The 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed. Most recently, it has been active at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam as the operational unit for deployed air refueling units. It was last active as a regular unit at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas where it was inactivated on 1 July 1957 and its personnel and equipment transferred to another squadron.

The squadron was first activated as the 406th Fighter Squadron in 1943, one of the original squadrons of the 371st Fighter Group. The squadron saw combat in the European Theater of Operations before being inactivated in 1945, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attacks in March 1945 that contributed to the defeat of Axis forces in southern Germany.

The 506th Air Refueling Squadron was established in 1953 by Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Dow Air Force Base, Maine and equipped with rigid flying boom KB-29P Superfortress tankers. The squadron mission was to provide air refueling for its parent wing and other USAF units. It moved to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas in 1955 and was inactivated there in July 1957 when SAC transferred its fighter force to Tactical Air Command.

History World War II The 406th Fighter Squadron was activated at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia in the summer of 1943Maurer, Combat Squadronspp. 497–498 as one of the three original squadrons of the 371st Fighter Group. The squadron trained in the northeastern United States with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts under First Air Force before moving overseas in the spring of 1944.Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 257–258

Upon arriving in England, the squadron became an element of Ninth Air Force at Bisterne Close, England. The squadron's first combat operation was a fighter sweep over Occupied France. Prior to Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, the 406th flew fighter sweeps, dive bombing and escort missions.

On D-Day the 406th patrolled the beachhead. attacking railroads, trains, vehicles. gun emplacements and other targets. Soon after the invasion, the squadron moved to France and participated in the air interdiction that preceded the Allied breakout at St Lo in late July and supported the following drive across northern France. It continued to operate in northeastern France and southwestern Germany through the winter of 1945, attacking storage dumps, marshalling yard, factories, bridges, roads, and vehicles. In December 1944 it provided close air support for ground forces engaged in the Battle of the Bulge.

The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attacks between 15 and 21 March 1945 that contributed to the defeat of Axis forces in southern Germany. It continued combat operations until the Surrender of Germany in May. The squadron remained with the occupation forces in Germany until October 1945 when it returned to the United States and was inactivated.

Cold War

The 506th Air Refueling Squadron was established on 25 September 1953 by Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Dow Air Force Base and initially equipped with rigid flying boom Boeing KB-29P Superfortress tankers. Its mission was to provide air refueling to the Republic F-84 Thunderjet strategic fighters of its parent wing. The squadron also supported other USAF units as directed. In 1954 the squadron deployed to Kindley Air Force Base, Bermuda to support SAC fighters of the 508th Strategic Fighter Wing.

In 1955 SAC concentrated its strategic fighter units, and the 506th's parent 506th Strategic Fighter Wing moved to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma in March. The squadron remained at Dow and was reassigned to the 4060th Air Refueling Wing until August, when it moved to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas,Mueller, p. 32 where it was assigned to the 42d Air Division, the parent of the 12th Strategic Fighter Wing, to which the squadron was attached.Ravenstein, p. 27

The 506th was inactivated at Bergstrom on 1 July 1957 and its mission, personnel, and equipment were transferred to the 92d Air Refueling Squadron, which was activated that same day to assume SAC resources at Bergstrom as the 42d Air Division and SAC fighter organizations were transferred to Tactical Air Command.

The 406th Fighter Squadron and the 506th Air Refueling Squadron were consolidated in 1985, but the consolidated unit has not been active.Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons

Expeditionary unit

In June 2002, the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed.DAF/XPM Letter 303s, 12 June 2002, Subject: Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Units The squadron is known to have been active at Andersen Air Force Base since at least October 2007. The unit is made up of regular, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units that rotate every 90 days. In December 2022, members of the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Refueling Wing deployed along with other units to support the continuous bomber task force at Andersen and other packages deployed to the Pacific. Members of the 168th Air Refueling Wing from the Alaska Air National Guard have also deployed to the squadron.

Lineage

406th Fighter Squadron Constituted as the 406th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 15 May 1943 Activated on 15 July 1943 Inactivated on 10 November 1945Lineage and stations through 1945 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 497–498 Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 506th Air Refueling Squadron as the 506th Air Refueling Squadron

506th Air Refueling Squadron Constituted as the 506th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium and activated on 25 September 1953 Inactivated on 1 July 1957 Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 406th Fighter Squadron as the 506th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy (remained inactive) Redesignated 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and converted to provisional status on 12 June 2002 Active by October 2007 – through June 2025

Assignments 371st Fighter Group: 15 July 1943 – 10 November 1945 506th Strategic Fighter Wing: 25 September 1953Ravenstein, pp. 273–274 4060th Air Refueling Wing: 1 March 1955Abstract, History 506 Strategic Fighter Wing March 1955 (retrieved 13 October 2013) 42d Air Division: 15 August 1955 – 1 July 1957 (attached to 12th Strategic Fighter Wing) Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed, 12 June 2002 Attached to 36th Operations Group, by October 2007 – through June 2025

Stations

Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 15 July 1943 Camp Springs Army Air Field, 2 October 1943 Millville Army Air Field, 17 November 1943 Camp Springs Army Air Field, 12 December 1943 Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 20 January 1944 – 14 February 1944 Bisterne Close, England, (Station 415),Station number in Anderson, p. 28 7 March 1944 Beuzeville Airfield, France (A-6),Station number in Johnson, p. 13 c. 17 June 1944 Perthes Airfield, France (A-65),Station number in Johnson, p. 20 c. 20 September 1944 Dôle-Tavaux Airfield, France (Y-7),Station number in Johnson, p. 25 1 October 1944

Tantonville Airfield, France (Y-1), 29 December 1944 Metz-Frescaty Airfield, France (Y-34),Station number in Johnson, p. 28 15 February 1945 Frankfurt-Eschborn Airfield, Germany (Y-74),Station number in Johnson, p. 23 c. 3 May 1945 Fürth-Atzendorf Airfield, Germany (R-28),Station number in Johnson, p. 37 c. 5 April 1945 Hörsching Airfield, Austria (R-87),Station number in Johnson, p. 41 16 August 1945 Stuttgart, Germany, c. 13 September 1945 – October 1945 Camp Shanks, New York, 9 November 1945 – 10 November 1945 Dow Air Force Base, Maine 25 September 1953 Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 15 August 1955 – 1 July 1957 Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, by October 2007 – through June 2025

Aircraft Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1945 Boeing KB-29 Superfortress, 1953-unknown Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker, unknown-1957 Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, by October 2007 – through June 2025

Awards and campaigns

406th Fighter Squadron cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army for the period 6 June 1944 – 30 September 1944

Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates NotesAir Offensive, Europe7 March 1944 – 5 June 1944406th Fighter SquadronNormandy6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944406th Fighter SquadronNorthern France25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944406th Fighter SquadronRhineland5 September 1944 – 21 March 1945406th Fighter SquadronArdennes-Alsace16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945406th Fighter SquadronCentral Europe22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945406th Fighter SquadronAir Combat, EAME Theater7 March 1944 – 11 May 1945406th Fighter Squadron

See also List of United States Air Force air refueling squadrons

References Notes Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography