2nd Air Refueling Squadron [2nd ARS]
The 2nd Air Refueling Squadron traces its lineage to 1st Company, 2nd Aero Squadron, which was organized on 1 December 1915 in San Diego, CA. It was assigned to the Philippine Department, from February 1916-October 1917. The squadron was redesignated as the 2nd Aero Squadron on 20 July 1917; and as Squadron A, Kelly Field, TX, on 23 July 1918. It was demobilized on 18 November 1918. The squadron, during that period was most probably a flying training unit.
It was reconstituted, and consolidated on 8 April 1924 with the 2nd Observation Squadron, which was organized as the 2nd Aero Squadron (Observation) on 5 June 1919 at Rockwell Field, CA, and assigned to the Philippine Department on 24 December 1919. It was reassigned to the 1st Observation (later, 4th Observation; 4th Composite) Group, on 10 March 1920, before being redesignated as the 2nd Squadron on 14 March 1921; the 2nd Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923.
Reassigned to the Far East (later, Fifth) Air Force, on 28 October 1941, the unit was redesignated as the 2nd Observation Squadron (Medium) on 26 February 1942. The squadron saw combat in the Philippines in December 1941, and, when Japanese attacks destroyed its aircraft, its surviving personnel were absorbed by other units. The squadron carried as an active unit without personnel from December 1941 until 2 April 1946 at which point, it inactivated.
It was consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, which was constituted on 27 October 1948. The unit activated on 1 January 1949 at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, under the 2nd Bombardment Group, on 1 January 1949 (attached to 2nd Bombardment Wing, 10 February 1951-15 June 1952). The squadron operated the KB-29 (1950-1953) and the KC-97 (1953-1963) and was tasked, starting in 1950, with providing air refueling operations. It was reassigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing, on 16 June 1952. The 2nd was discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 April 1963 at Hunter Field, GA.
The 2nd was redesignated as the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 19 September 1985. It activated on 3 January 1989 at Barksdale AFB, LA, and was assigned to the 2nd Bombardment Wing, flying the KC-10.
The 2nd provided aerial refueling support in Southwest Asia, from August 1990-April 1991.
Redesignated as the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991, it was reassigned to the 2nd Operations Group on that same date.
The squadron was reassigned on 1 June 1992 to the 458th Operations Group. The 2nd Relocated on 1 October 1994 to McGuire AFB, NJ, before being reassigned to the 305th Operations Group on 1 July 1995.
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