| 185th Air Refueling Wing | |
|---|---|
185th Fighter Wing emblem |
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| Active | 1961-Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force/Air National Guard |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Aerial Refueling |
| Size | 900+ |
| Part of | Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Sioux Gateway Airport, Iowa |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Col. Brian Miller |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Tanker | KC-135R Stratotanker |
The United States Air Force's 185th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) is a unit located at Sioux Gateway Airport, Iowa, which is located just west of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa.
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The mission of the 185 ARW is to provide mid-air refueling and mobility sustainment in direct 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.
The Wing's 174th Refueling Squadron was allocated to the Iowa Air National Guard on 24 May 1946. During World War II it served in combat as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter squadron in the European Theater of Operations (ETO), designated as the 386th Fighter Squadron, 365th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force.
The unit was assigned to Sioux City Airport, Iowa, a former World War II airfield that had been used by II Bomber Command for B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses heavy bomber training. On 2 December 1946, the 174th was extended Federal recognition and equipped with P-51D Mustangs. The original component of the unit included 9 rated officers, 7 non-rated officers, and 46 enlisted members for a total of 62 members. For three years, the 174th flew the P-51 Mustang. In 1949-50, the unit received its first jet, the F-84B Thunderjet.
The squadron was called to active duty on 1 April 1951 for service during the Korean War and assigned to Dow AFB in Bangor, Maine. Most jet pilots transferred to overseas units in Europe and the Far East. The squadron was re-equipped with the F-51D. The unit finished their tour and was transferred back to state control on 31 December 1952. In July 1953, the unit converted from F-51Ds to Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star.
In 1955, the 174th Fighter Squadron was re-designated the 174th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and was transitioned to the F-84E Thunderstreak. As a component of the 132d Fighter Interceptor Wing, the unit won the Air National Guard Gunnery Meet. They also placed third in the USAF Fighter Weapons meet that year. For their accomplishments, the 174th was awarded the Spaatz Trophy as the most outstanding Air National Guard squadron in the nation in 1956. The accolades did not stop there as the unit also was awarded the Wing Flying Safety trophy that year as well. In 1958, the unit changed aircraft and its primary mission. They became the 174th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and flew the swept-wing RF-84F Thunderflash. As a reconnaissance unit, the 174th was awarded the top "Operational Readiness Reconnaissance Unit" in the nation in 1960.
In 1961, the unit was re-designated the 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron and converted to flying F-100C Super Sabre. On 1 October 1962, the unit reached group status. It was reorganized and re-designated as the 185th Tactical Fighter Group. This reorganization nearly doubled the authorized personnel of the unit to over 800 officers and airmen. This era would also mark the longest continuous period of flying one aircraft. The 185th flew the F-100 from 1961 until 1977, a period of 16 years.
On 26th January 1968, the 185th was recalled to active Federal service as a result of the "Pueblo Crisis". The 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 185th augmented by many of the other personnel from the Group, deployed with their F-100s to Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam on 11 May 1968. During the course of the next 90 days, the balance of the 185th was deployed to six military bases in South Korea and several others within the continental United States. During their year in South Vietnam, the 174th flew 6,539 combat sorties totally 11,359 hours of combat time. The unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Individually, its members were awarded 12 silver stars, 35 distinguished flying crosses, 30 bronze stars, 115 commendation medals, 325 air medals, and 1 purple heart
While in Phu Cat AB, one distinguished Air Force pilot that flew one of our planes was Dick Rutan. Dick went on to become the first pilot to take a non-stop un-refueled trip around the world. In 2005, Mattel toys introduced a die-cast model of the Sioux City based F-100 that Dick Rutan flew in Vietnam, tail # HA 076. Dick was also one of the famous Misty pilots, a top-secret squadron that flew high-risk missions during their tours. Another member of this famous squadron was Medal of Honor recipient Colonel George "Bud" Day, for whom the airfield in Sioux City is named.
As for the 174th, on 28 May 1969, the personnel and aircraft were recalled with the 185th and returned to Sioux City and released from active duty. In 1969, the 174th Fighter Squadron won the Air Force Outstanding Unit award with a designation of valor. 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 "Bats" became renowned for their outstanding performance.
The other symbol often associated with been the Indian Chief that is part of the unit patch as well as part of the paint work on the aircraft. The Indian Chieftain is symbolic of the brave Indian warriors, like War Eagle, who once lived in the Siouxland area. The pride, courage and determination found in these "First Americans" are traits emulated by the members of the 185th.
In 1977, the 185th converted to the 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 -1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, and 1991. In addition, the 185th's Logistic Group is a two-time winner of the Daedalian Trophy which recognizes the best maintenance team in the ANG. In 1989, the 185th won the 12th Air Force A-7 gunnery meet for the second time. Also in 1989, the 185th received the Gunsmoke A-7 Maintenance Team Award for its aircraft.
On December 19th, 1991, they received F-16 Falcons. On March 16th, 1992, the 185th Tactical Fighter Group was re-designated the 185th Fighter Group. One month later, the unit was rated operational. As the Air Force and Air Guard standardized unit structures, the 185th was designated the 185th Fighter Wing. The F-16 "Fighting Falcon" would be the last jet that the unit would fly before conversion to KC135 tankers in 2003. The 185th continued to be an award-winning unit. In 1994, the unit picked up 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 dollars for the Air National Guard Aircraft Paint Facility located on base. The facility at the 185th has become top-notch, reflecting the quality of work that has been synonymous with the unit for over 50 years.
They were re-designated the 185th Air Refueling Wing. In November 2003, the first all Sioux City crew flew a KC-135 out of Sioux City. Within a year, the 185th was flying refueling missions out of Geilenkirchen, Germany supporting NATO AWACS. In 2007, the 185th began transitioning from KC-135E to KC-135R models, newer planes, with larger engines, capable of more missions, making the 185th a unit ready to serve, whenever and wherever they are needed.
Today, the 185th consists of nearly 900 members that includes; traditional guardsman, full-time military, air technicians and state contract employees.
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