918th Air Refueling Squadron

The 918th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 11th Bombardment Wing at Altus AFB, Oklahoma.

The 918th's predecessor, the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron was active during World War II and performed photographic mapping in the Pacific. It was later allotted to the Air Force Reserve and assigned to the 66th Strategic Reconnaissance Group at Newark Army Air Base, New Jersey from 1947 to 1949.

History
The squadron was established in early 1943 at Colorado Springs Army Air Base. It trained in photographic reconnaissance under Second Air Force in Colorado and Oklahoma. The squadron was initially equipped with Lockheed F-5 Lighting reconnaissance aircraft.

The squadron re-equipped with North American B-25 Mitchells and deployed to the South Pacific Area under Thirteenth Air Force, although the bulk of the air echelon (equipped with Consolidated B-24 Liberators) remained in the United States. The squadron flew hazardous unarmed reconnaissance missions over enemy-held territory in Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomon Islands; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines. The squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma on 15 Jan 1944.

The squadron was again activated in the reserves in 1947 at Newark Army Air Base, New Jersey. It is undetermined if unit was manned or equipped before it was inactivated in 1949 when Continental Air Command converted its reserve organizations to the wing base (Hobson Plan) organization.

The 918th Air Refueling Squadron was one of two air refueling squadrons activated in 1960 at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma for movement to other bases to provide Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker support to dispersed Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers. Both squadrons were inactivated shortly after activation.

Lineage
18th Reconnaissance Squadron
 * Constituted as 18th Photographic Mapping Squadron on 14 July 1942
 * Activated on 23 July 1942
 * Redesignated 18th Photographic Squadron (Heavy) on 6 February 1943
 * Redesignated 18th Combat Mapping Squadron on 9 October 1943
 * Inactivated on 20 February 1944


 * Redesignated 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic on 8 October 1947 and allotted to the reserve
 * Activated on 6 November 1947
 * Inactivated on 27 June 1949


 * Consolidated with the 918th Air Refueling Squadron as 918th Air Refueling Squadron on 19 September 1985 (remained inactive)

918th Air Refueling Squadron
 * Constituted as 918th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 20 May 1960 and activated (not organized)
 * Organized on 1 October 1960
 * Discontinued and inactivated on 15 December 1960


 * Consolidated with the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron on 19 September 1985 (remained inactive)

Assignments

 * 4th Photographic (later Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping; Photographic) Group, 23 Jul 1942 - 20 Feb 1944 (air echelon assigned to 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, 9 Oct 1943 - 15 Jan 1944)
 * 66th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 6 Nov 1947-27 Jun 1949
 * 11th Bombardment Wing, 1 October 1960 - 14 December 1950

Stations

 * Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, 23 Jul 1942 - 12 Dec 1942 (the bulk of air echelon remained at Colorado Springs until 12 Oct 1943, then moved to Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, where it was inactivated on 15 Jan 1944)
 * Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield, New Caledonia, 20 January 1943 - 25 Jan 1943
 * Luganville Airfield, Espiritu Santo, 2 Feb 1943 - 20 Feb 1944 (a detachment of the air echelon was at Luganville after 4 Apr 1943)
 * Newark Army Air Base, New Jersey, 6 Nov 1947-27 Jun 1949
 * Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 1 October 1960 - 15 December 1960

Aircraft

 * Lockheed F-5 Lightning, 1942
 * North American B-25 Mitchell, 1943-1944
 * Consolidated B-24 Liberator (used by air echelon in Oklahoma) 1943