Description
Computer made/mounted on velcro 4.75 inch-125mm
106th AIR REFUELING SQUADRON
Lineage. Organized as 106th Aero Squadron on 27 Aug 1917. Redesignated 800th Aero Squadron on 1 Feb 1918. Demobilized: A and B flights on 8 May 1919, C flight on 2 Jul 1919. Reconstituted and consolidated (1936) with 135th Squadron which, having been allotted to NG, was organized on 21 Jan 1922. Redesignated: 135th Observation Squadron on 25 Jan 1923; 114th Observation Squadron on 1 May 1923; 106th Observation Squadron on 16 Jan 1924. Ordered to active service on 25 Nov 1940. Redesignated: 106th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 Jan 1942; 106th Observation Squadron on 4 Jul 1942; 106th Reconnaissance Squadron (Bombardment) on 2 Apr 1943; 100th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 9 May 1944. Inactivated on 11 Dec 1945. Redesignated 106th Bombardment Squadron (Light), and allotted to ANG, on 24 May 1946. Redesignated 106th Bombardment Squadron (Light), extended federal recognition on 25 Nov 1946. Redesignated 106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photo) on 1 Feb 1951; 106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 9 Jan 1952; 106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Photo Jet) on 1 May 1957; 106th Reconnaissance Squadron on 15 Mar 1992; 106th Air Refueling Squadron in Oct 1994-.
Assignments. Unkn, 27 Aug 1917-Feb 1918; Second Artillery Aerial Observation School, Feb 1918-Apr 1919 (B flight with First Artillery Aerial Observation School, 1918, and detachment thereof with Fourth Artillery Aerial Observation School, 1918; C flight with Fifth artillery Aerial Observation School, 1918-1919). Alabama NG, 21 Jan 1922 (originally intended as corps air service, served from 1923 as divisional aviation, with 39th Division to 1924 and thereafter with 31st Division); Fourth Corps Area, 25 Nov 1940; IV Army Corps, c. Dec 1940; 66th Observation (later Reconnaissance) Group 1 Sep 1941; 76th Reconnaissance Group, 20 Jun 1943; Third Air Force, 13 Jul 1943; III Reconnaissance Command, 23 Aug 1943; Thirteenth Air Force, 19 Nov 1943; 42d Bombardment Group, attached in Jan 1944 and assigned 1 Feb-11 Dec 1945. Alabama ANG, 24 May 1946; 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 Jan 1953; 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 9 Dec 1974; 117th Reconnaissance Wing, 15 Mar 1992; 117th Air Refueling Wing, Oct 1994-. (attached: Continental Air Command, 5 Jan 1952; 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 9 Jan 1952-1 Jan 1953; 7117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Nov 1961-20 Aug 1962; 35th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional, 24 Aug 1990-18 Dec 1990)
Stations. Kelly Field, TX, 27 Aug 1917; St Maixent, France, 2 Jan 1918; Champ de Tir de Souge, France, 28 Feb 1918-Apr 1919 (B flight at Camp de Coetquidan, Morbihan, 1 Mar-28-Oct 1918, with detachment thereof at Camp de Meucon, Morbihan, May-Oct 1918; C flight at Le Valdahon, 2 Mar 1918-C. May 1919); Mitchel Field, NY: A and B flights, c. 28 Apr-8 May 1919, C flight, c. 21 Jun-2 Jul 1919. Birmingham, AL, 21 Jan 1922; Miami Mun Aprt, FL, c. 14 Dec 1941; Jacksonville, FL, 14 Mar 1942; Savannah, GA, May 1942; Tullahoma, TN, c. 8 Sep 1942; Morris Field, NC, Nov 1942; Ft Myers, FL, Dec 1942; Morris Field, NC, 2 Feb 1943; Camp Campbell, KY, 3 Apr 1943; Chatham Field, GA, 23 Jun-15 Oct 1943; Guadalcanal, 15 Nov 1943 (operated through Russell Islands, Jan 1944); Sterling Island, 25 Jan 1944 (operated from Hollandia, 6 Aug-14 Sep 1944); Sansapor, New Guinea, 24 Aug 1944 (operated from Morotai, 22 Feb-22 Mar 1945); Palawan, 15 Mar-Nov 1945; Camp Stoneman, CA, c. 9-11 Dec 1945. Birmingham MAP (Sumpter Smith Field, later ANGB), AL, 25 Nov 1946-. (operated from Shaw AFB, SC, 5 Jan 1952-1 Jan 1953; Dreux AB, France, Nov 1961-20 Aug 1962; Sheikh Air Base, Bahrain, 24 Aug 1990; Istres, France, Jun 1995, Jan 1998, Aug 2000, Mar 2001; Pisa, Italy, Nov 1995, 1 Nov-3 Dec 1996; NAS Keflavik, Iceland, 15 Feb-24 Mar 1996, April 1999; Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, Mar 1999; Brize Norton, United Kingdom, 4 May 1999; Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 17 Oct 2001)
Aaircraft. Included JN-4, JN-6, DH-4, TW-3, PT-1, BT-1, 0-2, O-11, and O-17 during period 1922-1933; O-38, c. 1933-1941; O-47, c. 1938-1942; O-49, 1941-1942; A-20, 1941-1942; P-39, 1941-1942; P-40, 1941-1942; P-43, 1942; O-46, 1942; L-3, 1942; L-4, 1942; B-25, 1943-1945. A-26B/C, 1946-1951; RB-26C, 1951-1957; RF-84F, 1957-1971; RF-4C, 1971-1994; KC-135R, 1994-.
Operations. Repaired and maintained aircraft (C flight in Zone of Advance), 1918-1919. Emergency operations while under state control included support of mine rescue work at Carboy Hill, AL, Nov 1923, and flood-relief in southern Alabama, 16-30 Mar 1929. Antisubmarine patrols, Dec 1941-Mar 1942; May-Sep 1942. Combat in South and Southwest Pacific, 30 Jan 1944-14′ Aug 1945. Called to active duty as part of the Korean War call-up, 1951-1953. In October 1961 a group of pilots from the 106th was recruited by the CIA to train Cuban expatriate pilots for a planned invasion of Cuba, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, which maintained “plausible deniability” of US involvement in the operation, the pilots were sworn to secrecy and conducted training in Nicaragua. Called to active duty as part of the Berlin Crisis call-up, 1961-1962. Participated in Exercise Poncho, using air refueling, 10 RF-84F deployed non-stop to Puerto Rice; Exercise Minuteman Alpha, using air refueling, 12 RF-84Fs deployed non-stop to Alaska; Exercise Ready-Go, using air refueling, 12 RF-84Fs deployed to Europe, 1963-1964. First ANG unit equipped with the KS-127 Long-Range Oblique Photography System (LOROP). Participated in: Operation Desert Shield, 1990; Operation Deny Flight, 15 June – 30 July, 1995; 14 Nov- 13 Dec 1995; Operation Joint Endeavor, 1 Nov-3 Dec 1996; Operation Viking Thunder, 15 Feb-24 Mar 1996; Operation Deliberate Guard, Jan 1998; Operation Noble Anvil (Allied Force), 4 May 1999; Iceland Alert Mission, Apr 1999; Operation Joint Forge, Mar 1999, August 2000, March 2001; Operation Deliberate Forge, 31 Jul-31 Aug 2000; Operation Noble Eagle, 12 Sep 2001; Operation Enduring Freedom, 17 Oct 2001; Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mar 2003; Hurricane Katrina relief operations, 2005.
Service streamers. Theater of Operations.
Campaigns. Antisubmarine, American Theater; China Defensive; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Balikpapan, Borneo, 23-30 Jun 1945. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Jul 1978 – 30 Jun 1979; 1 Apr 1983 – 31 Mar 1985; 1 Apr 1985 – 31 Mar 1987; 1 Jan 1989 -1 Jan 1991; 24 Mar 1999 – 10 Jun 1999.
Emblem. Approved 28 May 1924.