| 171st Air Refueling Squadron | |
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171st Air Refueling Squadron Emblem |
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| Active | 1946 -Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Air Refueling |
| Part of | Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Selfridge ANGB |
| Nickname | Michigan Six Pack |
The 171st Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard, flying the KC-135T Stratotanker. Its parent unit is the 127th Wing.
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Established in early-1943 as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter squadron, trained under I Fighter Command in the mid-Atlantic states. Also flew air-defense missions as part of the Philadelphia Fighter Wing. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), being assigned to VIII Fighter Command in England, November 1943.
The unit served primarily as an escort organization, covering the penetration, attack, and withdrawal of B-17/B-24 bomber formations that the USAAF sent against targets on the Continent. The squadron also engaged in counter-air patrols, fighter sweeps, and strafing and dive-bombing missions. Attacked such targets as airdromes, marshalling yards, missile sites, industrial areas, ordnance depots, oil refineries, trains, and highways. During its operations, the unit participated in the assault against the Luftwaffe and aircraft industry during the Big Week, February 20–25, 1944, and the attack on transportation facilities prior to the Normandy invasion and support of the invasion forces thereafter, including the Saint-Lô breakthrough in July.
The squadron supported the airborne attack on Holland in September 1944 and deployed to Chievres Airdrome, (ALG A-84), Belgium between February and April 1945 flying tactical ground support missions during the airborne assault across the Rhine. The unit returned to Little Walden and flew its last combat mission on April 20, 1945. Demobilized during the summer of 1945 in England, inactivated in the United States as a paper unit in October.
Allocated to the Michigan Air National Guard on May 24, 1946. The unit was ordered into active service on February 1, 1951 as a result of the Korean War and assigned to Air Training Command. In March 1951 being assigned F-51 Mustangs, F-80 Shooting Stars and F-84 Thunderjets while serving as a training organization.
The unit was relieved from active duty in November 1952, was redesignated as a Fighter-Bomber squadron. Mission aircraft were F-51H, F-86E and F-89C. Redesignated at Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in 1958. The squadron flew RF-84F's. Moving to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in 1971, converted to RF-101's.
In 1973, he 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron came under the Air Defense Command, flying F-106's. Established at Selfridge ANG Base on 1 April 1996, the 171st Air Refueling Squadron which flies the KC-135T Stratotanker .
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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