137th Air Refueling Wing

The United States Air Force's 137th Air Refueling Wing is an Oklahoma Air National Guard wing located at Will Rogers Air National Guard base, Oklahoma. The wing flies KC-135 Stratotankers.

The wing is associated with the Air Force Reserve Command's (AFRC) 507th Air Refueling Wing (507 ARW). Under this Reserve-Guard associate organization, the 507th ARW is the host wing with all 12 aircraft owned by AFRC. The Oklahoma Air National Guard maintains separate administrative and operational control, but is associated with the 507th ARW, working together to fly and maintain all aircraft. For deployable tasking, both the 507th ARW and 137th AW will function with six primary aircraft assigned.

History

The wing traces its origins to the World War II 404th Fighter Group, which was allocated to the Oklahoma Air National Guard and redesignated as the 137th Fighter Group on 24 May 1946. The unit was founded on 21 November 1946 at Norman, Oklahoma as the 137th Fighter Group, and received its Federal recognition on 18 December 1947.

The 137th Fighter Wing was originally equipped with the P-51 Mustang. Afterwards, a variety of aircraft have been assigned to the Wing, including the F-80 Shooting Star, the F-86 Sabre Jet, the C-97 Stratocruiser, the C-124 Globemaster, and the C-130 Hercules which the wing flew between 1974 and 2007.

In 2007 the unit became the 137th Air Refueling Wing as a result of the 2005 BRAC Recommendations which realigned Will Rogers AGS and relocating the 137th Airlift Wing (ANG) to Tinker AFB and associated it with the 507th Air Refueling Wing.

The unit has been assigned to the Continental Air Command, Air Defense Command, Air Combat Command, and the Air Mobility Command. The Wing owns one of the most outstanding flying safety records in the Air Force, having flown over 576,000 accident free flying hours.

Assignments

Major command

• Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command (since 1992)
• Air National Guard/Tactical Air Command (???–1992)

Previous designations^[1]

• 137th Air Refueling Wing (since 2008)
• 137th Airlift Wing (1992–2007)
• 137th Tactical Airlift Wing (1972–1992)
• 137th Air Transport Wing (1960–1972)

Squadrons assigned

• 185th Air Refueling Squadron (since 2008)
• 185th Airlift Squadron (???–2007)
• 125th Air Transport Squadron (1960–1972)

137th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron

Bases stationed

• University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport, 1946–1949
• Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma 1949 – October 1950
• Alexandria Mun Aprt, Louisiana, 27 November 1950 – 4 May 1952*
• Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France, 13 May – 10 July 1952*
• Will Rogers World Airport, 1952–2007
• Tinker Air Force Base, since 2008

* Federalized active service during Korean War

Aircraft operated^[2]

• KC-135 Stratotanker (since 2008)
• C-130 Hercules (1974–2007)
• C-124 Globemaster (???–1974)
• C-97 Stratocruiser (???–???)
  • C-97E Stratocruiser (1961–1963) Miss Oklahoma City used as an airborne command post to maintain constant secure communications between the nation's capital and President John F. Kennedy during his visits to foreign countries
• F-86 Sabrejet (???–???)
• F-80 Shooting Star (???–???)
• P-51 Mustang (???–???)

Decorations

• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award^[3]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

1. ^ rogers, B. (2006). united states air force unit designations since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0
2. ^ world airpower Journal. (1992). US air force air power Directory. aerospace publishing: london, UK. ISBN 1-880588-01-3
3. ^ Air Force Personnel Center Awards Search (Post-1991)

External links

• [1]