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909th Air Refueling Squadron [909th ARS]
(Base Code: ZZ)

The 909th Air Refueling Suqadron traces its origins to the 19th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) which was constituted on 28 January 1942. Activated on 1 March 1942 at Barksdale Field, LA, the unit was assigned to the 93d Bombardment Group, flying the B-24 aircraft. It was subsequently redesignated as the 409th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942. From May to 30 July 1942, the unit was tasked with conducting antisubmarine partols.

Relocating to Alconbury, England on 7 September 1942, and then Hardwick, England c-6 December 1942 (though an air echelon operated from Tafaraoui, Algeria, 7-15 Dec 1942; Gambut, Libya, 16 Dec 1942-25 Feb 1943; Bengasi, Libya, 27 Jun-26 Aug 1943; Oudna, Tunisia, 18 Sep-3 Oct 1943), the unit took part in combat operations in the ETO and MTO from 9 October TO 25 April 1945. During that time, the squadron was redesignated as the 409th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 6 March 1944.

Returning to the United States, the squadron inactivated at Sioux Falls Army Airfield, SD on 6 July 1945.

Redesignated 409th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 5 August 1945, the squadron reactivated on 20 August 1945 at Pratt AAFld, KS, as a unit assigned to the 93d Bombardment Group and flying the B-29. It was reassigned to the 444th Bombardment Group on 6 May 1946.

The unit inactivated on 1 October 1946 at Davis-Monthan Field, AZ. It was consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, which was constituted, and activated, on 18 January 1963 and assigned to Strategic Air Command, and flying the KC-135. Organized on 1 April 1963 at Amarillo AFB, TX, it was assigned to the 461st Bombardment Wing and tasked with conducting worldwide air refueling.

The 909th relocated to March AFB, CA on 25 June 1966 upon its assignement to the 22nd Bombardment Wing. The suqadron rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia, from 1967-1973.

It then relocated to Kadena AB, Okinawa (later, Japan) on 1 July 1971 and was assigned to the 376th Strategic Wing. From August 1990-March 1991, the 909th provided air refueling in Southwest Asia.

It was redesignated 909th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 October 1991 upon its reassignement to the 18th Wing's Operations Group.