The 79th Air Refueling Squadron is a

United States 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 ...

squadron, assigned to the 349th Operations Group, stationed at

Travis Air Force Base Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 Kilometre, km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, California, Fairfield, i ...

, California.

History

World War II

Formed in April 1943 by

I Troop Carrier Command The I Troop Carrier Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Forces, at Stout Field, Indiana, where it was disbanded in November 1945, and its resources transferred to IX Troop Carrier C ...

, trained and equipped at various bases in the United States for the balance of the year. Deployed to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, being assigned to

IX Troop Carrier Command The IX Troop Carrier Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946 as a component command of the Ninth ...

in early January 1944, during the Allied buildup prior to the invasion of France. The squadron participated in the

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

operation, dropping

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...

paratroops near

Cherbourg Naval Base Cherbourg Naval Base is a naval base in Cherbourg Harbour, Cherbourg, Manche Departments of France, department, Normandy. The town has been a base of the French Navy since the opening of the military port in 1813. History Early works Cherbourg ha ...

, then carried out re-supply and glider delivery missions the following day. The squadron's aircraft flew supplies into

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties to England. On 17 July the air echelon flew to Grosseto airbase in Italy to prepare for operations connected with the invasion of southern France returning to England on 24 August. Squadron moved to France in July 1944 and for the balance of the Northern France Campaign and the

Western Allied invasion of Germany The Western Allied invasion of Germany was coordinated by the Allies of World War II, Western Allies during the final months of hostilities in the European theatre of World War II, European theatre of World War II. In preparation for the Allied ...

was engaged in combat resupply of ground forces, operating from Advanced Landing Grounds in northern France. Delivered supplies to rough Resupply and Evacuation airfields near the front lines, returning combat casualties to field hospitals in rear areas. Dropped airborne forces during Operation Market-Garden in September 1944 into the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

; later participated in the airborne invasion of Germany in March 1945. After V-E Day, the squadron evacuated prisoners of war. Returned to the United States in August 1945, became a transport squadron for

Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary aug ...

, Inactivated on 15 November 1945.

Reserve operations and Korean War mobilization

Operated in the reserve, 1948–1951 with C-47s, activated during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. Its personnel and aircraft assigned as fillers for active-duty units, inactivated a few days later as an administrative unit.

Reserve airlift operations

It performed worldwide

airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of Materiel, supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material lo ...

operations from, 1966–1971, including missions to

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

Early warning for the southern United States

The squadron also flew

airborne early warning and control An airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is an airborne radar early warning system designed to detect aircraft, ships, vehicles, missiles and other incoming projectiles at long ranges, as well as performing command and control of the ...

missions in the air defense of the United States, using Lockheed EC-121 Warning Stars from its base at Homestead AFB Florida, 1971–1978.

Reserve associate air refueling

Since 1982 it has trained for and flown worldwide air refueling and

strategic Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "troop leadership; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art o ...

airlift missions, including contingency and

humanitarian relief Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance, usually in the short-term, to people in need. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars, and famines. The primary objective of humanitarian a ...

operations. Supported Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle after the 11 September 2001 attack on the U. S.

Campaigns and decorations

* Campaigns. World War II: Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. * Decorations.

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...

: France, –7June 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 1 August 2002 – 15 August 2003.

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...

s: 1 December 1976 – 15 March 1978; 1 April 1984 – 31 March 1985; 1 July 1991 – 30 June 1993; 1 April – 15 August 1995; 1 July 1996 – 30 June 1998; 1 August 2000 – 31 July 2002; 16 August 2003 – 17 August 2004; 18 August 2004 – 17 August 2005; 18 August 2005 – 17 August 2006; 18 August 2006 – 17 August 2007; 18 August 2007 – 17 August 2008; 18 August 2008 – 17 August 2009. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 July 1966 – 29 July 1971.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 79th Troop Carrier Squadron on 23 March 1943 : Activated on 1 April 1943 : Inactivated on 15 November 1945 * Activated in the Reserve on 11 April 1948 : Redesignated 79th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 27 June 1949 : Ordered to active service on 1 April 1951 : Inactivated on 16 April 1951 * Activated in the Reserve on 18 May 1955 : Inactivated on 15 May 1958 * Redesignated 79th Military Airlift Squadron and activated in the Reserve on 14 March 1966 : Organized on 1 April 1966 : Redesignated 79th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron on 30 June 1971 : Inactivated on 1 October 1978 * Redesignated 79th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy (Associate) on 21 June 1982 : Activated in the Reserve on 1 September 1982 : Redesignated 79th Air Refueling Squadron (Associate) on 1 February 1992 : Redesignated 79th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 October 1994

Assignments

* 436th Troop Carrier Group, 1 April 1943 – 15 November 1945 * 419th Troop Carrier Group, 11 April 1948 * 436th Troop Carrier Group, 27 June 1949 – 16 April 1951 * 436th Troop Carrier Group, 18 May 1955 – 15 May 1958 *

, 14 March 1966 * 915th Military Airlift Group, 1 April 1966 * Eastern Air Force Reserve Region, 30 July 1971 *

Tenth Air Force The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...

, 8 October 1976 * 915th Airborne Early Warning and Control Group, 1 December 1976 – 1 October 1978 * 452d Air Refueling Wing, 1 September 1982 * 452d Operations Group, 1 August 1992 * 349th Operations Group, 1 April 1995 – present

Stations

* Baer Field, Indiana, 1 April 1943 * Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska, 2 May 1943 * Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North Carolina, 4 August 1943 * Baer Field, Indiana, 16–28 December 1943 *

RAF Bottesford Royal Air Force Bottesford or more simply RAF Bottesford is a former Royal Air Force station located on the Leicestershire-Lincolnshire county border, north west of Grantham, Lincolnshire and south of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire. Opened ...

(AAF-481), England, January 1944 *

RAF Membury Royal Air Force Membury or more simply RAF Membury is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station built in the civil parish of Lambourn in Berkshire, England, approximately north-northwest of Hungerford. The airfie ...

(AAF-466), England, 3 March 1944 – February 1945 : Operated from Voltone Airfield, Italy, 20 July – 23 August 1944 *

Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in France. It lies approximately 1 mile (2 km) east-southeast of Mourmelon-le-Grand and 93 miles (150 km) northeast of Paris. The airfield was a semi-permanent ...

(A-80), France, February – July 1945 * Baer Field, Indiana, 13 August 1945 * Malden Army Air Field, Missouri, 8 September – 15 November 1945 * Norfolk Municipal Airport, Virginia, 11 April 1948 *

Godman Air Force Base Godman Army Airfield is a military airport located on the Fort Knox, Kentucky, Fort Knox United States Army military base, post in Hardin County, Kentucky, Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. It has four runways and is used entirely by the U ...

, Kentucky, 27 June 1949 * Standiford Field, Kentucky, 20 October 1950 – 16 April 195 *

Floyd Bennett Field Floyd Bennett Field is an airfield in the Marine Park, Brooklyn, Marine Park neighborhood of southeast Brooklyn in New York City, along the shore of Jamaica Bay. The airport originally hosted commercial and general aviation traffic before bein ...

(later U.S. Naval Air Station, New York), New York, 18 May 1955 – 15 May 1958 *

Homestead Air Force Base Homestead Air Reserve Base (Homestead ARB), previously known as Homestead Air Force Base (Homestead AFB) is located in Miami–Dade County, Florida, to the northeast of the city of Homestead. It is home to the 482nd Fighter Wing (482 FW) o ...

, Florida, 1 April 1966 – 1 October 1978 *

March Air Force Base March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB), is located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Comm ...

, California, 1 September 1982 *

, California, 1 April 1995 – present

Aircraft

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 troo ...

(1943–1945, 1948–1951) * T-7 Navigator (1948–1951) *Beechcraft T-11 Kansan (1948–1951) *

C-46 Commando The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a low-wing, twin-engine aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurized high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company ...

(1955–1958) *

C-119 Flying Boxcar The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) is an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechani ...

(1957–1958) * C-124 Globemaster II (1966–1971) * C-121 Constellation (1971–1973, 1976–1978) * EC-121 Warning Star (1971–1978) *

KC-10 Extender The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is an American tanker and cargo aircraft that was operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1981 to 2024. A military version of the three-engine DC-10 airliner, the KC-10 was developed from the A ...

(1982–2024) *

KC-46 Pegasus The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is an American military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft developed by Boeing from its 767 jet airliner. In February 2011, the tanker was selected by the United States Air Force (USAF) as the ...

(2023–present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

{{USAF Air Force Reserve Command Military units and formations in California 079