99th Air Refueling Squadron

The 99th Air Refueling Squadron (99 ARS) is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at Birmingham Air National Guard Base, Alabama. It is an Active Associate Unit; an active duty component assigned with the 117th Air Refueling Wing. The 99th Air Refueling Squadron works with, supports and flies the 117th Air Refueling Wing's KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft.

History
Established in early 1942 initially as a long-range B-17 Flying Fortress reconnaissance squadron, later being redesignated as a heavy bomb squadron before activation in July. Was assigned to II Bomber Command as a heavy bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU). The squadron was assigned primarily to airfields in the Pacific Northwest under II BC; performing training of new units, then becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Reassigned to III Bomber Command in November 1943 when Second Air Force began to exclusively train B-29 Superfortress aircrews. Continued as a B-17 RTU until the end of heavy bomber training of replacement aircrews in May 1944; was inactivated.

Reactivated in 1957 as a KC-135 Stratotanker squadron under Strategic Air Command. It conducted Theater and overseas aerial refueling, beginning in 1958, including support of operations in Southeast Asia between 1965 and 1973. The 99th also had an airborne command post mission from, 1965–1970. It has flown worldwide aerial refueling missions since 1983 and airborne command post mission between 1984 and 1991.

The 99th supported operations in Grenada, 23–24 Oct 1983, Panama, 18–21 Dec 1989, Southwest Asia, Aug 1990 – Mar 1991, and over Bosnia, Jan–Feb 1995 and Aug 1996. It Provided personnel and aircraft for refueling aircraft enforcing no-fly zones over Iraq in 1996. In 1997 and 1998, unit resources refueled airplanes flying continuing missions along the border of Iraq in Southwest Asia. In 1998 and 1999, the squadron also supported operations over the former Yugoslavia. The squadron also refueled aircraft involved in antidrug operations over the Caribbean Sea in 1998. After the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., on 11 September 2001, the squadron supported Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the transportation of Taliban and Al Qaeda detainees to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and counter-drug operations in South America.

In 2008, the squadron was inactivated at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. In 2009, it was activated at Birmingham Air National Guard Base, AL under the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's Total Force Integration initiative. The squadron and its personnel remain an active duty Air Force unit with administrative control falling to the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, FL. Operational direction for day-to-day taskings come from the 117th Air Refueling Wing at Birmingham, AL.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 9th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942
 * Redesignated as 399th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 Apr 1942
 * Activated on 15 Jul 1942
 * Inactivated on 1 May 1944


 * Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with 99th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, which was constituted on 12 Feb 1957
 * Activated on 1 Jul 1957
 * Inactivated on 30 Sep 1973


 * Activated on 1 Oct 1983
 * Redesignated as 99th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1991
 * Inactivated on 1 Sep 2008


 * Activated on 1 Oct 2009.

Assignments

 * 88th Bombardment Group, 15 Jul 1942-1 May 1944
 * 4050th Air Refueling Wing, 1 Jul 1957
 * 499th Air Refueling Wing, 1 Jan 1963
 * 99th Bombardment Wing, 1 Jan 1966-30 Sep 1973
 * 19th Air Refueling Wing, 1 Oct 1983
 * 19th Operations (later, 19th Air Refueling) Group, 1 Sep 1991-1 Sep 2008
 * 6th Operations Group, 1 Oct 2009–Present
 * Operationally controlled by: 117th Air Refueling Wing

Bases stationed

 * Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, 15 Jul 1942
 * Geiger Field, Washington, 1 Sep 1942
 * Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, 21 Sep 1942
 * Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, 26 Oct 1942
 * Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, 28 Nov 1942
 * Redmond Army Airfield, Oregon, 1 Jan 1943
 * Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, 2 Feb 1943


 * Madras Army Air Field, Oregon, 11 Jun 1943
 * Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, 21 Jul 1943
 * Avon Park Army Air Field, Florida, c. 7 Nov 1943-1 May 1944
 * Turner AFB, Georgia, 1 Jul 1957
 * Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 22 Aug 1957-30 Sep 1973
 * Robins AFB, Georgia, 1 Oct 1983-1 Sep 2008
 * Birmingham ANGB, Alabama 1 Oct 2009–Present

Aircraft Operated

 * B-17 Flying Fortress (1942–1944)
 * KC-135 Stratotanker (1957–1973, 1983 – Present)
 * EC-135 (1965–1970, 1984–1997)
 * EC-137 (1991–1994)

Operations

 * World War II
 * Operation Arc Light
 * Operation Young Tiger
 * Operation Urgent Fury
 * Operation Just Cause
 * Operation Desert Storm
 * Operation Deny Flight
 * Operation Provide Comfort
 * Operation Northern Watch
 * Operation Southern Watch
 * Operation Phoenix Scorpion


 * Operation Desert Thunder
 * Operation Desert Fox
 * Operation Noble Anvil
 * Operation Deliberate Forge
 * Operation Allied Force
 * Operation Constant Vigil
 * Operation Enduring Freedom
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom