384th Air Refueling Squadron

The 384th Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it is assigned to the 92d Operations Group and operates the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions.

384th Air Refueling Squadron
Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers at McConnell Air Force Base in 2014
Active	1943–1946; 1955–1966; 1973–2016; 2017–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Aerial refueling
Part of	Air Mobility Command
Nickname(s)	Squarepatchers[1]
Colors	Maroon/Silver
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award French Croix de Guerre with Palm
Insignia
384th Air Refueling Squadron emblem (approved 5 February 1960)[2]
384th Air Refueling Squadron emblem (approved 30 June 1959)[3][note 1]
Patch with 584th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 31 December 1943)[4]

The first predecessor of the squadron is the 584th Bombardment Squadron, a Martin B-26 Marauder unit that served in the European Theater of Operations, where it warned a Distinguished Unit Citation and a French Croix de Guerre with Palm. After V-E Day, it served with the occupation forces in Germany until inactivating in 1946.

The 384th was activated in 1955 at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it served as a Strategic Air Command air refueling unit until inactivating in 1966. It was activated again in 1973 and, except for a brief period of inactivation, has performed global refueling missions since then. The two squadrons were consolidated into a single unit in 1985.

History

Loading bombs on Martin B-26G-1-MA Marauder Serial 43-34194 of the 584th Bomb Squadron.

World War II

The squadron flew combat missions in the European Theater of Operations from, 23 March 1944 – 20 April 1945.[2]

Air refueling operations

It conducted aerial refueling for Strategic Air Command bombers in North Atlantic area from, 1955–1965 and has flown worldwide aerial refueling sorties since 1973 including support to operations in Panama from, 18–20 December 1989 and Southwest Asia from, August 1990 – March 1991.[2]

The squadron was activated on 23 March 2017 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. The activation date was chosen because it was the 73d anniversary of the squadron's first combat mission during World War II.[5]

Operations

• World War II
• Operation Just Cause
• Operation Desert Storm
• Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Operation Enduring Freedom
• Operation New Dawn
• Operation Odyssey Dawn
• Operation Unified Protector

Lineage

584th Bombardment Squadron

• Constituted as the 584th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 15 February 1943

Activated on 5 March 1943

Redesignated 584th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 9 October 1944

Redesignated 584th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 3 December 1945

Inactivated on 31 March 1946

Consolidated with the 384th Air Refueling Squadron on 19 September 1985[2]

384th Air Refueling Squadron

• Constituted on 3 March 1955

Activated on 1 April 1955

Discontinued and inactivated on 25 June 1966

• Redesignated 384th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 19 June 1973

Activated on 30 September 1973

Consolidated with the 584th Bombardment Squadron on 19 September 1985[2]

Redesignated 384th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 September 1991[2]

Inactivated 30 September 2016[1]

• Activated on 23 March 2017[5]

Assignments

• 394th Bombardment Group, 5 March 1943 – 31 March 1946
• 4050th Air Refueling Wing, 1 April 1955 (attached to Eighth Air Force 27 April–27 June 1956, 21 May–25 June 1957)
• 499th Air Refueling Wing, 1 January 1963 – 25 June 1966
• 384th Bombardment Wing, 30 September 1973 – 30 September 1991
• 384th Operations Group 30 September 1991
• 19th Operations Group, 1 June 1992
• 22d Operations Group, 1 January 1994 – 30 September 2016[2][1]
• 92d Operations Group, 23 March 2017 – present[5]

Stations

• MacDill Field, Florida (1943)
• Ardmore Army Air Field, Oklahoma (1943)
• Atterbury Army Air Field, Indiana (1943)
• Kellogg Field, Michigan (1943–1944)
• RAF Boreham, England (1944)
• RAF Holmsley South, England (1944)
• Tour-en-Bassin, France (1944)
• Bricy, France (1944)
• Cambrai-Niergnies, France (1944–1945)
• Venlo, Netherlands (1945)
• Kitzingen, Germany (1945–1946)
• Bolling Field, Washington, DC (1946)
• Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts (1955–1966)

Deployed to Ernest Harmon Air Force Base, Newfoundland (27 April – 27 June 1956, 21 May – 25 June 1957)

Deployedto Lajes Air Base, Azores (28 September – c. 28 December 1963)

• McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas (1973 – 30 September 2016[1][2]
• Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, 23 March 2017 – present[5]

Aircraft

• Martin B-26 Marauder (1943–1945)
• Douglas A-26 Invader (1945–1946)
• Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker (1955–1965)
• Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker (1973–1977)
• Boeing KC-135R/T Stratotanker (1978–2016, 2017–present)[1][2][5]

References

Notes

1. This patch has continued to be used by the squadron, despite the official design being placed on a disc to comply with Air Force regulations. This usage is the basis for the nickname "Squarepatchers", even though it is more rectangular than square. Thornbury, 384th ARS deactivates [sic]

Citations

1. Thornbury, A1C Christopher (23 September 2016). "384th ARS deactivates, makes room for KC-46". 22d Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
2. Dollman, TSG David (28 October 2015). "Factsheet 384 Air Refueling Squadron (AMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
3. Endicott, p. 769
4. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 673
5. Richardson, SRA Mackenzie (14 March 2017). "Team Fairchild welcomes the 'Squarepatchers'". 92d Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 15 August 2017.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Endicott, Judy G. (1998). Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ASIN B000113MB2. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

See also