98th Air Refueling Squadron The 98th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit . Its last assignment was with the 92d Operations Group , based at Fairchild Air Force Base , Washington . It was inactivated on 1 July 1998 . History . Established in January 1942 as B - 25 Mitchell medium bomber Operational Training Unit for Third Air Force . Became B - 26 Marauder OTU in June 1942 , also flew antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico . B - 29 Superfortress operations against Japan . Re - Activated in March 1944 as a B - 29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron . When training was completed moved to North Field Tinian in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command , Twentieth Air Force . It ' s mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war - making capability . Flew " shakedown " missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island , Truk , and other points in the Carolines and Marianas . The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo . The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack , but the first ten day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs . Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs . The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945 , attacking major Japanese cities , causing massive destruction of urbanized areas . Also conducted raids against strategic objectives , bombing aircraft factories , chemical plants , oil refineries , and other targets in Japan . The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended . Afterwards , its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria . Squadron was largely de - mobilized on Tinian during the fall of 1945 . Remained in Western Pacific , assigned to Twentieth Air Force . Moved to Clark Field to the Philippines in March 1946 . Inactivated at Clark Field on Luzon on June 15 , 1946 ; its low - hour aircraft flown to storage depots in the United States . United States Air Force . On 16 August 1950 the unit was reactivated as the 98th Air Refueling Squadron at Spokane Air Force Base , Washington and assigned to the 98th Bombardment Group , Medium , while flying the KB - 29 . It was inactivated again on 8 April 1952 . From 1952 to 1963 , the squadron was activated and inactivated several times and moved from base to base . The 98th Air Refueling Squadron ( SAC ) was formed at Lincoln AFB , Nebraska in 1954 . Made up of former members of the 55th ARS from Forbes AFB , Kansas . Inactivated in 1963 when SAC ' s heavy strategic bomber forces began to be drawn down in favor of ICBM s . In 1985 , after 22 years of inactivation , the 98th ARS was reactivated and consolidated with the 398th Bombardment Squadron . It was re - designated the 98th Air Refueling Squadron , Heavy on 19 September 1986 and then renamed the 98th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 April 1994 at Fairchild AFB , Washington , flying KC - 135 T Stratotanker aircraft . The 98th ARS was again inactivated in 1998 as the Air Force drew down after the end of the Cold War .