9th Air Refueling Squadron

The 9th Air Refueling Squadron (9th ARS) was initially activated in 1951, although its history can be traced back to the 9th Photographic Squadron of World War II. The 9th ARS has had many deployments to worldwide locations, and is still performing a global mission (some to remote forward operating location), during wartime, humanitarian operations, and exercises.

History
Established under First Air Force as a photo-reconnaissance squadron at Mitchell Field, New York. Operated over the Northeast United States flying reconnaissance missions over the Atlantic coast and Newfoundland shipping lanes, primarily operating early-model F-4 (P-51B) Mustangs.

Deployed to the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations (CBI) during the summer of 1943; being assigned to Headquarters, Tenth Air Force. Flights of F-5 (P-51D) photo-reconnaissance aircraft operated over a wide area of Burma; Thailand and China until the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945 obtaining aerial photos and reconnaissance of enemy positions and targets for heavy bomber attacks. Flew tactical reconnaissance missions to support United States and British ground forces in Burma.

Returned to the United States during the fall of 1945, inactivated in December.

Unit transferred their mission to worldwide air refueling, and with a name change to the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, received KB-29 tanker aircraft. They then began refueling operations from August 1951 to December 1965, January 1970 to January 1982, and from August 1982 through today, including support during the rescue of US nationals from Grenada in 1983, support for deployments to Southwest Asia from 1990 to 1991, and humanitarian airlift missions to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope during 1992–1993.

On 19 September 1985 the 9th Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, a unit that was last active 4 September 1945. This action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachment 1 (Active Units), 19 September 1985. The Consolidated Unit will retain the Designation of 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy". Following the events of 9/11 supported Operation Noble Eagle. Starting in October 2001 and continuing present day deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Starting in March 2003 and continuing present day deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lineage

 * Constituted 9th Photographic Squadron on 19 January 1942
 * Activated on 1 February 1942
 * Redesignated: 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 9 June 1942
 * Redesignated: 9th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943
 * Redesignated: 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943
 * Inactivated on 4 December 1945


 * Consolidated (19 September 1985) with the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, which was constituted on 24 July 1951
 * Activated on 1 August 1951
 * Discontinued, and inactivated, on 15 December 1965


 * Redesignated 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 12 December 1969
 * Activated on 1 January 1970
 * Inactivated on 27 January 1982


 * Activated on 1 August 1982
 * Redesignated 9th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991


 * Personnel designated as: 9th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron with unit in provisional status when deployed after 11 September 2001

Assignments

 * First Air Force, 1 February 1942
 * Tenth Air Force, 29 March 1942
 * Flight attached to Fourteenth Air Force, 10 March – 12 July 1943


 * Army Air Forces, India-Burma Sector, 30 October 1943
 * Attached to: 5306th Photographic and Reconnaissance Group [Provisional], 30 October 1943 – 17 January 1944
 * Attached to: Tenth Air Force, 17 January – 6 March 1944


 * Tenth Air Force, 7 March 1944
 * 8th Photographic (later, 8th Reconnaissance) Group, 25 April 1944
 * Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, c. Oct-4 December 1945
 * 9th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1951
 * Attached to: 43d Bombardment Wing, 1 August – 3 September 1951
 * Attached to: 36th Air Division, 4 September 1951 – 14 January 1952
 * Attached to: 303d Bombardment Wing, 15 January 1952–


 * 9th Bombardment (later, 9th Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 16 June 1952 – 15 December 1965
 * Remained attached to 303d Bombardment Wing, to 30 April 1953
 * Attached to: 5th Air Division, 18 April – 16 July 1955
 * Attached to: SAC Liaison Team, 2 May – 1 July 1956


 * 456th Strategic Aerospace (later, 456th Bombardment) Wing, 1 January 1970
 * 17th Bombardment Wing, 30 September 1975
 * 100th Air Refueling Wing, 30 September 1976 – 27 January 1982
 * 22d Bombardment (later, 22d Air Refueling) Wing, 1 August 1982
 * 22d Operations Group, 1 September 1991
 * 722d Operations Group, 1 January 1994
 * 60th Operations Group, 1 September 1994 – present
 * Air Mobility Command (9 EARS) when deployed to combat areas after 11 September 2001
 * Attached to: 40th Air Expeditionary Wing, Oct 2001 – Aug 2006

Stations

 * Mitchel Field, New York, 1 February 1942
 * Bradley Field, Connecticut, 10 March 1942
 * Felts Field, Washington, 16 April – 18 May 1942
 * Karachi Airport, India, 24 July 1942
 * Flight at Kunming Airport, China, Nov 1942-12 July 1943
 * Detachment thereof operating from Kweilin Airfield, China, c. Feb-12 July 1943


 * Chakulia Airfield, India, 30 November 1942
 * Detachment operated from Dinjan Airfield, India, 18 March–Jul 1943


 * Pandaveswar Airfield, India, 3 January 1943
 * Detachment operated from Dinjan Airfield, India, Sep 1943-20 May 1944


 * Barrackpore Airfield, India, 29 October 1943
 * Detachment operating from: Tingkawk Sakan Airfield, Burma, 16 August – 30 November 1944
 * Detachment operating from: Myitkyina Airfield, Burma, 27 November-c. 5 December 1944
 * Detachment operating from: Chittagong Airport, India, c. 9 October – 21 December 1944


 * Myitkyina Airfield, Burma, c. 5 December 1944
 * Piardoba Airfield, India, c. 1 May 1945
 * Malir, India, c. Oct-c. 14 November 1945
 * Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 3–4 December 1945
 * Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 1 August 1951
 * Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, 1 May 1953 – 15 December 1965
 * Deployed at: Benguerir AB, French Morocco, 18 April – 16 July 1955
 * Deployed at:Elmendorf AFB, Alaska Territory, 2 May – 1 July 1956


 * Beale AFB, California, 1 January 1970 – 27 January 1982
 * March AFB, California, 1 August 1982
 * Travis AFB, California, 1 September 1994 – present
 * Diego Garcia Air Base, British Indian Ocean Territory (9 EARS), Oct 2001 – Aug 2006

Aircraft

 * F-4 Lightning, 1942–1944
 * F-5 Lightning, 1943–1945
 * B-25 Mitchell, 1943–1945
 * KB-29 Superfortress (Tanker), 1951–1954
 * KC-97 Stratotanker, 1954–1965
 * KC-135 Stratotanker, 1970–1982
 * KC-10 Extender, 1982 – present

Operations
The 9th ARS has a proud legacy of participation in Air Force Operations such as:


 * Arid Farmer
 * Operation El Dorado Canyon
 * Giant Scale
 * Just Cause
 * Desert Shield
 * Desert Storm
 * Proud Return
 * Southern Watch
 * Deny Flight
 * Restore Hope
 * Desert Strike
 * Phoenix Scorpion I
 * Phoenix Scorpion II


 * Phoenix Scorpion III
 * Phoenix Scorpion IV
 * CentrazBat
 * Phoenix Banner (presidential support)
 * Allied Force
 * Desert Fox
 * Urgent Fury
 * Operation Noble Eagle
 * Operation Enduring Freedom
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom
 * Operation New Dawn
 * Operation Odyssey Dawn
 * Operation Tomadachi