756th Air Refueling Squadron

756th Bombardment Squadron B-24 Liberator attacking a target

The squadron was first activated on 1 July 1943 at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico as the 756th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 459th Bombardment Group. The squadron trained with Consolidated B-24 Liberators under Second Air Force until October, when it moved to Westover Field, Massachusetts.[2][4] The squadron flew long-range convoy escort missions over area between the Newfoundland Banks and Long Island Sound in November and December 1943 while Giulia Airfield, its station in Italy, was being constructed. In January 1944, the squadron began its overseas movement.[2]

The squadron arrived in Italy in February 1944 and began flying combat missions in March.[4] The squadron engaged in very long range strategic bombing missions to enemy military, industrial and transportation targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia, bombing railroad marshalling yards, oil refineries, airfields, heavy industry, and other strategic objectives. In April 1944, the 459th Group led the 304th Bombardment Wing in an attack on an airfield and aircraft factory at Bad Voslau, Austria through heavy flak and fighter attacks. The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for this action.[2][4]

In addition to strategic missions, the squadron also carried out support and interdiction operations. In March 1944, the squadron attacked railroads used to supply enemy forces surrounding the Anzio beachhead. In August, it struck bridges, harbors, and troop concentrations to aid Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France. It also hit communications lines and other targets during March and April 1945 to support the advance of British Eighth Army and American Fifth Army in northern Italy.[4]

The squadron returned to the United States in August 1945, being programmed for deployment to the Pacific Theater as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadron. A cadre reformed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota in the middle of the month. The Japanese surrender in August led to the inactivation of unit on 28 August.[2]

The 756th was reactivated as a reserve unit at Long Beach Army Air Field, California in April 1947. Although nominally a heavy bomber unit, the squadron trained with North American T-6 Texans and Beechcraft T-7 Navigators and T-11 Kansans[2] under the supervision of the 416th AAF Base Unit (later the 2347th Air Force Reserve Flying Training Center) of Air Defense Command (ADC).[5][6] In July 1948, Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.[7]

President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force.[8] In June 1949 ConAC reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system,[2] making the squadron surplus at Long Beach. The squadron's personnel and equipment were transferred to other reserve units there. However, the May 1949 Air Force Reserve program called for a new type of unit, the Corollary Unit, which was a reserve unit integrated with an active duty unit. The plan called for corollary units at 107 locations. It was viewed as the best method to train reservists by mixing them with an existing regular unit to perform duties alongside the regular unit.[9] The 756th became a corollary squadron, moving on paper to Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas, where it became a corollary of Strategic Air Command's 301st Bombardment Wing. In the fall of 1949, the 301st Wing moved to Barksdale Air Force Base,[10] Louisiana, and the 756th moved with it. Along with all other reserve corollary units, the squadron was mobilized for the Korean War.[11] Once the squadron was mobilized in May 1951 SAC reassigned its personnel to other units and the unit inactivated it two weeks later.

Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar

The squadron was reactivated in the reserve at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland in May 1954 as the 756th Troop Carrier Squadron and began training with Curtiss C-46 Commandos.[2] In the summer of 1956, the squadron participated in Operation Sixteen Ton during its two weeks of active duty training. Sixteen Ton was performed entirely by reserve troop carrier units and moved United States Coast Guard equipment From Floyd Bennett Naval Air Station to Isla Grande Airport in Puerto Rico and San Salvador in the Bahamas. After the success of Operation Sixteen Ton, the squadron began to use inactive duty training periods for Operation Swift Lift, transporting high priority cargo for the air force and Operation Ready Swap, transporting aircraft engines, between Air Materiel Command’s depots.[12]

Meanwhile, The Joint Chiefs of Staff were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift. About 150 Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars became available from the active force. Consequently, in 1957 the unit began conversion to the Flying Boxcar.[2][13] At Andrews, the squadron trained with the 2259th Air Reserve Flying Center,[14] but in 1958, the center was inactivated and some of its personnel were absorbed by the squadron. In place of active duty support for reserve units, ConAC adopted the Air Reserve Technician Program, in which a cadre of the unit consisted of full time personnel who were simultaneously civilian employees of the Air Force and held rank as members of the reserves.[15][16] Another reorganization affected the unit in April 1959, when reserve units adopted the dual deputy organization. Under this plan, the 459th Troop Carrier Group was inactivated and the squadron reported directly to the 459th Troop Carrier Wing.[2] All support organizations were located with the wing headquarters at Andrews.[17][16]

During the first half of 1955, the Air Force began detaching Air Force Reserve squadrons from their parent wing locations to separate sites. The concept offered several advantages: communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning.[17] Although the dispersal of flying units under the Detached Squadron Concept was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. To resolve this, ConAC determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons at the start of 1962. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed. However, as this plan was entering its implementation phase, another partial mobilization occurred for the Cuban Missile Crisis, with the units being released on 22 November 1962. The formation of troop carrier groups was delayed until January 1963 for wings that had not been mobilized.[18] At that time, the squadron was assigned to the 909th Troop Carrier Group,[2] which was activated as the command element for the squadron, along with support elements for the 756th. The squadron continued airlift operations with the C-119 until 1966.[2]

In October 1966, it began flying airlift missions worldwide with the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. The squadron has also flown numerous humanitarian airlift missions. As the "Old Shaky"s were phased out of the inventory. the squadron converted to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.[2]

In October 1983, a military coup in Grenada overthrew the government. Shortly thereafter, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States asked the United States to intervene and restore order. The US response, Operation Urgent Fury, began soon thereafter.[19] The squadron flew C-130 missions transporting military equipment to the Caribbean, evacuating wounded and students, and reinforcing marines with army forces, until the island was turned over to a peace keeping force of Caribbean countries.[20]

The squadron returned to the strategic airlift mission in 1986, trading in its Hercules aircraft for Lockheed C-141 Starlifters. In late 1989, the squadron participated in Operation Just Cause, the removal of Manuel Noriega as ruler of Panama. This was the largest air operation by the USAF snce the Vietnam War. Squadron C-141s were part of the task force that staged elements of XVIII Airborne Corps from Pope Air Force Base to Charleston Air Force Base, then airlanded them in Panama.[2][21] The squadron provided aircrews and planes to support Operation Desert Storm and Operations Northern and Southern Watch.[22]

The squadron was redesignated in 2003 as an air refueling squadron and equipped with Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers.[2] Squadron crews and planes have provided air refueling support for Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.[22]

Explanatory notes

Citations

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

• Allen, William J. (2000). "Intervention in Panama: Operation Just Cause". In Warnock, A. Timothy (ed.). Short of War: Major USAF Contingency Operations 1947–1997 (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University Press. ISBN 978-0-16050411-2. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
• Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946-1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Haulman, Daniel L. (2000). "Crisis in Grenada: Operation Urgent Fury". In Warnock, A. Timothy (ed.). Short of War: Major USAF Contingency Operations 1947-1997 (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University Press. ISBN 978-0-16050411-2. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
• Knaack, Marcelle Size (1978). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems (PDF). Vol. 2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-59-5. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• 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. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• 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. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• 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. Retrieved 17 December 2016.