431st Air Refueling Squadron

The 431st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4440th Aircraft Delivery Group at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 8 Mar 1965.

History
The 431st Air Refueling Squadron was established in 1957 by Tactical Air Command (TAC) to provide a dedicated air refueling capability, initially for F-100 Super Sabres, and later for other in-flight refueling capable TAC bombers, fighters and fighter bombers. The squadron was briefly equipped on activation with KB-29M Stratofortresses transferred from Strategic Air Command (SAC). These aircraft were bombers converted to tankers using a British-developed hose refueling system.

The 431st re-equipped in June 1957 with the Boeing KB-50 Superfortress, which provided greater speed to refuel jet aircraft. KB-50s were modified about 1960 to KB-50J configuration which added a J-47 turbojet engine underneath each wing in place of the auxiliary fuel tanks to increase the speed of the aircraft.

By 1964 the unit's aircraft were phased out due to age. They were being replaced by SAC Boeing KC-97 Stratotankers and Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers The squadron inactivated in early 1966 and its KB-50Js were sent to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. When inactivated the squadron was the last USAF KB-50 unit.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 431st Air Refueling Squadron, Fighter-Bomber on 1 January 1957
 * Activated on 8 January 1957
 * Redesignated 431st Air Refueling Squadron, Tactical on 1 July 1958
 * Inactivated on 8 March 1965

Assignments

 * Ninth Air Force, 8 January 1957 (attached to 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing after 1 April)
 * 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 November 1957
 * 4505th Air Refueling Wing, 1 July 1958
 * 4440th Aircraft Delivery Group, 8 October 1963 - 8 March 1965

Stations

 * Turner AFB, Georgia, 24 April 1957
 * Biggs AFB, Texas, 1 July 1959 - 8 March 1965

Aircraft

 * KB-29M Superfortress, 1957
 * KB-50/KB-50J Superfortress, 1957-1965