434 Air Refueling Wing (AFRC)

Lineage.  Established as 434 Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, and activated in the Reserve, on 1 Jul 1949.  Ordered to Active Service on 1 May 1951.  Inactivated on 1 Feb 1953.  Activated in the Reserve on 1 Feb 1953.  Ordered to Active Service on 28 Oct 1962.  Relieved from Active Duty on 28 Nov 1962.  Redesignated as 434 Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 Jul 1967.  Inactivated on 31 Dec 1969.  Redesignated as 434 Special Operations Wing on 12 Jan 1971.  Activated in the Reserve on 15 Jan 1971.  Redesignated as: 434 Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 Oct 1973; 434 Air Refueling Wing, Heavy on 1 Jul 1987; 434 Air Refueling Wing on 1 Feb 1992; 434 Wing on 1 Aug 1992; 434 Air Refueling Wing on 1 Oct 1994.

Assignments.  Tenth Air Force, 1 Jul 1949; Tactical Air Command, 2 May 1951; Eighteenth Air Force, 1 Jun 1951-1 Feb 1953.  2 Air Reserve District, 1 Feb 1953; Tenth Air Force, 15 Apr 1953; Fifth Air Force Reserve Region, 1 Sep 1960; Twelfth Air Force, 28 Oct 1962; Fifth Air Force Reserve Region, 28 Nov 1962-31 Dec 1969.  Central Air Force Reserve Region, 15 Jan 1971; Tenth Air Force, 8 Oct 1976; Twenty-Second Air Force, 1 Oct 1993; Fourth Air Force, 1 Apr 1997-.

Operational Components.  Groups.  98 Air Refueling: 1 Oct 1987-1 Aug 1992.  434 Troop Carrier (later, Operations): 1 Jul 1949-1 Feb 1953; 1 Feb 1953-14 Apr 1959; 1 Aug 1992-.  442 Tactical Fighter: 1 Oct 1982-1 Feb 1984.  908 Tactical Air Support: 1 Jul-25 Oct 1971 (detached 1-25 Oct 1971).  910 Tactical Air Support (later, Special Operations; Tactical Fighter): 21 Apr 1971-1 Apr 1981.  916 Air Refueling: 1 Jul 1987-1 Oct 1994.  917 Military Airlift (later, Special Operations; Tactical Fighter): 25 Feb 1972-1 Jul 1987.  926 Tactical Airlift (later, Tactical Fighter): 1 Jan 1978-1 Feb 1984.  927 Air Refueling: 1 Aug 1992-1 Oct 1994.  930 Troop Carrier (later, Tactical Airlift; Special Operations; Tactical Fighter; Operations): 11 Feb 1963-13 May 1968; 18 Jun-31 Dec 1969; 15 Jan 1971-1 Jul 1975; 1 Aug 1992-30 Sep 1994.  931 Troop Carrier (later, Tactical Airlift; Tactical Air Support; Special Operations; Tactical Fighter): 11 Feb 1963-31 Dec 1969; 15 Jan 1971-1 Jul 1975.  932 Troop Carrier: 11 Feb 1963-1 Oct 1966.  Squadrons45 Tactical Fighter: 1 Jul 1975-1 Jul 1987.  46 Tactical Fighter: 1 Jul 1975-1 Jul 1978.  71 Troop Carrier: 14 Apr 1959-11 Feb 1963.  72 Troop Carrier (later, Air Refueling): 14 Apr 1959-11 Feb 1963; 1 Jul 1987-1 Aug 1992.  73 Troop Carrier: 14 Apr 1959-11 Feb 1963.

Stations.  Atterbury AFB, IN, 1 Jul 1949; Lawson AFB, GA, 23 Jan 1952-1 Feb 1953.  Atterbury (later, Bakalar) AFB, IN, 1 Feb 1953-31 Dec 1969.  Grissom AFB (later ARB), IN, 15 Jan 1971-.

Service Streamers.  None.

Campaign Streamers.  Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers.  None.

Decorations.  Meritorious Unit Award: 1 Oct 2017-30 Sep 2019.  Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Sep 1988-31 Aug 1990; 1 Jun 1992-31 Aug 1993; 1 Sep 1994-31 Aug 1996; 1 Oct 1998-30 Sep 2000; 12 Sep 2000-11 Sep 2002.  Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 14 Feb-11 Mar 1968.

Bestowed Honors.  Authorized to display honors earned by the 434 Operations Group prior to 1 Jul 1949.  Service Streamer.  World War II American Theater.  Campaign Streamers.  World War II: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.  Decorations.  Distinguished Unit Citation: France, [6-7] Jun 1944.  French Croix de Guerre with Palm: 6-7 Jun 1944; 20-28 Aug 1944.  French Fourragere.

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 18 Sep 2023.

Supersedes statement prepared in Jun 2012.

Emblem.  Approved on 5 Jun 1995.

Prepared by James Musser.

Reviewed by Margaret Ream.