The 54th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the

97th Air Mobility Wing The 97th Air Mobility Wing (97 AMW) is a United States Air Force (USAF) unit assigned to Nineteenth Air Force of Air Education and Training Command. It is stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The wing is also the host unit at Altus. It ...

at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the

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 ...

aircraft conducting

air refueling Aerial refueling (American English, en-us), or aerial refuelling (British English, en-gb), also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from ...

training.

History

Airlift operations

The 54th Transport Squadron was activated at Hamilton Field, California, but moved to Bowman Field, Kentucky, in June 1942, as the 54th Troop Carrier Squadron. Successive reassignments were to Florence Army Air Field, South Carolina, in August 1942, and to Elmendorf Field, Alaska, until inactivation on 5 March 1949. While there the 54th deployed to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, to support the

Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...

. That inactivation lasted only six months and on 20 September 1949, the unit was activated again at Elmendorf and again moved to Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina, in July 1956, remaining in service until 25 June 1965.

Pilot training

On 14 April 1972, the 54th received a new mission and name. It became the 54th Flying Training Squadron, and was stationed at

Reese Air Force Base Reese Air Force Base was a former U.S. Army Air Base located near Lubbock, Texas. It was closed in 1997 and converted into a research center. History Reese Air Force Base began as the Lubbock Army Air Corps Advanced Flying School in 1942. It ...

, Texas, with an official activation date of 1 October. Here personnel trained new pilots in the Northrop T-38 Talon until the 54th was once again inactivated in April 1997.

Air refueling training

The 54th Air Refueling Squadron was reactivated at its current home of Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma on 16 January 1998. The 54th Air Refueling Squadron the only Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker flying training squadron in

Air Education and Training Command The Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine List of major commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was esta ...

. The squadron provides KC-135R initial and advanced flight qualification. The squadron's mission continues to encompass the training of all

active duty Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. Indian The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one of the largest active service forces in the world, with almost 1.42 million Active Standin ...

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia (United States), militia of each U.S. ...

Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...

and international KC-135 crewmembers. Over 70 instructors train 450 pilot and boom operator students annually for the

Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

and international customers.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 54th Transport Squadron on 30 May 1942 : Activated on 1 June 1942 : Redesignated 54th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942 : Redesignated 54th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 20 July 1948 : Inactivated on 5 March 1949 * Activated on 20 September 1949 : Discontinued and inactivated on 25 June 1965 * Redesignated 54th Flying Training Squadron on 14 April 1972 : Activated on 1 October 1972 : Inactivated on 1 April 1997 * Redesignated 54th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 January 1998 : Activated on 16 January 1998

Assignments

* 64th Transport Group, 1 June 1942 * 315th Transport Group (later 315th Troop Carrier Group), 11 June 1942 *

Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. 4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reserv ...

, 23 October 1942 * XI Air Force Service Command, 15 November 1942 (attached to Troop Carrier Group (Provisional)) 1 July 1943 – 18 February 1944) * Eleventh Air Force (later Alaskan Air Command), 10 October 1944 – 5 March 1949 (attached to

United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

(2 – 21 July 1948, Airlift Task Force (Provisional) 29 July – 30 November 1948) * Alaskan Air Command (attached to 57 Fighter Wing), 20 September 1949 (attached to 57th Fighter Wing) * 5039th Air Transport Group, 1 January 1951 * Eighteenth Air Force, 23 July 1956 (attached to 63d Troop Carrier Group) * 63d Troop Carrier Wing, 1 July 1957 (attached to 63d Troop Carrier Group until 7 October 1959) * 63d Troop Carrier Group, 8 October 1959 (attached to 322d Air Division, February – c.19 August 1959) * 63d Troop Carrier Wing, 18 January 1963 – 25 June 1965 * 64th Flying Training Wing, 1 October 1972 * 64th Operations Group, 15 December 1991 – 1 April 1997 *

97th Operations Group The 97th Operations Group (97 OG) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 97th Air Mobility Wing of Air Education and Training Command. It is stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Col. Cornelius Walter "Connie" Cousland served a ...

, 16 January 1998 – present

Stations

* Hamilton Field, California, 1 June 1942 * Bowman Field, Kentucky, c. 19 June 1942 * Florence Army Air Field, 3 August – 17 October 1942 * Elmendorf Field (later Elmendorf Air Force Base), Alaska, 15 November 1942 – 5 March 1949 :: Detachment deployed to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, 2 July 1948, RAF Fassberg, Germany, 26 September – 30 November 1948 * Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, 20 September 1949 * Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina, 23 July 1956 (deployed to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany February–c. 19 August 1959) * Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 April 1963 – 25 June 1965 *

, Texas, 1 October 1972 – 1 April 1997 * Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 16 January 1998 – present

Aircraft

* Lockheed C-60 Lodestar (1942–1944) *

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 ...

(1942–1949) *

Douglas C-54 Skymaster The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilia ...

(1946–1949, 1949–1952) * Fairchild C-82 Packet (1949, 1951–1952) * Douglas C-124 Globemaster II (1952–1965) * Northrop T-38 Talon (1972–1997) * Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (1998 – present)

Awards

Awards. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 July 1957 – 10 December 1962; 1 January 1973 – 31 December 1974; 30 April 1981 – 29 April 1983; 1 April 1984 – 31 March 1986; 1 April 1988 – 31 March 1990; 1 October 1995– April1997; 6 January1998-30 June 1998; 1 July 1998 – 30 June 1999; 1 July 1999 – 30 June 2000; 1 July 2000 – 30 June 2002; 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2004; 1 July 2004 – 30 June 2006; 1 July 2006 – 30 June 2007; 1 July 2007 – 30 June 2008; 1 July 2008–30 June 2009

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * {{Strategic Air Command Military units and formations in Oklahoma 054