70th Air Refueling Squadron

The 70th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 349th Operations Group, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California. It is an associate unit of the active duty 6th Air Refueling Squadron, 60th Air Mobility Wing. It operates the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting mobility, and air refueling missions.

70th Air Refueling Squadron
Squadron KC-10 Extender at Avalon, Australia[note 1]
Active1942–1944; 1955–1993; 1994-present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleAir Refueling
Part ofAir Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQTravis Air Force Base
Motto(s)Extending Excellence
EngagementsDesert Storm[1]
DecorationsAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1]
Insignia
70th Air Refueling Squadron emblem (new)
70th Air Refueling Squadron emblem (approved 8 August 1996)[1]
70th Air Refueling Squadron emblem (approved 8 May 1958)[1]


History

World War II

The squadron trained North American B-25 Mitchell aircrews from September 1942 to April 1944.

Air Refueling operations

It has conducted worldwide air refueling from 1955–1993. The 70th supported the National Emergency Airborne Command Post from 1970 to 1993. It also deployed aircrews and aircraft to Europe and the Arabian peninsula during the Gulf War from, 1990-1991.[1]

Reserve associate unit

In 1994 the squadron resumed refueling operations, using the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders of the active duty 9th Air Refueling Squadron.

Lineage
470th Bombardment Squadron
  • Constituted as the 470th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 9 July 1942
Activated on 16 July 1942
Disbanded on 1 May 1944
  • Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with the 70th Air Refueling Squadron as the 70th Air Refueling Squadron[1]
Constituted as the 70th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium on 3 June 1955
Activated on 1 August 1955
Redesignated 70th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 1 November 1963
  • Consolidated with the 4'70th Air Bombardment Squadron' on 19 September 1985
Redesignated+ 70th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991
Inactivated on 1 April 1993
  • Activated in the reserve on 1 September 1994[1]

Assignments

Stations
Deployed to Ernest Harmon Air Force Base, Newfoundland 26 June-15 August 1955, 24 June-24 September 1957, Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal (3 September 1958 – 12 January 1959, 5 October 1960 - 11 January 1961, 31 July-28 September 1962
  • Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, 1 January 1970 – 1 April 1993
  • Travis Air Force Base, California (1994 – present)[1]

Aircraft
  • North American B-25 Mitchell (1942–1944)
  • Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker (1955–1963)
  • Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (1964–1969, 1970–1993)
  • Boeing EC-135 (1976–1993)
  • McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender (1994 – present)[1]

References

Notes
Explanatory notes
  1. Aircraft is McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender serial 82-193. Taken at the Avalon 2011 Australian International Airshow.
Citations
  1. Robertson, Patsy (25 January 2011). "Factsheet 70 Air Refueling Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 16 September 2017.

Bibliography

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

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