928th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

World War II The squadron was first activated at Peterson Field, Colorado in the spring of 1943 as one of the original four squadrons of the 7th Photographic Group. It was transferred to the Third Air Force Photographic Unit Training Center a month later in preparation for the 7th group's transfer on paper to the European Theater of Operations. Although the 28th was assigned other aircraft at times, its primary equipment was the Lockheed F-5 Lightning. It was an oversized unit that provided cadres to "satellite groups" and at the same time trained individual pilots and aircrews. The squadron continued to train with the F-5 until shipping overseas. The conversion of the 28th wing to "Buffs" and move of two of its bombardment squadrons to other bases was part of SAC's program to disperse its Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. SAC bases with large concentrations of bombers made attractive targets. SAC's response was to break up its wings and scatter their aircraft over a larger number of bases. In July 1960 the squadron deployed eight of its tankers to Grand Forks Air Force Base, South Dakota to test the ability of the 4133d Strategic Wing at Grand Forks to maintain an air refueling alert force. Two months after the return of these planes to Ellsworth, the squadron was inactivated and its mission, personnel, and equipment were transferred to the 28th Air Refueling Squadron. ==Lineage==

; 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron • Constituted as: 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 5 February 1943 : Redesignated as: 28th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943 : Activated on 1 May 1943 : Redesignated as: 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 August 1943 : Inactivated on 29 May 1946 • Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 928th Air Refueling Squadron as the 928th Air Refueling Squadron : Inactivated on 1 October 1960 • Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron : Redesignated 928th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and converted to provisional status on 20 March 2003 Assignments • 7th Photographic Group (later 7th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group) 1 May 1943 • Third Air Force Photographic Unit Training Center, (attached to 2d Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group) 21 June 1943 • III Reconnaissance Command, 15 August 1943 • 89th Reconnaissance Training Wing, 27 September 1943 (attached to 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Group after 16 November 1943) • Seventh Air Force, c. 16 January 1944 (attached to VII Fighter Command 24 January 1944 • VI Air Service Area Command (remained attached to VII Fighter Command, 12 December 1944 • Seventh Air Force, 23 April 1945 • Eighth Air Force, 31 August 1945 • 316th Bombardment Wing, 15 May 1946 – 29 May 1946 • 28th Bombardment Wing, 8 February 1959 – 1 October 1960 Stations • Peterson Field, Colorado, 1 May 1943 • Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 13 October 1943 – 1 January 1944 • Kipapa Airfield, Hawaii, 16 January 1944 • Kualoa Airfield, Hawaii, 9 October 1944 (detachments of the squadron operated from: :: Kwajalein Airfield, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, 30 June 1944 – 24 September 1944, :: East Field (Saipan), Mariana Islands, 11 July 1944 – May 1945. :: Peleliu Airfield, Peleliu, Palau Islands, 5 October 1944 – April 1945, and :: Ie Shima Airfield, Okinawa, 23 April 1945 – 21 June 1945) • Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, 8 May 1945 – 29 May 1946 • Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 8 February 1959 – 1 October 1960 Aircraft • Lockheed F-5 Lightning, 1943–1946 • Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1943 • North American F-4 Mustang, 1943 • Douglas A-24 Skyraider, 1944 • Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker, 1959–1960 Campaigns ==See also==