World War II Initial organization and training The
squadron's first predecessor was activated at
Barksdale Field, Louisiana on 1 March 1942, as the
17th Reconnaissance Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the
92nd Bombardment Group. Manned like the three
bombardment squadrons of the
group, it was designated for the
long range reconnaissance mission. Since a reorganization of
General Headquarters Air Force in September 1936, each bombardment group of the
Army Air Forces (AAF) had an assigned or attached reconnaissance squadron, which operated the same aircraft as that group's assigned bombardment squadrons. That arrangement continued for units that were designated as
heavy units. Later that month it moved to
MacDill Field, Florida and trained with
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. While training in Florida, the squadron also flew
antisubmarine patrols off the Florida coast. While at MacDill, its distinction from the group's other squadrons ended, and in April, it became the
407th Bombardment Squadron. Meanwhile, the ground echelon left Bradenton on 18 July, arriving at
Fort Dix, New Jersey in the New York Port of Embarkation two days later. It sailed aboard the on 2 August and docked at
Liverpool on 18 August, moving to Bovingdon the same day. Although remaining a replacement crew training unit until May 1943, the squadron initially flew occasional combat missions. In January 1943, he squadron moved to
RAF Alconbury.
Air refueling operations Piston engine tanker operations The second predecessor of the squadron was activated as the
407th Air Refueling Squadron at
Great Falls Air Force Base, Montana in December 1953 as an element of the
407th Strategic Fighter Wing, as the 407th Wing prepared for the transfer of Great Falls to
Strategic Air Command (SAC) from
Military Air Transport Service. Wing elements were not fully manned and it was June 1954 before the wing's flying units became fully operational. The squadron was equipped with
Boeing KB-29 Superfortress tankers to refuel the 407th Wing's
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak escort fighters. It participated in exercises and deployed crews and aircraft to various parts of the world. From August to November 1954, it deployed with the 407th Wing to
Misawa Air Base, Japan to provide
air defense of northern Japan. In 1957, SAC's strategic fighter wings were inactivated The 407th Wing inactivated on 1 July, and SAC formed the 4061st Air Refueling Wing to run Malmstrom (as Great Falls was now called) and it converted to
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighters, continuing exercise support for SAC and deployments, including to
Anderson Air Force Base, Guam,
Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska and
Royal Canadian Air Force bases in Canada. Deployments included
Operation Reflex, The percentage of SAC planes on
alert gradually grew over the next three years to reach its goal of one third of SAC’s force on alert by 1960. Malmstrom was becoming a missile base with early model
Minuteman missiles. Plans were made to transfer the squadron to
Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, but they were cancelled and the squadron and its parent wing were inactivated on 15 July 1961. On 1 April 1962, the squadron was organized with
Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers as the wing's refueling unit. In addition to exercise participation, and support for the 19th Wing's bombers, the squadron provided
air refueling support for aircraft from other commands. In what was called Operation Riders Up, with the exception of planes already on alert, the squadron's planes left Florida by 21 October. Alert planes left Homestead by 22 October. Additional KC-135 were placed on alert to replace KC-135s devoted to maintaining 1/8 of the B-52 bomber force on airborne alert. On 24 October SAC went to
DEFCON 2, placing all aircraft on alert. Forward deployed tanker task forces were also augmented. On 27 November SAC returned to normal alert posture and began coordinating the return of its Florida planes to their home bases. The squadron supported the airborne bomber force flying
Operation Chrome Dome or "airborne alert training". The squadron supported bombers flying these missions and also maintained a ground alert commitment, that had increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962. Accidents at
Palomares, Spain in January 1966 and near
Thule in January 1968 contributed to the end of Chrome Dome, as did rapidly rising costs of the programs and the use of strategic bombers for non-nuclear missions in Southeast Asia, but the primary reason was the availability of a survivable
intercontinental ballistic missile force. In July 1968, SAC transferred Homestead to TAC. The 19th Wing moved to
Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, replacing the
465th Bombardment Wing there, and absorbing its
912th Air Refueling Squadron. The 407th did not move with the wing, instead, it moved to
Loring Air Force Base, Maine, where it became the second refueling squadron of the
42nd Bombardment Wing. In addition to its alert and exercise commitments at Loring, the squadron provided crews and aircraft to SAC organizations flying combat operations in Southeast Asia. This support continued until 1975, after which the squadron resumed its alert, deployment, and exercise commitments. The two 407th squadrons were consolidated on 19 September 1985. The consolidated unit was inactivated in October 1990. ==Lineage==