922d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron

The 922d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed. It was last assigned to the 474th Air Expeditionary Group at San Isidro Air Base, Dominican Republic in 2010.

The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 22d Air Corps Ferrying Squadron at Morrison Field, Florida in 1942. In October 1943 the squadron and its parent group were disbanded and replaced as the Air Transport Command unit at Morrison by Station 11, Caribbean Wing, Air Transport Command.

The squadron was reconstituted in 1954 as the 22d Air Transport Squadron, Medium. a Douglas C-54 unit at Charleston AFB, South Carolina. The squadron was inactivated in 1958.

The 922d Air Refueling Squadron operated Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio from 1963 to 1975, when its parent, the 17th Bombardment Wing moved to Beale Air Force Base, California.

The squadron was reactivated three years later to control deployed Strategic Air Command (SAC) tanker and reconnaissance aircraft operating in the Mediterranean. While stationed in Greece, the 922d and 22d squadrons were consolidated into a single squadron. When SAC inactivated in 1992, the squadron became a reconnaissance unit, operating RC-135s from RAF Mildenhall until 1954.

The 922d was converted to provisional status as the 922d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed. In 2010 it was activated as part Operation Unified Response. the military response to the earthquake in Haiti.

History
The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 22d Air Corps Ferrying Squadron at Morrison Field, Florida in 1942. In October 1943 the squadron and its parent group were disbanded and replaced as the Air Transport Command unit at Morrison by Station 11, Caribbean Wing, Air Transport Command.

The squadron was reactivated at Charleston AFB, South Carolina as the 22d Air Transport Squadron with the responsibility of transporting personnel, materiel, mail and other strategic cargo. Shortages of personnel and equipment delayed the group from reaching operational status upon activation. The squadron operated Douglas C-54 Skymaster aircraft until inactivating in 1958.

The 922d Air Refueling Squadron was activated on 1 September 1959 by Strategic Air Command at Wright-Patterson AFB and assigned to the 4043d Strategic Wing as its refueling component. It operated KC-135 Stratotankers and provided air refueling support to the B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers of its parent wing and other USAF units as directed. The squadron maintained aircraft on alert to support the Emergency War Order. It transferred to 17th Bombardment Wing in 1963 when SAC replaced its Major Command controlled (MAJCON) wing wing with the 17th Bombardment Wing an Air Force controlled (AFCON) organization with a distinguished World War II history.

The squadron deployed aircraft and aircrews to the Western Pacific support combat operations of deployed SAC units and tactical aircraft over Indochina during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1975. In June 1975, its aircraft were taken off alert and the squadron phased down, with its aircraft transferred elsewhere by 7 July. The squadron inactivated in September as SAC shut down its operations at Wright-Patterson.

Three years later the squadron was reactivated as the 922d Strategic Squadron. The squadron provided air refueling support for United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) squadrons deploying for weapons training at Incirlik AB, Turkey. It supported USAFE and NATO exercises. After a period of heightened tensions and anti-American activity in Greece, the Greek government notified the United States that American bases in Greece would be closed by 1990. With this closure, the squadron moved to RAF Mildenhall. When SAC inactivated in 1992, the squadron became a reconnaissance unit, operating RC-135s from RAF Mildenhall until 1954.

The squadron was assigned to Air Combat Command as a provisional unit to activate or inactivate as needed. In 2010, it was activated in the Dominican Republic for Operation Unified Response, responding to the earthquakes in Haiti on the western half of Hispaniola.

Lineage
22d Air Transport Squadron
 * Constituted on 18 February 1942 as the 22d Air Corps Ferrying Squadron
 * Activated on 3 April 1942
 * Redesignated 22d Transport Squadron on 29 March 1943
 * Disbanded on 13 October 1943


 * Reconstituted on 1 March 1954 and redesignated 22d Air Transport Squadron, Medium
 * Activated on 8 March 1954
 * Inactivated on 18 March 1958
 * Consolidated with the 922d Strategic Squadron on 19 September 1985 as the 922d Strategic Squadron

922d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron
 * Constituted as the 922d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 18 August 1959
 * Activated on 1 December 1959
 * Inactivated on 30 September 1975


 * Redesignated 922d Strategic Squadron
 * Activated on 1 July 1978
 * Consolidated with the 22d Air Transport Squadron on 19 September 1985
 * Redesignated 922d Reconnaissance Squadron on 31 March 1992
 * Inactivated on 30 June 1994.


 * Converted to provisional status and redesignated 922d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron
 * Activated for Operation Unified Response on 2 February 2010
 * Inactivated on 20 June 2010

Assignments

 * South Atlantic Sector, Air Corps Ferry Command: 3 April 1942
 * 15th Ferrying Group (later 15th Transport Group): 1 July 1942 - 13 October 1943
 * 1608th Air Transport Group: 8 March 1954 - 18 March 1958
 * 4043d Strategic Wing: 1 December 1959
 * 17th Bombardment Wing: 1 February 1963 - 30 September 1975
 * 306th Strategic Wing: 1 July 1978
 * 55th Operations Group: 31 March 1992
 * 55th Wing: 1 June 1992
 * 55th Operations Group: 1 July 1992 - 30 June 1994
 * Air Combat Command to activate of inactivate as needed
 * 474th Air Expeditionary Group: 2 February 2010 - 20 June 2010

Stations

 * Morrison Field, Florida, 3 April 1942 - 13 October 1943
 * Charleston AFB, South Carolina, 8 March 1954 - 18 March 1958
 * Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 1 December 1959 - 30 September 1975
 * Hellenikon AB, Greece, 1 July 1978
 * Souda Bay Naval Air Station, Greece, 1990
 * RAF Mildenhall, England, 31 March 1992 - 30 June 1994
 * San Isidro Air Base, Dominican Republic, 2 February 2010 - 20 June 2010

Aircraft

 * Douglas C-54 Skymaster, 1954-1958
 * Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1959-1975, 1978-1992
 * Boeing RC-135, 1992-1994

Awards and Campaigns

 * Saunders Perpetual Trophy, SAC Combat Competition for best combined score in refueling and navigation: 1965