117th Air Refueling Squadron

The 117th Air Refueling Squadron flies the KC-135R Stratotanker. It is a unit of the Kansas Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 190th Air Refueling Wing.

History

The 117th Air Refueling Squadron traces its origins to the 440th Bombardment Squadron (Light) -- a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania unit—flew the B-26 aircraft in Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France during World War II. Based in Okinawa at the end of the war, it was reorganized as the 117th Bombardment Squadron (Light) and stationed at the Philadelphia Municipal Airport.

The unit was ordered to active federal service at Langley AFB during the Korean War, returning to Pennsylvania afterward.

Reactivated as the 117th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Kansas Air National Guard in 1957, the unit flew the F-80 from Hutchinson Naval Air Station. The 117th was re-equipped with the RB-57 in 1958 and, in 1962, was redesigned as the 190th Tactical Reconnaissance Group.

The group was transferred to Forbes AFB near Topeka in 1967 and, in 1972, was the only military unit in the world equipped with the day/night-capable B-57G bomber. In April 1974, the unit converted to EB-57B aircraft and became the 190th Defense Systems Evaluation Group. The aircraft was equipped with electronic countermeasures equipment and the mission was penetration and evaluation of US air and ground defense capabilities.

The arrival of the first KC-135 Stratotanker in 1978 heralded the still-current air refueling mission. In 1990, the 190th was the first unit to arrive at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for service during operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. During 1999, the 190th deployed twice to Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch, refueling Allied aircraft over the northern No-Fly Zone in Iraq.

Lineages^[1]

• Organized as the 440th Bombardment Squadron (Light) in 1939

Inactivated on 18 Jun 1942

• Constituted 440th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 Jun 1942

Activated on 26 Jun 1942

Redesignated 440th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 3 Feb 1945

Inactivated on 4 Jan 1946

• Redesignated 117th Bombardment Squadron (Light), and allotted to Pennsylvania Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946.

Activated to Federal Service in 12 Mar 1951

Returned to Pennsylvania state control in 19 Jul 1953

• Allocated to Kansas Air National Guard on 3 Jan 1957

Redesignated 117th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and activated on 23 Feb 1957

Redesignated 117th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Apr 1958

Redesignated 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 14 Oct 1962

Redesignated 117th Tactical Bombardment Squadron on 12 June 1972

Redesignated 117th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron on 6 Apr 1974

Redesignated 117th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 8 July 1978

Redesignated 117th Air Refueling Squadron on 16 Mar 1992

Assignments

• Pennsylvania National Guard in 1939
• 319th Bombardment Group, 26 Jun 1942
• VII Bomber Command, 18 Dec 1945-4 Jan 1946
• 190th Bombardment Group, 24 May 1946

Attached to: 4400th Combat Crew Training Group, 12 Mar 1951-19 Jul 1953 while Federalized

• 190th Photo Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Apr 1958
• 190th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 14 Oct 1962
• 190th Tactical Bombardment Group, 12 June 1972
• 190th Defense Systems Evaluation Group, 6 Apr 1974
• 190th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, 8 July 1978
• 190th Air Refueling Wing, 16 Mar 1992

Stations

Aircraft ^[2]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, AL: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

1. ^ Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0
2. ^ World Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. ISBN 1-880588-01-3

External links

• Official site of the 190th Air Refueling Wing