79th Air Refueling Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 79th Air Refueling Squadron (79 ARS) is a unit part of the USAF, belonging to the 349th Air Mobility Wing
at Travis Air Force Base
, California
. It operates the KC-10 Extender
aircraft conducting aerial refueling
missions as the reserve
associate to the 60th Air Mobility Wing
.
and the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
during World War II
, dropped relief supplies to Bastogne and took part in airborne
assaults on Normandy
, southern France
, the Netherlands
, and Germany
in 1944 and 1945. It performed worldwide airlift
operations from, 1966-1971, including missions to Southeast Asia
. The squadron also flew airborne early warning and control missions in the air defense of the United States from, 1971-1978. Since 1982 it has trained for and flown worldwide air refueling and strategic
airlift missions, including contingency and humanitarian relief
operations.
349th Air Mobility Wing
The 349th Air Mobility Wing is the largest associate reserve wing in the United States Air Force. In partnership with its active duty host wing, the 60th Air Mobility Wing the 349 AMW flies, maintains and supports the C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster III...
at Travis Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command , located three miles east of the central business district of Fairfield, in Solano County, California, United States. The base is named for Brigadier General Robert F...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It operates the KC-10 Extender
KC-10 Extender
The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is the military adaptation of the three-engined DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force . The KC-10 incorporates military-specific equipment for its primary roles of transport and aerial refueling. It was developed to supplement the KC-135 Stratotanker...
aircraft conducting aerial refueling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
missions as the reserve
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
associate to the 60th Air Mobility Wing
60th Air Mobility Wing
The 60th Air Mobility Wing is the host unit at Travis Air Force Base in California. It is the largest air mobility organization in the United States Air Force and is responsible for strategic airlift and aerial refueling missions around the world...
.
History
The 79th transported cargo and troops in the European Theater of OperationsEuropean Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
and the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army was originally called North African Theater of Operations and is an American term for the conflict that took place between the Allies and Axis Powers in North Africa and Italy during World War II...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, dropped relief supplies to Bastogne and took part in airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
assaults on Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1944 and 1945. It performed worldwide airlift
Airlift
Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...
operations from, 1966-1971, including missions to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. The squadron also flew airborne early warning and control missions in the air defense of the United States from, 1971-1978. Since 1982 it has trained for and flown worldwide air refueling and strategic
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
airlift missions, including contingency and humanitarian relief
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
operations.
Lineage
- 79th Troop Carrier Squadron (1943–1949)
- 79th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium (1949–1966)
- 79th Military Airlift Squadron (1966–1971)
- 79th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron (1971–1982)
- 79th Air Refueling Squadron (Heavy) (Associate) (1982–1992)
- 79th Air Refueling Squadron (Associate) (1992–1994)
- 79th Air Refueling Squadron (1994–Present)
Assignments
- 436th Troop Carrier Group (1943–1945)
- 419th Troop Carrier Group (1948–1949)
- 436th Troop Carrier Group (1949–1951, 1955–1958)
- Continental Air CommandContinental Air CommandContinental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
(1966) - 915th Military Airlift Group (1966–1971)
- Eastern Air Force Reserve Region (1971–1976)
- 10th Air Force (1976)
- 915th Airborne Early Warning and Control Group (1976–1978)
- 452d Air Refueling Wing (1982–1995)
- 349th Air Mobility Wing349th Air Mobility WingThe 349th Air Mobility Wing is the largest associate reserve wing in the United States Air Force. In partnership with its active duty host wing, the 60th Air Mobility Wing the 349 AMW flies, maintains and supports the C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster III...
(1995–Present)
Bases stationed
- Baer Field, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(1943) - Alliance Army Air Field, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
(1943) - Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
(1943) - RAF BottesfordRAF BottesfordRAF Station Bottesford is a former World War II airfield on the Leicestershire-Lincolnshire county border in England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Radcliffe on Trent; about north-northwest of London...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(1944) - RAF MemburyRAF MemburyRAF Station Membury is a former World War II airfield built in the civil parish of Lambourn in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately mi north-northwest of Hungerford, at the Membury services stop of the M4 motorway; about miles west-southwest of London...
, England (1944–1945)- Operated From: Voltone Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(20 July - 23 August 1944)
- Operated From: Voltone Airfield, Italy
- MelunMelunMelun is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, Melun is the capital of the department, as the seat of an arrondissement...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1945) - Baer Field, Indiana (1945)
- MaldenMalden, MissouriMalden is a city in Dunklin County, Missouri, United States, located near the intersection of Missouri Route 25 and U.S. Route 62. The population is 5,123 at the 2010 census.Malden is within Missouri's 8th congressional district.-Geography:...
Army Air Field, MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
(1945) - Norfolk Municipal Airport, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(1948–1949) - Godman Air Force Base, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
(1949–1950) - Standiford Field, Kentucky (1950–1951)
- Naval Air Station New York, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(1955–1958) - Homestead Air Force Base, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(1966–1978) - March Air Force Base, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(1982–1995) - Travis Air Force BaseTravis Air Force BaseTravis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command , located three miles east of the central business district of Fairfield, in Solano County, California, United States. The base is named for Brigadier General Robert F...
, California (1995–Present)
Aircraft Operated
- C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
(1943–1945, 1948–1951) - T-7 NavigatorBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
(1948–1951) - T-11 KansanBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
(1948–1951) - C-46 CommandoC-46 CommandoThe Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
(1955–1958) - C-119 Flying BoxcarC-119 Flying BoxcarThe Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
(1957–1958)
- C-124 Globemaster IIC-124 Globemaster IIThe Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shakey", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....
(1966–1971) - C-121 Constellation (1971–1973, 1976–1978)
- EC-121 Warning StarEC-121 Warning StarThe Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was a United States Navy and United States Air Force airborne early warning radar surveillance aircraft. A military version of the Lockheed Constellation, it was designed to serve as an airborne early warning system to supplement the Distant Early Warning Line,...
(1971–1978) - KC-10 ExtenderKC-10 ExtenderThe McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is the military adaptation of the three-engined DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force . The KC-10 incorporates military-specific equipment for its primary roles of transport and aerial refueling. It was developed to supplement the KC-135 Stratotanker...
(1982–Present)