6th Air Refueling Squadron


 * For the Strategic Air Command 6th Bombardment Squadron, see: 6th Bombardment Squadron

The 6th Air Refueling Squadron (6 ARS) is part of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.

History
Activated in early 1940 as part of the pre-World War II build up of the United States Army Air Corps after the breakout of war in Europe. Assigned to the GHQ Northeast Air District, equipped with pre-production YB-17s; later early model B-17C/D heavy bombers. After the Pearl Harbor Attack. flew antisubmarine patrol missions in the Caribbean from, January–June 1942.

Returned to the United States in June 1942 and was assigned to II Bomber Command. Was an Operational Training (OTU) and later Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for B-17 heavy bomber units and replacement personnel until March 1944 with the end of Heavy Bomber training.

Redgesignated as a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment Squadron under Second Air Force. Deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), assigned to North Field, Guam under XXI Bomber Command. Flew very long range strategic bombardment missions over the Japanese Home Islands, attacking military, industrial and transportation targets. Switched to night incendiary raids attacking major Japanese cities in the spring of 1945, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Continued strategic bombing raids and incendiary attacks until Japanese Capitulation in August 1945.

Squadron remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft scrapped on Tinian; others flown to storage depots in the United States. Remained as a paper unit assigned to Twentieth Air Force until inactivated in early 1948.

The 6th performed air refueling training from, 1959–1962 and flew worldwide air refueling from, 1963–1967, including support of tactical aircraft flying in Southeast Asia. The squadron has again flown worldwide air refueling since 1989, including support of deployments to Southwest Asia from, 1990–1991. It provided humanitarian airlift to Somalia from, 1992–1993.

On 19 Sep 1985 the 6th Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 6th Bombatdment Squadron (Very Heavy), a unit that was last active 27 Jun 1949. This action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachment 2 (Inactive Units), 19 Sep 1985. The Consolidated Unit will retain the Designation of 6th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy".

Lineage

 * Constituted as 6 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 Dec 1939
 * Activated on 1 Feb 1940
 * Redesignated as 6 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 28 Mar 1944
 * Inactivated on 1 Apr 1944


 * Activated on 1 Apr 1944
 * Inactivated on 20 May 1946


 * Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jun 1947
 * Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949


 * Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the 6 Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, which was constituted on 6 Apr 1951
 * Activated on 10 Apr 1951
 * Inactivated on 1 Aug 1951


 * Redesignated as 6 Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 1 Apr 1957
 * Activated on 1 Nov 1957
 * Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jan 1967


 * Activated on 3 Jan 1989
 * Redesignated as '''6 Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1991

Assignments

 * 29th Bombardment Group, 1 Feb 1940-1 Apr 1944; 1 Apr 1944-20 May 1946
 * Tenth Air Force, 15 Jun 1947
 * 482d Bombardment Group, 30 Sep 1947-27 Jun 1949
 * 6th Bombardment Group, 10 Apr-1 Aug 1951
 * Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Nov 1957
 * 6th Bombardment (later, 6 Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 3 Jan 1958-25 Jan 1967
 * 22d Air Refueling Wing, 3 Jan 1989
 * 22d Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991
 * 722d Operations Group, 1 Jan 1994
 * 60th Operations Group, 1 Aug 1995–Present

Bases stationed

 * Langley Field, Virginia, 1 February 1940
 * MacDill Field, Florida 21 May 1940
 * Gowen Field, Idaho 25 June 1942 – 1 April 1944
 * Pratt Army Airfield, Kansas 1 April – 7 December 1944
 * North Field, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 17 January 1945 – 20 May 1946
 * Barksdale Field (later, AFB), Louisiana, 15 Jun 1947-27 Jun 1949
 * Walker AFB, New Mexico, 10 Apr-1 Aug 1951
 * Bergstrom AFB, Texas, 1 Nov 1957
 * Walker AFB, New Mexico, 3 Jan 1958-25 Jan 1967
 * March AFB, California, 3 Jan 1989
 * Travis AFB, California, 1 Aug 1995–Present

Aircraft Operated

 * YB-17 (1940)
 * B-17 Flying Fortress (1940–1943, 1944)
 * B-18 Bolo (1940–1941)
 * B-24 Liberator (1943–1944)
 * B-29 Superfortress (1944–1946)
 * AT-6 Texan (1947–1949)
 * AT-11 Kansan (1947–1949)
 * KB-29 (1951) (Unit Disbanded prior receiving / completing aircraft assignment)
 * KC-135 Stratotanker (1958–1967)
 * KC-10 Extender (1989–Present)

Operations

 * World War II
 * Operation Restore Hope