32d Air Refueling Squadron

The 32d Air Refueling Squadron (32 ARS) is part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.

The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, its origins dating to 13 June 1917, being organized at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron deployed to England as part of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I. The squadron saw combat during World War II, and later became part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the Cold War.

World War I
Established as an Army Signal Corps aero squadron in June 1917; deployed to France in September 1917. In France, the 32d served as an aircraft repair unit 1917–1918. Served as part of the Army of Occupation in the Rhineland after the 1918 armistice and returned to the United States in April 1919; inactivated.

Inter-war years
Re-established and activated as an Army Air Corps bombardment squadron in 1932; assigned to California where the squadron flew a mixture of transport; observation and bombers. Received B-18 Bolo medium and early model YB-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers in 1935; subsequently B-17B and B-17Cs in the late 1930s.

World War II
At the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the squadron was under orders to move to the Philippines. A portion of the squadron had already set sail from San Francisco on 6 December only to return on 9 December. The air echelon dispersed to Muroc Army Airfield after the attack for a possible attack on Japanese forces that might attack the California Coast. Later in December the air echelon was assigned to the Sierra Bombardment Group, which deployed to Australia, where it was dissolved and personnel assigned to other squadrons which had withdrawn from the Philippines.

Squadron was reformed in the United States in March 1942, by a redesignation of the newly established 354th Bombardment Squadron; trained under Second Air Force. Flew antisubmarine patrols off the California coast from, late May–early June 1942, then over the Mid-Atlantic coast during June–July 1942. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO) in August 1942, being assigned to VIII Bomber Command, one of the first B-17 heavy bomb squadrons assigned to England. Engaged in strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe, attacking enemy military and industrial targets. Reassigned to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) as part of Operation Torch invasion of North Africa. Operated from desert airfields in Algeria and Tunisia during North African and Tunisian campaign. Assigned to Northwest African Strategic Air Force during Invasion of Sicily and later Italy in 1943. Allocated to Fifteenth Air Force for strategic bombing of Nazi Germany and occupied Europe. Attacked enemy targets primarily in the Balkans; Southern France; Southern Germany and Austria from southern Italy; engaged in shuttle bombing missions to airfields in the Soviet Union during the summer of 1944.

Personnel largely demobilized after German capitulation in May 1945; squadron reassigned to the United States and was programmed for conversion to B-29 Superfortress operations and deployment to Pacific Theater, plans canceled after Japanese capitulation in August 1945. Aircraft sent to storage and unit inactivated largely as a paper unit in October 1945.

Cold War
Reactivated in 1946 as a Strategic Air Command B-29 squadron. Deployed to Furstenfeldbruck AB, Germany, July-August 1948; to RAF Station Scrampton, England, October 1948-January 1949; and to RAF Stations Lakenheath and Sculthorpe, May-November 1950 for "show of force" missions in Europe as a result of the Berlin Blockade by the Soviet Union and rising Cold War tensions in Europe. Equipped in 1953 with B-47 Stratojets; the squadron trained with electronic countermeasures from 1958–1964 and performed aerial refueling operations worldwide from 1965–1979 and since 1981. From c. 10 June–8 October 1972, all personnel and aircraft were on loan to units in the Pacific or other Strategic Air Command units, leaving the squadron unmanned. It deployed most aircraft and personnel to Southeast Asia October–December 1972, in support of Operation Linebacker II. It again deployed aircrews and tankers to various locations for air refueling support in Southwest Asia from August 1990–April 1991.

Modern era
The 32d received the first KC-10A delivered to the Air Force, at Barksdale AFB, on 17 March 1981.

Lineage

 * Organized as 32d Aero Squadron on 13 June 1917
 * Demobilized on 14 April 1919


 * Reconstituted, and redesignated 32d Bombardment Squadron, on 24 March 1923
 * Activated on 24 June 1932
 * Redesignated: 32d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 December 1939
 * Redesignated: 32d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, c. 6 March 1944
 * Redesignated: 32d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 5 August 1945
 * Inactivated on 15 October 1945


 * Activated on 4 August 1946
 * Redesignated 32d Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 28 May 1948
 * Discontinued, and inactivated, on 8 June 1964


 * Redesignated 32d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, and activated, on 23 December 1964
 * Organized on 15 March 1965
 * Inactivated on 30 September 1979


 * Activated on 1 November 1981
 * Redesignated 32d Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991

Assignments

 * Unknown, 13 June-September 1917
 * Third Aviation Instruction Center, September 1917-January 1919
 * Unknown, January-14 April 1919
 * 19th Bombardment Group, 24 June 1932
 * Attached to IV Bomber Command, 22 October-December 1941;
 * Apparently attached to 7th Bombardment Group for operations, c. 8–15 December 1941


 * Sierra Bombardment Group, 16 December 1941
 * Fourth Air Force, 17 January 1942
 * Second Air Force, 16 March 1942
 * Attached to 301st Bombardment Group, 16–30 March 1942


 * 301st Bombardment Group, 31 March 1942-15 October 1945; 4 August 1946
 * Attached to 301st Bombardment Wing, 10 February 1951-15 June 1952


 * 301st Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952-8 June 1964
 * Strategic Air Command, 23 December 1964
 * 301st Air Refueling Wing, 15 March 1965-30 September 1979
 * 2nd Bombardment Wing, 1 November 1981
 * 2nd Operations Group, 1 September 1991
 * 458th Operations Group, 1 June 1992
 * 305th Operations Group, 1 July 1995–present

Stations

 * Camp Kelly, Texas 13 June-11 August 1917
 * Étampes, France 20 September 1917
 * Issoudun, France 28 September 1917
 * Bordeaux, France c. 6 January-c. 18 March 1919
 * Mitchel Field, New York c. 5–14 April 1919
 * Rockwell Field, California 24 June 1932
 * March Field, California 25 October 1935
 * Albuquerque, New Mexico c. 4 June-22 November 1941
 * Air echelon, which was at Hamilton Field, CA, under orders for movement to Philippine Islands at time of Japanese attack on Hawaii on 7 December 1941, apparently moved to Muroc, CA, c. 8 December 1941
 * Ground echelon departed San Francisco aboard ship on 6 December 1941 and returned on 9 December 1941


 * Bakersfield, California 17 December 1941
 * Air echelon evidently departed for Southwest Pacific, c. late December 1941; concurrently dissolved and personnel assigned to other units


 * Geiger Field, Washingtonc. 14 March 1942
 * Air echelon re-manned and re-equipped from inactivating 354th Bombardment Squadron


 * Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico 27 May 1942
 * Operated From: Muroc Army Air Field, California (c. 28 May - 14 June 1942)


 * Richard E. Byrd Field, Virginia 21 June-19 July 1942


 * RAF Chelveston, England 18 August 1942
 * Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria 26 November 1942
 * Maison Blanche Airport, Algiers, Algeria, 6 December 1942
 * Biskra Airfield, Algeria 16 December 1942
 * Ain M'lila Airfield, Algeria 16 January 1943
 * Saint-Donat Airfield, Algeria 8 March 1943
 * Oudna Airfield, Tunisia 6 August 1943
 * Cerignola Airfield, Italy 11 December 1943
 * Lucera Airfield, Italy 2 February 1944-July 1945
 * Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota 28 July 1945
 * Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho 17 August 1945
 * Pyote Army Air Field, Texas 23 August-15 October 1945
 * Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico 4 August 1946
 * Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas 16 July 1947
 * Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana 7 November 1949
 * Deployed: RAF Lakenheath, England (16 May - 1 December 1950)
 * Deployed: RAF Brize Norton, England (8 December 1952 - 6 March 1953)
 * Deployed: Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco (14 February - 15 April 1954)
 * Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio 15 March 1965-30 September 1979
 * Rickenbacker Air Force Base, Ohio 1 November 1981
 * Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (1981–1994)
 * Mc Guire AFB (later Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst), New Jersey 1 September 1994–present

Aircraft

 * C-26 Dolphin (1932–1935)
 * O-27 (1932–1935)
 * B-12 (1932–1935)
 * B-3 (1932–1935)
 * B-10 (1935–1941)
 * B-18 Bolo (1935–1941)
 * B-17 Flying Fortress (1935–1941, 1942–1945)


 * B-29 Superfortress (1947–1953)
 * B-47 Stratojet (1953–1961, 1963–1964)
 * RB-47 Stratojet (1958)
 * EB-47 Stratojet (1961–1964)
 * EC-135 (1965–1966)
 * KC-135 Stratotanker (1965–1979)
 * KC-10 Extender (1981–present)