Lineage. Constituted as 54 Transport Squadron on 30 May 1942. Activated on 1 Jun 1942. Redesignated as: 54 Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942; 54 Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 20 Jul 1948. Inactivated on 5 Mar 1949. Activated on 20 Sep 1949. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jun 1965. Redesignated as 54 Flying Training Squadron on 14 Apr 1972. Activated on 1 Oct 1972. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1997. Redesignated as 54 Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Jan 1998. Activated on 16 Jan 1998.
Assignments. 64 Transport Group, 1 Jun 1942; 315 Transport (later, 315 Troop Carrier) Group, 11 Jun 1942; Fourth Air Force, 23 Oct 1942; XI Air Force Service Command, 15 Nov 1942 (attached to Troop Carrier Group [Prov], 1 Jul 1943-18 Feb 1944); Eleventh Air Force (later, Alaskan Air Command), 10 Oct 1944-5 Mar 1949 (attached to United States Air Force in Europe, 2-29 Jul 1948; Airlift Task Force [Prov], 29 Jul-30 Nov 1948). Alaskan Air Command (attached to 57 Fighter Wing), 20 Sep 1949; 5039 Air Transport Group, 1 Jan 1951; Eighteenth Air Force, 23 Jul 1956 (attached to 63 Troop Carrier Group, 23 Jul 1956-); 63 Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Jul 1957 (remained attached to 63Troop Carrier Group, through 7 Oct 1959); 63 Troop Carrier Group, 8 Oct 1959 (attached to 322 Air Division, Feb-c.19 Aug 1959); 63 Troop Carrier Wing, 18 Jan 1963-25 Jun 1965. 64 Flying Training Wing, 1 Oct 1972; 64 Operations Group, 15 Dec 1991-1 Apr 1997. 97 Operations Group, 16 Jan 1998-.
Stations. Hamilton Field, CA, 1 Jun 1942; Bowman Field, KY, c. 19 Jun 1942; Florence, SC, 3 Aug-17 Oct 1942; Elmendorf Field, AK, 15 Nov 1942-5 Mar 1949 (detachment operated from Rhein-Main AB, Germany, 2 Jul-26 Sep 1948, and Fassberg RAF Station, Germany, 26 Sep-30 Nov 1948). Elmendorf AFB, AK, 20 Sep 1949; Donaldson AFB, SC, 23 Jul 1956 (deployed at Rhein-Main AB, Germany, Feb-c.19 Aug 1959); Hunter AFB, GA, 1 Apr 1963-25 Jun 1965. Reese AFB, TX, 1 Oct 1972-1 Apr 1997. Altus AFB, OK, 16 Jan 1998-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Aleutian Islands; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Berlin: Berlin Airlift.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1957-10 Dec 1962; 1 Jan 1973-31 Dec 1974; 30 Apr 1981-29 Apr 1983; 1 Apr 1984-31 Mar 1986; 1 Apr 1988-31 Mar 1990; 1 Oct 1995-[1 Apr] 1997; [16 Jan]-30 Jun 1998; 1 Jul 1998-30 Jun 1999; 1 Jul 1999-30 Jun 2000; 1 Jul 2000-30 Jun 2002; 1 Jul 2002-30 Jun 2004; 1 Jul 2004-30 Jun 2006; 1 Jul 2006-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2007-30 Jun 2008; 1 Jul 2008-30 Jun 2009; 1 Jul 2009-30 Jun 2010; 1 Jul 2010-30 Jun 2011; 1 Jul 2011-30 Jun 2012; 1 Jul 2013-30 Jun 2015; 1 Jul 2016-30 Jun 2017; 1 Jul 2017-30 Jun 2019; 1 Jul 2019-30 Jun 2021.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 13 Apr 2022.
Supersedes statement prepared 1 Sep 2010.
Emblem. Approved on 20 Feb 1973; latest rendering, 8 Apr 2019.
Prepared by Melissa Lahue.
Reviewed by Margaret Ream.