The United States Air Force organized its first air refueling squadrons in 1948. In 1955, Strategic Air Command (SAC) organized the first wing to command air refueling units at Dow Air Force Base, Maine. Since then, air refueling wings have been organized by Tactical Air Command (TAC), Military Airlift Command (MAC), United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and Air Mobility Command (AMC). Additional wings have been organized in the Air National Guard (ANG) and the Air Reserves (AFRES).In addition to the wings listed, The 335th Bombardment Group was redesignated the 335th Air Refueling Wing in July 1985. It retains this designation, but it has not been active under any designation since the redesignation. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations
Background Prior to 1991, some refueling wings' full designations also included an additional parenthetical. They included: Air Refueling Wing, Heavy: Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender Air Refueling Wing, Medium: Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, Boeing KB-29 Superfortress, Boeing KB-50 Superfortress Air Refueling Wing, Tactical: Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, Boeing KB-29 Superfortress, Boeing KB-50 Superfortress Air Refueling Wing, Fighter-Bomber: Boeing KB-29 Superfortress Air Refueling Wing (Training): Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter
Air refueling squadrons were also assigned to other types of wings, most frequently to bombardment wings, but also to strategic wings, strategic aerospace wings, strategic fighter wings, fighter-bomber wings, tactical reconnaissance wings, or (generic) wings.
List of wings Wing Dates active Station Previous designation Subsequent designation Command of assignment Notes6th Air Refueling Wing1 October 1996 – 1 January 2001, 30 September 2019 – presentMacDill AFB6th Air Base Wing, 6th Air Mobility Wing activeAMC11th Air Refueling Wing2 July 1968 – 25 May 1969Altus AFB11th Bombardment Wing 11th Strategic GroupSAC19th Air Refueling Wing1 October 1983 – 1 July 1996Robins AFB19th Bombardment Wing19th Airlift WingSAC, AMC22nd Air Refueling Wing1 October 1982 – presentMarch AFBMcConnell AFB22nd Bombardment WingactiveSAC, AMC43rd Air Refueling Wing1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994Malmstrom AFB43rd Bombardment Wing43rd Air Refueling GroupAMC68th Air Refueling Wing1 October 1986 – 22 April 1991Seymour Johnson AFB68th Bombardment Wing68th Electronic Combat GroupSAC92nd Air Refueling Wing1 July 1994 – presentFairchild AFB92nd Bomb WingactiveAMC100th Air Refueling Wing30 September 1976 – 15 March 19831 February 1992 – presentBeale AFB,RAF Mildenhall100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing,100th Air DivisionactiveSAC, USAFE101st Air Refueling Wing1 April 1976 – presentBangor IAP101st Fighter-Interceptor WingactiveANG106th Air Refueling Wingc. September 1969 – 1 December 1972Floyd Bennett FieldSuffolk County AirportnonenoneANGThe wing replaced the 106th Military Airlift Wing, but was a newly-constituted unit. It was replaced by the 106th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, which again was a newly-constituted unit.107th Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – c. 1 July 2008Niagara Falls ARS107th Air Refueling Group107th Airift WingANG108th Air Refueling Wing19 October 1991 – c. 1 December 2009McGuire AFB108th Tactical Fighter Wing108th WingANG117th Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1994 – presentSumpter Smith ANGB117th Reconnaissance WingactiveANG121st Air Refueling Wingc. 16 January 1993 – presentRickenbacker ANGB121st Fighter WingactiveANG126th Air Refueling Wing1 July 1961 – presentO'Hare IAPScott AFB126th Air Defense WingactiveANG128th Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – presentBilly Mitchell Field128th Air Refueling GroupactiveANG134th Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – presentMcGhee-Tyson Airport134th Air Refueling GroupactiveANG136th Air Refueling Wingc. 1 October 1964 – 8 April 1978Hensley Field136th Air Defense Wing136th Tactical Airlift WingANG137th Air Refueling Wingc. 1 October 2008 – 1 October 2015Will Rogers World Airport137th Airlift Wing137th Special Operations WingANG141st Air Refueling Wing1 July 1976 – presentFairchild AFBnoneactiveANG151st Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – presentUtah ANGB151st Air Refueling GroupactiveANG155th Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – presentNebraska ANGB155th Air Refueling GroupactiveANG157th Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – presentPease ANGB157th Air Refueling GroupactiveANG161st Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – presentPhoenix Sky Harbor Airport161st Air Refueling GroupactiveANG163d Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – c. 20 November 2007March ARB163rd Air Refueling Group163rd Reconnaissance WingANG168th Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – presentEielson AFB168th Air Refueling GroupactiveANG171st Air Refueling Wing4 October 1972 – presentGreater Pittsburgh IAPnoneactiveANGThe wing replaced the 171st Aeromedical Airlift Wing, but was a newly-constituted unit. The two wings were consolidated on 18 August 1987.184th Air Refueling Wing14 August 2002 – c. 1 April 2008McConnell AFB184th Bombardment Wing184th Intelligence wingANG185th Air Refueling Wing1 June 2003 – presentColonel Bud Day Field185th Fighter GroupactiveANG186th Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – presentKey Field186th Air Refueling GroupactiveANG190th Air Refueling Wingc. 16 October 1995 – presentForbes Field190th Air Refueling GroupactiveANG301st Air Refueling Wing15 June 1964 – 30 September 19795 January 1988 – 1 June 1992Rickenbacker AFBMalmstrom AFB301st Bombardment WingThe wing was redesignated 311th Air Refueling Wing in inactive status, but this action was later revoked.SACRavenstein, pp. 144-146. (Through September 1977)305th Air Refueling Wing1 January 1970 – 1 October 1994Grissom AFB305th Bombardment Wing305th Air Mobility WingSAC, AMC319th Air Refueling Wing1 October 1993 – 1 March 2011Grand Forks AFB319th Bomb Wing319th Air Base WingAMC334th Air Refueling Wingnot active as a refueling wing334th Bombardment Group334th Air Expeditionary GroupDepartment of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force OrganizationsResearch Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, May 2007, Maxwell AFB, AL336th Air Refueling Wingnot active as a refueling wing336th Bombardment Group336th Crew Training GroupThe wing was consolidated with the 3636th Combat Crew Training Wing in January 1993.340th Air Refueling Wing1 October 1984 – 1 October 1992Altus AFB340th Bombardment Wing340th Flying Training GroupSAC, AMC380th Air Refueling Wing1 July 1992 – 30 September 1995Plattsburgh AFB380th Bombardment Wing380th Air Expeditionary WingSAC, AMC384th Air Refueling Wing15 November 1972 – 1 July 1987McConnell AFB384th Bombardment Wing384th Bombardment WingSACRavenstein, pp. 207-208. (Through September 1977).434th Air Refueling Wing1 October 1994 – presentGrissom ARB434th WingactiveAFRES452d Air Refueling Wing1 October 1976 – 1 May 1994March ARB452nd Tactical Airlift Wing452nd Air Mobility WingAFRES459th Air Refueling Wing1 October 2003 – presentJB Andrews459th Airlift WingactiveAFRES497th Air Refueling Wing1 January 1963 – 15 September 1964Plattsburgh AFBnoneReplaced 4108th Air Refueling Wing.noneConsolidated with 497th Bombardment Group on 31 January 1984. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 539q, 31 January 1984, Subject: Consolidation of Units.SACRavenstein, p. 272499th Air Refueling Wing1 January 1963 – 25 June 1966Westover AFBnoneReplaced 4050th Air Refueling Wing.noneConsolidated with 499th Bombardment Group on 31 January 1984. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 539q, 31 January 1984, Subject: Consolidation of Units.SACRavenstein, pp. 271-272500th Air Refueling Wing1 January 1963 – 15 December 1964Selfridge AFBnoneReplaced 4045th Air Refueling Wing.noneConsolidated with 500th Bombardment Group on 31 January 1984. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 539q, 31 January 1984, Subject: Consolidation of Units.SACRavenstein, pp. 272-273722nd Air Refueling Wing1 January 1994-1 April 1996March ARBnoneAbsorbed residual elements of 22nd Air Refueling Wing, which moved to McConnell AFB.noneAMCAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 802ndc. 10 August 1990 – c. 10 April 1991Southwest AsianonenoneSACAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 804thc. 1 September 1990 – c. 12 April 1991Incirlik ABnonenoneSAC914th Air Refueling Wing1 June 2017 – presentNiagara Falls ARS914th Airlift WingactiveAFRES916th Air Refueling Wing1 October 1994 – presentSeymour Johnson AFB916th Air Refueling GroupactiveAFRES927th Air Refueling Wing1 October 1994 – presentSelfridge ANGBMacDill AFB927th Air Refueling GroupactiveAFRES931st Air Refueling Wing5 March 2016 – presentMcConnell AFB931st Air Refueling GroupactiveAFRES939th Air Refueling Wing1 April 2003 – 30 June 2008Portland ANGB939th Rescue WingnoneAFRES940th Air Refueling Wing1 October 1994 – 1 July 200929 April 2016 – presentMcClellan AFBBeale AFB940th Air Refueling Group940th WingactiveAFRESAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1700thc. 19 August 1990 – c. 11 March 1991Al Taif ABnonenoneAFCENTCombat elements provided by SAC.Air Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1701stc. 7 August 1990 – c. November 1990King Abdulaziz ABnoneStrategic Wing, Provisional, 1701AFCENTAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1702nd21 September 1990 – c. 8 March 1991Muscat Seeb AirportnonenoneAFCENTAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1703rdc. 10 August 1990 – c. 10 March 1991King Khalid IAPnonenoneAFCENTAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1706thc. 28 September 1990 – c. 24 May 1991Cairo West ABnonenoneAFCENTAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1707thc. 1990 – c. 1991RAFO MasirahnonenoneAFCENTAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1709thc. 7 August 1990 – c. 14 March 1991King Abdulaziz ABnonenoneAFCENTAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1710thc. 19 1990 – c. 1991Southwest AsianonenoneAFCENTAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1711thc. October 1990 – c. March 1991King Khalid IAPnonenoneAFCENTAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1712thc. 20 December 1990 – c. 14 March 1991Al Minhad ABnonenoneAFCENTAir Refueling Wing, Provisional, 1713thc. October 1990 – c. March 1991Dubai IAPnonenoneAFCENT4045th Air Refueling Wing1 July 1959 – 1 January 1963Selfridge AFBnonenoneReplaced by 500th Air Refueling Wing. Ravenstein, pp. 272-273SAC4050th Air Refueling Wing1 April 1955 – 1 January 1963Westover AFBnonenoneReplaced by 499th Air Refueling Wing.SACMueller, p. 5814060th Air Refueling Wing8 March 1955 – 1 February 1960Dow AFBnonenoneSAC4061st Air Refueling Wing1 July 1957 – 15 July 1961Malmstrom AFBnonenoneSubordinate base support units transferred to 341st Strategic Missile Wing. Ravenstein, Combat Wings, p. 181SACMueller, p. 3614108th Air Refueling Wing1 January 1961 – 1 January 1963Plattsburgh AFBnonenoneReplaced by 497th Air Refueling Wing.SACMueller, p. 4784397th Air Refueling Wing1 July 1958 – 15 June 1962Randolph AFBnoneAbsorbed the Boeing B-47 Stratojet resources of the 3510th Combat Crew Training Wing.noneSACMueller, p. 4924505th Air Refueling Wing1 July 1958 – 8 October 1963Langley AFBnonenoneSACMueller, p. 316
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