147th Air Refueling Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 147th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force
unit assigned to the 171st Air Refueling Wing
, Pennsylvania Air National Guard
. It is stationed at Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania.
. Initially assigned to VIII Fighter Command
, reassigned to Twelfth Air Force and engaged in combat in the North African Campaign
and later based in Italy
as part of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
(MTO). Engaged in combat during Sicilian and Italian Campaigns, also flew combat missions from Sardinia and in the Rhone Valley of France, 1944. Inactivated November 1945 and allocated to Pennsylvania Air National Guard
, 1946, being re-designated 147th Fighter Squadron.
Assigned to 112th Fighter Group at Pittsburgh Airport and operationally gained by Air Defense Command, 1947-1964. February 1964 re-assigned to new PA ANG 171st Air Transport Group at Pittsburgh IAP and re-designated 147th Air Transport Squadron, being re-equipped with C-121 Constellation as a component of the Military Air Transport Service
(MATS). In 1968, the unit was redesignated as the 147th Aeromedical Airlift squadron as part of Military Airlift Command
(MAC), the first of its kind in the Air National Guard (ANG) and re-equipped with the C-131 Samaritan
. Was deployed to South Vietnam
to move patients from casualty staging bases and military installations to destination treatment hospitals.
Was redesignated as the 147th Air Refueling Squadron in October 1972, transitioning to the KC-97L Stratotanker. Upgraded in 1976 to KC-135 Stratotanker
, has maintained an air refueling mission ever since.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit assigned to the 171st Air Refueling Wing
171st Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 171st Air Refueling Wing is an Air Mobility Command -gained unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. An aerial refueling and air mobility unit, it has been located since 1964 at Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania.-Units:The 171st ARW presently has 16...
, Pennsylvania Air National Guard
Pennsylvania Air National Guard
The Pennsylvania Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is, along with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, an element of the Pennsylvania National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as of the state.-Overview:The...
. It is stationed at Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania.
Overview
The squadron flies the KC-135T Stratotanker and deploys where needed on a worldwide basis.History
Activated on 1 October 1942 at RAF Duxford, England as the 346th Fighter Squadron346th Fighter Squadron
The 346th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 350th Fighter Group stationed at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945.-History:...
. Initially assigned to VIII Fighter Command
VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
, reassigned to Twelfth Air Force and engaged in combat in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
and later based in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
as part of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army was originally called North African Theater of Operations and is an American term for the conflict that took place between the Allies and Axis Powers in North Africa and Italy during World War II...
(MTO). Engaged in combat during Sicilian and Italian Campaigns, also flew combat missions from Sardinia and in the Rhone Valley of France, 1944. Inactivated November 1945 and allocated to Pennsylvania Air National Guard
Pennsylvania Air National Guard
The Pennsylvania Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is, along with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, an element of the Pennsylvania National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as of the state.-Overview:The...
, 1946, being re-designated 147th Fighter Squadron.
Assigned to 112th Fighter Group at Pittsburgh Airport and operationally gained by Air Defense Command, 1947-1964. February 1964 re-assigned to new PA ANG 171st Air Transport Group at Pittsburgh IAP and re-designated 147th Air Transport Squadron, being re-equipped with C-121 Constellation as a component of the Military Air Transport Service
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
(MATS). In 1968, the unit was redesignated as the 147th Aeromedical Airlift squadron as part of Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
(MAC), the first of its kind in the Air National Guard (ANG) and re-equipped with the C-131 Samaritan
C-131 Samaritan
The Convair C-131 Samaritan was an American military transport produced from 1954 to 1956. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240.-Design and development:...
. Was deployed to South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
to move patients from casualty staging bases and military installations to destination treatment hospitals.
Was redesignated as the 147th Air Refueling Squadron in October 1972, transitioning to the KC-97L Stratotanker. Upgraded in 1976 to KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
, has maintained an air refueling mission ever since.
Lineage
- 147th Fighter Squadron, 1947-1952
- 147th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1952-1955
- 147th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1955-1964
- 147th Air Transport Squadron, 1964-1968
- 147th Aeromedical Airlift squadron, 1968-1972
- 147th Air Refueling Squadron, 1972-Present
Assignments
- 112th Air Refueling Group112th Air Refueling GroupThe 112th Air Refueling Group in an inactive United States Air Force unit, allocated to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. It was last assigned to the Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, being inactivated on 1 October 1993.-History:...
(last designation), 1947-1964 - 171st Air Refueling Wing171st Air Refueling WingThe United States Air Force's 171st Air Refueling Wing is an Air Mobility Command -gained unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. An aerial refueling and air mobility unit, it has been located since 1964 at Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania.-Units:The 171st ARW presently has 16...
, (last designation) 1964-Present
Aircraft
- A-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 1947-1949 - F-51 Mustang, 1949-1955
- F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
, 1951-1955 - F-94 StarfireF-94 StarfireThe Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the United States Air Force's first operational jet-powered all-weather interceptor aircraft. It was a development by Lockheed of the twin-seat T-33 Shooting Star trainer aircraft.-Design and development:...
, 1953 - F-102 Delta DaggerF-102 Delta DaggerThe Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
, 1955-1964 - C-121 Constellation, 1964-1968
- C-131 SamaritanC-131 SamaritanThe Convair C-131 Samaritan was an American military transport produced from 1954 to 1956. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240.-Design and development:...
, 1968-1972 - KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
, 1972-Present