91st Air Refueling Squadron

91st Air Refueling Squadron
91st Air Refueling Squadron Patch
Active	15 January 1941 - 28 August 1945 16 April 1950 - 1 October 1987 5 January 1988 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Aerial refueling
Part of	Air Mobility Command 18th Air Force 6th Air Mobility Wing 6th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	MacDill Air Force Base
Decorations	AFOUA

Emblem of the World War II 391st Bombardment Squadron

KB-29 era (1950-53) 91st ARS patch

The 91st Air Refueling Squadron (91 ARS) is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.

History

Established in 1940 as a long-range reconnaissance squadron, equipped with a mixture of B-17C/D Flying Fortresses and B-18 Bolos. Assigned to the GHQAF Northeast Air District at Langley Field, Virginia Reassigned to Westover Field, Massachusetts in the spring of 1941. Flew antisubmarine patrols over the Northeast coastline after the Pearl Harbor attack; reassigned to II Bomber Command and became a B-17 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Geiger Field, Washington in January 1942, and was redesignated as a heavy bombardment squadron in April. Reassigned to Davis-Monthan Field in May 1942 and continued its mission as an OTU in May 1942, continuing this assignment, later being assigned to the Desert Training Center in Southern California in late 1942, remaining as a training squadron at the DTC until April 1944 with the closure of the facility.

Deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in late April 1944, being assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England. Engaged in long-ranger strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive against Nazi Germany. Returned to the United States after the German Capitulation in May 1945, being programmed as a B-29 Superfortress squadron for deployment to the Pacific Theater. Inactivated in late August 1945 after the Japanese Capitulation and the end of World War II.

Reactivated as a Strategic Air Command B-29 Air Refueling squadron in April 1950. Over the past 60 years, the 91st has flown worldwide air refueling operations. Crews and aircraft from the 91st deployed to Southeast Asia to refuel tactical aircraft and B-52 Stratofortresses involved in combat in Vietnam from, January 1965-December 1975. It refueled aircraft participating in the Grenada rescue mission between October and November 1983. The squadron also supported U.S. operations during the 1991 Gulf War. It performed aerial refuelings for bombers, airlift, and fighter aircraft as part of Tanker Task Force (TTF) around the world from, 1992-1995. On 1 October 1996 the 91st relocated with aerial refueling aircraft from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Since 2002 the squadron has refueled fighter aircraft providing security for the southeastern United States.

Lineage

• Constituted 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 20 Nov 1940

Activated on 15 Jan 1941

Redesignated: 391st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 Apr 1942

Redesignated: 391st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 20 Aug 1943

Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945

• Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, which was constituted on 1 Mar 1950

Activated on 16 Apr 1950

Redesignated 91st Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 1 Jan 1963

Inactivated on 1 Oct 1987

• Activated on 5 Jan 1988

Redesignated 91st Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1991.

Assignments

• General Headquarters Air Force (later, Air Force Combat Command), 15 Jan 1941

Associated with: 1st Photographic Group, 15 Jan 1941-22 Apr 1942 (training)

Attached to 34th Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941-

• 1st Bomber Command, 5 Sep 1941

Remained attached to 34th Bombardment Group

• II Bomber Command, c. 25 Jan 1942

Attached to 34th Bombardment Group through 24 Feb 1942

• 34th Bombardment Group, 25 Feb 1942-28 Aug 1945
• 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 16 Apr 1950

Attached to 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 10 Feb 1951-27 May 1952

• 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 28 May 1952

Attached to 5th Air Division, 12 Jan-26 Feb 1954

Attached to Northeast Air Command, 6 Oct-12 Nov 1954 and 10 Jul-Oct 1955

• 801st Air Division, 8 Nov 1957

• 376th Bombardment Wing, 1 Dec 1957

Attached to 301st Air Refueling Wing, 4 May-14 Jun 1964

• 301st Air Refueling Wing, 15 Jun 1964
• 47th Air Division, 1 Jul 1971
• 14th Air Division, 1 Apr 1972
• 12th Strategic Missile Division, 1 Aug 1972
• 384th Air Refueling (later, 384 Bombardment) Wing, 1 Dec 1972-1 Oct 1987
• 301st Air Refueling Wing, 5 Jan 1988
• 301st Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991
• 43d Operations Group, 1 Jun 1992
• 43d Air Refueling Group, 1 Jul 1994
• 6th Operations Group, 1 Oct 1996–present

Bases stationed

• Langley Field, Virginia, 15 Jan 1941
• Westover Field, Massachusetts, 29 May 1941
• Pendleton Army Airfield, Oregon, c. 25 Jan 1942
• Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, c. 13 May 1942
• Geiger Field (later, AAB), Washington, 1 Jul 1942
• Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, 1 Dec 1942
• Blythe Army Air Base, California, 11 Dec 1942-3 Apr 1944

Deployed at Salinas Army Air Base, California, 29 May-13 Jul 1943

• RAF Mendlesham (AAF-156), England, 23 Apr 1944-24 Jul 1945

• Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 13-28 Aug 1945
• Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 16 Apr 1950
• Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, 11 Sep 1951

Deployed at Nouasseur AB, French Morocco, 12 Jan-26 Feb 1954

Deployed at Goose AB, Labrador, 6 Oct-12 Nov 1954

Deployed at Ernest Harmon AFB, Newfoundland, 10 Jul-Oct 1955

• McConnell AFB, Kansas, 30 Jun 1971-1 Oct 1987
• Malmstrom AFB, Montana, 5 Jan 1988
• MacDill AFB, Florida, 1 Oct 1996–present

Aircraft Operated

91st Air Refueling Squadron KB-29P Superfortress formation 1951

• KC-135R Stratotanker (1988–Present)
• KC-135A Stratotanker (1963–1987)
• UH-1 Iroquois (1971–1972)
• KC-97 Stratotanker (1953–1963)
• KB-29P Superfortress (1950–1953)
• B-17 Flying Fortress (1944–1945)
• B-24 Liberator (1942–1943, 1944)
• B-18 Bolo (1941–1942)
• B-17 Flying Fortress (1941–1943)
• PT-17 Kaydet (1941)

Operations

• World War II
• Vietnam War
• Operation Urgent Fury
• Operation Desert Storm

References

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5

• AFHRA 91st Air Refueling Squadron History