465th Air Refueling Squadron


The 465th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 507th Operations Group, 507th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The squadron operates the KC-135R aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.

Overview

The squadron operates Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions. It is one of three flying organizations in the 507th Air Refueling Wing, incorporating pilots and traditional operations functions.
As civilians, many of the pilots assigned to the refueling squadron are employed by commercial airlines. As reservists, they are required to fly the same type sorties as their active-duty counterparts to remain proficient and combat ready.

History

World War II

Formed in late 1944 as the 465th Fighter Squadron and trained under II Fighter Command in the midwest and Texas. Equipped with the very long range P-47N Thunderbolt with a combat mission to escort B-29 Superfortress bombers from their bases in the Mariana Islands to Japan.
Following months of delays, the squadron arrived in the Pacific Theater, being assigned to Ie Shima in the Ryukyu Islands on 28 June 1945 from Saipan/Tinian. During forty-six days of combat, the squadron flew forty-six missions. With the end of the war, the squadron was reassigned to Yontan Air Base, Okinawa in January 1946 conducting occupation duty. It was inactivated on 24 May 1946.

Air Defense Command

Activated 18 February 1953 by Air Defense Command at McChord AFB, Washington, equipped with F-86D Sabre Interceptors with an air defense mission. Inactivated 18 August 1955 IAW Project Arrow when parent 527th ADG inactivated and replaced 325th Fighter Group.
Reactivated 8 October 1955 at Griffiss AFB, New York and assigned to 32d Air Division with F-89D Scorpions; converted to F-89H/J Scorpions in the fall of 1956; transferred to 4727th Air Defense Group in February 1957; moved to Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts and transferred to Boston Air Defense Sector in August 1959, acquiring F-86L Sabre Interceptors in a swap with the 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron; inactivated 15 March 1960 as the Sabre was being phased out in favor of supersonic interceptors.

Air Force Reserve

It trained for fighter missions between 1972 and 1994 and has flown worldwide air refueling missions since 1994.

Lineage