506th Air Refueling Squadron

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506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 44-200097 of the 406th Fighter Squadron at Furth/Industriehafen
Active
  • 1943–1945
  • 1953–1957
  • c. 2018–unknown
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleAir Refueling
Part ofPacific Air Forces
MottoAny Time Any Where
ColorsYellow (World War II)[1]
EngagementsEuropean Theater of Operations
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron emblem
506th Air Refueling Squadron emblem
World War II fuselage code[1]4W

The 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed. Most recently, it has been active at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam as the operational unit for deployed air refueling units. It was last active as a regular unit at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas where it was inactivated on 1 July 1957 and its personnel and equipment transferred to another squadron.

The squadron was first activated as the 406th Fighter Squadron in 1943, one of the original squadrons of the 371st Fighter Group. The squadron saw combat in the European Theater of Operations before being inactivated in 1945, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attacks in March 1945 that contributed to the defeat of Axis forces in southern Germany.

The 506th Air Refueling Squadron was established in 1953 by Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Dow Air Force Base, Maine and equipped with rigid flying boom KB-29P Superfortress tankers. The squadron mission was to provide air refueling for its parent wing and other USAF units. It moved to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas in 1955 and was inactivated there in July 1957 when SAC transferred its fighter force to Tactical Air Command.

History

World War II

The 406th Fighter Squadron was activated at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia in the summer of 1943[2] as one of the three original squadrons of the 371st Fighter Group. The squadron trained in the northeastern United States with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts under First Air Force before moving overseas in the spring of 1944.[3]

Upon arriving in England, the squadron became an element of Ninth Air Force at Bisterne Close, England. The squadron's first combat operation was a fighter sweep over Occupied France. Prior to Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, the 406th flew fighter sweeps, dive bombing and escort missions.[3]

On D-Day the 406th patrolled the beachhead. attacking railroads, trains, vehicles. gun emplacements and other targets. Soon after the invasion, the squadron moved to France and participated in the air interdiction that preceded the Allied breakout at St Lo in late July and supported the following drive across northern France. It continued to operate in northeastern France and southwestern Germany through the winter of 1945, attacking storage dumps, marshalling yard, factories, bridges, roads, and vehicles. In December 1944 it provided close air support for ground forces engaged in the Battle of the Bulge.[3]

The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attacks between 15 and 21 March 1945 that contributed to the defeat of Axis forces in southern Germany. It continued combat operations until the Surrender of Germany in May.[3] The squadron remained with the occupation forces in Germany until October 1945 when it returned to the United States and was inactivated.[2]

Cold War

Boeing KB-29P as flown by the squadron

The 506th Air Refueling Squadron was established on 25 September 1953 by Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Dow Air Force Base and initially equipped with rigid flying boom Boeing KB-29P Superfortress tankers.[4] Its mission was to provide air refueling to the Republic F-84 Thunderjet strategic fighters of its parent wing. The squadron also supported other USAF units as directed. In 1954 the squadron deployed to Kindley Air Force Base, Bermuda to support SAC fighters of the 508th Strategic Fighter Wing.[5]

KC-97 refueling a SAC F-84G Thunderjet

In 1955 SAC concentrated its strategic fighter units, and the 506th's parent 506th Strategic Fighter Wing moved to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma in March. The squadron remained at Dow and was reassigned to the 4060th Air Refueling Wing until August, when it moved to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas,[6] where it was assigned to the 42d Air Division,[7] the parent of the 12th Strategic Fighter Wing, to which the squadron was attached.[8]

The 506th was inactivated at Bergstrom on 1 July 1957 and its mission, personnel, and equipment were transferred to the 92d Air Refueling Squadron, which was activated that same day to assume SAC resources at Bergstrom as the 42d Air Division and SAC fighter organizations were transferred to Tactical Air Command.[7]

The 406th Fighter Squadron and the 506th Air Refueling Squadron were consolidated in 1985, but the consolidated unit has not been active.[9]

Expeditionary unit

A KC-135 Stratotanker departs from Andersen AFB

In June 2002, the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed.[10] The squadron is known to have been active at Andersen Air Force Base since at least October 2007. The unit is made up of regular, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units that rotate every 90 days.[11] In December 2022, members of the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Refueling Wing deployed along with other units to support the continuous bomber task force at Andersen and other packages deployed to the Pacific.[12] Members of the 168th Air Refueling Wing from the Alaska Air National Guard have also deployed to the squadron.[13][a]

Lineage

406th Fighter Squadron

Constituted as the 406th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 15 May 1943
Activated on 15 July 1943
Inactivated on 10 November 1945[14]
  • Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 506th Air Refueling Squadron as the 506th Air Refueling Squadron[9]

506th Air Refueling Squadron

Constituted as the 506th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium and activated on 25 September 1953
Inactivated on 1 July 1957[7]
Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 406th Fighter Squadron as the 506th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy[9] (remained inactive)
Redesignated 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and converted to provisional status on 12 June 2002[10]
Active by October 2007 – through June 2025[15][16]

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

  • Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1945[2]
  • Boeing KB-29 Superfortress, 1953-unknown
  • Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker, unknown-1957
  • Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, by October 2007 – through June 2025[15][16]

Awards and campaigns

Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Distinguished Unit Citation15 March 1945–21 March 1945406th Fighter Squadron, Germany[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 October 2007–30 September 2008506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[15]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 October 2008–30 September 2009506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron[15]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe7 March 1944 – 5 June 1944406th Fighter Squadron[2]
Normandy6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944406th Fighter Squadron[2]
Northern France25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944406th Fighter Squadron[2]
Rhineland5 September 1944 – 21 March 1945406th Fighter Squadron[2]
Ardennes-Alsace16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945406th Fighter Squadron[2]
Central Europe22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945406th Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Combat, EAME Theater7 March 1944 – 11 May 1945406th Fighter Squadron[2]

See also

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. The cited source says the 168th Wing deployment will end in October, but fails to supply a year.
Citations
  1. Watkins, pp. 44–45
  2. Maurer, Combat Squadronspp. 497–498
  3. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 257–258
  4. No byline. "Abstract, History 47 Air Division Jan 1955". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  5. No byline. "Abstract, History 506 Strategic Fighter Wing Oct 1954". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  6. Mueller, p. 32
  7. No byline. "Abstract, History 42 Air Division May–Jul 1957". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  8. Ravenstein, p. 27
  9. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
  10. DAF/XPM Letter 303s, 12 June 2002, Subject: Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Units
  11. Willis, A1C Gerald R. (29 August 2018). "Stratotankers, Fueling the fight from above". 36th Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 18 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. Larson, Vaughn R. (27 February 2023). "Wisconsin Air Guard Meeting Deployment Challenges in Guam". Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  13. No byline. "KC-135; 506 EARS; 168 Air Refueling Squadron; Alaska ANG; Guam ANG". 36th Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  14. Lineage and stations through 1945 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 497–498
  15. "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 19 June 2026. (search)
  16. Campbell, SRA Audree (10 June 2025). "506th EARS Refuel A-10s across the Pacific". 36th Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  17. Ravenstein, pp. 273–274
  18. Abstract, History 506 Strategic Fighter Wing March 1955 (retrieved 13 October 2013)
  19. Station number in Anderson, p. 28
  20. Station number in Johnson, p. 13
  21. Station number in Johnson, p. 20
  22. Station number in Johnson, p. 25
  23. Station number in Johnson, p. 28
  24. Station number in Johnson, p. 23
  25. Station number in Johnson, p. 37
  26. Station number in Johnson, p. 41

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency