18th Air Refueling Squadron

18th Air Refueling Squadron
18th Air Refueling Squadron Patch
Active	11 December 1940 – 31 July 1945 1 August 1948 – 1 March 1949 14 July 1952 – 21 July 1954 3 August 1961 – 25 June 1967 15 October 1969 – 31 August 1972 1 October 1995 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Aerial refueling
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command Fourth Air Force 507th Air Refueling Wing 931st Air Refueling Group
Garrison/HQ	McConnell Air Force Base
Colors	Blue/Gold
Engagements	Operation Husky Operation Dragoon Operation Joint Endeavor Operation Joint Guard Operation Joint Forge Southern Watch Northern Watch Operation Desert Fox Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Noble Eagle
Decorations	DUC AFOUA

The 18th Air Refueling Squadron (18 ARS) is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 931st Operations Group, stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.

Overview

The squadron operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, conducting aerial refueling missions.

History

During World War II the 18th flew airborne assaults on Sicily, Myitkyina, Burma, and Southern France in addition to supporting partisans in Northern Italy from January to May 1945 and conducting aerial transportation in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and briefly in the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI). It flew strategic and tactical airlift missions from 1948 to 1954 and 1962 to 1967. The squadron provided tactical airlift training for US and subsequently South Vietnamese pilots and crews from 1969 to 1972.

This unit has flown worldwide air refueling missions since 1995.^[1]

Operations^[1]

• World War II
• Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily)
• Operation Dragoon (the invasion of southern France)
• Operation Joint Endeavor (Peacekeeping in Bosnia Herzegovina)
• Operation Joint Guard (Peacekeeping in Bosnia Herzegovina), 21 June 1996 – 19 June 1998
• Operation Joint Forge (Peacekeeping in Bosnia Herzegovina), June 201998 - 12 February 2004
• Southern Watch (enforcing a no-fly zone in pre-war southern Iraq)
• Northern Watch (enforcing a no-fly zone in pre-war northern Iraq)
• Operation Desert Fox (December 1998 bombing of Iraq)
• Operation Enduring Freedom (The Global War on Terror)
• Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003 Iraq War)
• Operation Noble Eagle ( US homeland security)

Lineage^[1]

• 18th Transport Squadron (1940–1942)
• 18th Troop Carrier Squadron (1942–1948)
• 18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy (1948–1952)
• 18th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium (1952–1966)
• 18th Troop Carrier Squadron (1966–1969)
• 18th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron (1969–1994)
• 18th Air Refueling Squadron (1994 – present)

Assignments^[1]

Stations^[1]

Aircraft Operated^[1]

• C-47 Skytrain (1941–1945)
• C-54 Skymaster (1948–1949)
• C-82 Packet (1951–1953)
• C-119 Flying Boxcar (1953–1954)
• C-130 Hercules (1962–1967)
• C-7 Caribou (1969–1972)
• KC-135 Stratotanker (1995 – present)

See also

United States Air Force
Leadership	Secretary of the Air Force Under Secretary of the Air Force Chief of Staff Vice Chief of Staff Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force 4-star generals House Armed Services Committee House Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces Senate Committee on Armed Services Senate Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces
Structure	Commands Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations Direct Reporting Units District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy Major Commands Air Combat Air Education and Training Air Mobility Global Strike Materiel Reserve Space Special Operations Europe & Africa Pacific Numbered Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Fourteenth Seventeenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty-Second Twenty-Third Twenty-Fourth Twenty-Fifth Wings ANG Groups ANG Squadrons ANG Security forces Civilian auxiliary: Civil Air Patrol
Personnel and training	Airmen Rank Officers Enlisted Specialty Code Aeronautical ratings Judge Advocate General's Corps RED HORSE Medical Service Chief of Chaplains Chief Scientist Training: USAF Academy Officer Training School Reserve Officer Training Corps Basic Training Airman Leadership School SERE Fitness Assessment
Uniforms and equipment	Awards and decorations Badges Equipment Uniforms
History and traditions	History Army Air Service / Corps / Forces "The U.S. Air Force" Air Force Band The Airmen of Note Tops In Blue Airman's Creed Core Values Flag Symbol Memorial National Museum Air Force One Honor Guard Thunderbirds Service numbers
Category Portal

Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
Air Forces	Fourth Tenth Twenty-Second
Bases	Dobbins Duke Field General Mitchell Grissom Homestead March Minneapolis-Saint Paul Niagara Falls Pittsburgh Westover Youngstown
Command	Air Reserve Personnel Center
Wings/Groups	Air Refueling 434th 459th 507th 916th 939th 940th Airlift 94th 302d 315th 433d 439th 440th 445th 446th 512th 908th 910th 911th 914th 927th 932d 934th Fighter 301st 414th 419th 442d 476th 477th 482d 944th other 310th Space 349th Air Mobility 403d 452d Air Mobility 514th Air Mobility 307th Bomb 919th Special Operations 920th Rescue

References

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

• AFHRA 18th Air Refueling Squadron History

External links

• "C-130 Dyess timeline". Abeline Reporter News. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2014.