18th Air Refueling Squadron

The 18th Air Refueling Squadron (18 ARS) is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 931st Operations Group, stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.

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

History
During World War II the 18th flew airborne assaults on Sicily, Myitkyina, Burma, and Southern France in addition to supporting partisans in Northern Italy from January to May 1945 and conducting aerial transportation in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and briefly in the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI). It flew strategic and tactical airlift missions from 1948 to 1954 and 1962 to 1967. The squadron provided tactical airlift training for US and subsequently South Vietnamese pilots and crews from 1969 to 1972.

This unit has flown worldwide air refueling missions since 1995.

Operations

 * World War II
 * Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily)
 * Operation Dragoon (the invasion of southern France)
 * Operation Joint Endeavor (Peacekeeping in Bosnia Herzegovina)
 * Operation Joint Guard (Peacekeeping in Bosnia Herzegovina), June 21 1996 - June 19 1998
 * Operation Joint Forge (Peacekeeping in Bosnia Herzegovina), June 201998 - February 12 2004
 * Southern Watch (enforcing a no-fly zone in pre-war southern Iraq)
 * Northern Watch (enforcing a no-fly zone in pre-war northern Iraq)
 * Operation Desert Fox (December 1998 bombing of Iraq)
 * Operation Enduring Freedom (The Global War on Terror)
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003 Iraq War)
 * Operation Noble Eagle ( US homeland security)

Lineage

 * 18th Transport Squadron (1940–1942)
 * 18th Troop Carrier Squadron (1942–1948)
 * 18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy (1948–1952)
 * 18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium (1952–1966)
 * 18th Troop Carrier Squadron (1966–1969)
 * 18th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron (1969–1994)
 * 18th Air Refueling Squadron (1994–Present)

Assignments

 * 64th Troop Carrier Group (1940–1945)
 * 5700th Composite Wing (1948–1949)
 * 64th Troop Carrier Group (1952–1954)
 * Tactical Air Command (1961–1962)
 * 64th Troop Carrier Wing (1962–1963)
 * 516th Troop Carrier Wing (1963)


 * 314th Troop Carrier Wing (1963–1965)
 * 317th Tactical Airlift Wing (1965–1967)
 * 516th Tactical Airlift Wing (1969–1972)
 * 463d Tactical Airlift Wing (1972)
 * 931st Air Refueling Group (1995–Present)

Stations

 * McClellan Field, California (1940–1941)
 * March Field, California (1941–1942)
 * Westover Field, Massachusetts (1942)
 * RAF Ramsbury, England (1942)
 * Operated From: Maison Blanche, Algeria (11 November - December 1942)


 * Blida Airfield, Algeria (1942–1943)
 * Kairouan Airfield, Tunisia (1943)
 * El Djem Airfield, Tunisia (1943)
 * Comiso Airfield, Italy (1943–1944)
 * Operated From: India (April - June 1944)


 * Ciampino Airfield, Italy (1944–1945)
 * Operated From: Istres Air Base, France (7 September - 11 November 1944)


 * Rosignano Airfield, Italy (1945)
 * Waller Field, Trinidad (1945)
 * Albrook Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone (1948–1949)
 * Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina (1952–1954)
 * Dyess Air Force Base, Texas (1962–1963)
 * Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee (1963–1965)
 * Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio (1965–1967)
 * Dyess Air Force Base, Texas (1969–1972)
 * McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas (1995–Present)

Aircraft Operated

 * C-47 Skytrain (1941–1945)
 * C-54 Skymaster (1948–1949)
 * C-82 Packet (1951–1953)
 * C-119 Flying Boxcar (1953–1954)
 * C-130 Hercules (1962–1967)
 * C-7 Caribou (1969–1972)
 * KC-135 Stratotanker (1995–Present)