesignated the 11th Photographic Mapping Squadron on 9 Jun 1942
 * Redesignated the 11th Photographic Squadron (Heavy) on 6 Feb 1943
 * Redesignated the 11th Combat Mapping Squadron on 11 Aug 1943
 * Disbanded on 1 May 1944


 * Reconstituted, and constituted (19 Sep 1985) with 11th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy
 * Constituted as the 11th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 10 Aug 1955
 * Activated on 1 Dec 1955
 * Redesignated the 11th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, on 15 Sep 1958
 * Redesignated the 11th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 25 Jun 1965
 * Redesignated the 11th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1991
 * Inactivated on 1 Oct 1994

Assignments

 * 2d Photographic (later Photographic and Mapping; Photographic Reconnaissance) Group, 7 May 1942 – 1 May 1944
 * 11th Bombardment Wing, 10 Aug 1955
 * 341st Bombardment Wing, 1 Dec 1955
 * 4050th Air Refueling Wing, 1 Jun 1960
 * 499th Air Refueling Wing, 1 Jan 1963
 * 820th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 Jul 1964
 * 11th Strategic Aerospace (later, 11th Air Refueling) Wing, 25 Jun 1965
 * 19th Air Division, 25 Mar 1969
 * 17th Strategic Aerospace Division, 2 Jul 1969
 * 47th Air Division, 31 Mar 1970
 * 19th Air Division, 30 Jun 1971
 * 340th Air Refueling Group (later Wing), 1 Jul 1977
 * 340th Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991
 * 97th Operations Group, 1 Oct 1992
 * 457th Operations Group, 1 Jul 1993 – 1 Oct 1994

Stations

 * Bradley Field, Connecticut, 7 May 1942
 * Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, 13 May 1942
 * Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 14 Oct 1943 – 1 May 1944
 * Abilene (later, Dyess) AFB, Texas, 10 Aug 1955 – 1 Jun 1960
 * Dover AFB, Delaware, 1 Jun 1960 – 25 Jun 1965
 * Altus AFB, Oklahoma, 25 Jun 1965 – 1 Oct 1994

Aircraft

 * Primarily B-17/F-7 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator, 1942–1943
 * KC-97 Stratotanker, 1956–1965
 * KC-135 Stratotanker, 1965–1994

Decorations

 * Air Force Outstanding Unit Award [[File:Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg]]
 * 1 Jul 1980 – 30 Jun 1982
 * 1 Jul 1971-30 Jun 1973
 * 1 Jan 1963 – 31 Dec 1974
 * 1 Sep 1956-11 Apr 1957