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KB-29M
2nd Bombardment Group
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
1 Jan 1949-16 Sep 1950
(People and equipment turned over to the newly activated 307th AREFS.)
KB-29P
2nd Bombardment Wing (Medium)
Chatham AFB, Georgia
16 Sep 1950-28 Sep 1950
KB-29P
2nd Bombardment Wing (Medium)
Hunter Field, Georgia
16 Sep 1950- Fall 1953
KC-97E/F/G
2nd Bombardment Wing (Medium)
Hunter AFB, Georgia
Fall 1953- 1 Apr 1963
KC-10A
2nd Bombardment Wing (3 Jan 89)
2nd Operations Group (1 Sep 91)
458th Operations Group (1 Jun 92)
Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
3 Jan 1989-1 Oct 1994
KC-10A
305th Air Mobility Wing
McGuire AFB, New Jersey
1 Oct 1994-Present
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"I was assigned to the 2nd ARS on the 22nd of Jan 1951 and we had just three or four aircraft with more coming weekly. These aircraft had been plucked out of the bone-yard and been refurbished at Tinker AFB. The Boom Operators went to the Boeing Boom Operator's School and the Boomers assigned in Jan 51 were Bachman, Clanton, Whittemore, and Hartwell, with possibly one or two more that escaped from the gray matter. But I think this was the group.
We flew KB-29Ps until the fall of 1953 when we converted to KC-97s. After a few months we recieved from McDill a few E and F model KC's. (The E was a sickly thing, that had engines that were plagued with spark plug fouling).
At the time the 2nd was getting started, Lockbourne AFB had already gotten underway with their operation (91st ARS). After about a year, the 2nd sent a seed cadre to McDill to train the troops their on how to be Boom Operators."
-Jim Marshall, 2nd AREFS Boom Operator
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"At Hunter AFB in the late fifties I was the radio operator and Dennis Miller was the boom operator. We were taking off at max weight when, just after we broke ground, number three prop feathered. We went mushing across the trees just above stall speed, dumping fuel. When we cleared the populated area, we dropped our wing tanks in the swamp (I don't think they were ever found). I was sitting in the right scanner position viewing the whole operation. Dennis was up forward on the cargo deck (I don't remember why). The flight lasted about eight minutes: we turned and landed down wind. Didn't have time to get scared until afterwards. Later that year, we were deploying on a USCM and the other squadron (308th) lost one on takeoff with the same problem, only I believe they had two that feathered. Deja Vu."
-Billy G. Hall, 2nd AREFS KC-97 Radio Operator
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