9th Air Refueling Squadron

9th Air Refueling Squadron
9th Air Refueling Squadron
	Official crest of the 9th Air Refueling Squadron
Active	19 January 1942–4 December 1945; 1 August 1951–15 December 1965; 12 December 1969–27 January 1982; 1 August 1982–
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Size	over 140 combat-ready personnel
Part of	Air Mobility Command; Eighteenth Air Force; 60th Air Mobility Wing; 60th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Travis Air Force Base
Motto(s)	"UNIVERSAL"
Equipment	(12x) KC-10A Extender
Commanders
Current Commander	Lieutenant Colonel Matt Lloyd
Current Operations Officer	Lieutenant Colonel Glen Goss
Acting First Sergeant	SMSgt Tim Nelson
Current Squadron Superintendent	SMSgt Tim Nelson
Notable; commanders	General Arthur J. Lichte ; Lieutenant General Paul Selva ; Brigadier General Michelle D. Johnson

The 9th Air Refueling Squadron (9th ARS) was initially activated in 1951, although its history can be traced back to the 9th Photographic Squadron of World War II. The 9th ARS has had many deployments to worldwide locations, and is still performing a global mission (some to remote forward operating location), during wartime, humanitarian operations, and exercises.

History

The 9th Photographic Squadron performed combat photo reconnaissance in the China-Burma-India Theater from 1 December, 1942 through 14 April, 1945. Then the unit transferred their mission to worldwide air refueling, and with a name change to the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, received KB-29 tanker aircraft. They then began refueling operations from August 1951 to December 1965, January 1970 to January 1982, and from August 1982 through today, including support during the rescue of US nationals from Grenada in 1983, support for deployments to Southwest Asia from 1990 to 1991, and humanitarian airlift missions to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope during 1992–1993. Following the events of 9/11 supported Operation Noble Eagle. Starting in October 2001 and continuing present day deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Starting in March 2003 and continuing present day deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Operations

The 9th ARS has a proud legacy of participation in Air Force Operations such as:

Desert Strike
Phoenix Scorpion I
Phoenix Scorpion II
Phoenix Scorpion III
Phoenix Scorpion IV
CentrazBat
Phoenix Banner (presidential support)
Allied Force
Desert Fox
Urgent Fury
Operation Noble Eagle
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom

Lineage and honors

Constituted as 9th Photographic Squadron on 19 January 1942. Activated on 1 February 1942. Redesignated as 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 9 June 1942; 9th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943; 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943. Inactivated on 4 December 1945.

Consolidated with the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium (which was constituted on 24 July 1951), and activated on 1 August 1951. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 15 December 1965.

Redesignated 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 12 December 1969. Activated on 1 January 1970. Inactivated on 27 January 1982.

Activated on 1 August 1982. Redesignated 9th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991.

Campaign streamers

This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:

World War II: New Guinea; Central Pacific; India-Burma; Central Burma; China Defensive.

Decorations

This unit earned the following organizational decorations:

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (4): 1 January 1957–31 January 1958; 1 August 1982–30 June 1983; 1 July 1987–30 June 1989; 1 July 1989–30 June 1991.

Awards

General Carl A. Spaatz Trophy 2002
SMSgt Al Evans Trophy 2003, 2006

Emblem

On a Blue disc edged with a narrow Blue border fimbriated Red, a Red elliptical globe, rimmed and grid lined White. Issuing from the rim in sinister and arced to form the figure 9, a spiralling White contrail terminating below a Red and White ascending flight symbol. MOTTO: UNIVERSAL. (Approved on 19 July 1971)

New replacement emblem approved on 2 December 1954.

Assignments

First Air Force, 1 February 1942
Tenth Air Force, 29 March 1942 (flight attached to Fourteenth Air Force, 10 March 1943–12 July 1943)
Army Air Forces, India-Burma Sector, 30 October 1943 (attached to 5306th Photographic and Reconnaissance Group [Provisional], 30 October 1943–17 January 1944, and to Tenth Air Force, 17 January 1944–6 March 1944)
Tenth Air Force, 7 March 1944
8th Photographic (later, 8th Reconnaissance) Group, 25 April 1944
Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, c. October 1945–4 December 1945.

9th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1951 (attached to 43d Bombardment Wing, 1 August 1951–3 September 1951
36th Air Division, 4 September 1951–14 January 1952
303d Bombardment Wing, 15 January 1952–)
9th Bombardment (later, 9th Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 16 June 1952–15 December 1965 (remained attached to 303d Bombardment Wing, to 30 April 1953; attached to 5th Air Division, 18 April 1955–16 July 1955; SAC Liaison Team, 2 May 1956–1 July 1956).

456th Strategic Aerospace (later, 456th Bombardment) Wing, 1 January 1970
17th Bombardment Wing, 30 September 1975
100th Air Refueling Wing, 30 September 1976–27 January 1982.

22d Bombardment (later, 22d Air Refueling) Wing, 1 August 1982
22d Operations Group, 1 September 1991
722d Operations Group, 1 January 1994
60th Operations Group, 1 September 1994–.

Stations

Mitchel Field (later, Mitchel Air Force Base), New York, 1 February 1942
Bradley Field (later, Bradley International Airport), Connecticut, 10 March 1942
Felts Field (later, Felts Field Airport), Washington, 16 April 1942–18 May 1942
Karachi, India, 24 July 1942 (flight at Kunming, Yunnan province, China, November 1942–12 July 1943, with detachment thereof operating from Kweilin, China, c. February 1943–2 July 1943)
Chakulia, India, 30 November 1942 (detachment operated from Dinjan, India, 18 March 1943–July 1943)
Pandaveswar, India, 3 January 1943 (detachment operated from Dinjan, India, c. September 1943–20 May 1944)
Barrackpore, India, 29 October 1943 (detachment operated from Tingkawk Sakan, Burma (later, Myanmar), 16 August 1944–30 November 1944, and from Myitkyina, Burma, 27 November 1944–c.5 December 1944; another detachment operated from Chittagong, India, c.9 October 1944–21 December 1944)
Myitkyina, Burma, c.5 December 1944
Piardoba, India, c.1 May 1945
Malir, India, c. October 1945–c.14 November 1945
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 3 December 1945–4 December 1945

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 August 1951
Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, 1 May 1953–15 December 1965 (deployed at Benguerir AB, French Morocco, 18 April 1955–16 July 1955; Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, 2 May 1956–1 July 1956)

Beale Air Force Base, California, 1 January 1970–27 January 1982

March Air Force Base (later, March Air Reserve Base), California, 1 August 1982
Travis Air Force Base, California, 1 September 1994–

Aerospace vehicles

In addition to F-4 Lightning, 1942–1944; and F–5 Lightning, 1943–1945; included B-25 Mitchell, 1943–1945.

KB-29 Superfortress, 1951–1954; KC-97G Stratotanker, 15 September 1954–1965.

KC-135Q Stratotanker, 1970–1982.

KC-10A Extender, 1982–.

Commanders

1. Lt Col Russell F. Ireland..................1 Aug 51 - 11 Oct 51
2. Maj Jack N. Fancher.......................11 Oct 51 - 2 Nov 51
3. Lt Col John B. Stokes......................2 Nov 51 - 1 May 53
4. Maj C.C. Gifford..............................1 May 53 - 1 Sep 63
5. Maj Edward H. Dvorak.....................1 Sep 53 - 19 Mar 54
6. Lt Col Max W. Rogers...................19 Mar 54 - 1 Sep 58
7. Lt Col William B. Becklund.............1 Sep 58 - 27 Apr 59
8. Lt Col Donald S. Seeley................27 Apr 59 - 30 Sep 60
9. Lt Col William B. Becklund...........30 Sep 60 - 31 Jul 62
10. Lt Col Roy J. Sousley Jr...............31 Jul 62 - 30 Sep 64
11. Lt Col Carl E. Rice.....................30 Sep 64 - 15 Dec 65
INACTIVE........................................15 Dec 65 - 12 Dec 69
12. Lt Col Clarence W. Thomas..........12 Dec 69 - 4 Jan 71
13. Lt Col Richard D. Jenkins..............4 Jan 71 - 1 Apr 71
14. Lt Col Allan J. Surridge.................1 Apr 71 - 15 Aug 71
15. Lt Col William C. Walker............15 Aug 71 - 9 Oct 71
16. Lt Col Louis C. Wagner................9 Oct 71 - 6 Jun 72
17. Lt Col James G. Dunham..............6 Jun 72 - 3 Mar 73
18. Lt Col Joe H. Snow......................3 Mar 73 - 1 Feb 74
19. Lt Col Douglas A. Jewett..............1 Feb 74 - 1 Sep 76
20. Lt Col William R. Borkowski.........1 Sep 76 - 20 Sep 77
21. Lt Col Melvin U. Edens............ ..20 Sep 77 - 6 Oct 78
22. Lt Col Curtis R. Archer Jr..............6 Oct 78 - 30 Nov 79
23. Lt Col Larry D. Sykes.................30 Nov 79 - 13 Mar 81
24. Lt Col Charles P. Rushforth III.....13 Mar 81 - 27 Jan 82
INACTIVE.........................................27 Jan 82 - 1 Aug 82
25. Lt Col Donald E. Brice.................1 Aug 82 - 19 Nov 82
26. Lt Col Joseph M. Hudson............19 Nov 82 - 12 Aug 84
27. Lt Col Stephen L. Toles..............12 Aug 84 - 26 Jun 86
28. Lt Col Arthur J. Lichte.................26 Jun 86 - 1 Jul 88
29. Lt Col Thomas Dooley...................1 Jul 88 - 23 Mar 90
30. Lt Col James N. Christian...........23 Mar 90 - 28 Mar 91
31. Lt Col Leo A. Brownyard.............28 Mar 91 - 27 May 92
32. Lt Col Bernard H. Fullenkamp.....27 May 92 - 2 Jun 93
33. Lt Col Ronald D. Jones.................2 Jun 93 - 1 Sep 94
34. Lt Col Paul J. Selva......................1 Sep 94 - 25 Apr 95
35. Lt Col Daniel A. Hale...................25 Jun 95 - 18 Jun 96
36. Lt Col Michelle D. Johnson..........18 Jun 96 - 10 Jul 98
37. Lt Col Richard Traster...................10 Jul 98 - 11 Jul 99
38. Lt Col Martin J. Wojtysiak............11 Jul 99 - 21 Jun 00
39. Lt Col Mark Simon......................21 Jun 00 - 21 Jun 01
40. Lt Col Bruce A. VanSkiver...........21 Jun 01 - 30 Jun 03
41. Lt Col Marshall T. Morrison..........30 Jun 03 - 16 Jun 05
42. Lt Col Kurt W. Meidel.................16 Jun 05 - 7 Jun 07
43. Lt Col Matthew J. Lloyd................7 Jun 07 - Present

External links