It has supported combat operations in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), Iraq, and Syria from its previous location of Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.

It stood alert at Kincheloe and deployed aircrews and aircraft to support combat operations in Vietnam until it was inactivated when the Air Force closed the base.

It has served as a McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender squadron in Southwest Asia since then, with KC-135 aircraft added in late 2003 until an undetermined time.

It replaced the 99th Squadron (Observation) as the Air Service host unit at Bolling responsible for station administration.

[4] It was assigned to the 2d Wing of General Headquarters Air Force and equipped with Martin B-10 bombers, while attached to the 9th Bombardment Group.

[2] The squadron flew reconnaissance and coastal patrol flights over Long Island Sound and southern New England.

[2] After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron was transferred to the West Coast, flying antisubmarine patrols from Muroc Army Air Field, California from December 1941 to the end of January 1942.

[2] In October 1943 the B-26 Marauders were joined by North American B-25 Mitchells, and for the rest of the year the group continued to operate in support of Allied troops on New Guinea.

[5] While stationed at Nadzab Airfield in February 1944 the unit converted to Consolidated B-24 Liberators optimized for long range bombing missions.

The squadron's Liberators attacked targets on Borneo, Ceram and Halmahera,[5] among them the crucial oil fields of the Dutch East Indies.

[2] Finally, in August 1945 the unit moved to Okinawa, from where it flew a number of armed reconnaissance missions over southern Japan.

Its mission was to provide air refueling to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers of its parent 449th Bombardment Wing and other USAF units as directed.

This included taskings to provide air refueling for McDonnell F-4 Phantom II fighters and Douglas RB-66 Destroyer reconnaissance aircraft deploying to Southeast Asia.

[13][14] The squadron also deployed crews and aircraft to support the Torrejon, Eielson and Hickam Tanker Task Forces.

[d] While refueling strike aircraft in Afghanistan and Iraq, during 2011, the squadron supported an average of more than four "Troops in Contact" events daily and provided about a third of the airborne fuel used to protect ground forces.

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