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The 321st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
unit. It was last assigned to the 301st Bombardment Wing at
Lockbourne Air Force Base Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation at Rickenbacker International Airport near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Ric ...
, Ohio, where it was inactivated on 15 March 1965. The squadron was first active during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
as the 321st Transport Squadron, operating a courier service from the United Kingdom and France until it was disbanded in 1945. The 321st Air Refueling Squadron was activated as a
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Design and developme ...
squadron in 1953. In 1962, the unit converted to
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...
s, which it flew until it was inactivated in 1965 and replaced by the 32d Air Refueling Squadron. The two squadrons were consolidated into a single unit in September 1985.


History


World War II

The 321st Transport Squadron was one of five squadrons activated in November 1943 and assigned to the 27th Air Transport Group.Maguire, p. 30 It was located Northern Ireland and operated a courier service in the British Isles. In 1944 it moved to France and conducted the same duties on the European continent until it was disbanded in November 1945.


Cold War

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...
(SAC) activated the 321st Air Refueling Squadron at
Sheppard Air Force Base Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Educatio ...
, Texas in late 1953 as a
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Design and developme ...
squadron.''See'' Mueller, p. 543 At Sheppard, the squadron was a tenant of
Air Training Command The Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated ...
's 3750th Air Base Group, the host organization at Sheppard, but was attached to the 96th Bombardment Wing at
Biggs Air Force Base Biggs may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Biggs (TV channel), a Portuguese television channel formerly for kids, teens and youth and now for teens and youth. * Biggs Darklighter, a character in ''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' * Biggs, a re ...
after July 1954.Ravenstein, p. 134 Four months later, it was assigned to the
321st Bombardment Wing The 321st Air Expeditionary Wing was a United States Air Force unit assigned United States Air Forces Central, the USAF component command of United States Central Command. The unit was reestablished on 1 November 2008 and was a nexus of all Coa ...
at
Pinecastle Air Force Base Pinecastle or Pine Castle may refer to: * McCoy Air Force Base (previously Pinecastle Army Airfield), a former United States Air Force base * Naval Air Station DeLand Naval Air Station DeLand was a United States Naval air station, Naval Air Sta ...
, Florida, but remained a tenant organization, moving to
Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. ...
, Alabama as a tenant of the 3800th Air Base Wing of Air University. It was not until August 1956, when the squadron moved to
Lockbourne Air Force Base Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation at Rickenbacker International Airport near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Ric ...
, Ohio, that it was stationed with its parent wing. The squadron flew the KC-97 Stratofreighter, providing air refueling to USAF units, from 1953 until 1963. The squadron converted to
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...
s that year and was inactivated in 1965 and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 32d Air Refueling Squadron. The 321st Transport Squadron and the 321st Air Refueling Squadron were consolidated into a single unit on 19 September 1985Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons


Lineage

321st Transport Squadron * Constituted as the 321st Transport Squadron (Cargo and Mail) c. 26 October 1943 : Activated 1 November 1943 * Disbanded 15 November 1945 * Reconstituted 19 September 1985 and consolidated with the 321st Air Refueling Squadron as the 321st Air Refueling Squadron 321st Air Refueling Squadron * Constituted as the 321st Air Refueling Squadron, Medium on 17 September 1953 : Activated on 8 December 1953 * Redesignated 321st Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 1 April 1963 * Discontinued and inactivated on 15 March 1965 * Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 321st Transport Squadron


Assignments

* 27th Air Transport Group, 1 November 1943 * Unknown, 11 November 1944 – 15 November 1945 *
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
, 8 December 1953 (attached to 96th Bombardment Wing after 3 July 1954) *
321st Bombardment Wing The 321st Air Expeditionary Wing was a United States Air Force unit assigned United States Air Forces Central, the USAF component command of United States Central Command. The unit was reestablished on 1 November 2008 and was a nexus of all Coa ...
, 8 November 1954 (attached to 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing after 16 August 1956) * 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 10 September 1956 * 301st Bombardment Wing (later 301st Air Refueling Wing), 15 April 1958 – 15 March 1965 (detached 11 April 1960 – 13 July 1960, 3 October 1961 – January 1962)


Stations

*
Maghaberry Maghaberry or Magaberry (pronounced , ) is a village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is west of Lisburn and north of Moira. In the 2011 census it had a population of 4,716 people. It is one of the biggest villages within ...
(Station 239),Station number in Anderson Northern Ireland, 1 November 1943 * Langford Lodge (Station 597), Northern Ireland, May 1944 * RAF Grove, England (Station 519), September 1944 * Le Bourget Airport (Station 385, A-54), France, September 1944 * Villacoublay Airfield (A-42), March 1945 – 15 November 1945 * Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, 8 December 1953 * Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, 8 November 1954Mueller, p. 389 *
Lockbourne Air Force Base Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation at Rickenbacker International Airport near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Ric ...
, Ohio, 18 August 1956 – 15 March 1965


Aircraft

*
Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for tro ...
, 1943–1945 * Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, 1954–1963 * Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker, 1963–1965


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * * * * {{Strategic Air Command Air refueling squadrons of the United States Air Force