92d Air Refueling Wing

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 Brian M. Newberry. Its Vice Commander is Colonel Marc Van Wert and Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Rudy Lopez.

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 acre 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 Group (92 OG)
 * Primarily responsible for the 4 flying squadrons - the 92d, 93d, 96th and 97th Air Refueling Squadrons which 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.

History

 * For additional history and lineage, see 92d Operations Group

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. 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 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.

Post Cold War era
Ended B-52 alert duties in September 1992, and ended bombardment mission in 1994. 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. Pilot error and failure of wing and higher headquarters supervision were identified as causes of the mishap..

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 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.

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 Force, 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 Force, 4 September 1956
 * 18th Air (later, 18th Strategic Aerospace) Division, 1 July 1959
 * 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 Force, 15 June 1988
 * Twelfth Air Force, 1 June 1992
 * Fifteenth Air Force, 1 July 1994
 * Eighteenth Air Force, 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) Group: 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
 * 22d Air Refueling Squadron: 15 June 1960-1 July 1962
 * 43d 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 Squadron: 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 Squadron: attached 16 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-1 April 1961 (detached 1 March-1 April 1961)
 * 327th Bombardment Squadron: attached 16 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-1 June 1960


 * 567th Strategic Missile Squadron: 1 April 1960-25 June 1965.

Stations

 * Spokane AAFld (later, Spokane AFB; Fairchild AFB), Washington, 17 November 1947–present

Aircraft and missiles

 * B-29 Superfortress (Also KB-29), 1947–1950, 1950–1952
 * B-36 Peacemaker, 1951–1957
 * B-52 Stratofortress, 1957–1968, 1968–1969, 1969–1972, 1973–1994
 * KC-135 Stratotanker, 1958–present
 * SM-65E Atlas, 1961–1965
 * T-37 Tweet, 1991–1994
 * UH-1 Huey, 1993–present