The 384th Air Refueling Squadron, located at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, is an Air Mobility Command's air refueling squadron fueling America's global reach. The 384 ARS plans, schedules, and directs 100 aircrew with support staff and 12 aircraft in support of combat air refueling, airlift, and aeromedical evacuation operations around the world.
Mission: Provide worldwide in-flight refueling to support peacetime, conventional, and wartime operations to include HQ USSTRATCOM OPLAN 801X.
Vision: SQuadron Upholding Airmen & Readiness Excellence
History: The 384th Air Refueling Squadron (Medium) originally constituted on 3 March 1955 at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, first under the 4050th Air Refueling Wing and then the redesignated 499th Air Refueling Wing, serving Strategic Air Command, flying the KC-97 Stratofreighter. Since its inception, the squadron has held an uninterrupted history of a rhomboidal emblem, the “Square Patch,” as our squadron heraldry. Inactivating in 1966, the 384th Air Refueling Squadron (Heavy) reactivated in 1973 moving to McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, flying the new KC-135 Stratotanker under the 384th Bombardment Wing. In September 1985, the Air Force consolidated the squadron with the World War II era 584th Bombardment Squadron, inactive since 1946. At this point, the squadron assumed the lineage and honors of the older squadron while retaining the unit designation, heraldry, and lineage of the younger squadron. The Air Force reorganized in the early 1990s and Strategic Air Command was inactivated, the squadron was again redesignated as the 384th Air Refueling Squadron, without the weight moniker, under the newly reassigned 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base. In September 2016, the squadron inactivated moving to Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, reactivating 23 March 2017 under the 92nd Air Refueling Wing.
The 384th Air Refueling Squadron has a rich history as a bombardment squadron combating Nazi Germany in the European Theater of Operations flying the B-26 Marauder and later the A-26 Invader earning the Distinguished Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. The squadron has earned multiple Meritorious Unit Awards and Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards while providing superior worldwide aerial refueling supporting operations in Panama and Persian Gulf. Our continued service and professionalism defending our nation in the Global War on Terrorism has made the 384th Air Refueling Squadron one of the premier aerial refueling squadrons in the United States Air Force.
Assignments: 394 Bombardment Group, 5 Mar 1943–31 Mar 1946. 4050 Air Refueling Wing, 1 Apr 1955 (attached to HQ Eighth Air Force, 27 Apr–27 Jun 1956 and 21 May–25 Jun 1957); 499 Air Refueling Wing, 1 Jan 1963–25 Jun 1966. 384 Air Refueling (later, 384 Bombardment) Wing, 30 Sep 1973; 384 Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991; 19 Operations Group, 1 Jun 1992; 22 Operations Group, 1 Jan 1994–2016; 92 Air Refueling Wing, 23 March 2017-Present
Aircraft: B–26 Marauder, 1943–1945; A–26 Invader, 1945–1946. KC–97 Stratofreighter, 1955–1965. KC–135 Stratotanker, 1973-Present
Operations: Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO), 23 Mar 1944–20 Apr 1945. Aerial refueling for Strategic Air Command (SAC) bombers in north Atlantic area, 1955–1965. Provided worldwide aerial refueling, 1973–; supported operations in Panama, 18–20 Dec 1989 and Southwest Asia, Aug 1990–Mar 1991; Operation Enduring Freedom 2001 – 2014; Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003 – 2011; Operation Inherent Resolve 2014 – Present.
Service Streamers: World War II American Theater.
Campaign Streamers: World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. Global War on Terrorism: GWOT-E.
Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citation: France, 7–9 Aug 1944. Meritorious Unit Awards: 1 Aug 2009-31 Jul 2010; 1 Aug 2010-31 Jul 2011; 1 Aug 2011-31 Jul 2012; 1 Aug 2012-31 Jul 2013; 1 Aug 2013-31 Jul 2014; 1 Aug 2014-31 Jul 2015. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 8 Feb 1956–1 Dec 1959; 1 Jul 1974–30 Jun 1976; 1 Jul 1976–30 Jun 1978; 1 Jul 1980–30 Jun 1981; 1 Jul 1987–30 Jun 1989; 30 May 1990-29 May 1992; 1 Jun 1994-31 May 1996; 1 Aug 1999-31 Jul 2000; 1 Aug 2000-31 Jul 2001; 1 Aug 2002-31 Jul 2004; 1 Aug 2004-31 Jul 2005; 1 Aug 2005-31 Jul 2006; 1 Aug 2006-31 Jul 2008; 1 Aug 2008-31 Jul 2009. French Croix de Guerre with Palm: 6 Jun–14 Sep 1944.