305th Air Refueling Squadron

305th Air Refueling Squadron
Emblem of the 305th Air Refueling Squadron
Active	1959-1994
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Air Refueling
Role	Aerial Refueling

The United States Air Force's 305th Air Refueling Squadron (305 AREFS) was an aerial refueling unit that primarily operated the KC-135 Stratotanker at Grissom AFB, Indiana between 1959 and 1994 when the unit became inactive and the base role changed. The motto of the 305th AREFS is appropriately enough, "Around the World, Around the Clock".

History

The unit was originally attached to the 305th Air Bombardment Wing at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida on 2 July 1951. At that time the squadron operated KC-97 Stratotankers that were based upon a variant of the C-97 Stratofreighter (which was itself based on the B-29 Superfortress bomber), greatly modified with all the necessary tanks, plumbing, and "flying boom."

When the 305th Bombardment Wing was moved in June 1959 to operate the Bunker Hill AFB (which was renamed Grissom AFB in 1968) in Peru, Indiana, the 305th AREFS was not part of the Wing. Later that same year, the first KC-135 Stratotankers were assigned to the Wing. At this time the 68th Air Refueling Squadron was assigned to Bunker Hill. Two years later in 1961, B-58s began replacing the B-47s for the bomber squadrons.

On 25 March 1965 the 305th AREFS was again assigned (replacing the 68th AREFS) to the 305th BW at Bunker Hill where it remained until it was deactiviated. The Wing also operated a B-58 combat crew training school, and gained an EC-135 post-attack command control system (PACCS) mission in mid-1966.

The 305th Bombardment Wing lost all of its bomber units in 1970 when SAC underwent a major reorganization. Thereafter the Wing concentrated on air refueling and PACCS support and was redesignated the 305th Air Refueling Wing on 1 January 1970. Throughout the 1970s until the 1990s, the 305th AREFW operational units consisted of the 305th AREFS, 3rd PACCS and the 70th AREFS.

Grissom AFB was re-aligned under the Air Mobility Command (AMC) in 1992 following the deactivation of SAC. The Wing was moved to McGuire AFB, New Jersey in 1994 and redesignated the 305th Air Mobility Wing. The 305th AREFS did not move with the Wing and became inactive. Today 305th Air Mobility Wing flies C-17 Globemaster III (cargo) and KC-10 Extender (refuel) aircraft to conduct strategic airlift and air refueling missions. Meanwhile, Grissom AFB became an Air Force Reserve facility. Today, the base is home to the 434th Air Refueling Wing.

Missions

From the early 1970s, the 305th AREFS supported worldwide tanker task forces and military operations by deploying KC-135 aircraft to Europe (e. g. Torrejon AB, Spain), Alaska, Greenland, Southeast Asia (e. g. U-Tapao RTNA, Thailand) and the Pacific (e.g. Kadena AB, Okinawa, Andersen AB, Guam and Hickam AFB, HA). The unit along with many others provided refueling support for Operation Rolling Thunder and Operation Arc Light in SE Asia from 1965 to 1973. The unit later provided tanker refueling support to units involved in the invasion of Grenada (October 1983) and the invasion of Panama (December 1989). Later in the 1990s the unit deployed personnel and aircraft to provide refueling support for air operations to and in Southwest Asia and the Middle East. The squadron also delivered food to Kurdish Northern Iraq.

In the 1970s and 1980s Grissom was one of the largest tanker bases in the country. The 305th AREFS aircraft and crew participated every day in sustained alerts for SAC not only at Grissom AFB but in support of bomber squadrons assigned to other SAC bases throughout the USA and Canada, e.g. Goose Bay, McConnell AFB, Ellsworth AFB, Grand Forks AFB and others. Its crews provided the primary refueling support for 3rd PACCS “Looking Glass” missions.

The typical crew consisted of a set pilot, co-pilot, navigator (officers) and boom operator (enlisted). Typical missions included refueling for B-52s, EC-135s, F-4s, RF-4s, RC-135s, SR-71s, U-2s, F-104s, and F-105s. Missions oftentimes included passenger runs and cargo runs.

References

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0892010975

http://www.strategic-air-command.com/wings/0305bw.htm