43rd Air Refueling Squadron
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KB-29M
43rd Bombardment Group
Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
19 Jul 1948-Dec 53
Upon notice of the transition to KC-97s, the 43rd transferred fourteen of their assigned 25 KB-29M aircraft. Nine went to the 55th Recon Wing and 90th Bomb Wing at Forbes AFB, Kansas. The remaining five were sent to OCAMA storage. The other eleven were also transferred to Forbes before the end of 1953. In the same months, twenty of the newer KC-97G aircraft were received, the final being set for Jan 1954.
KC-97G
43rd Bombardment Wing
Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
Dec 1953-60
KC-135A
4170th Strategic Wing
Larson AFB, Washington
15 Nov 1960-01 Feb 1963
KC-135A
462nd Strategic Aerospace Wing 01 Feb 1963-02 Apr 1966
Larson AFB, Washington
01 Feb 1963-02 Apr 1966
KC-135A/R
92nd Bombardment Wing
Fairchild AFB, Washington
02 Apr 1966-1994
SQUADRON HISTORY as of 10 Dec 1985
LINEAGE.
Constituted 43d Ferrying Squadron on 9 Jul 1942. Activated on 17 Aug 1942. Redesignated 43d Transport Squadron on 24 Mar 1943. Disbanded on 30 Sep 1943. Reconstituted, and consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with 43d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy (constituted 43d Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, on 30 Jun 1948; activated on 19 Jul 1948; redesignated 43d Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 15 Nov 1960).
ASSIGNMENTS.
12th Ferrying (later, 12th Transport) Group, 17 Aug 1942-30 Sep 1943. 43d Bombardment Group, Medium, 19 Jul 1948 (attached to 43d Bombardment Wing, Medium, 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952); 43d Bombardment Wing, Medium, 16 Jun 1952 (attached to Eighth Air Force, 28 Oct-28 Dec 1955); 303d Bombardment Wing, Medium, 1960; 4170th Strategic Wing, 15 Nov 1960; 462d Strategic Aerospace Wing, 1 Feb 1963; 92d Strategic Aerospace Wing (later, 92d Bombardment Wing, Heavy), 2 Apr 1966-.
STATIONS.
Accra, British Gold Coast, 17 Aug 1942-30 Sep 1943. Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz, 19 Jul 1948 (deployed at Lakenheath RAF Station, England, 21 Mar-5 Jun 1953; Fairford RAF Station, England, 18 Sep-9 Dec 1954; Ernest Harmon AFB, Newfoundland, 28 Oct-28 Dec 1955); Larson AFB, Wash, 15 Nov 1960; Fairchild AFB, Wash, 2 Apr 1966-.
AIRCRAFT.
C-47, C-53, C-87, Dec 1942-Sep 1943; ferried other types as well. B-29, 1948-1949; KB-29M, 1949-1953; KC-97G, 1953-1960; KC-135A, 1961-.
OPERATIONS.
Activated on 17 Aug 1942, the 43d Ferrying Squadron did not become operational at Accra, British Gold Coast (now Ghana), Africa, until 4 December. As a unit of the 12th Ferrying Group, the 43d delivered combat and transport aircraft to British forces in the Middle East and later to U.S. forces in North Africa, but its major task was the transport of high priority cargo and personnel within the theater and as far east as Karachi, India. Redesignated the 43d Transport Squadron in March 1943, it disbanded on 30 Sep 1943 during a reorganization of Air Transport Command units in North Africa.
One of two refueling squadrons that the Strategic Air Command activated on 12 Jul 1948, the 43d Air Refueling Squadron, Medium, was the USAF�s first air refueling unit. The 43d AREFS began operations in January1949, flying KB-29M tanker aircraft from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. The squadron refueled B-50s using the looped method developed by the British. In February 1949 supported the circumnavigation flight of the �Lucky Lady II�, the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world. During the Korean War, the 43d sent aircrews to the Far East to refuel fighter aircraft, at that time an experimental procedure. Deployed 21 Mar-5 Jun 1953 to Lakenheath RAF Station, England. In 1953, the 43d AREFS completed transition to new aircraft, the KC-97, equipped with the recently developed flying boom. Deployed 18 Sep-9 Dec 1954 to Fairford RAF Station, England.
While the 43rd was still at Davis-Monthan, a new wing was being organized at Larson AFB (Moses Lake), Washington. Headquarters, 4170th Strategic Wing was organized and established at Larson AFB on 1 July 1959 under the command of Lt Colonel Robert R. Johnston. Assisted by one master sergeant, the colonel's job was to pave the way for SAC's assumption of command of the base on 1 January 1960. The 4170th Wing was activated on 1 January 1960, with maintenance, support and medical units. Also on this date command of Larson was taken from Military Air Transport Service's 62d Troop Carrier Wing. The 4170th Strategic Wing was a heavy bombardment organization to be equipped with B-52 bombers, KC-135 jet tankers and the Titan I Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles at a later date. On 8 April 1960, Colonel Everett W. Best assumed command of the Wing. Under the command of Colonel Best, the 4170th SW became a functional unit of the Strategic Air Command on 13 July 1960 upon assignment of the 327th Bombardment Squadron's crews and aircraft. The 43rd Air Refueling Squadron was assigned to the 4170th on 15 November 1960 and changed its suffix from �Medium� to �Heavy� in preparation for transition to the KC-135A. The 43rd AREFS flew its last KC-97 mission in October 1960. The first crews of the 43rd arrived on 19 March 1961 from Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and the first of the KC-135's arrived on 24 March 1961.
With this new aircraft, 43d aircrews over the next few years refueled aircraft virtually everywhere in the world. Aircraft and crews deployed temporarily to Guam, Alaska, Greenland, Spain, England, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Colonel David A. Tate assumed command of the 4170th Strategic Wing in November 1961 and, on 1 February 1963, when the wing was redesignated the 462d Strategic Aerospace Wing, Colonel Tate became the commander of the newly designated unit. The redesignation of the wing was part of the Air Force's program to honor former units with outstanding combat records. In Aug 1964, 43rd aircrews deployed to Clark AB, Philippines, to begin supporting combat in Southeast Asia. Before terminating this refueling support in December 1975, the 43rd AREFS dedicated substantial resources to the Vietnam War.
Colonel Alex W. Talmant assumed command of the 462d Strategic Aerospace Wing upon the retirement of Colonel Tate on 31 July 1965. Under his command Larson AFB was scheduled to be inactivated on 30 June 1966, with Wing phase out scheduled to be complete by 25 June 1966.
On 2 Apr 1966, the 43d moved from Larson to Fairchild AFB, Wash. In May-June 1980, the explosive volcanic eruption of Mt. Saint Helens forced the suspension of operations from Fairchild for a month, but the 43d operated four tankers each from Beale AFB and Travis AFB, Calif. Once again, from 7 May to 8 Aug 1983, the squadron left Fairchild, deploying to Grant County Airport (formerly Larson AFB), Wash, while the Fairchild runway was repaired.
EMBLEM.
DESCRIPTION.
On a disc per bend white and Air Force blue, edged black, the face of a Saint Bernard dog shades of tan and white, eyeballs white, iris blue, pupil black highlighted white and light blue, with a cask under his chin, shades of brown, all outlines and detail black.
SIGNIFICANCE.
The Saint Bernard dog, with a cask under his chin, symbolically represented in fact and fiction as carrying needed supplies to adventuresome travelers, is particularly appropriate to the mission of an air refueling squadron. The background colors, blue and white, are the traditional colors of the squadron, having been used since 1948 when the squadron was first activated, and signifying that the unit�s aircraft are prepared to do their job anywhere on the globe-over land or water, in the arctic or tropics, summer or winter, and day or night. The squadron motto, FIRST GLOBAL REFUELERS, is in recognition that this unit carried out the air refueling for the first non-stop flight around the world, completed by B-50 �Lucky Lady II� in 1949.
Approved on 7 Jun 1955. Negative Number: K-9402.
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KNOWN TAIL NUMBERS FOR THE 43rd AREFS
52-2614 (7 Dec 1953- Oct 1960)
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