92d Operations Group
Encyclopedia
The 92d Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) 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 92d ARW is responsible for providing air refueling, as well as rapid and reliable passenger and cargo airlift and aero-medical evacuation missions supporting U.S. and coalition conventional operations as well as U.S. Strategic Command strategic deterrence missions.
Its 92d Operations Group
is a successor organization to the World War II
92d Bombardment Group. It was the first VIII Bomber Command
B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment group to carry out strategic bombardment operations against targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany
from RAF Bovingdon
, England
in September 1942. Active for over 60 years, the 92d Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command
's deterrent force during the Cold War
, as a strategic bombardment wing.
The 92d Air Refueling Wing is commanded by Colonel Robert D. Thomas. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant David R. Nordel.
The wing employs over 2,200 active-duty military, as well as over 700 civilian employees. It supports Air Mobility Command's mission, providing global reach air power and deploying expeditionary combat support forces in support of worldwide contingency requirements. The 92d ARW capability of aerial refueling enhances the Air Force's ability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power.
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.
Group
Squadrons
Added air refueling operations to bombardment mission in September 1957. From July 1961 to August 1965, controlled an Atlas missile squadron. Supported SAC activities in Southeast Asia from early 1965 to December 1975 through deployment of bomber and tanker aircraft and crews. From March-September 1968, March-September 1969, and June 1972-October 1973, all wing B-52s and many KC-135s, plus aircrews and support personnel, were involved in Southeast Asia operations. After 1975, performed joint USAF/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.
In 1999 the Wing became the 92d Air Expeditionary Wing at Morón Air Base
in Spain, tasked with providing fuel to Operation Allied Force
. 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
.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
Eighteenth Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force
Eighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
. It is stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base
Fairchild Air Force Base
Fairchild Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southwest of Spokane, Washington.The host unit at Fairchild is the 92d Air Refueling Wing assigned to the Air Mobility Command's 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force...
, Washington. The wing is also the host unit at Fairchild.
The 92d ARW is responsible for providing air refueling, as well as rapid and reliable passenger and cargo airlift and aero-medical evacuation missions supporting U.S. and coalition conventional operations as well as U.S. Strategic Command strategic deterrence missions.
Its 92d Operations Group
92d Operations Group
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...
is a successor organization to the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
92d Bombardment Group. It was the first VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment group to carry out strategic bombardment operations against targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
from RAF Bovingdon
RAF Bovingdon
RAF Bovingdon was a Royal Air Force station, located to the west of Bovingdon, two and a half miles south of Hemel Hempstead and two and a half miles south east of Berkhamsted, in Hertfordshire, UK....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in September 1942. Active for over 60 years, the 92d Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
's deterrent force during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, as a strategic bombardment wing.
The 92d Air Refueling Wing is commanded by Colonel Robert D. Thomas. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant David R. Nordel.
Overview
The 92d ARW operates 34 KC-135 R/T Stratotanker refueling aircraft valued at $1.6 billion and 58 aircrews to support worldwide military missions. As the host unit to Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., the wing controls 4223 acres (17.1 km²) and 1,248 buildings.The wing employs over 2,200 active-duty military, as well as over 700 civilian employees. It supports Air Mobility Command's mission, providing global reach air power and deploying expeditionary combat support forces in support of worldwide contingency requirements. The 92d ARW capability of aerial refueling enhances the Air Force's ability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power.
Units
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.- 92d Operations Group92d Operations GroupThe 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...
(92 OG)
- Primarily responsible for two flying squadrons. The 92d Air Refueling Squadron and the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron both fly the KC-135 Stratotanker. The 92d Operations Support Squadron manages functions such as intelligence, weather, tactics, aircrew training, life support supervision, airfield management, air traffic control, combat crew communications and current operations. The 92d OSS is also responsible for managing the airfield, weather station, control tower and flight simulator for the wing.
- 92d Maintenance Group (92 MXG)
- Provides field-level maintenance support for 34 KC-135 R/T aircraft and 240 pieces of aerospace ground equipment supporting peace and wartime worldwide aerial refueling and airlift operations. The group also provides services for transient contract and military aircraft. Furthermore, the 92d Maintenance Group maintains a high state of combat readiness for over 650 personnel and equipment supporting worldwide contingency and nuclear deterrence operations, while also maintaining base munitions.
- 92d Mission Support Group (92 MSG)
- Provides professional civil engineer, communications, contracting, logistics, mission support, security forces, and combat, community, and family support services for Fairchild and expeditionary commanders. Additionally, through the wing's Air Expeditionary Force Cell, the 92d MSG integrates all wing readiness functions to train, deploy and reintegrate up to 1,300 warriors annually who deploy from Fairchild to fight the Global War on Terrorism.
- 92d Medical Group (92 MDG)
- Serves more than 12,640 military beneficiaries, with a staff of 308 and an annual budget of $12.3 million. The medical clinic receives over 53,688 outpatient visits and 12,975 dental visits annually. The group currently manages the 92d Aeromedical Dental Squadron, 92d Medical Operations Squadron and the 92d Medical Support Squadron.
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.
Lineage
- Established as 92d Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, and organized, on 17 November 1947
- Redesignated: 92d Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 12 July 1948
- Redesignated: 92d Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 16 June 1951
- Redesignated: 92d Strategic Aerospace Wing on 15 February 1962
- Redesignated: 92d Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 31 March 1972
- Redesignated: 92d Wing on 1 September 1991
- Redesignated: 92d Bomb Wing on 1 June 1992
- Redesignated: 92d Air Refueling Wing on 1 July 1994.
Assignments
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 17 November 1947 - 57th Air Division, 16 April 1951
- Attached to 3rd Air Division, 16 October 1954-12 January 1955 and 26 April-6 July 1956
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 4 September 1956 - 18th Air (later, 18th Strategic Aerospace) Division, 1 July 1959
- Fifteenth Air Force
- Attached to 14th Strategic Aerospace Division, 15 June- 1 July 1968
- 14th Strategic Aerospace Division, 2 July 1968
- 4th Strategic Aerospace Division, 31 March 1970
- 47th Air Division, 30 June 1971
- 57th Air Division, 23 January 1987
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 15 June 1988 - Twelfth Air Force, 1 June 1992
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 1 July 1994 - Eighteenth Air ForceEighteenth Air ForceEighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
, 1 October 2003–present
Components
Wings- 90th Bombardment Wing: attached 2–31 January 1951
- 98th Bombardment Wing: attached 17 November 1947-15 April 1950 and 16 May 1950-31 March 1951
Group
- 92d Bombardment (later, 92d Operations) Group92d Operations GroupThe 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...
: 17 November 1947-16 June 1952 (detached 7 February-19 May 1949 and 9 July-30 October 1950); 1 September 1991–present - 98th Bombardment Group: attached 17 November 1947-21 August 1948, 10 December 1948-16 May 1949, and 18 August 1949-15 April 1950; rear echelon (no aircraft or crews) attached 2 August 1950-16 April 1951
- 454th Bombardment Group: attached 27 June 1949-16 June 1951
Squadrons
- 22nd Air Refueling Squadron: 15 June 1960-1 July 1962
- 43rd Air Refueling Squadron: 2 April 1966-1 September 1991 (detached c. 22 March-8 July 1968 and 9 June-14 September 1969)
- 92d Air Refueling Squadron92d Air Refueling SquadronThe 92d Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 92d Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.-Mission:The squadron operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
: 1 July 1957-1 September 1991 (detached 1 July-13 September 1957)
- 325th Bombardment Squadron: attached 16 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-1 September 1991
- 326th Bombardment Squadron326th Bombardment SquadronThe 326th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4141st Strategic Wing, stationed at Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana. It was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-World War II:...
: attached 16 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-1 April 1961 (detached 1 March-1 April 1961) - 327th Bombardment Squadron327th Bombardment SquadronThe 327th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4170th Strategic Wing, stationed at Larson Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 1 February 1963-World War II:...
: attached 16 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-1 June 1960
- 567th Strategic Missile Squadron567th Strategic Missile SquadronThe 567th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 92d Strategic Aerospace Wing, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 25 June 1965.-World War II:...
: 1 April 1960-25 June 1965.
Stations
- Spokane AAFld (later, Spokane AFB; Fairchild AFB), Washington, 17 November 1947–present
Aircraft and missiles
- B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
(Also KB-29), 1947–1950, 1950–1952 - B-36 Peacemaker, 1951–1957
- B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
, 1957–1968, 1968–1969, 1969–1972, 1973–1994 - KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
, 1958–present - SM-65E AtlasSM-65E AtlasThe SM-65E Atlas, or Atlas-E, was an operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 11 October 1960, and was deployed as an operational ICBM from September 1961 until April 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-E, along with the Atlas-F, was refurbished for orbital launches...
, 1961–1965 - T-37 Tweet, 1991–1994
- UH-1 Huey, 1993–present
Strategic Air Command
Served as a double-sized B-29 wing, November 1947-April 1950, and May 1950-April 1951, although one bomb group was generally deployed overseas for training or combat in Korea. Supervised a Reserve corollary bomb group, June 1949-February 1951. Pioneered mass B-36 deployments to the Far East, August-September 1953. Deployed at Andersen AFB, Guam, 16 October 1954-12 January 1955 and 26 April-6 July 1956.Added air refueling operations to bombardment mission in September 1957. From July 1961 to August 1965, controlled an Atlas missile squadron. Supported SAC activities in Southeast Asia from early 1965 to December 1975 through deployment of bomber and tanker aircraft and crews. From March-September 1968, March-September 1969, and June 1972-October 1973, all wing B-52s and many KC-135s, plus aircrews and support personnel, were involved in Southeast Asia operations. After 1975, performed joint USAF/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.
Modern era
Ended B-52 alert duties in September 1992, and ended bombardment mission in 1994. Operational squadrons routinely augmented AMC's overseas tanker task forces in Panama, Europe, Turkey, and Southwest Asia to support contingency operations. Deployed personnel and aircraft to expeditionary bases in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain to support Operation ALLIED FORCE in 1999.In 1999 the Wing became the 92d Air Expeditionary Wing at Morón Air Base
Morón Air Base
Morón Air Base is located at in southern Spain, approximately southeast of the city of Seville and northeast of Naval Station Rota. The base gets its name from the nearby town of Morón de la Frontera - although its is actually located in the municipality of Arahal.Morón's massive flight line,...
in Spain, tasked with providing fuel to Operation Allied Force
Operation Allied Force
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
. 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
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and held the distinction of being the largest tanker base during the Kosovo war
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
.