301st Air Refueling Squadron

The 301st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 301st Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. It was inactivated on 31 December 1975.

The squadron performed air refueling in support of USAF operations on a worldwide basis. The squadron was one of the first Strategic Air Command air refueling squadrons established in 1949; inactivated in 1962 with the phaseout of the propeller-driven KC-97 from SAC. Reactivated briefly in the early 1970s as a KC-135A squadron.

In 1985 the squadron was consolidated with several others. The World War II 301st Transport Squadron, giving the unit a wartime heritage, being an Air Transport Command airlift squadron, stationed at Sookerating Airport in the Assam Valley of India during 1943. It operated C-47 transports flying "The Hump" route from India to China.

Lineage

 * Constituted as: 301st Transport Squadron c. 4 June 1943
 * Activated on 21 June 1943
 * Disbanded on 1 December 1943


 * Reconstituted 19 September 1985 and consolidated with 322nd Transport Squadron (Cargo& Mail) and 301st Transport Squadron, Medium and the 301st Air Refueling Squadron.


 * Constituted as: 322d Transport Squadron (Cargo & Mail),
 * Activated on
 * Disbanded 9 April 1944, and the


 * Constituted as: 301st Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy,
 * Constituted as the 301st Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, on 2 February 1949
 * Activated on 1 March 1949
 * Inactivated: on 1 Jul 1962.
 * Redesignated as: 301st Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 19 Jun 1973.
 * Activated: on 30 Sepyember 1973.
 * Inactivated: om 31 December 1975
 * The Consolidated Unit will retain the Designation of 301st Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy"

On 19 Sep 1985 the 301st Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 301st Transport Squadron, a unit that was last active 01 Dec 1934, and the 322d Transport Squadron (Cargo & Mail), a unit that was disbanded on 09 Apr 1934. Thia action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachment 2 (Inactive Units), 19 Sep 1985. The Consolidated Unit will retain the Designation of 301st Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy".

Assignments

 * 29th Transport Group, 4 June-1 December 1943.
 * 301st Bombardment Wing, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 7 Nov 1949
 * 4238th Strategic Wing, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 15 Apr 1958-1 Jul 1962
 * 301st Air Refueling Wing, Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, 30 Sep 1973-31 Dec 1975

Aircraft flown:
 * KB-29M Superfortress, 1949–1953
 * KC-97F Stratotanker, 1953-1962 (Also KC-97G)
 * KC-135A Stratotanker, 1973–1975