106th Air Refueling Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 106th Air Refueling Squadron


caption= 106th Air Refueling Squadron Emblem
dates= 1946-Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
type= Squadron
role= Air Refueling
size=
command_structure= Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command
current_commander=
garrison= Birmingham International Airport
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= "Dixie Refuelers"
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
anniversaries=The 106th Air Refueling Squadron flies the KC-135R Stratotanker. It is a unit of the Alabama Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 117th Air Refueling Wing.

History

The squadron was constituted 106 Aero Squadron on 27 Aug 1917 at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas and assigned to the Second Artillery Aerial Observation School. In December of 1917, the squadron set sail for France where they repaired and maintained aircraft. On 1 February 1918, the squadron was redesignated the 800 Aero Squadron. Returning home after the war ended, the squadron was demobilized by mid 1919.

In 1936, the 106 Aero Squadron was consolidated with the 106th Observation Squadron of the Alabama National guard which had been founded as the 135th Observation Squadron by former WWI ace, James Armand Meissner on 21 January 1922.

On 25 November 1940, the 106 Observation Squadron was ordered to active duty. A week after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, the squadron was ordered to Miami, Florida to begin flying anti-submarine patrols. The anti-submarine mission continued for the squadron until September of 1942 when the 106th began preparing for its new mission as a bombardment squadron flying the B-25 Mitchell. This new mission was reflected in a name change when the 106 Observation Squadron was redesignated 106 Reconnaissance Squadron (Bombardment) on 2 Apr 1943. Arriving at Guadalcanal on 15 November 1943, the 106th immediately began performing its new bombing mission. The squadron was once again redesignated on 9 May 1944 when it became known as the 100 Bombardment Squadron (Medium). The 100th was inactivated at Camp Stoneman, California on 11 December 1945.

On 24 May 1946, the newly designated 106 Bombardment Squadron (Light) was once again allocated to the Alabama National Guard. The squadron returned to its observation mission in 1951 when, on February 1 it was redesignated the 106 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photo). In 1957 the squadron entered the jet when they traded their RB-26s for the RF-84 Thunderflash. An change in aircraft came once again in 1971 when the 106th received its first RF-4C Phantom, a mission that continued until 1994 when the squadron took delivery of its first KC-135R aircraft and was redesignated the 106 Air Refueling Squadron.

Assignments

Major Command/Gaining Command

*Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command (1994-present)
*Air National Guard/Air Combat Command (1992-1994)
*Air National Guard/Tactical Air Command (???-1992)

Previous DesignationsRogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0

*106th Air Refueling Squadron (1994-Present)
*106th Reconnaissance Squadron (1992-1994)
*106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (1961-1992))
*106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Photo Jet)(1957-1961)
*106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photo) (1951-1957)
*106th Bombardment Squadron (Light) (1946-1951)
*100th Bombardment Squadron (1944-1946)
*106th Reconnaissance Squadron (Bombardment) (1943-1944)
*106th Observation Squadron (1942-1943)
*106th Observation Squadron (Medium) (1942)
*106th Observation Squadron (1924-1942)
*114th Observation Squadron (1923-1924)
*135th Observation Squadron (1922-1923)

Bases stationed

*Birmingham International Airport, Alabama (1922-1941; 1946-1952; 1953-1961; 1962-Present)
*Palawan (22 Mar-25 Nov 1945)
*Sansapor, New Guinea (1944)
*Hollandia (Jayapura) (6 Aug-14 Sep 1944)
*Stirling Island (1944)
*Treasury Islands (1944)
*Guadalcanal (1943-1944)
*Miami, Florida (1941-1942)

Aircraft OperatedWorld Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. ISBN 1-880588-01-3

*KC-135R Stratotanker (1994-Present)
*RF-4C Phantom (1971-1993)
*RF-84F Thunderstreak (1957-1971)
*B/RB-26 Invader (1946-1957)
*B-25 Mitchell (1943-1945)
*O-49 (1941-1942)
*O-47 (1938-1942)
*O-38 (1933-1941)
*JN-4 Jenny (1922-??)

References

External links