| 161st Air Refueling Wing | |
|---|---|
 161st Air Refueling Wing – KC-135 Stratotankers, Goldwater Air National Guard Base, Phoenix, Arizona | |
| Active | 1957–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  Arizona |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Aerial refueling |
| Part of | Arizona Air National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | Goldwater Air National Guard Base, Phoenix, Arizona. |
| Nickname | "Copperheads" |
| Tail Code | Arizona state flag tail stripe |
| Commanders | |
| Current Commander | Col. Jessica L. Hastings |
| Wing Command Chief | Chief Master Sergeant Fred W. Hudgins |
| Insignia | |
| 161st Air Refueling Wing emblem |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Tanker | KC-135 Stratotanker |
The161st Air Refueling Wing (161 ARW) is a unit of theArizona Air National Guard, stationed atGoldwater Air National Guard Base,Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by theUnited States Air ForceAir Mobility Command.
The 161st Air Refueling Wing principal mission is air refueling. The wing enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft as well as aircraft of allied nations. The wing is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.
The 161st Air Refueling Wing consists of the following units:
On 2 October 1957, theArizona Air National Guard197th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the161st Fighter-Interceptor Group was established by theNational Guard Bureau. The 197th FIS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 161st Headquarters, 161st Material Squadron (Maintenance), 161st Combat Support Squadron, and the 161st USAF Dispensary. The new Group was assigned to the34th Air Division,Air Defense Command,
In 1958 the Group received from ADC the all-weather/day-nightF-86L Sabre Interceptor aircraft, and in 1960, the 197th was one of three selected ANG units to receiveF-104A Starfighter interceptors from the ADC active-duty interceptor forces. The Copperheads, as a result of the national recognition as one of the best air defense units in the US, were chosen to fly the new high performance jet fighter.
The 161st FIG was called into active service in November 1961 as the construction of the infamous "Berlin Wall" pushed the world to the brink of war. Within a month after mobilization, 750 personnel and 22 187th FIS F-104 aircraft were in place at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany as the unit took up flying daily air defense patrols at the edge of the Iron Curtain. With world tension easing, the squadron returned home in August 1962.
With the return to Arizona, the unit was reassigned from ADC to theMilitary Air Transport Service (MATS) in October 1962. The Mach-2 Starfighters were exchanged for large, 4-enginedC-97G Stratofreighters with a mission of worldwide transport of personnel, supplies and equipment. The 197th Air Transport Squadron (later Military Airlift Squadron) flew missions to theCaribbean,Europe,Japan,South Vietnam,Thailand andAustralia. During the height of theVietnam War, the squadron routinely flew trans-Pacific medical evacuation missions from hospitals inSouth Vietnam,Japan, and thePhilippines of wounded servicemen and women to the United States, being designated as an Aeromedical Transport Squadron. In 1969 the Military Airlift Squadron designation was returned and the unit again flew scheduled transport missions forMilitary Airlift Command (MAC).
In 1972, military requirements resulted in a change in mission when the group was reassigned from MAC transport duties to theStrategic Air Command (SAC). Under SAC the group became an Air Refueling unit, beginning with the air refueling version of the C-97 transport, theKC-97 Stratofreighter. Familiarity with the aircraft led to a smooth transition from MAC to the new refueling mission. In 1977, SAC announced that Air National Guard refueling units would begin to upgrade to theKC-135 Stratotanker. The 197th Air Refueling Squadron has been flying the KC-135 for the past 35 years.
During the1991 Gulf War, Air National Guard tanker units were quickly called into action. An around-the-clock airlift began to support the buildup to the conflict, Operation Desert Shield. Tankers and crews from the 161st were some of the first to arrive inSaudi Arabia. Elements of the 197th ARS were assigned to the 1709th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional), flying from King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
From the start and for the duration, tankers servicing the conflict left Phoenix weekly, loaded with maintenance and support technicians who worked in the Saudi Arabian desert up to 45 days, and in some cases more. As the allies prepared to move against Iraq, aircraft crews, maintenance personnel, medics, fire fighters, security forces and food service technicians were dispatched to bases in Europe and the United States. Before the war in thePersian Gulf was concluded more than two-thirds of the force assigned to the 161st Air Refueling Group had served on active duty in some capacity to support the Middle East effort.
In 1994, 1995 and 1997 the unit deployed to Pisa, Italy where our tankers supported NATO operations in Bosnia. 1997 also saw the 161st facing challenges in the United Arab Emirates. The unit was vital to the success of Operation Deny Flight and Operation Southern Watch. 1 October 1995, marked another key change in the unit's long history. The 161st Air Refueling Group was redesignated as the 161st Air Refueling Wing under the USAF Air Mobility Command (AMC). 1996 saw the Copperheads turn 50 years old. The unit celebrated with year-round contests and a 50th Anniversary Celebration in December.
The 161st sent about 130 personnel to Operation Northern Watch early in 1999. Based at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, the unit supported flight operations within the northern no-fly zone over Iraq. Early in the second quarter of 1999, 161st Copperheads were quickly pressed into service over Kosovo for Operation Allied Force. Nearly 200 unit airmen served on active duty for about two months, flying 125 missions to offload almost 2.5 million gallons of fuel. The airmen returned to Phoenix in late June 1999.
Although not directly called as a unit the "Copperheads" played a vital role in support units during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003. Many Security Forces saw duty overseas directly supporting bases while maintenance and operations personnel were called to support the ongoing operations.
In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD (the Department of Defense) recommended the distribution of the 117th Air Refueling Wing's KC-135R aircraft from Birmingham International Airport Air Guard Station (AGS), Alabama and the 161st Air Refueling Wing, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport AGS (two aircraft) and two other bases. Phoenix Sky Harbor (37) scored higher than Birmingham (63) in military value for the tanker mission. This recommendation would take advantage of available capacity at Phoenix by increasing the air refueling squadron size from eight to ten aircraft, increasing the wing's overall capability. It would also capitalize on the favorable recruiting environment of the greater Phoenix region that could sustain this increased squadron size.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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