| 185th Air Refueling Wing | |
|---|---|
 185th Air Refueling WingKC-135R Stratotankers on the ramp atSioux City Air National Guard Base | |
| Active | 1962-present |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  Iowa |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Aerial 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 |  |
The185th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of theIowa Air National Guard, stationed atColonel Bud Day Field, Sioux City, Iowa. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by theUnited States Air ForceAir Mobility Command.
The mission of the 185th Wing is to provideair refueling and mobility sustainment in support of the global mission of the Air Force. As a community-based organization the wing and its subordinate units are also tasked to support the state of Iowa in the event of a state emergency.[citation needed]
The 185th Air Refueling Wing consists of the following major units:[1]
The wing was first organized on 1 October 1962 as the185th Tactical Fighter Group as a single headquarters for the174th Tactical Fighter Squadron and its support units. This reorganization nearly doubled the authorized personnel of the Air National Guard at Sioux City Municipal Airport to over 800 officers and airmen. This era would also mark the longest continuous period the group flew one model aircraft. The 185th flew theNorth American F-100 Super Sabre from its establishment until 1977, a period of 15 years.
On 26 January 1968, the 185th was called to active Federal service as a result of thePueblo Crisis. During its active duty period, the group moved toCannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, but became little more than a paper unit. Its 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron, augmented by other personnel from the group, deployed with their F-100s toPhù Cát Air Base, South Vietnam on 11 May 1968 where it was assigned to the37th Tactical Fighter Wing.[2] During the course of the next 90 days, the balance of the 185th was deployed to six military bases in South Korea and others in the United States. During its year in South Vietnam, the 174th flew 6,539 combat sorties totaling 11,359 hours of combat time. The unit was awarded thePresidential Unit Citation and theAir Force Outstanding Unit Award. Individually, its members were awarded 12Silver Stars, 35Distinguished Flying Crosses, 30Bronze Star Medals, 115Air Force Commendation Medals, 325Air Medals, and 1Purple Heart.[citation needed]
While at Phù Cát, one pilot that flew one of the 174th's planes wasDick Rutan. Dick went on to become the first pilot to take a non-stop unrefuelled trip around the world. Dick was also one of theMisty FACs, a top-secret squadron that flew high-risk missions during their tours. Another member of this famous squadron wasMedal of Honor recipient ColonelGeorge "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.
In 1977, the 185th converted to theLTV A-7D Corsair II. While flying the A-7Ds, the unit won the Spaatz Trophy for the second time in 1990, recognizing them as the best Air Guard unit in the country. The Unit also was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit award five times; in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989 and in 1991. In addition, the 185th's Logistics Group was a two-time winner of the Daedalian Trophy which recognizes the best maintenance team in the Aior Guard. In 1989, the 185th won theTwelfth Air Force A-7 gunnery meet for the second time. Also in 1989, the 185th received theGunsmoke A-7 Maintenance Team Award for its aircraft.[citation needed]
On 19 December 1991, the group receivedGeneral Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons. On 16 March 1992, the 185th Tactical Fighter Group was redesignated the185th 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 the185th 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 the185th Air Refueling Wing. In November 2003, the first all Sioux City crew flew aBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker out of Sioux City. Within a year, the 185th was flying refueling missions fromGeilenkirchen, Germany supportingAirborne Warning and Control System aircraft of theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization. In 2007, the 185th began transitioning from the KC-135E to the KC-135R model.
Today, the 185th consists of nearly 900 members that include traditional guardsman, full-time military, air technicians and state contract employees.
KC-135
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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