Military Wiki
Military Wiki
465th Air Refueling Squadron
465th Air Refueling Squadron
465th Air Refueling Squadron Patch
Active 12 October 1944 – 26 May 1946
18 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
8 October 1955 - 15 March 1960
20 May 1972 - present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Aerial refueling
Part of Air Force Reserve Command
4th Air Force
507th Air Refueling Wing
507th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ Tinker Air Force Base
Decorations Presidential Unit Citation ribbon DUC
Outstanding Unit ribbon AFOUA

The 465th Air Refueling Squadron (465 ARS) is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 507th Operations Group, stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

Overview[]

The squadron operates KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions. It is one of three flying organizations in the 507th Air Refueling Wing, incorporating pilots and traditional operations functions.

As civilians, many of the pilots assigned to the refueling squadron are employed by commercial airlines. As reservists, they are required to fly the same type sorties as their active-duty counterparts to remain proficient and combat ready.

History[]

F-105s 465 TFS DF-ST-86-12883

465th TFS F-105s, 1978.

F-4D 301st TFW landing at Nellis AFB 1985

A 465th TFS F-4D, 1985.

301fw-f16s

301st TFW F-16Cs, 2003.

World War II[]

Formed in late 1944 and trained under II Fighter Command in the midwest and Texas. Was equipped with the very long range P-47N Thunderbolt with a mission to escort B-29 Superfortresses from their bases in the Marianas to Japan.

Following months of delays, the squadron arrived in the Pacific Theater, being assigned to Ie Shima in the Ryukyu Islands on 28 June 1945 from Saipan/Tinian. During forty-six days of combat, the squadron flew forty-six missions. With the end of the war, the squadron was reassigned to Yontan Air Base, Okinawa in January 1946 conducting occupation duty. It was inactivated on 24 May 1946.

Air Defense Command[]

Activated 18 February 1953 by Air Defense Command at McChord AFB, Washington, equipped with F-86D Sabre Interceptors with an air defense mission. Inactivated 18 Aug 1955 IAW Project Arrow when parent 527th ADG inactivated and replaced 325th Fighter Group (Air Defense).

Re-activated 8 Oct 1955 at Griffiss AFB, New York and assigned to 32d Air Division with F-89D Scorpions; converted to F-89H/J Scorpions in the fall of 1956; transferred to 4727th Air Defense Group in February 1957; moved to Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts and transferred to Boston Air Defense Sector in August 1959, acquiring F-86L Sabre Interceptors in a swap with the 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron; inactivated 15 Mar 1960 as the Sabre was being phased out in favor of supersonic interceptors.

Air Force Reserve[]

It trained for fighter missions between 1972 and 1994 and has flown worldwide air refueling missions since 1994.[1]

Lineage[]

465th-fighter-interceptor-squadron-ADC

465th FIS (Air Defense Command)

  • Constituted 465th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 5 October 1944
Activated on 12 October 1944
Inactivated on 24 May 1946
  • Redesignated 465th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 3 February 1953
Activated on 18 February 1953
Inactivated on 18 August 1955
  • Activated on 8 October 1955
Discontinued on 15 March 1960
  • Redesignated 465th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 4 May 1972
Activated in the Reserve on 20 May 1972
Redesignated: 465th Fighter Squadron on 1 February 1992
Redesignated: 465th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 April 1994.

Assignments[]

Stations[]

Aircraft[]

References[]

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

See also[]



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 465th Air Refueling Squadron and the edit history here.