From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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22d Air Refueling Wing |
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22d Air Refueling Wing shield |
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Active |
December 22, 1939 – Present |
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Country |
United States |
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Branch |
United States Air Force |
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Role |
Aerial Refueling |
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Part of |
Air Mobility Command |
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Garrison/HQ |
McConnell Air Force Base |
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Motto |
Ducemus – “We Lead” |
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Decorations |
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Commanders |
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Current commander |
Colonel James C. Vechery |
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Notable commanders |
Howell M. Estes II |
The 22d Air Refueling Wing (22 ARW) is a wing of the United States Air Force. It is the host wing of McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kansas.
Colonel James C. Vechery is the wing commander. Colonel Bart Weiss is vice commander, and Chief Master Sergeant Timothy Horn is the Command Chief Master Sergeant.
Mission
The 22 ARW primary mission is to provide global reach by conducting air refueling and airlift where and when needed. It is one of only three supertanker KC-135 Stratotanker wings in the Air Force.
The 22 ARW is also the Operational Command Unit of the 931st Air Refueling Group, administratively assigned to the 507th Air Refueling Wing, Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command. The 931 ARG is the first Associate air-refueling unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. As an associate unit, the 931st does not have operational control of the KC-135R aircraft. Instead, the host unit at McConnell AFB, the 22 ARW, provides a designated number of aircraft for mission taskings assigned to the 931st. Upon mobilization of the 931 ARG, the 22 ARW and the Air Mobility Command would gain the 931st.
Subordinate organizations
22d Operations Group (22 OG)
- 344th Air Refueling Squadron (344 ARS) (Black tail stripe)
- 349th Air Refueling Squadron (349 ARS) (Blue tail stripe)
- 350th Air Refueling Squadron (350 ARS) (Yellow tail stripe)
- 384th Air Refueling Squadron (384 ARS) (Gold tail stripe)
- 22d Operations Support Squadron (22 OSS)
22d Maintenance Group (22 MXG)
- 22d Maintenance Squadron (22 MXS)
- 22d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (22 AMXS)
- 22d Maintenance Operations Squadron (22 MOS)
22d Mission Support Group (22 MSG)
- 22d Contracting Squadron (22 CONS)
- 22d Security Forces Squadron (22 SFS)
- 22d Services Squadron (22 SVS)
- 22d Logistics Readiness Squadron (22 LRS)
- 22d Mission Support Squadron (22 MSS)
- 22d Communications Squadron (22 CS)
- 22d Civil Engineering Squadron (22 CES)
22d Medical Group (22 MDG)
- 22d Medical Operations Squadron (22 MDOS)
- 22d Aeromedical Dental Squadron (22 AMDS)
- 22d Medical Support Squadron (22 MDSS)
Additionally, the 22d Comptroller Squadron (22 CPTS) reports directly to the wing staff.
History
Lineage
- Established as 22d Bombardment Group (Medium) on December 22, 1939
- Activated on February 1, 1940
- Redesignated: 22d Bombardment Group, Heavy, on February 11, 1944
- Redesignated: 22d Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on June 15, 1946
- Established as 22d Bombardment Wing, Medium, on July 28, 1948
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- 22d Bombardment Group, Medium, assigned to wing as subordinate unit
- Activated on August 1, 1948
- 22d Bombardment Group, Medium inactivated June 16, 1952
- Redesignated: 22d Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on March 15, 1963
- Redesignated: 22d Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, on October 1, 1982
- Redesignated: 22d Air Refueling Wing on September 1, 1991
- 22d Operations Group activated on September 1, 1991
Assignments
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Components
Wings
- 1st Fighter: attached July 1, 1949 – April 1, 1950
- 330th Bombardment: attached June 27, 1949 – April 30, 1951
Groups
- 22d Bombardment (later, 22d Operations): August 1, 1948 – June 16, 1952 (detached August 1, 1948 – June 30, 1949; November 14, 1949 – February 20, 1950; July 4 – c. October 31, 1950); September 1, 1991 – .
- 458th Operations: June 1, 1992 – July 1, 1993
Squadrons
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Stations
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Aircraft operated
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United States Army Air Forces
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United States Air Force
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References for commands and major units assigned, components and stations:
World War II
The 22d flew training missions from, 1940–1941 before going on to fly antisubmarine patrols off the west coast of the United States from December 1941 – January 1942. The group then moved to the Southwest Pacific early in 1942. In support of the Allied offensive there, attacked enemy shipping, installations, troop concentrations, and airfields in New Guinea and New Britain. The 22d earned two Distinguished Unit Citations, one for air raids over enemy forces in Papua (July 1942 – January 1943) and another for destroying enemy entrenchments that were preventing the advance of Australian ground forces in New Guinea (November 5, 1943). In February 1944, the group traded two-engine for four-engine heavy bombers. It bombed Japanese airfields, shipping, and oil installations in Borneo, Ceram, and Halmahera. The 22d began raiding the southern Philippines in September 1944 to neutralize Japanese bases in preparation for the invasion of Leyte. From December 1944 to August 1945 the group struck airfields and installations on Luzon, supported Australian ground forces on Borneo, and bombed railways and industries in Formosa and China. The 22d moved to Okinawa in August 1945 and flew some armed reconnaissance missions over southern Japan.
Late 1940s
The 22d transferred without personnel and equipment to the Philippines in November 1945 and to Okinawa in May 1946, where it was remanned and equipped with B-29s the next month. On August 1, 1948, the 22d Bomb Group joined the newly created the 22d Maintenance and Supply Group and the 22d Air Base Group that made up the newly established the 22d Bombardment Wing. The 22d Wing’s headquarters was non-operational and its components. detached.
The new wing was assigned to March AFB, California on May 10, 1949. It was not operational, so it shared a commander with the 1st Fighter Wing. The 22d Bomb became operational on July 1, 1949. The 1st Fighter Wing was attached to it and both wings shared the same commanding officer.
Korean War
Detached from the wing, the 22d Bombardment Group deployed its B-29s in early July 1950 to Kadena AB, Okinawa, where it came under control of FEAF Bomber Command (Provisional). On July 13, the group flew its first mission, against the marshalling yards and oil refinery at Wonsan, North Korea. By October 21, it had amassed fifty-seven missions against the enemy, attacking bridges, factories, industrial targets, troop concentrations, airfields, marshalling yards, communications centers, and port facilities. During four months of combat, the group flew 335 sorties with only fourteen aborts and dropped over 6,500 tons of bombs. It redeployed to the United States in late October and November 1950.
Cold War
Following the return of the Bombardment Group the wing trained for proficiency in global strategic bombardment, adding air refueling to its mission in 1952. The wing deployed at RAF Mildenhall, England, September–December 1951, and at RAF Upper Heyford, England, December 1953 – March 1954.
From April to July 1957, it deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The wing was not tactically operational March 11, 1963 – September 15, 1963, while converting to B-52 bombers and KC-135 tankers. The wing supported Fifteenth Air Force’s post-attack command and control system with EC-135s from, September 1964 – March 1970.
The 22d was a “super” wing from 1966–1971, with two bombardment and two tanker squadrons. From March 10 to c. October 1, 1967 the wing was reduced to a small “rear-echelon” non-tactical organization with all tactical resources and most support resources loaned to SAC organizations involved in combat operations in Southeast Asia. The wing continued to support SAC operations in the Far East and Southeast Asia through 1975, and from April 10, 1972 to October 29, 1973 again the wing had all its bomber resources loaned to other organizations for combat and contingency operations. It’s KC-135 resources were also on loan from April 10 to September 1972; afterwards a few tankers returned to wing control.
The wing maintained a strategic bombardment alert posture from, 1973–1982, but in 1978 it added conventional warfare missions, including mine-laying and sea reconnaissance/surveillance.
From 1982, the wing provided strategic air refueling and airlift in support of worldwide U.S. Air Force and other Department of Defense operations and training exercises. In 1983, the wing moved personnel and cargo in support of Chadian resistance to Libyan incursions and conducted airlift and refueling missions during rescue of U.S. nationals in Grenada. The wing also provided specialized refueling support to SR-71 aircraft reconnaissance operations worldwide from, c. 1985–1990.
Post-Cold War
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A KC-135R Stratotanker from the 22d Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, Kansas refuels an F-22A Raptor from Edwards AFB, California |
The 22 ARW supported F-117 deployments to Saudi Arabia and contributed aircraft and personnel to logistics efforts in support of the liberation of Kuwait from, 1990–1991.
On June 1, 1992, the 22d ARW was assigned to the new Air Mobility Command, and from the end of 1992 to 1994, the wing flew humanitarian airlift missions to Somalia. It also provided air refueling in support of deployments to Haiti in 1994.
On January 1, 1994, the wing was reassigned w/p/o/e from March AFB (upon the transfer of March AFB to the Air Force Reserve) to McConnell AFB, Kansas, replacing the deactivating 384th Bomb Wing. Various air refueling squadrons were reassigned from other units as follows:
- 344 ARS from 68th ARW, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
- 349 & 350 ARS from 100th ARW, Beale AFB, CA
- 384 ARS from deactivated 384th BW.
After the realignment, the 22d ARS deployed crews and aircraft to support no-fly missions over northern and southern Iraq and over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1999, wing aircraft and crews deployed to the Mediterranean to refuel NATO aircraft over Serbia. After the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. in September 2001, wing-supplied tanker crews and aircraft air-refueled combat aircraft on missions to the Afghanistan area.
Operations
- World War II
- Korean War
- Operation Urgent Fury
- Operation Northern Watch
- Operation Southern Watch
- Operation Deliberate Force
- Operation Allied Force
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
Notes
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
- Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
Bibliography
- This article contains information from the 22d Air Refueling Wing history factsheet which is an official document of the United States Government and is presumed to be in the public domain.
- Futrell, Robert Frank (1983) The United States Air Force In Korea, 1950–1953, Maxwell AFB, Alabama Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0912799714
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
- Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Heritage and Legacy: A Brief History of the 22d Air Refueling Wing and McConnell Air Force Base