History
The squadron was activated on 12 May 1915 by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California, but not organized or manned until December, pending the allotment of funds for the construction of facilities in the Philippines. It was organized as a single company of six officers and 37 men and sailed from San Francisco for Manila on 5 January 1916. After two weeks of quarantine, the unit reached its station on Corregidor on 14 February without aircraft. It received four Martin S-Hydro seaplanes (Signal Corps numbers 56-59) on 13 March and 15 April, and began flying on 8 May 1916. A radio transmitter was set up in one aircraft, giving the aircraft a broadcast range of 29 miles. On 28 June, the company provided artillery spotting and adjustment for target practice with the Fort Mills batteries. Personnel for a second company were assembled and the unit was redesignated the 2d Aero Squadron on 20 July 1917.
The squadron served as a flying training unit from 1917–18 November 1918. It served in the Philippines during World War I and gradually discontinued operations. Redesignated without movement of personnel or equipment as Squadron A at Kelly Field, Texas, in July 1918; it was demobilized on 18 November 1918. A new 2d Aero Squadron was organized on 5 June 1919 at Rockwell Field, California, and stationed at Fort Mills, Corregidor, Philippine Department, on 24 December 1919. The new squadron was assigned to the 1st Observation Group (later the 4th Composite Group) on 20 March 1920 and consolidated with the original 2d Aero Squadron in 1924 as a light observation squadron.
Most of the squadron's aircraft were destroyed early in the Battle of the Philippines in World War II after the Japanese attack on the islands in December 1941. Remains of the squadron were scattered among remaining Air Corps resistance forces during the ensuing battle in the early spring of 1942. They were likely being assigned to Army ground forces under V Interceptor Command. It carried on as an active unit under the Fifth Air Force after 5 May 1942 until 2 April 1946 when it was inactivated.
The squadron was reactivated in 1949 as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) air refueling unit and equipped with KB-29M Superfortress tankers at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. It moved to Georgia in 1950 along with the 2d Bombardment Group (later Wing), upgrading to the KC-97 Stratotanker in the fall of 1953. It performed refueling missions, supporting the B-47E Stratojets of the 2d Bombardment Wing until inactivated in Apr 1963 with the move of SAC out of Hunter AFB.
On 19 Sep 1985 the 2d Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 2d Observation Squadron (Medium), a unit that was last active 02 Apr 1946. This action was directed by Department of the Air Force Letter DAF/MPM 662q Attachment 2 (Inactive Units), 19 Sep 1985. The Consolidated Unit will retain the Designation of 2d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy".
The squadron was reactivated in 1989 with KC-10 Extender tankers at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Since 1989 it has performed global aerial refueling, including aerial refueling support in Southwest Asia from August 1990–April 1991.
Read more about this topic: 2d Air Refueling Squadron
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