The 79th Air Refueling Squadron’s heritage extends back to World War II when the 79th Troop Carrier Squadron was activated at Baer Field, Indiana in March 1943. Initially, the 79th flew the C-47 Skytrain Iterations of the squadron through the years included flying the C-46, C-124, and EC-121. Finally the 79th was re-designated in 1982 as the 79th Air Refueling Squadron, and assigned to fly, the KC-10 Extender from March Air Force Base. The 79th has participated in nearly every major conflict since then including Operation El Dorado Canyon, the invasion of Panama, Operations Desert Shield, Operation, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve. They were also among the first Reservists to fly United Nations’ humanitarian missions into Mogadishu, Somalia. In 2021, a 79th crew was responsible for carrying 241 passengers in one flight during the evacuation of afghanistan, setting the record for the most passengers carried on a KC-10. The 79th currently augments the active duty’s 6th & 9th ARS by flying a variety of global aerial refueling and airlift missions. The 79th is scheduled to transition to the KC-46 in 2023.