27th Tactical Air Support Squadron

(Redirected from 27th Ferrying Squadron)

The 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active at George Air Force Base, California, as part of the 602d Tactical Air Control Wing based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the World War II-era 27th Ferrying Squadron and the Cold War-era 27th Air Refueling Squadron.

27th Tactical Air Support Squadron
27th Tactical Air Support Squadron OV-10 Bronco
Active1942–1944; 1953–1957; 1977–1980; 1984-unknown
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleAirborne forward air control
Motto(s)Ridemus Dum Servimus Latin Service With a Smile (1953-1957)[note 1]
DecorationsAir Force Outstanding Unit Award[1]
Insignia
27th Air Refueling Squadron emblem

History

edit

World War II

edit

The 27th Ferrying Squadron was first activated in July 1942 at Presque Isle Army Air Field, Maine, but moved within a week to New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware, where it was assigned to the 2d Ferrying Group. It served primarily to deliver aircraft from manufacturers to operational or training units. However, by 1944 the Army Air Forces was finding that organizations using rigid tables of organization were proving inefficient in performing logistic support and training missions. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional organization in which each base was grouped into a single organization.[2] At the end of March 1944, the 2d Ferrying Group, its squadrons (including the 27th) and all support organizations at New Castle were combined into the 552d Army Air Forces Base Unit, which absorbed their personnel and equipment and continued the ferrying mission.[citation needed]

Strategic Air Command

edit
 
27th Air Refueling Squadron KB-29[note 2]

The 27th Air Refueling Squadron was activated at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, in October 1953 and assigned to the 27th Strategic Fighter Wing. The mission of the unit was to provide global refueling for the Strategic Air Command (SAC) 27th and 12th Strategic Fighter Wings at Bergstrom and other USAF units as directed. The unit was inactivated in 1957 shortly after SAC transferred its fighters to Tactical Air Command and a SAC refueling unit was no longer required to support them.[citation needed]

Tactical Air Support

edit

The 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron was activated at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona in July 1977, but inactivated three years later when the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron moved from Bergstrom to Davis-Monthan along with the 602d Tactical Air Control Wing and assumed the 27th's mission, personnel and equipment.[3]

It was activated again in May 1984 at George Air Force Base, California. In September 1985, the 27th Air Refueling Squadron and 27th Ferrying Squadron were consolidated with 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron.[4]

Lineage

edit
27th Ferrying Squadron
  • Constituted as the 27th Ferrying Squadron on 29 June 1942
Activated on 13 July 1942
Disbanded on 31 March 1944
Reconstituted and consolidated with the 27th Air Refueling Squadron and the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron as the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 19 September 1985[4]
27th Air Refueling Squadron
  • Constituted as the 27th Air Refueling Squadron, Strategic Fighter on 14 September 1953
Activated on 25 October 1953
Inactivated 1 November 1957
Consolidated with the 27th Ferrying Squadron and the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron as the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 19 September 1985[4]
27th Tactical Air Support Squadron
  • Constituted as the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 7 February 1977
Activated on 1 July 1977
Inactivated 1 July 1980
Activated 15 May 1984
Consolidated with the 27th Ferrying Squadron and the 27th Air Refueling Squadron on 19 September 1985[4]
Inactivated after June 1988[5]

Assignments

edit

Stations

edit
  • Presque Isle Army Air Field, Maine, 13 July 1942
  • New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware, 20 July 1942 – 31 March 1944
  • Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 25 October 1953 – 1 November 1957[8]
  • Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. 1 July 1977 – 1 July 1980[9]
  • George Air Force Base, California, 15 May 1984
  • Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, 1989 – unknown[5]

Aircraft

edit

See also

edit

References

edit

Notes

edit
Explanatory notes
  1. ^ Literally, "We Laugh While We Serve."
  2. ^ Aircraft is Boeing B-29B-55-BA Superfortress serial 44-84025 at Bergstrom Air Force Base in 1955
Citations
  1. ^ "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 22 September 2020. (search)
  2. ^ Goss, p. 75
  3. ^ "Abstract (Unclassified), Vol. 1 History 602 Tactical Air Control Wing Jul–Sep 1980". Air Force History Index. Archived from the original on 14 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
  5. ^ a b See "Abstract (Unclassified), Vol. 1 History 836 Air Division Jan–Jun 1989". Air Force History Index. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2015. (Preparing for move of squadron from George AFB to Davis-Monthan AFB)
  6. ^ Ravenstein, p. 27
  7. ^ Ravenstein, pp. 49–52
  8. ^ Mueller, p. 32
  9. ^ Mueller, p. 104

Bibliography

edit

  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency