712th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

712th Air Refueling Squadron
19th Air Refueling Wing KC-135A Stratotanker
Active	1943-1946; 1947-1951; 1994-1996
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Air refueling
Part of	United States Air Forces Europe
Motto(s)	Anytime - Anyplace
Engagements	European Theater of Operations
Insignia
712th Air Refueling Squadron emblem
Patch with unofficial 712th Bombardment Squadron emblem[1]
World War II fuselage code[1]	CT

The 712th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 19th Operations Group at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1996. In February 2001, the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 712th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron.

The squadron was first activated during World War II and served in combat with the 448th Bombardment Group in Europe. It was active in the reserve from 1947 until 1951, when it was called to active duty for the Korean War and inactivated after its personnel were used to man other units.

History

World War II

Media related to 448th Bombardment Group at Wikimedia Commons

448th Bombardment Group B-24

Activated in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to the United Kingdom in Europe during November 1943, assigned to the 448th Bombardment Group as a strategic bombardment squadron. Participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until German capitulation in May 1945. Personnel demobilized in the United Kingdom and returned to the United States; squadron reassigned to Second Air Force and re-equipped with B-29 Superfortresses, being trained for deployment to the Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation canceled deployment and was assigned to Fort Worth AAF, Texas as Continental Air Forces, later Strategic Air Command squadron. Budget and personnel shortages led to the squadron's inactivation in August 1946.

Air Force reserve

Activated in the postwar reserve as a B-29 squadron. Trained for proficiency as part of Strategic Air Command reserve forces. Activated as a result of Korean War in 1951, squadron's aircraft and personnel reassigned to Far East Air Force Bomber Command, inactivated as a paper unit.

Air refueling operations

Reactivated in 1994 as a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling squadron. Inactivated in 1996 as part of realignment of host 19th Operations Group. Emblem for the 712th was designed by SSgt Rob Crotts.

Converted to a provisional unit in February 2001, and later activated in February-March 2008 in Budapest, possibly for the NATO Summit.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 712th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 April 1943

Activated on 1 May 1943

Redesignated 712th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943

Redesignated 712th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945

Inactivated on 4 August 1946

• Activated in the reserve on 19 April 1947

Redesignated 712th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 27 June 1949

Ordered to active service on 17 March 1951

Inactivated 21 March 1951^[2]

• Redesignated 712th Air Refueling Squadron and activated, on 1 April 1994

Inactivated on 1 July 1996

• Converted to provisional status and redesignated 712th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron on 5 February 2001

Activated on 18 March 2008

Inactivated on 30 April 2008

Assignments

• 448th Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946
• 448th Bombardment Group, 19 April 1947 – 21 March 1951^[2]
• 19th Operations Group, 1 April 1994 – 1 July 1996
• 398th Air Expeditionary Group, 14 March - 30 April 2008

Stations

Gowen Field, Idaho, 1 May 1943 Wendover Field, Utah, 4 July 1943 Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, 11 September-7 November 1943 RAF Seething (AAF-146),[3] England, 25 November 1943 – 5 July 1945 Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 15 July 1945 McCook Army Air Field, Nebraska, 25 July 1945

Biggs Field, Texas, 23 August 1945 McCook Army Air Field, Nebraska, 8 September 1945 Fort Worth Army Air Field, Texas, 15 December 1945 – 4 August 1946 Long Beach Army Air Field (later Long Beach Municipal Airport), California, 19 April 1947 – 21 March 1951[2] Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 April 1994 – 1 July 1996 Budapest Ferihengy International Airport, 14 March - 30 April 2008

Aircraft

• Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945^[2]
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1946^[2]
• Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1994–1996

References

Notes

1. Watkins, pp. 94-95
2. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 713
3. Station number in Anderson

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Watkins, Robert (2008). Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II. Vol I (VIII) Bomber Command. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7643-1987-6.