Country United States | Role Air Refueling | |
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Active 1943; 1952–1955; 1958–1993 Branch United States Air Force Motto(s) Cum Diligentia atque Celeritate Latin With Diligence and Speed | ||
The 7th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 19th Operations Group, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, where it was inactivated on 1 January 1993.
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History
World War II Established in 1943 by Air Transport Command in India, the squadron flew Curtiss C-46 Commando transports from the Assam Valley in India over the 'Hump' to bases in China, flying supplies, personnel and equipment to support Fourteenth Air Force combat units in the China Burma India Theater (CBI).
MATS airlift
Reactivated as part of Military Air Transport Service (MATS) in 1952, it flew Douglas C-54 Skymasters from McChord Air Force Base, Washington to Elmendorf and Ladd Air Force Bases, Alaska. It moved to Travis Air Force Base, California in 1953, where it was re-equipped with Douglas C-124 Globemaster II intercontinental strategic transport aircraft. The unit flew very long range strategic airlift missions within the MATS Western Transport Air Force area from California to Japan, the Philippines, Indochina and Karachi Airport in West Pakistan during the 1950s. It was inactivated in July 1955 due to budget reductions.
Air refueling
It was re-activated at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas on 1 April 1958 when its parent unit, the 7th Bombardment Wing received Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses. The unit provided air refueling on a worldwide basis for over 30 years with Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers. The squadron was not operational 6 May – 1 December 1965 and 10 December 1969 – 31 March 1970 due to operations in Southeast Asia. All aircrews and aircraft were deployed or on loan to provisional units at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam or U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield, Thailand. On 19 September 1985 the 7th Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 77th Air Transport Squadron.
It remained assigned to the 7th Wing at Carswell until 1 June 1992. Reassigned to the 19th Operations Group at Robins AFB, the squadron was inactivated in 1993 as part of the post Cold War drawdown of the USAF.