927th Air Refueling Wing
927th Air Refueling Wing | |
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KC-135 Stratotanker |
The 927th Air Refueling Wing (927 ARW) is a combat coded Air Reserve Component (ARC) wing of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Fourth Air Force (4 AF) of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and is stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
The
If mobilized to active duty, the 927 ARW is operationally-gained by AMC.
Mission
The mission of the 927 ARW is to provide a dedicated and prepared Total Force Team to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace.
The wing directly supports the totally integrated Air Force mission by way of extending the global reach of United States air power through mission ready personnel and equipment while providing global air refueling and airlift operations.
Units
The wing consists of 3 groups and 10 subordinate units including:
- 927th Operations Group
- 63d Air Refueling Squadron
- 927th Operations Support Squadron
- 45th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
- 927th Maintenance Group
- 927th Maintenance Squadron
- 927th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 927th Mission Support Group
- 927th Security Forces Squadron
- 927th Logistics Readiness Squadron
- 927th Force Support Squadron
- Other Activities[2]
- 927th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
- 927th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
History
Need for reserve troop carrier groups
After May 1959, the Air Force Reserve flying force consisted of 45 troop carrier squadrons assigned to 15 troop carrier wings.
Activation of the 927th Troop Carrier Group
As a result of these organizational changes, the 927th Troop Carrier Group (927 TCG) was established at what was then
If mobilized to active duty, the 927 TCG was operationally gained by Tactical Air Command (TAC), which was also responsible for its training. The 927 TCG's mission was to organize, recruit and train Air Force Reservists in the tactical airlift of airborne forces, their equipment and supplies and delivery of these forces and materials by airdrop, landing or cargo extraction systems.
The 927 TCG was one of three
The 927 TCG was redesignated the 927th Tactical Airlift Group (927 TAG) in 1967 and flew the C-119 until 1969. The group was then redesignated as the 927th Tactical Air Support Group (927 TASG) on 18 June 1969 and flew the
The
During the Vietnam War, the 927 TAG's flying squadron routinely ferried dismantled aircraft and delivered equipment and supplies to South Vietnam with its C-119 and later C-130 aircraft. Unit personnel also supported humanitarian relief efforts during the 1973 New York and Pennsylvania floods, as well as hurricane disaster relief to Honduras in 1974 and for Hurricane Hugo victims in 1989.
In 1975, with TAC's divestment of the C-130 fleet, the operational gaining command for the 927 TAG shifted to the Military Airlift Command (MAC).
During 1990, the 927 TAG deployed more than 400 airmen, plus unit aircraft and supplies, for six months to the Middle East in support of
Air Refueling
1992 saw numerous changes for the unit. The 927 TAG relinquished their C-130A aircraft, converted to an air refueling mission with Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker aircraft, and was redesignated the 927th Air Refueling Group (927 ARG). This also coincided with major organizational changes across the Air Force the same year with Strategic Air Command (SAC), the former operator of KC-135 aircraft, being disestablished, and all KC-135 assets other than those in Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, and Asia being transferred to the newly-established Air Mobility Command (AMC). As a result, if mobilized to active duty, the 927 ARG would now be operationally-gained by AMC.
On 1 October 1994, the 927 ARG was redesignated as the 927th Air Refueling Wing (927 ARW). From 1995 through 2004, the wing participated in numerous missions, operations and exercises around the world, including:
- Operation Northern Watch
- Somalia Pullout
- Atlantic Express
- Airlift to Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras
- AWACS support to Geilenkirchen, Germany
- Red Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
- Snowbird Support
- Airlift of other Air Force Reserve assets from Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3/Duke Field, Florida
- Airlift to Ramstein Air Base, Germany
- Operation Pitch Black
- Pacific Express to Kadena Air Base, Japan
- Phoenix Tusk to Bangor Air National Guard Base, Maine
- Deployments to Italy and France in support of Operation Decisive Endeavor, and Operation Deliberate Guard/Force, enforcing the "no fly zone" over the former Yugoslavia
In 1997, the Air Force Reserve (AFRES) ceased to be a Field Operating Agency of Headquarters, Air Force (HAF) and became its own Major Command (MAJCOM), renamed Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). The letters "AFRC" replaced the letters "AFRES" on the tails of all 927 ARW aircraft, but operational relationships with AMC remained unchanged. The wing also commenced transition from the legacy KC-135E to the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker PACER CRAG variant.
During 1999, the 927th responded to Presidential Selected Recall Callup (PSRC) authority, deploying members on extended active duty in support of
The wing also responded within one hour after the
Relocation to MacDill AFB
In its
In another recommendation, DoD recommended realigning
In 2007, the wing began moving from Selfridge ANGB to MacDill AFB and formally established itself there on 1 May 2008.
In late 2014, the 6 AMW activated a second active duty air refueling squadron. While the 927 ARW continued to have only its single air refueling squadron, the wing benefitted from an increase in Primary Aircraft Authorized (PAA) for 6 AMW from seventeen (17) to twenty-four (24) KC-135R aircraft.
In 2019, the 6 AMW lost its resident airlift squadron and its three
On 21 December 2021, the
Lineage
- Established as the 927th Troop Carrier Group, Medium and activated on 15 January 1963 (not organized)
- Organized in the reserve on 11 February 1963
- Redesignated 927th Tactical Airlift Group on 1 July 1967
- Redesignated 927th Tactical Air Support Group on 18 June 1969
- Redesignated 927th Tactical Airlift Group on 29 June 1971
- Redesignated 927th Airlift Group on 1 February 1992
- Redesignated 927th Air Refueling Group on 1 June 1992
- Redesignated 927th Air Refueling Wing on 1 October 1994[1]
Assignments
- Continental Air Command, 15 January 1963 (not organized)
- 403d Troop Carrier Wing, 11 February 1963
- Central Air Force Reserve Region, 31 December 1969
- 403d Composite Wing (later 403d Tactical Airlift Wing), 1 June 1970
- 459th Tactical Airlift Wing, 15 March 1976
- 440th Tactical Airlift Wing(later 440th Airlift Wing), 1 July 1981
- 434th Wing(later 434th Air Refueling Wing), 1 August 1992
- Twenty-Second Air Force, 1 October 1994
- Fourth Air Force, 1 April 1997 – present[1]
Components
- 927th Operations Group: 1 August 1992 – present
- 63d Troop Carrier Squadron (later 63d Tactical Airlift Squadron, 63d Tactical Air Support Squadron, 63d Tactical Airlift Squadron, 63d Air Refueling Squadron): 11 February 1963 – 1 August 1992[1]
Stations
- Selfridge Air Force Base (later Selfridge Air National Guard Base), Michigan, 11 February 1963 - 30 April 2008
- MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, 1 May 2008 – present[1]
Aircraft
- Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1963–1969
- Cessna U-3 Blue Canoe, 1969–1971
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1971–1992
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1992–present[1]
References
- Notes
- ^ There were an additional four rescue squadrons not assigned to the wings. Cantwell, p. 156
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e f Haulman, Daniel L. (26 October 2007). "Factsheet 927 Air Refueling Wing (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ^ "927 ARW Structure". af.mil. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ Cantwell, pp. 156, 169
- ^ Cantwell, p. 156
- ^ Cantwell, pp. 189–191
- ^ Maurer, pp. 242–243
- ^ Pike, John. "927th Air Refueling Wing [927th ARW]". www.globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ "MacDill AFB named preferred location for next KC-46A Pegasus".
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946–1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556.
- 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.