22d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

The 22d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to United States Air Forces Central. It is engaged in combat operations as part of the Global War on Terrorism. Its current status and location are undetermined.

The squadron was previously designated as the 22d Air Refueling Squadron, and was an Air Mobility Command, Strategic Air Command, and Air Combat Command air refueling squadron, established in 1950.

During World War II, the 22d Bombardment Squadron was a heavy B-17 Flying Fortress and later, a medium B-25 Mitchell bomb squadron which fought in the Southwest Pacific and China-Burma-India theaters.

History
Formed in 1939 as a prewar bomb squadron, equipped with B-18 Bolos, later early model B-17 Flying Fortresses. Flew antisubmarine patrols off California coast, 8 December – c. 10 December 1941. Deployed to Southwest Pacific Theater and assigned to Fifth Air Force in Australia, engaging in combat, c. 13 January – c. 1 March 1942; detachment under control of United States Navy in combat from the Fiji Islands and Australia, 14 February – c. 14 March 1942. Surviving B-17 aircraft and personnel reassigned to other units in Australia, March 1942 and unit reassigned without personnel or equipment to the United States for re-equipping and remanning as medium bomber squadron.

Re-equipped as a B-25 Mitchell bomb squadron and deployed to Tenth Air Force for combat in the China-Burma-India theater, 14 December 1942 – 25 July 1945. Deployed to Karachi, India; Chakulia, India; and Yangkai, China. While in Calcutta, India, the unit converted to the A-26 Invader Attack Bomber. During World War II, the unit earned two Distinguished Unit Citations and participated in nine separate campaigns. Personnel demobilized in India after the war, and the 22d was inactivated as a paper unit in the United States in November 1945.

On 16 June 1950, the 22d Air Refueling Squadron was re-activated at March AFB CA, flying the KC-97 Aircraft. The squadron relocated to McChord AFB, WA on 15 June 1960 where it later upgraded to the KC-135. The squadron was inactivated on 1 July 1962. The Squadron was reactivated at March AFB, CA on 1 July 1963, flying the KC-135 and EC-135 aircraft. It was deployed to Andersen AB, Guam whereupon it supported the Vietnam War until mid-1973. The squadron was inactivated on 1 December 1989.

On 19 Sep 1985 the 22d Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), a unit that was last active 2 Nov 1945. This action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachment 1 (Active Units), 19 Sep 1985. The Consolidated Unit retained the Designation of 22d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy.

Reactivated on 1 October 1992 at Mountain Home AFB, ID, it was assigned seven KC-135R model aircraft as part of the Air Force’s first Composite Air Intervention Wing. The squadron was consecutively awarded the 366th Wing's Silver Bolt Award for foreign object damage prevention during fiscal year 1997-1 and 1997-2, as well ACC’s Best Tanker Award for 1993. The squadrong garnered the 366th Wing’s only "Outstanding" rating during the July 1995 ORI and its deployed maintenance won the ACC IG Superior Performance Team Award during the 366th Wing's 1997 AEF and first ever combat zone ORI. The 22d ARS was the only squadron in the 366th Wing to display nose art on the entire fleet. It was also awarded the Outstanding Unit Award, 1 June 1998 through 31 May 1999.

Inactivated in 2002. Reactivated as an AFCENT provisional air refueling squadron in 2003 and deployed to combat areas as part of the Global War on Terrorism.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 22d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), and activated, on 20 October 1939
 * Redesignated 22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) c. 15 September 1942
 * Inactivated on 2 November 1945.


 * Consolidated 19 September 1985 with the 22d Air Refueling Squadron, Medium,which was constituted on 5 May 1950
 * Activated on 15 June 1950
 * Discontinued, and inactivated on 1 July 1962


 * Redesignated 22d Air Refueling Squadron (Heavy) and activated on 21 February 1963
 * Organized on 1 July 1963
 * Inctivated on 1 December 1989


 * Redesignated 22d Air Refueling Squadron on 29 September 1992
 * Activated on 1 October 1992
 * Inactivated on 30 August 2002


 * Redesignated 22d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and converted to provisional status, 22 January 2003

Assignments

 * 7th Bombardment Group, 20 October 1939
 * Attached to 17th Bombardment Group for training, 26 April – 28 May 1942


 * 341st Bombardment Group, 15 September 1942 – 2 November 1945
 * 22d Bombardment Group, 16 June 1950
 * Attached to 22d Bombardment Wing, 10 February 1951-15 June 1952


 * 22d Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952
 * 92d Bombardment (later, 92d Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 15 June 1960-1 July 1962
 * Strategic Air Command, 21 February 1963
 * 22d Bombardment (later, 22d Air Refueling) Wing, 1 July 1963-1 December 1989
 * 366th Wing, 1 October 1992-30 August 2002
 * Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate at any time after 22 January 2003
 * Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate at any time after 19 March 2003
 * Attached to: 376th Expeditionary Operations Group 22 January 2003-Present

Stations

 * Hamilton Field, California, 20 October 1939
 * Fort Douglas, Utah, 7 September 1940
 * Salt Lake City Apt., Utah, c. 21 June – 13 November 1941
 * Archerfield Airport (Brisbane), Australia, 22 December 1941
 * Air echelon at: Muroc AAF, California, 8-c. 12 December 194
 * Air echelon at: Hickam Field, Hawaii (Territory), 18 December 1941 – 5 January 1942
 * Air echelon at: Singosari, Java, 13–19 January 1942


 * Jogjakarta, Java, 19 January 1942
 * Detachment operated from: Nandi Airport, Fiji Islands, 14-c. 18 February 1942
 * Detachment operated from: RAAF Base Townsville, Australia, c. 20 February – c. 14 March 1942


 * Essendon Airport (Melbourne), Australia, c. 4 March – 6 April 1942
 * Columbia AAB, South Carolina, 26 April – 28 May 1942
 * Karachi, India, 23 July 1942
 * Chakulia, India, 3 December 1942


 * Yangkai, China, 8 January 1944 – c. September 1945
 * Detachments operated from: Yunnani, 29 April – 6 May 1944, and c. 5 November 1944 – c. 20 January 1945
 * Detachments operated from: Peishiyi, February – 25 March 1945
 * Detachments operated from: Chihkiang, 29 March – c. 1 April 1945


 * Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 1–2 November 1945
 * March AFB, California, 16 June 1950
 * Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, 7 December 1953 – 5 March 1954
 * Ernest Harmon AFB, Newfoundland, 3 March – 19 April 1955
 * Elmendorf AFB, Alaska Territory, 3 January – 2 May 1956


 * McChord AFB, Washington, 15 June 1960 – 1 July 1962
 * March AFB, California, 1 July 1963 – 1 December 1989
 * Deployed to: Andersen AFB, Guam, 1 July 1963 – 15 August 1973


 * Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, 1 October 1992 – 30 August 2002
 * Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, 22 January 2003 – Present

Aircraft

 * In addition to B-18 Bolo, included Northrop A-17 (or A-17A) during period 1939–1940
 * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1940–1942
 * B-25 Mitchell; 1942–1945
 * Douglas A-26, 1945
 * KC-97 Stratotanker, 1952–1960
 * KC-135 Stratotanker, 1960–1962; 1963–1967; 1967–1989; 1992–2002, 2003–Present
 * EC-135, 1963–1970

Decorations

 * Air Force Outstanding Unit Award [[Image:Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg]]