56th ARS; past, present, future

ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, OK, UNITED STATES

08.11.2016

Story by Senior Airman Nathan Clark 

97th Air Mobility Wing

With the opening of the KC-46 Pegasus refueling aircraft school house, August 30, 2016, the 56th Air Refueling Squadron will reactivate and once again be in the skies over Altus, ready to start a new chapter in its’ rich heritage.
The 56th got its beginning in Kentucky, 1942, with the C-47 in World War II. Its primary mission was to transport troops and supplies in the Pacific theater. Until it was inactivated in 1946, the 56th spent the rest of the war island hopping along with the 58th Troop Carrier Squadron, now the 58th Airlift Squadron.
After the war, the 56th was reactivated and moved around the country several different times and incorporated many different aircraft. The C-46 flew in Korea, the C-82 in South Carolina and, while in Pennsylvania, aircrews were trained to operate the C-124, to name a few. The longest run the 56th had was with the C-5 in Altus from 1969-2007. Altus AFB C-5s participated in Operations Desert Shield and Storm, Operation Provide Comfort and many other operational and humanitarian missions including being one of the first aircraft to provide food and relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
Because of its strong history, the 56th beat out many other squadrons for reactivation.
“The Air Force wants to keep the heritage alive in the squadrons,” said Rich Guinan, 97th Air Mobility Wing historian. “So during the process of choosing the squadron, we look at a score sheet. If it’s for a fighter wing the sheet tells us how many aces the squadron had, how many planes it shot down, and so on and they have those rankings for each type of wing.”
“When we looked at the 56th, we found it scored much better than the others,” said Guinan. “It’s hard to pinpoint a single instance or mission that defined the 56th, but it did so much over the years; the C-5 alone went places and did things that people didn’t think possible. So, it really scored well.”
As the 56th reactivates, it will help keep the accomplishments of previous roles alive, an important aspect of recirculating squadrons into active roles.
“From accomplishments of the personnel assigned to the unit since WWII, to pioneering the mission of the nation’s largest transport aircraft supporting humanitarian and operational missions around the globe, the 56th as a whole, has accomplished so much,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Daniel Ruttenber, 56th ARS commander. “It is important to remember we wouldn’t be free if it wasn’t for their sacrifices, just like those who follow us will be free because of ours.”
Remembering the past is important, but what the future holds will be just as integral.
“We follow in the footsteps of the former 56th Airlift Squadron, a stalwart group of men and women characterized innovation and bravery,” said Ruttenber. “The 56th ARS will continue this tradition of excellence as the Air Force’s sole KC-46 formal training unit, redefining the next generation.”
Whether it is remembering the accomplishments of those that served over the last 74 years or preparing for the future and training tomorrows air refuelers, the 56th ARS is prepared to step up to the plate and carry on a tradition of success.

• Date Taken: 08.11.2016
• Date Posted: 08.11.2016 14:56
• Story ID: 206830
• Location: ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, OK, US