Lineage. Constituted as 16 Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated as: 406 Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 Apr 1942; 406 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 2 Nov 1943; 406 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 24 Sep 1944; 406 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 5 Aug 1945. Inactivated on 17 Oct 1945. Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the 906 Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, which was constituted on 9 Mar 1959. Activated on 1 Jun 1959. Redesignated as 906 Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1991.
Assignments. 3 Wing, 15 Jan 1941 (attached to 42 Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941-24 Feb 1942); 42 Bombardment Group, 25 Feb 1942 (attached to 28 Composite Group, c. 6 Jun 1942-); 41 Bombardment Group, 12 Feb 1943 (remained attached to 28 Composite Group to c. 10 Oct 1943); Fourth Air Force, 11 Oct 1943; Eighth Air Force, 2 Nov 1943; 1 Bombardment Division, 21 Nov 1943 (attached to 482 Bombardment Group, 4 Dec 1943-21 Feb 1944); VIII Air Force Composite Command, 26 Feb 1944 (attached to
801 Bombardment Group [Provisional], 28 Mar-5 Aug 1944); VIII Fighter Command, 1 Oct 1944; 1 Air Division, 30 Dec 1944; 492 Bombardment Group, 5 Aug-17 Oct 1945. 4136 Strategic Wing, 1 Jun 1959; 450 Bombardment Wing, 1 Feb 1963; 5 Bombardment Wing, 25 Jul 1968; 5 Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991; 43 Operations Group, 1 Jun 1992; 319 Operations Group, 30 Jan 1994; 375 Operations Group, 1 Oct 2009-.
Stations. Fort Douglas, UT, 15 Jan 1941; Boise, ID, 4 Jun 1941 (air echelon operated from Paine Field, WA, from 8 Dec 1941); Paine Field, WA, 21 Jan 1942; Portland AAB, OR, 20 Jul-1 Nov 1942 (air echelon operated from Elmendorf Field, AK, from 7 Jun 1942); Elmendorf Field, AK, 15 Nov 1942-18 Oct 1943 (operated from Adak, 25 Jul-13 Aug 1943 and from Amchitka, 13 Aug-c. Oct 1943); Portland AAB, OR, 23 Oct-2 Nov 1943; Alconbury, England, 11 Nov 1943; Watton, England, 7 Feb 1944; Harrington, England, 1 Apr 1944; Cheddington, England, 10 Aug 1944; Harrington, England, 16 Mar-6 Aug 1945; Sioux Falls, AAFld, SD, 14 Aug 1945; Kirtland Field, NM, 17 Aug-17 Oct 1945. Minot AFB, ND, 1 Jun 1959; Grand Forks AFB, ND, 30 Jan 1994; Scott AFB, IL, 1 Oct 2009-.
Commanders. Capt David H. Motherwell, 15 Jan 1941; 1 Lt Roy R. Buschetto, 8 Jun 1941 (temporary); Maj Harry E. Wilson, 12 Aug 1941; Capt Roy R. Buschetto, 14 Mar 1942; Maj Harold D. Courtenay, 27 May 1942-unkn; Lt Col Clifford J. Heflin, 11 Nov 1943; Maj Robert L. Boone, 11 Dec 1943-unkn; Lt Col Earle J. Aber Jr., c. 10 Aug 1944; Maj Robert H. Gaddy, 7 Mar-c. Aug 1945; none (unmanned), 17 Aug-17 Oct 1945. Capt Rex D. Crenshaw, 1 Jun 1959; Col Robert D. Cummings, by 31 Jun 1960; Lt Col Richard A. Hargarten, 22 Jun 1961; Lt Col Curtis E. Hopkins, by 31 Jan 1962; Lt Col Norman C. Boomgaard, 1 Aug 1963; Lt Col William D. Hatcher, 18 Feb 1966; Lt Col Bruce G. Keltz, Jun 1968; Lt Col Vernon R. Huber, Jan 1970; Lt Col John R. Hamm, Jan 1971; Lt Col James W. Lee, Sep 1972; Lt Col Donald G. Krause, Jun 1974; Lt Col Richard M. Tooke, 25 May 1977; Lt Col Thomas S. Bennett, 5 Jul 1978; Lt Col Theodore G. Alexander, 3 Apr 1980; Lt Col James E. Chapman, 28 Jul 1981; Lt Col Francis X. Deignan, 29 Aug 1983; Lt Col Raymond A. Malinovsky, 22 Apr 1985; Lt Col Arthur E. Cole, 13 Jul 1986; Lt Col Randolph P. Vranish, 1 Jan 1988; Lt Col Lawrence Stevenson, 4 Dec 1989; Lt Col Cary Walgamott, 13 Feb 1991; Lt Col Robert Atkins Jr., 1 Jun 1992; Lt Col Robert W. Barrier, by Jul 1993; Lt Col Mark D. Perodeau, 1 Feb 1994; Lt Col Stephen Spence, 7 Jul 1995; Lt Col Peter F. N. Szabo, 21 Jul 1997; Lt Col Robert Mahoney, 25 May 1999; Lt Col Thomas H. Smith, 6 Jul 2000; Lt Col Glenn G. Rousseau, 13 Jun 2002; Lt Col Sean K. Carey, 11 Jul 2003;Lt Col Kip Turain, 27 Dec 2004; Lt Col Tim Riney, 28 Jun 2006; Lt Col Will Snyder, 14 Jan 2008; Lt Col Joe Santos, 1 Oct 2009; Lt Col Douglas Edwards; 10 May 2011-.
Aircraft. B-18, 1941-1943; B-26, 1941-1942; A-29, 1942-1943; B-25, 1943; B-24, 1943-1945; B-17, 1944-1945. KC-135, 1959-.
Operations. Antisubmarine patrols, 23 Dec 1941-4 May 1942. Combat in Northern Pacific, 16 Jun 1942-Aug 1943. Served in European Theater of Operations (ETO) as CARPETBAGGER unit, 5 Jan-Aug 1944, and afterwards flew leaflet missions until 9 May 1945. Global aerial refueling operations, 1959-. Supported combat operations in Southeast Asia, 1968-1975 and Southwest Asia, 1990-1991.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Aleutian Islands; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1977-30 Jun 1979; 1 Jul 1983-30 Jun 1984; 1 Jul 1984-30 Jun 1985; 1 Jul 1985-30 Jun 1986; 1 Jul 1991-31 May 1992; 1 Jun 1992-30 Jun 1993; 1 Oct 1993-30 Jun 1995; 1 Jul 1995-30 Jun 1997; 1 Jul 2000-30 Jun 2002; 1 Jul 2002-30 Jun 2004; 1 Jul 2004-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2005-30 Jun 2006; 1 Jul 2006-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2007-19 Jun 2009; 1 Oct 2009-31 Aug 2011. French Croix de Guerre with Palm.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, Aircraft, Operations, Commanders and Honors through 10 Feb 2012.
Supersedes published information contained in: Judy G. Endicott (ed.), USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (Washington: USGPO, 1999).
Emblem. Approved on 10 Jul 1961; newest rendition approved on 27 Oct 2011.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.