Loading AI tools
Military unit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 92d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. The wing is also the host unit at Fairchild. The wing carries out air refueling, passenger and cargo airlift, and aero-medical evacuation missions.
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
92d Air Refueling Wing
 | |
|---|---|
Wing KC-135 Stratotanker after a snowfall at Fairchild AFB | |
| Active | 1947–1948; 1948–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Refueling |
| Part of | Air Mobility Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Fairchild Air Force Base |
| Motto(s) | Duplum Incolumitatis Latin Twofold Security[1] |
| Decorations | Air Force Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[2] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | General Arthur Lichte General David Wade |
| Insignia | |
| 92d Air Refueling Wing emblem (approved 7 July 1994)[2] |  |
| 92d Bombardment Wing emblem (approved 21 November 1957)[3] |  |
| 92d Bombardment Wing emblem (approved 9 June 1952)[1][note 1] |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Tanker | Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker |
Its 92d Operations Group is a successor organization to the World War II 92d Bombardment Group. It was the first VIII Bomber Command Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment group to bomb strategic targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany from RAF Bovingdon, England in September 1942. From 1948 to 1992, the 92d Bombardment Wing was a part of Strategic Air Command's nuclear deterrent force during the Cold War.
The 92d Air Refueling Wing is commanded by Colonel Chesley L. Dycus, its Vice Commander is Colonel Garret J. Bilbo and Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant William J. Arcuri.[4]
The wing's origins lie with the 92d Bombardment Group, first established during World War II.
On 17 November 1947, the 92d Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy was organized at Spokane Army Air Field, Washington [3] as part of the United States Air Force's wing base reorganization, in which combat groups and all supporting units on a base were assigned to a single wing.[5] The 92d Bombardment Group, flying Boeing B-29 Superfortresses became its operational component.[3] It served as a double-sized B-29 wing until April 1950, and again from May 1950 to April 1951, although one bomb group was generally deployed overseas for training or combat in Korea. It also supervised the 454th Bombardment Group,[3] a Reserve corollary bomb group from June 1949 until February 1951, when the 454th was called to active duty for the Korean War.[6]
Upon return to the United States, the wing reequipped with the Convair B-36 Peacemaker. In August and September 1953, the wing completed the first mass flight of B-36s to the Far East in Operation Big Stick. The 92d visited bases in Japan, Okinawa and Guam. Big Stick followed close on the heels of the end of hostilities in Korea and was intended to show American determination to keep the peace in the Far East. On 15 and 16 October 1954 the wing deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam for 90 days. This was the first deployment of an entire wing of Peacemakers to an overseas base.[7] The wing deployed to Andersen again from 26 April until 6 July 1956.
The wing added air refueling operations to bombardment mission in September 1957. From March to June 1959, the wing participated in Operation Head Start III, a precursor to Operation Chrome Dome. The 92d kept five of its Stratofortresses airborne at all times, with crews flying 24 hour missions with the support of ten KC-135 tankers. In January 1961, SAC disclosed it was maintaining an airborne force for "airborne alert training."[8]
From July 1961 to August 1965, controlled an SM-65E Atlas missile squadron. Supported SAC activities in Southeast Asia from early 1965 to December 1975 through deployment of bomber and tanker aircraft and crews and Air Weather 9thWS Det3. In 1969, supplied aircraft for Operation Giant Lance over Alaska, a secret mission designed to intimidate the Soviet Union into backing away from supporting the North Vietnamese.
From March–September 1968, March–September 1969, and June 1972-October 1973, all wing Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses and many Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, plus aircrews and support personnel, were involved in Southeast Asia operations. After 1975, performed joint USAF/US Navy sea reconnaissance and surveillance missions. In 1983, the Wing's B-52Gs were modified to carry AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM). In 1985, upgraded to B-52H with improved strategic weapons carriage and offensive electronics capabilities. Earned the Fairchild Trophy in 1953, 1986, and again in 1992 when it won SAC's last competition and retired the trophy. Also won the Saunders Trophy for best air refueling unit in SAC for 1992. Provided KC-135 aircraft to tanker task forces in the US, Europe, and the Pacific through 1992.
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2016) |
Ended B-52 alert duties in September 1992, and ended bombardment mission in 1994, with transfer from Air Combat Command to Air Mobility Command upon departure of last B-52H. On 24 June 1994, a B-52H practicing for an airshow crashed on the airfield while making an unauthorized, low altitude, steep turn. The aircraft exceeded 90 degrees of bank, entered a stall and impacted the ground killing all on board, including the squadron commander and chief of standardization-evaluation. The pilot, Lt Col Arthur "Bud" Holland, maneuvered the bomber beyond its operational limits and lost control. The aircraft stalled, fell to the ground and exploded, killing Holland and the other three USAF officers aboard. The crash was captured on video and was shown repeatedly on news broadcasts throughout the world.[9]
As a purely air refueling unit, the group's squadrons routinely augmented AMC's overseas tanker task forces in Panama, Europe, Turkey, and Southwest Asia, providing aerial refueling to attack and transport aircraft.
The wing deployed personnel and aircraft to expeditionary bases in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain as part of the Kosovo War (NATO "Operation Allied Force") in 1999. That year, the Wing became the 92d Air Expeditionary Wing at Morón Air Base in Spain, tasked with providing fuel to NATO aircraft involved in the war. In addition to serving as the HQ 92 AEW (serving units in France, Crete, Sicily and Spain), Morón hosted 37 tankers (KC-135 and KC-10) and 800 personnel. The 92 AEW became the largest tanker wing since the Vietnam War and held the distinction of being the largest tanker base during the Kosovo War.
In the mid-2010s, wing staff officially stated that the wing 'operate[d] 34 KC-135 R/T Stratotanker refueling aircraft valued at $1.6 billion and 58 aircrews to support worldwide military missions. Serving as Fairchild Air Force Base host unit, the wing control[led] 4,223 acres (17.09 km2) and 1,248 buildings. The wing employ[ed] over 2,200 active-duty military, as well as over 700 civilian employees.'
The 92d Air Refueling Wing is structured under four groups: Operations, maintenance, mission support and medical, as well as 12 staff agencies organized under the Director of Staff.[10]
Wing staff agencies consist of a variety of functions. These functions include legal, plans and programs, safety, command and control, chapel, public affairs, military equal opportunity, sexual assault prevention program, protocol, history and the inspector general.
|
|
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
