185th Air Refueling Wing
185th Air Refueling Wing | |
---|---|
Air Refueling | |
Size | 900+ |
Part of | Iowa Air National Guard |
Garrison/HQ | Colonel Bud Day Field, Sioux City, Iowa |
Tail Code | Yellow Tail Stripe "Sioux City" in black letters |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Col Sonya Morrison |
Insignia | |
185th Air Refueling Wing emblem |
The 185th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the Iowa Air National Guard, stationed at Colonel Bud Day Field, Sioux City, Iowa. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.
Mission
The mission of the 185th Wing is to provide
Units
The 185th Air Refueling Wing consists of the following major units:[1]
- 185th Operations Group
- 174th Air Refueling Squadron - Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (174 ARS)
- 185th Operations Support Flight (185 OSF)
- 133rd Test Squadron (133 TS) - Geographically Separate Unit at Fort Dodge Regional Airport
- 185th Intelligence Squadron (185 IS)
- 185th Mission Support Group (185 MSG)
- 185th Mission Support Flight (185 MSF)
- 185th Civil Engineer Squadron (185 CES)
- 185th Security Forces Squadron (185 SFS)
- 185th Force Support Squadron (185 FSS)
- 185th Logistics Readiness Squadron (185 LRS)
- 185 Communications Flight (185 CF)
- 185th Maintenance Group
- 185th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (185 AMXS)
- 185th Maintenance Squadron (185 MXS)
- 185 Maintenance Operations Flight (185 MOF)
- 185th Medical Group (185 MDG)
History
The wing was first organized on 1 October 1962 as the 185th Tactical Fighter Group as a single headquarters for the
Vietnam era
On 26 January 1968, the 185th was called to active Federal service as a result of the
]While at Phù Cát, one pilot that flew one of the 174th's planes was Dick Rutan. Dick went on to become the first pilot to take a non-stop unrefuelled trip around the world. Dick was also one of the Misty FACs, a top-secret squadron that flew high-risk missions during their tours. Another member of this famous squadron was Medal of Honor recipient Colonel George "Bud" Day, for whom the airfield in Sioux City is named.
All personnel and aircraft were released from active duty in May 1969 and returned to Sioux City. Vietnam also spawned the nickname Bats. The "Bat" depicted on the tails of the aircraft and the shoulder patch of the pilots became a legendary symbol of the 185th when its 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron was called to duty in Vietnam. "Bat" was the call sign of the 174th. The other symbol often associated with the squadron has been the Indian Chief that is part of the unit patch as well as part of the paint work on the aircraft.
A-7D Corsair IIs
In 1977, the 185th converted to the
Modern era
On 19 December 1991, the group received General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons. On 16 March 1992, the 185th Tactical Fighter Group was redesignated the 185th Fighter Group. One month later, the unit was rated operational with the Fighting Falcon. As the Air Force and Air Guard standardized unit structures under the Objective Wing concept, the 185th was designated the 185th Fighter Wing. The F-16 "Fighting Falcon" would be the last jet that the unit would fly before conversion to KC-135E tankers in 2003. The 185th continued to be an award-winning unit. In 1994, the unit gained the Winston P. Wilson Award as well as the Air Force Association Outstanding Air National Guard Unit Award. In 1999, Congress appropriated $6.5 million for the Air National Guard Aircraft Paint Facility located on base.
The wing was redesignated the 185th Air Refueling Wing. In November 2003, the first all Sioux City crew flew a
Today, the 185th consists of nearly 900 members that include traditional guardsman, full-time military, air technicians and state contract employees.
Operations and decorations
- Spaatz Trophy (1990)
- Presidential Unit Citation (1968)
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (1968, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2008, and 2009)
- 185th Logistics Group-Daedalian Trophy (2-time winner)
- Winston P. Wilson Award (1994)
- Air Force Association Outstanding Air National Guard Unit Award (1994)[citation needed]
Lineage
- Established as the 185th Tactical Fighter Group on 11 September 1962
- Organized on 1 October 1962
- Ordered into active service on 26 January 1968
- Relieved from active duty and returned to the control of the state of Iowa on 28 May 1969
- Redesignated 185th Fighter Group on 16 March 1992
- Redesignated 185th Fighter Wing on 1 May 1992
- Redesignated 185th Air Refueling Wing on 1 November 2003
Assignments
- 140th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1962
- 832d Air Division, 26 January 1968[3]
- 140th Tactical Fighter Wing, 29 May 1969
- 132d Tactical Fighter Wing1 June 1969
- Iowa Air National Guard, 16 March 1992 – Present
- Mobilization gaining commands
- Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1962
- Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992
- Air Mobility Command, 1 November 2003 – present
Components
- 185th Operations Group, 1 June 1992 – Present
- 185th Logistics Group (later 185th Maintenance Group), 1 June 1992 – Present
- 185th Support Group (later 185th Mission Group), 1 June 1992 – Present
- 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron (later 174th Fighter Squadron, 174th Air Refueling Squadron), 1 October 1962 – 26 January 1968; 29 May 1969 – Present
Stations
- Sioux City Municipal Airport, 1 October 1962
- Cannon Air Force Base, 26 January 1968[3]
- Sioux City Municipal Airport (Later Colonel Bud Day Field), 29 May 1969 – present
Aircraft
- North American F-100C Super Sabre (1962–1977)
- LTV A-7D Corsair (1977–1991)
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon (1992–2002)
- Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker (2002–2007)
- Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (2007 – present)
Aircraft flying in this unit
KC-135
References
Notes
Citations
- ^ "Units". www.185arw.ang.af.mil. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Ravenstein, p. 65
- ^ a b "Factsheet 832 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 11 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Rogers, Brian. (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
External links
- History and Lineage 185th Air Refueling
- Celebration of the Iowa ANG's 60 years[permanent dead link]
- 185th Air Refueling Wing - Iowa Air National Guard - Sioux City, Iowa