World War II Medium bomber operational training unit Established in January 1942 as
North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber
Operational Training Unit (OTU) for
Third Air Force. Became
Martin B-26 Marauder OTU in June 1942, also flew antisubmarine patrols over the
Gulf of Mexico.
B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan Reactivated in March 1944 as a
Boeing B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron. When training was completed moved to
North Field (Tinian) in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to
XXI Bomber Command,
Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability. Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on
Moen Island,
Truk, and other points in the
Caroline Islands and
Marianas. The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, but the first ten-day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs. The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and
Manchuria. Squadron was largely demobilized on Tinian during the fall of 1945. Remained in Western Pacific, assigned to Twentieth Air Force. Moved to
Clark Field in the Philippines in March 1946. Inactivated at Clark Field on Luzon on 15 June 1946; its low-hour aircraft flown to storage depots in the United States.
United States Air Force On 16 August 1950 the
98th Air Refueling Squadron was activated at
Spokane Air Force Base, Washington and assigned to the
98th Bombardment Group, Medium while flying the KB-29. It was inactivated on 8 April 1952, but activated the same day at
MacDill Air Force Base, Florida where it was attached to the
6th Air Division. It remained at MacDill until November 1953, when it moved to
Lake Charles Air Force Base, Louisiana, where it was inactivated and its personnel and
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighters were used to form the
68th Air Refueling Squadron. The 98th Air Refueling Squadron was activated again at
Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska when the 98th wing returned from the Far East in 1954. Made up of former members of the
55th Air Refueling Squadron from
Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas. Inactivated in 1963 when
Strategic Air Command's medium strategic bomber forces began to be drawn down in favor of
ICBMs. In 1985 the 98th was consolidated with the two 398th Bombardment Squadrons. It was redesignated the 98th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 19 September 1986 and then renamed the 98th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 April 1994 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, flying
KC-135T Stratotanker aircraft. The 98th was again inactivated in 1998 as the Air Force drew down after the end of the
Cold War. In 2002 the squadron was converted to provisional status and redesignated the
98th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and assigned to
Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed.
Operations and decorations • Combat Operations: Antisubmarine patrols in the Gulf of Mexico, 8 June 1942 and 31 Jul-8 Aug 1942. Combat in Western Pacific, 16 Jun-14 Aug 1945. • Campaigns: World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Air Offensive, Japan; Eastern Mandates; Western Pacific. ==Lineage==