63 Air Refueling Squadron (AFRC)

Lineage.  Constituted as 63 Troop Carrier Squadron on 7 Dec 1942.  Activated on 12 Dec 1942.  Inactivated on 15 May 1946.  Activated in the Reserve on 21 Jun 1947.  Redesignated as 63 Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 27 Jun 1949.  Ordered to active service on 1 Apr 1951.  Inactivated on 1 Jan 1953.  Activated in the Reserve on 1 Jan 1953.  Ordered to active service on 28 Oct 1962.  Relieved from active duty on 28 Nov 1962.  Redesignated as: 63 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jul 1967; 63 Tactical Air Support Squadron on 25 Jun 1969; 63 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 29 Jun 1971; 63 Airlift Squadron on 1 Feb 1992; 63 Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Oct 1992.

Assignments.  403 Troop Carrier Group, 12 Dec 1942-15 May 1946 (attached to South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command, 10 Oct 1943-3 Jul 1944).  419 Troop Carrier Group, 21 Jun 1947; 403 Troop Carrier Group, 27 Jun 1949-1 Jan 1953.  403 Troop Carrier Group, 1 Jan 1953; 403 Troop Carrier Wing, 14 Apr 1959; 927 Troop Carrier (later, Tactical Air Support; Tactical Airlift; Airlift; Air Refueling) Group, 11 Feb 1963; 927 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992-.

Stations.  Bowman Field, KY, 12 Dec 1942; Alliance, NE, 18 Dec 1942; Pope Field, NC, 3 May 1943; Baer Field, IN, 20 Jun-18 Jul 1943; Espiritu Santo, 6 Aug 1943; Los Negros, 13 Aug 1944; Biak, 1 Oct 1944 (air echelon operated from Wakde, 4-19 Oct 1944, and from Noemfoor, 29 Oct-31 Dec 1944); Dulag, Leyte, 3 May 1945; Clark Field, Luzon, 23 Jan-15 May 1946.  Andrews Field, MD, 21 Jun 1947; Portland Muni Aprt, OR, 27 Jun 1949-29 Mar 1952; Ashiya AB, Japan, 14 Apr 1952-1 Jan 1953.  Portland Intl Aprt, OR, 1 Jan 1953; Selfridge AFB (later, ANGB), MI, 16 Nov 1957; MacDill AFB, FL, 1 May 2008-.

Service Streamers.  None.

Campaign Streamers.  World War II: New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines.  Korean War: Korean Summer-Fall, 1952; Third Korean Winter.  Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.  Kosovo: Air Campaign.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers.  None.

Decorations.  Distinguished Unit Citation: Philippine Islands, 17 Apr-30 Jun 1945.  Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation: [10 Oct 1943-3 Jul 1944].  Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Nov 1978-31 Oct 1980; [21 May]-10 Jun 1999; 1 Sep 2003-31 Aug 2005; 1 Sep 2006-31 Aug 2008.  Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII).  Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 19 May-31 Dec 1952.  Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 14 Feb 1968-6 Nov 1972.

Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 29 Aug 2023.

Supersedes statement prepared in Oct 2010.

Emblem.  Approved on 20 Oct 1952; latest rendering, 26 Nov 2001.

Prepared by James Musser.

Reviewed by Margaret Ream.