132d Air Refueling Squadron | |
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132d Air Refueling Squadron – Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker 63-8872
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Active | March 2, 1942 – present |
Country | United States |
Allegiance | Maine |
Branch | Air National Guard |
Type | Squadron |
Role | Air Refueling |
Part of | Maine Air National Guard |
Garrison/HQ | Bangor Air National Guard Base, Bangor, Maine |
Nickname(s) | "MAINEiacs" |
Tail Code | A white tailband with black text 'Maine' included. |
Insignia | |
132d Air Refueling Squadron emblem |
The 132d Air Refueling Squadron (132 ARS) is a unit of the Maine Air National Guard 101st Air Refueling Wing located at Bangor Air National Guard Base, Bangor, Maine. The 132d is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker.
Trained with V-72 Vengeance aircraft. Moved to India, via Australia, July–September 1943. Assigned to Tenth Air Force. Operating from India and using A-36A Apaches. The 528th Fighter Squadron having its markings as black reverse diagonal bands painted on a yellow tail. The red nose was also a squadron marking. Many planes of the squadron had a girl's name on the nose but very few had any artwork.
The squadron supported Allied ground forces in northern Burma; covered bombers that attacked Rangoon, Insein, and other targets; bombed enemy airfields at Myitkyina and Bhamo; and conducted patrol and reconnaissance missions to help protect transport planes that flew The Hump route between India and China.
Converted to P-51C Mustangs in May 1944. Moved to Burma in July and continued to support ground forces, including Merrill's Marauders; also flew numerous sweeps over enemy airfields in central and southern Burma.
Moved to China in August 1944 and assigned to Fourteenth Air Force. Escorted bombers, flew interception missions, struck the enemy's communications, and supported ground operations, serving in combat until the end of the war. Ferried P-51's from India for Chinese Air Force in November 1945. Returned to the US in December 1945.