7th Air Refueling Squadron

The 7th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 19th Operations Group, stationed at Robins AFB, Georgia.

It was inactivated on 1 January 1993.

History
Established in 1943 by Air Transport Command in India, the squadron flew C-46 Commando transports from the Assam Valley in India over the 'Hump' to bases in China, flying supplies, personnel and equipment to support Fourteenth Air Force combat units in the China Burma India Theater (CBI).

Reactivated as part of Military Air Transport Service in 1952, it flew C-54 Skymasters from McChord AFB, Washington to Elmendorf AFB and Ladd AFB, Alaska Territory. It moved to Travis AFB, California in 1953, where it was re-equipped with C-124 Globemaster II intercontinental strategic transport aircraft. The unit flew very long range strategic airlift missions within the MATS Western Transport Air Force area from California to Japan, Philippines, Indochina and Karachi Airport in West Pakistan during the 1950s. It was inactivated in 1955 due to budget reductions.

It was re-activated at Carswell AFB, Texas on 1 April 1958 when its parent unit, the 7th Bombardment Wing received B-52 Stratofortresses. The unit provided air-to-air refueling on a worldwide basis for over 30 years with KC-135 Stratotankers. It remained assigned to the 7th BMW at Carswell until the closure of the base on 1 June 1992 and the 7th was inactivated. Reassigned to the 19th Operations Group at Robins AFB, the squadron was inactivated in 1993 as part of the post Cold War drawdown of the USAF.

(Not operational 6 May – 1 December 1965 and 10 Dec 1969 – 31 Mar 1970 due to operations in Southeast Asia. All aircrews and aircraft were deployed or on loan to provisional units at Kadena AB, Okinawa, Andersen AFB, Guam or U-Tapao RTNAF, Thailand.) On 19 Sep 1985 the 7th Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 77th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy), a unit that was last active 01 Jul 1955,. This action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachment 1 (Active Units), 19 Sep 1985. The Consolidated Unit will retain the Designation of 7th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy".

Lineage

 * Constituted as the 77th Air Corps Ferrying Squadron on 30 Jan 1943
 * Activated 22 Feb 1943
 * Redesignated the 77th Transport Squadron 1 Jul 1943
 * Disbanded 1 Dec 1943


 * Reconstituted on 16 Sep 1952 as the 77th Air Transport Squadron
 * Activated on 24 Sep 1952
 * Inactivated on 1 Jul 1955


 * Consolidated 19 Sep 1985 with the 7th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy
 * Activated on 1 Apr 1958
 * Inactivated on 1 June 1992


 * Activated on 1 June 1992
 * Inactivated on 1 January 1993

Assignments

 * 22nd Ferrying (later Transport) Group 22 Feb 1943-1 Dec 1943
 * 1705th Air Transport Group, 24 Sep 1952-19 Nov 1953
 * 1501st Air Transport Wing, 20 Nov 1953-1 Jul 1955
 * 7th Bombardment Wing, 1 Apr 1958-1 June 1992
 * 19th Operations Group, 1 June 1992-1 Jan 1993

Stations

 * Chabua Airfield, Assam, India, February-April 1943
 * Jorhat Airfield, Assam, India, April-December 1943
 * McChord AFB, Washington, 24 Sep 1952-19 Nov 1953
 * Travis AFB, California 20 Nov 1953-1 Jul 1955
 * Carswell AFB, Texas, 1 Apr 1958-1 June 1992
 * Robins AFB, Georgia, 1 Jun 1992-1 Jan 1993

Aircraft

 * C-46 Commando 1943
 * C-54 Skymaster, 1952-1953
 * C-97 Stratofreighter, 1953-1955
 * KC-135 Stratotanker, 1958-1992, 1992-1993