USAF Patch Air Refueling c 909 AREFS Squadron Heavy 1980s

USAF Patch 909 AREFS Air Refuelling Squadron Heavy Patch 1980s KC 135 Stratotanker Kadena AFB Japanese made Fully embroidered cut edge 112mm by 104mm four and seven sixteenth inches by four and one eighth inches.

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Squadron History 

909 Air Refueling Squadron Heavy was activated on 1 April 1963 at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas equipped with KC 135 Stratotanker aircraft to support Strategic Air Command operations worldwide under 461 Bombardment Wing. Following achieving combat ready status in July 1963 half of the Squadrons aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. The Squadron relocated to March AFB on 21 June 1966 and was reassigned to 22 Bombardment Wing a Super Wing with two Bomb Squadrons and two AREF Squadrons. As well as regular SAC exercises the Squadron deployed to refuel tactical units in Southeast Asia as part of Operation Young Tiger in support of operations over Vietnam deployed crews and planes to Spain and Alaska for support of Operation Chrome Dome airborne alert forces and supported Operation Arc Light B 52 strikes in Vietnam. Between May and October 1967 the Squadron became non operational as 22 Wing tactical resources were allocated to SAC organizations involved in combat over Vietnam. 

909 AREFS H rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia from 1967 and in 1971 SAC decided to maintain a permanent tanker presence in the Pacific and the Squadron moved to Kadena Air Base Okinawa on 1 July 1971 under 376 Strategic Wing. The squadron supported the Giant Bear tanker task force at Kadena and Rivet Joint and Cobra Ball reconnaissance operations. 

On 19 September 1985 409 Bombardment Squadron was consolidated into 909 AREFS H. The Squadron provided air refueling in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Storm August 1990 to March 1991. On 1 October 1991 the Squadron was redesignated 909 Air Refuelling Squadron transferred to Pacific Air Forces and reassigned to 18 Operations Group. In 1996 909 AREFS revisited Southwest Asia to support Operation Desert Strike an attack against fixed surface to air missile sites and air defense sites in Iraq and has since deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

This patch dates from the 1980s