197th Air Refueling Squadron
During World War II the 412th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), Ninth Air Force in Western Europe.The squadron patrolled the air over the beachhead when the Allies launched the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944, and hit troops, tanks, roads, fuel depots and other targets in the assault area until the end of the month.The 412th moved to the Continent in July 1944 where it struck railroads, hangars, boxcars, warehouses and other objectives to prevent reinforcements from reaching the front at St.It flew reconnaissance missions to support ground operations in the Rhine Valley in March 1945, hitting airfields, motor transports, etc.Returned to the United States and prepared for transfer to the Pacific Theater during the Summer of 1945, the Japanese Capitulation in August led to the squadron's inactivation in November 1945.With the release from active service, the federal government authorized the construction of a new base at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix for the Arizona Air National Guard.In 1972, military requirements resulted in a change in mission when the group was reassigned from MAC transport duties to the Strategic Air Command (SAC).From the start and for the duration, tankers servicing the conflict left Phoenix weekly, loaded with maintenance and support technicians who worked in the Saudi Arabian desert up to 45 days, and in some cases more.As the allies prepared to move against Iraq, aircraft crews, maintenance personnel, medics, fire fighters, security forces and food service technicians were dispatched to bases in Europe and the United States.Before the war in the Persian Gulf was concluded more than two-thirds of the force assigned to the 161st Air Refueling Group had served on active duty in some capacity to support the Middle East effort.
Goldwater Air National Guard BaseUnited StatesArizonaAir National GuardArizona Air National GuardTankerKC-135R Stratotanker161st Air Refueling Wing373d Fighter GroupWestover FieldEuropean Theater of OperationsNinth Air ForceP-47 ThunderboltsNormandyB-26 MaraudersOccupied FranceBattle of the BulgePacific TheaterLuke AFBF-47D ThunderboltsFourth Air ForceContinental Air CommandNational Guard BureauKorean WarAir Training CommandF-84B ThunderjetF-51H MustangsTactical Air CommandAir Defense CommandF-86A Sabre161st Fighter-Interceptor GroupF-86L Sabre InterceptorF-104A StarfighterMilitary Air Transport ServiceC-97G StratofreightersCaribbeanEuropeSouth VietnamThailandAustraliaVietnam WarPhilippinesMilitary Airlift CommandStrategic Air CommandKC-97 StratofreighterBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker1991 Gulf WarSaudi ArabiaPersian Gulf146th Fighter Group127th Pilot Training Group146th Fighter-Bomber Group146th Fighter-Interceptor Group86th Air Division161st Air Transport Group161st Military Airlift Group161st Aero Medical Airlift Group161st Air Refueling GroupMassachusettsNorfolk AirportVirginiaRichmond Army Air BaseRAF WoodchurchTour-en-Bessin AirfieldSaint James AirfieldReims/Champagne AirfieldLe Culot AirfieldBelgiumVenlo AirfieldNetherlandsLippstadt AirfieldAAF Station IllesheimSioux Falls Army Air FieldSouth DakotaSeymour Johnson FieldNorth CarolinaMitchel FieldLuke Army Airfield (later AFB)Sky Harbor AirportRamstein ABP-47 ThunderboltF-51D MustangF-84E/G ThunderjetC-97G StratofreighterKC-97L StratotankerKC-135A StratotankerKC-135E Stratotankerpublic domain materialAlabamaAlaskaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMarylandMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth DakotaOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeVermontVirgin Islands