Changes: 509th Weapons Squadron

509th Weapons Squadron
	KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to Fairchild AFB
Active	1943–Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Advanced Air Refueling Training
Part of	USAF Weapons School
Garrison/HQ	Nellis AFB, Nevada; GSU at Fairchild AFB, Washington
Engagements	; World War II (American Theater); ; 1991 Gulf War (Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation of Kuwait)
Decorations	; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with Combat "V" Device); ; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (6x); ; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
509th Weapons Squadron emblem

Latest revision as of 18:48, 14 December 2019

The 509th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the USAF Weapons School, stationed at Fairchild AFB, Washington.

The 509th WPS is a Geographically Separated Unit (GSU) of the 57th Wing, assigned to Nellis AFB, Nevada. The mission of the squadron is to provide KC-135 Stratotanker instructional flying.

History

Activated in 1943 as a B-24 Liberator Operational Training Unit (OTU); then a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Inactivated in April 1944 with the end of heavy bomber training.

Reactivated as an air refueling squadron at Roswell AFB (later Walker AFB), New Mexico, the first such unit in the United States Air Force. Initially equipped with KB-29M aerial tanker which carried a system of hoses, reels, winches and fuel pumps needed for the transfer of the fuel to the receiver aircraft. A power-driven reel for the refuelling hose was installed in the rear fuselage at the position where the lower aft turret had been located prior to its removal. The KB-29M also had a cable and associated winch (known as the contact line) that was used to assist in the setup of the connection between the two aircraft.

Although the hose refueling system proved to be feasible, in practice the system had the disadvantage in taking a long time to make the contact and engage the hoses. Once contact was made, the rate of fuel transfer was slow, and the hoses provided a lot of aerodynamic drag which limited the airspeed. Consequently, the hose system was used for only a few years before it was replaced by the Boeing-developed flying boom system (KB-29L).

Conducted air refueling using KC-97 and KC-135 stratotankers until being inactivated in 1994.

Lineage

Constituted 609th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 Feb 1943

Activated on 1 Mar 1943

Disbanded on 10 Apr 1944

Reconstituted, and consolidated (19 Sep 1985), with the 509th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, which was constituted on 30 Jun 1948

Activated on 19 Jul 1948

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1965

Re-designated 509th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, and activated, on 8 Aug 1966

Organized on 2 Oct 1966

Re-designated 509th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1991

Inactivated on 1 Oct 1994

Re-designated 509th Weapons Squadron on 30 May 2003

Activated on 1 Jun 2003

Assignments

400th Bombardment Group, 1 Mar 1943-10 Apr 1944
509th Bombardment Group, 19 Jul 1948
509th Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952
817th Air Division, 5 Jan 1958
509th Bombardment Wing, 8 Jul 1958-25 Jun 1965; 2 Oct 1966
416th Bombardment Wing, 1 Jul 1990
416th Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991
380th Operations Group, 1 Jun 1992-1 Oct 1994
USAF Mobility Weapons School, 1 Jun 2003
USAF Weapons School, 5 Jul 2006–Present

Stations

Pyote Army Air Base, Texas, 1 Mar 1943
Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 11 Apr 1943
Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado, c. 2 May 1943
Smoky Hill Army Airfield, Kansas, 31 Jul 1943
Albuquerque Army Airbase, New Mexico, 19 Sep 1943
Charleston Army Airfield, South Carolina, 15 Dec 1943-10 Apr 1944

Walker AFB, New Mexico, 19 Jul 1948

Deployed at RAF Upper Heyford, England, 4 Jun-3 Sep 1952

Deployed at RAF Lakenheath, England, 26 Jan-1 May 1956

Pease AFB, New Hampshire, 5 Jan 1958-25 Jun 1965; 2 Oct 1966
Griffiss AFB, New York, 1 Jul 1990-1 Oct 1994
Fairchild AFB, Washington, 1 Jun 2003–Present

Aircraft

B-24 Liberator, 1943-1944
KB-29 Superfortress, 1948-1954
KC-97 Stratotanker, 1954-1965
KC-135 Stratotanker, 1966-1994

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Maurer, Maurer, ed (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.

External links

This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force website http://www.af.mil.

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at 509th Weapons Squadron and the edit history here.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox military unit
 |unit_name= 509th Weapons Squadron
-|image=   [[File:Fairchild-kc135.jpg|300px]]
+|image=Fairchild-kc135.jpg
+|image_size=300px
 |caption= KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to Fairchild AFB
 |dates=  1943–Present
@@ Line 13: / Line 14: @@
 |current_commander=
 |garrison= [[Nellis AFB]], Nevada<br>GSU at [[Fairchild AFB]], Washington
-|ceremonial_chief=
-|colonel_of_the_regiment=
-|nickname=
-|patron=
-|motto=
-|colors=
-|march=
-|mascot=
 |battles= [[File:Streamer AC.PNG|150px]]<br> [[World War II]] (American Theater)<br>[[File:Southwest Asia Service Streamer.png|150px]]<br>1991 Gulf War (Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation of Kuwait)
-|notable_commanders=
-|anniversaries=
 |decorations= [[File:AFOUA with Valor.jpg|150px]]<br>[[Air Force Outstanding Unit Award]] (with Combat "V" Device)<br>[[File:US Air Force Outstanding Unit Award - Stremer.jpg|150px]]<br> Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (6x)<br>[[File:Vietnam Gallantry Cross - Streamer.jpg|150px]]<br>[[Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross]] with Palm
-|battle_honours=
-<!-- Insignia -->
 |identification_symbol=[[File:509th Weapons Squadron.png|125px]]
 |identification_symbol_label= 509th Weapons Squadron emblem
 }}
-The '''509th Weapons Squadron''' is a [[United States Air Force]] unit.  It is assigned to the [[USAF Weapons School]], stationed at [[Fairchild AFB]], [[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]].
+The '''509th Weapons Squadron''' is a [[United States Air Force]] unit.  It is assigned to the [[USAF Weapons School]], stationed at [[Fairchild AFB]], Washington.
 The 509th WPS is a Geographically Separated Unit (GSU) of the [[57th Wing]], assigned to [[Nellis AFB]], Nevada. The mission of the squadron is to provide [[Boeing KC-135|KC-135 Stratotanker]] instructional flying.
@@ Line 44: / Line 33: @@
 Conducted air refueling using KC-97 and KC-135 stratotankers until being inactivated in 1994.
-=== Lineage===
+===Lineage===
 [[File:509th Air Refueling Squadron.png|thumb|175px|Emblem of the 509th Air Refueling Squadron]]
 * Constituted '''609th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)''' on 15 Feb 1943
@@ Line 74: / Line 63: @@
 {{Col-begin}}
 {{Col-break|width=50%}}
-* [[Pyote Army Air Base]], [[Texas]], 1 Mar 1943
+* [[Pyote Army Air Base]], Texas, 1 Mar 1943
-* [[Davis-Monthan Field]], [[Arizona]], 11 Apr 1943
+* [[Davis-Monthan Field]], Arizona, 11 Apr 1943
-* [[Pueblo Army Air Base]], [[Colorado]], c. 2 May 1943
+* [[Pueblo Army Air Base]], Colorado, c. 2 May 1943
-* [[Smoky Hill Army Airfield]], [[Kansas]], 31 Jul 1943
+* [[Smoky Hill Army Airfield]], Kansas, 31 Jul 1943
-* [[Albuquerque Army Airbase]], [[New Mexico]], 19 Sep 1943
+* [[Albuquerque Army Airbase]], New Mexico, 19 Sep 1943
-* [[Charleston Army Airfield]], [[South Carolina]], 15 Dec 1943-10 Apr 1944
+* [[Charleston Army Airfield]], South Carolina, 15 Dec 1943-10 Apr 1944
 {{Col-break|width=50%}}
-* [[Walker AFB]], [[New Mexico]], 19 Jul 1948
+* [[Walker AFB]], New Mexico, 19 Jul 1948
-: Deployed at [[RAF Upper Heyford]], [[England]], 4 Jun-3 Sep 1952
+: Deployed at [[RAF Upper Heyford]], England, 4 Jun-3 Sep 1952
-: Deployed at [[RAF Lakenheath]], [[England]], 26 Jan-1 May 1956
+: Deployed at [[RAF Lakenheath]], England, 26 Jan-1 May 1956
-* [[Pease AFB]], [[New Hampshire]], 5 Jan 1958-25 Jun 1965; 2 Oct 1966
+* [[Pease AFB]], New Hampshire, 5 Jan 1958-25 Jun 1965; 2 Oct 1966
-* [[Griffiss AFB]], [[New York]], 1 Jul 1990-1 Oct 1994
+* [[Griffiss AFB]], New York, 1 Jul 1990-1 Oct 1994
-* [[Fairchild AFB]], [[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]], 1 Jun 2003–Present
+* [[Fairchild AFB]], Washington, 1 Jun 2003–Present
 {{col-end}}
@@ Line 96: / Line 85: @@
 ==References==
+{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
-{{AFHRA}}
 {{Reflist}}
 * {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|origyear=1969|url= http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf |edition= reprint|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402}}
@@ Line 102: / Line 91: @@
 ==External links==
 {{United States Air Force}}
-{{USAF Air Combat Command}}
-{{Strategic Air Command}}
 {{USAF air refueling units}}