931st Air Refueling Group
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 931st Air Refueling Group | |
|---|---|
 931st Air Refueling Group emblem |
|
| Active | 1963 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas |
The United States Air Force's 931st Air Refueling Group (936 ARG) is a Air Force Reserve Command air refueling group located at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.
It is an associate unit to the active-duty 22d Air Refueling Wing, Wing and currently has about 365 personnel.
The host unit and the 931st ARG share responsibilities for maintenance, with flying operations conducted by both units, using the inventory of 48 KC-135R Stratotankers.
Contents |
[edit] History
The 931st Air Refueling Group began its heritage in January 1963 as a troop carrier group, operating C-119 aircraft. Since then, the 931st has operated various aircraft to include the C-119, U-3, O-2, A-37 and the KC-135.
The 931at Air Refueling Group, which included the 72nd Air Refueling Squadron,was activated at Grissom AFB, IN on July 1, 1978. The 72nd's proud history dates farther back into WWII, in 1943. Flying the C-46 and C-47 aircraft, the unit participated in airborne assaults on Normandy, Holland and Germany, and the relief of Bastogne. They were also "called up" during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Yet, 1978 was the first time that the unit had performed an aerial refueling mission.
The 931st was the third Air Force Reserve unit formed to provide air refueling support for the Strategic Air Command. Since becoming an air refueling group, The 931st accomplished several firsts during its relatively short history. On October 1st, 1978, the "Flying Hoosiers" achieved operational status 72 days ahead of schedule. That was the shortest time period ever recorded for an aerial refueling unit from activation to combat readiness. In the ensuing years, the 931st established more records of achievement including the Carl Spatz Memorial Trophy, the Rousher Memorial Trophy for two consecutive years, the Golden Tanker Trophy and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
The unit flew the KC-135 from 1978, until its inactivation in 1987, as a component of the Air Force Reserve at Grissom AFB, Indiana.
Congress redesignated the 931st in September 1994, and in January 1995, the 931st activated. This activation brought with it the unique distinction of being the first associate tanker unit in the Air Force. The 931st ARG began flying operations in May 1995, refueling the christened B-2, "Spirit of Kansas."
On October 1, 1995, the 18th Air Refueling Squadron activated and continued air operations for the group. The 18th was redesignated a "super squadron" on October 1, 1997, doubling its size to 32 flying crews. The 931 ARG was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious service from November 1, 1995, to October 31, 1997. The 931st also won the Kansas Award for Excellence on October 21, 1997, becoming the first military unit to win this quality award. And, in recognition of meritorious service, the 931st received its second Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, for its performance between November 1, 1997, and October 31, 1999.
From April to July 1999, more than 70 members of the 931st were activated under a Presidential Selected Reserve Call-Up, also know as a PSRC. In support of Operation Allied Force, members deployed to Morón Air Base, Spain and Souda Bay, Crete. In support of Operation Northern Watch, members deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.
In March 2003, more than 100 members of the 931st were mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Most of the mobilized individuals were KC-135 aircrew members.
[edit] Exercises And Deployments
Members of the 931st have participated in a number of operations, to include:
Operation Desert Fox, Phoenix Scorpion II, Operation Southern Watch, JTF-6, Silver Flag, Iceland Tanker Task Force, Geilenkirchen Tanker Task Force, Trailblazer 97, Joint Forge, Phoenix Duke, Deny Flight, Deliberate Guard, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Allied Force, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
