World War II

The 27th Ferrying Squadron was first activated in July 1942 at Presque Isle Army Air Field, Maine, but moved within a week to New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware, where it was assigned to the 2d Ferrying Group. It served primarily to deliver aircraft from manufacturers to operational or training units. However, by 1944 the Army Air Forces was finding that organizations using rigid tables of organization were proving inefficient in performing logistic support and training missions. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional organization in which each base was grouped into a single organization.^[2] At the end of March 1944, the 2d Ferrying Group, its squadrons (including the 27th) and all support organizations at New Castle were combined into the 552d Army Air Forces Base Unit, which absorbed their personnel and equipment and continued the ferrying mission.

Strategic Air Command

27th Air Refueling Squadron KB-29^{[note 2]}

The 27th Air Refueling Squadron was activated at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, in October 1953 and assigned to the 27th Strategic Fighter Wing. The mission of the unit was to provide global refueling for the Strategic Air Command (SAC) 27th and 12th Strategic Fighter Wings at Bergstrom and other USAF units as directed. The unit was inactivated in 1957 shortly after SAC transferred its fighters to Tactical Air Command and a SAC refueling unit was no longer required to support them.

Tactical Air Support

The 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron was activated at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona in July 1977, but inactivated three years later when the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron moved from Bergstrom to Davis-Monthan along with the 602d Tactical Air Control Wing and assumed the 27th's mission, personnel and equipment.^[3]

It was activated again in May 1984 at George Air Force Base, California. In September 1985, the 27th Air Refueling Squadron and 27th Ferrying Squadron were consolidated with 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron.^[4]

Stations

• Presque Isle Army Air Field, Maine, 13 July 1942
• New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware, 20 July 1942 – 31 March 1944
• Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 25 October 1953 – 1 November 1957^[8]
• Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. 1 July 1977 – 1 July 1980^[9]
• George Air Force Base, California, 15 May 1984
• Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, 1989 – unknown^[5]

Aircraft

• Ferried Numerous Aircraft to Overseas Areas 1942–1944
• Boeing KB-29, 1953–1957
• Cessna O-2 Skymaster, 1977–1980
• North American OV-10 Bronco. 1984–unknown

Notes

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

• Goss, William A (1955). "The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158.
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). A Guide to Air Force Lineage and Honors (2d, Revised ed.). Maxwell AFB, AL: USAF Historical Research Center.
• Smith, Richard K. (1998). Seventy-Five Years of Inflight Refueling: Highlights, 1923–1998 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved 13 August 2013.

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