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====Air Refueling====
====Air Refueling====
After the end of Desert Storm, the phaseout of the RF-4C with the ANG was accelerated. On 16 March 1992 the 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing adopted the USAF "objective wing" and was re-designated the 117th Reconnaissance Wing; on 1 June 1992 Tactical Air Command was inactivated, being replaced by the new Air Combat Command (ACC). During 1994 the RF-4Cs were sent to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona for retirement at AMARC and on 1 October the 117th Reconnaissance Wing was re-designated as the 117th Air Refueling Wing, the mission now becoming aerial refueling with KC-135 Stratotankers.


===Lineage===
===Lineage===

Revision as of 13:13, 19 October 2012

106th Air Refueling Squadron
106th Air Refueling Squadron Emblem
Active1922—present
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
TypeSquadron
RoleAerial Refueling
Part ofAlabama Air National Guard/117th Air Refueling Wing
Garrison/HQBirmingham International Airport
Nickname(s)"Dixie Refuelers"
Aircraft flown
TankerKC-135R Stratotanker
106th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker

The 106th Air Refueling Squadron (106 ARS) is a unit of the Alabama Air National Guard 117th Air Refueling Wing. It is assigned to Birmingham Air National Guard Base, Alabama and is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft.

The squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 106th Aero Squadron, established on 27 August 1917. It was reformed on 21 January 1922. After several designation changes, it was re-designated the 106th Observation Squadron on 16 January 1924 and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.

History

The squadron was initially formed on 27 August 1917 as the 106th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. It deployed to France as part of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) and saw service on the Western Front as a non-combat maintenance unit where it repaired and maintained aircraft in the Zone of Advance. The 106th Aero Squadron, Army Air Service, demobilized at Mitchel Field, New York in the spring and summer of 1919.

Alabama National Guard

106th Observation Squadron Curtiss JN-6H
106th Observation Squadron Douglas O-38s

On 21 January 1922 the 125th Squadron, Alabama National Guard, received federal recognition as a Corps Aviation unit. (It was re-designated the 135th Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923 and then it was re-designated the 114th Observation Squadron as an aviation unit the 39th Division on 1 May 1923. On 16 January 1924, it was it was re-designated the 106th Observation Squadron as an aviation unit in the 31st Division.) Maj. James A. Meissner, a World War I ace who had flown with Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, led the effort to form the unit and served as its first commander.

The early years were challenging. Land was donated for what would become Roberts Field. Steel was salvaged from old wartime hangars to build new hangars. Birmingham citizens donated money to defray construction expenses. Squadron members even returned their pay to the squadron to defray costs and supplied much of the labor themselves. In the first few years of operation, while constructing the facilities at Roberts Field, the Squadron participated in mine rescue work, began a program of providing aerial photographs of points of industrial and historical interest throughout Alabama, and provided the first Air Mail service in the State of Alabama. By 1929, the Squadron had transitioned from Major Meissner to W.V.M. Robertson, Jr., and then to Lt. Col. Sumpter Smith. Under the command of Lt. Col. Smith in 1929, the Squadron rendered its “greatest service to the State of Alabama” when the entire Squadron was ordered to active duty for flood relief in south Alabama. Twenty-five officers and 100 men participated for 14 days and nights, flying a total of approximately 300 hours dropping food and medicine to marooned families. The airdrop of supplies was among the first of its kind in aviation history.

By 1930, the facilities at Roberts Field were long-since declared inadequate by numerous inspectors, but the Squadron did not have the funds to move. A steady campaign of publicity and pressure on legislative and local government was maintained until the decision was made to build new facilities for the 106th Observation Squadron at the Birmingham Municipal Airport as part of the government works project in 1934. When Colonel Smith moved up to the 31st Division, command of the Squadron passed to Henry Badham, Jr., one of the founding members of the Birmingham Flying Club. On 16 January 1936, James Meissner, the father of the Alabama Air National Guard, died from pneumonia. The city held a memorial service involving a flyover by the planes of the unit he founded and his old friend and former World War I wingman, Eddie Rickenbacker, returned to Birmingham to be an honorary pall-bearer. Major Meissner is buried at Arlington National Cemetery

In 1936, the 106 Aero Squadron was consolidated with the 106th Observation Squadron of the Alabama National Guard. It took nearly four years to complete the construction of the new home of the 106th Observation Squadron at the Birmingham Municipal Airport, but in 1938 the Squadron was finally able to move into its new quarters. Eventually, the base was named after the colonel who helped ensure its construction, Colonel Sumpter Smith.

World War II

The 106th was ordered to active duty on 25 November 1940 as part of the buildup of the Army Air Corps after the Fall of France. Ordered to the 36th Street Airport, Miami, Florida after the Pearl Harbor Attack in mid-December 1941, the Guardsmen flew antisubmarine patrols over the Florida Atlantic coast until September 1942, also operating from Jacksonville and Savannah, Georgia.

Transferred to Third Air Force and moved to Tennessee in late 1942, the 106th began training for combat observation and liaison duties then as a medium bombardment squadron flying the B-25 Mitchell. This new mission was reflected in a name change when the 106 Observation Squadron was re-designated 106 Reconnaissance Squadron (Bombardment) on 2 April 1943. In late 1943, the 106th was deployed to the South Pacific Area (SPA) and arrived at Guadalcanal on 15 November 1943, the 106th immediately began performing its new bombing mission. In the Pacific Theater, the squadron engaged enemy forces in New Guinea; the Northern Solomon Islands; Bismarck Archipelago; on Leyte, Luzon and Mindanao in the Philippine Campaign, and also in southeast China. At the end of the war, the 100th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), the final wartime designation of the squadron, was inactivated in the Philippines on 11 December 1945.

Alabama Air National Guard

The wartime 100th Bombardment Squadron was re-activated and re-designated as the 106th Bombardment Squadron (Light) and was allotted to the Alabama Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Birmingham Municipal Airport and was extended federal recognition on 25 Nov 1946. The 106th Bombardment Squadron was bestowed the history, honors, and colors of the 100th Bombardment Squadron and its predecessor units. The squadron was equipped with B-26C Invaders and was assigned to the 54th Fighter Wing, Georgia ANG for administration, while being under the operational control of the Alabama Air National Guard. In 1950, the B-26 Invaders were exchanged for RB-26C Invader reconnaissance aircraft, and the squadron came under the control of the new 117th Tactical Reconnaissance at Birmingham.

During the Korean War, the 106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photo) was federalized and assigned to the Ninth Air Force 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. It moved to Shaw on 5 January 1952 where it replaced the 162d TRS which was deployed to Itazuke AB Japan to fly photo-reconnaissance missions over Korea. At Shaw, it joined the 16th and 18th TRS flying night reconnaissance training missions with the RB-26C. Many of the squadron's pilots were deployed to Japan and South Korea where they served in Combat, flying hazardous unarmed night reconnaissance missions over enemy-held territory. On 1 January 1953 the 106th was returned to Alabama state control and returned to Birmingham.

Republic RF-84F-30-RE Thunderflash of the 106th TRS, Alabama Air National Guard, 52-7425 1961
File:Rf-84g-37554-dreux.jpg
Republic RF-84F-40-RE Thunderflash, serial 53-7554 of the 106th TRS, shown during a 1964 deployment to France, probably Chaumont AB. Today, this aircraft is on display at the Glenn L. Martin Museum, Martin State AP, MD.

The squadron continued to fly the RB-26C until 1957 when the aircraft was reaching its end of operational service and was retired. Replacing the Invader in May 1957 were new RF-84F Thunderstreak jet reconnaissance aircraft, manufactured by Republic for Air National Guard service. Continuing in ANG service throughout the 1950s, in 1961.

1961 Berlin Crisis

The squadron was federalized a second time on 1 October 1961 as a result of the 1961 Berlin Crisis. The 117th TRG was again federalized, which consisted of the 160th TRS from Montgomery; the 106th TRS at Birmingham; the 153d TRS (Mississippi ANG), and the 184th TRS (Arizona ANG). Due to federal budget restrictions, only the 106th TRS was deployed to Dreux-Louvilliers AB, France, however elements of all three other squadrons rotated to France as part of the USAFE 7117th Tactical Wing.

On 27 October twenty 106th TRS RF-84F's were deployed to Dreux, arriving on 3 November. In addition, two T-33As and one C-47 were deployed as support aircraft. By 22 November, the wing reassembled at the newly reactivated Dreux for an estimated stay of ten months. However, problems developed immediately after their arrival at Dreux. The base had been in standby status for about a year and no longer was used for operational flights. Possibly the French forgot to take into account the fact that the base could be re-opened for exercises and deployments such as was now the case.

In any event, the more than one thousand airmen of the 106th TRS arrived at a base that had been stripped clean. The French had taken away office desks, telephones and typewriters. The kitchens had not been used for some time, a fact that the quartermasters had not taken into account, so getting the base operational again in the short time available took an all-out effort. A few days after the ground units arrived from Alabama, the first aircraft were prepared for a practice flight. The French, however, refused permission for take-off. Only after a lot of negotiation were several aircraft allowed to take to the air.

Dreux AB came within the Paris Air Traffic Control area, as did the busy Le Bourget and Orly airports, and an extra squadron of aircraft had not been allowed in the French air traffic controllers' staffing levels. The safety of civilian air traffic was used to justify denying the Americans permission to fly out of Dreux. Notwithstanding stormy protests, every form of co-operation was refused and the F-84s stayed on the ground. The pilots who had only just completed a risky Atlantic crossing of several thousand kilometers, had to wait in the operations room. In the United States, the Birmingham News daily newspaper reported that 'their boys', after the sudden mobilization and the weeks of preparation, had not been sent to Europe to sit around a French airfield doing nothing.

However as strongly the Pentagon protested, the French answer remained 'non!'. Eventually General Reid Doster, commander of the Alabama deployment could do little else but take his aircraft elsewhere. At the end of November 1961 he received permission from the French traffic controllers to go with his aircraft to Chaumont-Semoutiers AB, another USAFE-contolled base in France. Permission was received from the French to move the 7117th TRW on 8 December 1961, however HQ USAFE insisted that the 7117th Wing HQ remain at Dreux AB for airlift traffic. Thus the 106th TRS operated from Chaumont AB, while Wing HQ remained at Dreux.

On 22 July 1962 the 106th TRS returned to Alabama leaving its F-84Fs in France. Dreux AB was placed back in standby status by USAFE, and never really used again until it was turned over to the French in 1966.

Vietnam and late Cold War era

After the squadron re-formed in Birmingham, the 106th TRS was re-equipped with RF-84Fs from active-duty squadrons that were receiving the McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo. It continued to fly the Thunderstreak reconnaissance aircraft throughout the 1960s. As the RF-84F was not used during the Vietnam War, the 117th TRG was not activated for duty in Southeast Asia, although some pilots from the 106th went though transition training to the RF-101C and RF-4C and were deployed for combat duty.

106th TRS RF-4C 66-7761 about 1972, shortly after its transfer from the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand.

In November 1971 the Thundersteaks were retired as they reached the end of their service life and the 117th TRG was chosen to be the first Air National Guard squadron to receive the RF-4C Phantom II supersonic tactical reconnaissance aircraft. The squadron received aircraft directly being withdrawn from Southeast Asia as part of the United States pullout from the Vietnam War.

The RF-4C Phantoms were operated by the 106th TRS for nearly 20 years, being deployed frequently to Europe as part of USAFE Crested Cap and other annual deployments. The 106th TRS frequently operating from RAF Alconbury, England with the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing or Zweibrücken Air Base, West Germany with the 26th Tactical Fighter Wing, USAFE's primary tactical reconnaissance Wings.

By early 1989, the operational lifetime of the F-4 Phantom was ending, and the number of RF-4C squadrons serving both on active-duty as well as in Air National Guard units was being reduced. In large part, the RF-4C was being replaced by the ability of the Lockheed U-2 TR-1 variant, which had taken over the tactical reconnaissance mission. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact led to accelerated retirement plans, and the retirement of the last of the RF-4Cs was in the planning stages when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, and further deactivation plans were put on hold. Consequently, the RF-4C was still in service with the USAF at the time of Operation Desert Shield.

1991 Gulf War

In response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the 106th TRS of the 117th TRW was rapidly deployed on 24 August 1990 to Sheika Isa AB, Bahrain. Its LOROP (LOng-Range Oblique Photography) equipped RF-4Cs with high-resolution 66-inch focal length cameras were used to conduct prewar surveillance and photo-reconnaissance mapping of Iraqi forces in occupied Kuwait as as well as those deployed along the Saudi Arabia-Iraq border. Unfortunately, 64-1044 crewed by Major Barry K. Henderson and Lt. Col. Stephen G. Schraam was lost in an operational accident on 8 October 1990. Initally assigned to HQ United States Central Command Air Forces, it was later further assigned to the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional). The 106th TRS, however, did not engage in combat operations during Operation Desert Storm, being relieved on 18 December 1990 by the 192nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the Nevada ANG. Later, RF-4Cs taken from the USAF's 12th TRS/67th TRW and the 38th TRS/26th TRW were deployed to Desert Shield.

Air Refueling

After the end of Desert Storm, the phaseout of the RF-4C with the ANG was accelerated. On 16 March 1992 the 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing adopted the USAF "objective wing" and was re-designated the 117th Reconnaissance Wing; on 1 June 1992 Tactical Air Command was inactivated, being replaced by the new Air Combat Command (ACC). During 1994 the RF-4Cs were sent to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona for retirement at AMARC and on 1 October the 117th Reconnaissance Wing was re-designated as the 117th Air Refueling Wing, the mission now becoming aerial refueling with KC-135 Stratotankers.

Lineage

Patch from the 106th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. Note: The unit consists of the 106th Air Refueling Squadron and the 126th Air Refueling Squadron from Wisconsin, hence the A and W on the patch.
Emblem of the World War II 100th Bombardment Squadron
  • Organized as 106th Aero Squadron on 27 August 1917
Re-designated 800th Aero Repair Squadron on 1 February 1918.
Demobilized: A and B flights on 8 May 1919, C flight on 2 July 1919
  • Reconstituted and consolidated (1936) with 135th Squadron which, having been allotted to Alabama NG, was organized on 21 January 1922
Re-designated: 135th Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923
Re-designated: 114th Observation Squadron on 1 May 1923
Re-designated: 106th Observation Squadron on 16 January 1924
Ordered to active service on 25 November 1940
Re-designated: 106th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 January 1942
Re-designated: 106th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942
Re-designated: 106th Reconnaissance Squadron (Bombardment) on 2 April 1943
Re-designated: 100th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 9 May 1944
Inactivated on 11 December 1945
  • Re-designated: 106th Bombardment Squadron (Light), and allotted to Alabama Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946.
Re-designated: 106th Bombardment Squadron (Light), extended federal recognition on 25 Nov 1946
Re-designated: 106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photo) on 1 Feb 1951
Federalized and ordered to active service on: 1 April 1951
Re-designated: 106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 9 Jan 1952
Relieved from active duty and returned to Alabama State Control: 15 November 1952
Re-designated: 106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 May 1957
Federalized and ordered to active service on: 3 November 1961
Relieved from active duty and returned to Alabama State Control: on 20 Aug 1962
Federalized and ordered to active service on: 24 August 1990
Relieved from active duty and returned to Alabama State Control: on 18 December 1990
Re-designated: 106th Reconnaissance Squadron on 15 Mar 1992
Re-designated: 106th Air Refueling Squadron in Oct 1994
  • Designated: 106th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron when unit assigned to Air and Space Expeditionary Forces.

Assignments

  • Unknown, 27 August 1917 – February 1918
  • Second Artillery Aerial Observation School, February 1918 – April 1919
B flight with First Artillery Aerial Observation School, 1918, and detachment thereof with Fourth Artillery Aerial Observation School, 1918
C flight with Fifth Artillery Aerial Observation School, 1918–1919
Originally intended as corps air service, served from 1923 as divisional aviation, with 39th Division to 1924 and thereafter with 31st Division
Attached to: 7117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 3 November 1961-20 Aug 1962
Attached to: 35th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional), 24 Aug 1990-18 Dec 1990

Stations

Aircraft

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

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