43d Air Refueling Squadron The 43d Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit . It was last assigned to the 92nd Bombardment Wing , stationed at Fairchild AFB , Washington . It was inactivated on 1 September 1991 . History . Air Transport Command . Activated on 17 Aug 1942 , the 43d Ferrying Squadron did not become operational at Accra Airport , British Gold Coast ( now Ghana ) , Africa , until 4 December . As a unit of the 12th Ferrying Group , the 43d delivered combat and transport aircraft to British forces in the Middle East and later to U . S . forces in North Africa , but its major task was the transport of high priority cargo and personnel within the theater and as far east as Karachi , India . Redesignated the 43d Transport Squadron in March 1943 , it disbanded on 30 Sep 1943 during a reorganization of Air Transport Command units in North Africa . Strategic Air Command . One of two refueling squadrons that the Strategic Air Command activated on 12 Jul 1948 , the 43d Air Refueling Squadron , Medium , was the USAF ’ s first air refueling unit . The 43d AREFS began operations in January 1949 , flying KB - 29M Superfortress tanker aircraft from Davis - Monthan AFB , Arizona . The squadron refueled B - 50s using the looped method developed by the British . In February 1949 supported the circumnavigation flight of the “ Lucky Lady II ” , the first aircraft to fly non - stop around the world . During the Korean War , the 43d sent aircrews to Far East Air Force to refuel fighter aircraft , at that time an experimental procedure . Deployed 21 Mar - 5 Jun 1953 to RAF Lakenheath , England . In 1953 , the 43d AREFS completed transition to new aircraft , the KC - 97 Stratotanker , equipped with the recently developed Boeing flying boom . Deployed 18 Sep - 9 Dec 1954 to RAF Fairford , England . While the 43d was still at Davis - Monthan , a new wing was being organized at Larson AFB ( Moses Lake ) , Washington . Headquarters , 4170th Strategic Wing was organized and established at Larson AFB on 1 July 1959 under the command of Lt Colonel Robert R . Johnston . Assisted by one master sergeant , the colonel ' s job was to pave the way for SAC ' s assumption of command of the base on 1 January 1960 . The 4170th Wing was activated on 1 January 1960 , with maintenance , support and medical units . Also on this date command of Larson was taken from Military Air Transport Service ' s 62nd Troop Carrier Wing . The 4170th Strategic Wing was a heavy bombardment organization to be equipped with B - 52 Stratofortress bombers , KC - 135 jet tankers and the HGM - 25A Titan I Intercontinental Ballistic Missile s at a later date . On 8 April 1960 , Colonel Everett W . Best assumed command of the Wing . Under the command of Colonel Best , the 4170th SW became a functional unit of the Strategic Air Command on 13 July 1960 upon assignment of the 327th Bombardment Squadron ' s crews and aircraft . The 43d Air Refueling Squadron was assigned to the 4170th on 15 November 1960 and changed its suffix from “ Medium ” to “ Heavy ” in preparation for transition to the KC - 135A . The 43d AREFS flew its last KC - 97 mission in October 1960 . The first crews of the 43d arrived on 19 March 1961 from Davis - Monthan AFB , Arizona , and the first of the KC - 135 ' s arrived on 24 March 1961 . With this new aircraft , 43d aircrews over the next few years refueled aircraft virtually everywhere in the world . Aircraft and crews deployed temporarily to Guam , Alaska , Greenland , Spain , England , Saudi Arabia , and Iraq . Colonel David A . Tate assumed command of the 4170th Strategic Wing in November 1961 and , on 1 February 1963 , when the wing was redesignated the 462nd Strategic Aerospace Wing , Colonel Tate became the commander of the newly designated unit . The redesignation of the wing was part of the Air Force ' s program to honor former units with outstanding combat records . In Aug 1964 , 43d aircrews deployed to Clark AB , Philippines , to begin supporting combat in Southeast Asia . Before terminating this refueling support in December 1975 , the 43d AREFS dedicated substantial resources to the Vietnam War . Colonel Alex W . Talmant assumed command of the 462nd Strategic Aerospace Wing upon the retirement of Colonel Tate on 31 July 1965 . Under his command Larson AFB was scheduled to be inactivated on 30 June 1966 , with Wing phase out scheduled to be complete by 25 June 1966 . On 2 Apr 1966 , the 43d moved from Larson to Fairchild AFB , Wash . In May – June 1980 , the explosive volcanic eruption of Mt . Saint Helens forced the suspension of operations from Fairchild for a month , but the 43d operated four tankers each from Beale AFB and Travis AFB , California . Once again , from 7 May to 8 Aug 1983 , the squadron left Fairchild , deploying to Grant County Airport ( formerly Larson AFB ) , Wash , while the Fairchild runway was repaired . Inactivated in 1994 as part of phasedown of USAF after the end of the Cold War .