54th Air Refueling Squadron

The 54th Air Refueling Squadron (54 ARS) is part of the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling training.

History
The 54th Transport Squadron was activated at Hamilton Field, California, but moved to Bowman Field, Kentucky, in June 1942, as the 54th Troop Carrier Squadron. Successive reassignments were to Florence, South Carolina, in August 1942, and to Elmendorf Field, Alaska, until inactivation on 5 March 1949. That inactivation lasted only six months and on 20 September 1949, the unit was activated again at Elmendorf and again moved to Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina, in July 1956, remaining in service until 25 June 1965. While there the 54th deployed to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, to support the Berlin Airlift.

On 14 April 1972, the 54th received a new mission and name. It became the 54th Flying Training Squadron, and was reassigned to Reese Air Force Base, Texas, with an official activation date of 1 October. Here personnel trained new pilots in the T-38 Talon until the 54th was once again inactivated in April 1997.

The 54th Air Refueling Squadron was reactivated at its current home of Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma on 16 January 1998. The 54th Air Refueling Squadron the only KC-135R flying training squadron in AETC. The 54th Air Refueling Squadron provides KC-135R initial and advanced flight qualification. The squadron's mission continues to encompass the training of all active duty, guard, reserve and international KC-135 crewmembers. Over 70 instructors train 450 pilot and boom operator students annually for the Department of Defense and international customers.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 54 Transport Squadron on 30 May 1942
 * Activated on 1 Jun 1942
 * Redesignated as: 54 Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942
 * Redesignated as: 54 Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 20 Jul 1948
 * Inactivated on 5 Mar 1949


 * Activated on 20 Sep 1949
 * Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1965


 * Redesignated as 54 Flying Training Squadron on 14 Apr 1972
 * Activated on 1 Oct 1972
 * Inactivated on 1 Apr 1997


 * Redesignated as 54 Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Jan 1998
 * Activated on 16 Jan 1998.

Assignments

 * 64th Transport Group (1942)
 * 315th Troop Carrier Group (1942)
 * 4th Air Force (1942)
 * XI Air Force Service Command (1942–1944)
 * Attached: Troop Carrier Group (Provisional) (1 July 1943 - 18 February 1944)
 * Alaskan Air Command (1944–1949, 1949–1951)
 * Attached: United States Air Forces in Europe (2–21 July 1948)
 * Attached: Airlift Task Force (Provisional) (29 July - 30 November 1948)
 * Attached: 57th Fighter Wing (1949–1951)


 * 5039th Air Transport Group (1951–1956)
 * 11th Air Force (1956)
 * 63d Troop Carrier Wing (1957–1965)
 * Attached: 322d Air Division (February - c. 19 August 1959)
 * 64th Flying Training Wing (1972–1997)
 * 97th Air Mobility Wing (1995–Present)

Stations

 * Hamilton Field, California (1942)
 * Bowman Field, Kentucky (1942)
 * Florence, South Carolina (1942)
 * Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska (1942–1949, 1949–1956)
 * Deployed: Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany (2 July - 26 September 1948)
 * Deployed: RAF Fassberg, Germany (26 September - 30 November 1948)


 * Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina (1956–1963)
 * Deployed: Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany (February - c. 19 August 1959)
 * Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia (1963–1965)
 * Reese Air Force Base, Texas (1972–1997)
 * Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma (1998–Present)

Aircraft

 * C-60 Lodestar (1942–1944)
 * C-47 Skytrain (1942–1949)
 * C-54 Skymaster (1946–1949, 1949–1952)
 * C-82 Packet (1949, 1951–1952)
 * C-124 Globemaster II (1952–1965)
 * T-38 Talon (1972–1997)
 * KC-135 Stratotanker (1998–Present)

Operations

 * World War II