906th Air Refueling Squadron - History

History

Established as a pre-World War II bombardment squadron; assigned to the GHQ Northwest Air District. Equipped with a mixture B-18 Bolos, A-29 Hudsons and a few B-26 Marauder medium bombers. After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron flew antisubmarine patrols over the Northwest Pacific coast until May 1942.

After the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands, squadron was deployed to the Alaska Territory. Flew combat missions during the Aleutian Campaign from forward bases on Adak and Amchitka during 1943 with B-25 Mitchells, attacking enemy targets on the occupied islands until their surrender.

Returned to the Continental United States in late 1943; re-equipped with B-24 Liberator heavy bombers and trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO); being assigned to Eighth Air Force in England. Engaged in various special operations missions as a CARPETBAGGER unit, assisting resistance forces by dropping supplies, weapons and personnel over Occupied Europe until August 1944. Engaged in PSYOPS warfare against Nazi Germany, dropping leaflets and flying other combat missions until the German capitulation in May 1945.

Most of squadron personnel demobilized in England during the summer of 1945, unit returned to the United States and being redesignated as a Very Heavy B-29 Superfortress bombardment squadron. War in Pacific Theater ended before unit completed training and the squadron was inactivated in October 1945.

Reactivated as a Strategic Air Command KC-135 aerial refueling squadron in 1959; engaged in worldwide operations supporting combat operations in Southeast Asia from, 1968–1975 and Southwest Asia from, 1990–1991. On October 2, 2009, the 906th underwent a flag move from Grand Forks Air Force Base to Scott Air Force Base, assigned to the 375th Air Mobility Wing as an active associate unit with the 126th Air Refueling Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard.