Description
Japanese made by Tiger Embroidery, Okinawa, Japan 4.0 inch-98mm
197th AIR REFUELING SQUADRON
Lineage. Constituted 412th Fighter Squadron on 25 May 1943. Activated on 15 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Redesignated 197th Fighter Squadron and allotted to ANG on 24 May 1946. Extended federal recognition on 12 Dec 1946. Redesignated 197th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Nov 1952; 197th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 Mar 1954; 197th Air Transport Squadron on 1 Oct 1962; 197th Military Airlift Squadron on 1 Jan 1966; 197th Aeromedical Transport Squadron on 16 Aug 1968; 197th Military Airlift Squadron on 1 Dec 1969; 197th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Aug 1972-.
Assignments. 373d Fighter Group, 15 Aug 1943-7 Nov 1945. AZ ANG, 12 Dec 1946; 127th Pilot Training Wing, 1 Feb 1951-1 Nov 1952; 161st Fighter-Interceptor Group, 2 Oct 1957; 161st Air Transport Group, 1 Oct 1962; 161st Military Airlift Group, 1 Jan 1966; 161st Aero Medical Airlift Group, 16 Aug 1968; 161st Military Airlift Group, 1 Dec 1969; 161st Air Refueling Group, 1 Aug 1972-.
Stations. Westover Field, MA, 15 Aug 1943; Norfolk, VA, 23 Oct 1943; Richmond AAB, VA, 15 Feb-14 Mar 1944; Woodchurch, England, 5 Apr-27 Jul 1944; Tour-en-Bassin, France, 30 Jul 1944; St-James, France, 20 Aug 1944; Reims, France, c. 23 Sep 1944; Le Culot, Belgium, 27 Oct 1944; Venlo, Holland, 12 Mar 1945; Lippstadt, Germany, 23 Apr 1945; Illesheim, Germany, 20 May-Jul 1945; Sioux Falls AAF, SD, 4 Aug 1945; Seymour Johnson Field, NC, 20 Aug 1945; Mitchel Field, NY, 28 Sep-7 Nov 1945. Luke Field, AZ, 12 Dec 1946; Sky Harbor IAP, AZ, 1 Nov 1952-. (Berlin Crisis, Ramstein AB, Germany, Nov 1961-15 Aug 1962)
Aircraft. P-47, 1943-1945. F-51D, 1947-1950, 1952-1954; F-84B-1950-1951 F-84E/G, 1951-1952; F-86A, 1954-1958; F-86L, 1958-1960; F-104A/B, 1960-1962; C-97G-1962-1972; KC-97L, 1972-1977; KC-135A, 1977-1982; KC-135E, 1982-
Operations. Combat in ETO, 8 May 1944-4 May 1945. Air defense of Southwestern US, 1946-1951, 1952-1961. Called to active duty as part of the Korean War call-up and trained F-84 aircrew deploying to zone of conflict, 1951-1952; Berlin Crisis call-up, 1961-1962; Desert Shield/Storm, 1990-1991. Operated passenger airlift missions to and from combat bases in Vietnam and Thailand between March 1966 and September 1967. Medical air evacuation from overseas bases to U.S. hospitals, 1968-1969. Global air refueling.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaigns. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Rhine River, 20 Mar 1945. French Croix de Guerre with Palm: Aug 1944. Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 1 Oct-17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944-15 Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere.